What Happened On This Day January 15 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, January 15 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1914

Rene La Begue, born this day in Paris, was a prominent French racer prior to World War Two, securing top finishes in several major endurance races. In 1939, he placed third at the 1939 French Grand Prix behind the leading Silver Arrows, and in 1940, he finished tenth at the Indianapolis 500. He returned to Europe to join the Free French forces during the war. When motorsport resumed in 1946, he was named vice-president of the French Drivers Association. Sadly, he died shortly thereafter due to a malfunctioning water heater in his bathroom; the gas leak led to accidental asphyxiation.

1934

Mario Araujo de Cabral was born in Cedofeita, Portugal. He raced sporadically in F1 during the late 1950s and early 1960s, finishing just one race. His best result was tenth place at his home race, the 1959 Portugal Grand Prix, driving a non-works Cooper T51 for Scuderia Centro Sud. In 2009, at the age of 75, Cabral came out as bisexual; sadly, he passed away 11 years later at the age of 86.

1952

David Kennedy, a trailblazer in Irish motorsport, was born in Sligo. He became the first Irishman to win the British Formula Ford 1600 championship in 1976. Kennedy made his Formula One debut in the Aurora championship, finishing as runner-up in 1979. His Championship debut came in 1980 with the declining Shadow team, but he struggled to qualify, managing to start in only one race—the 1980 Spanish Grand Prix, which later was deemed non-championship due to the FISA-FOCA conflict. Post-F1, he competed in Can-Am and raced for Mazda at Le Mans before becoming a commentator and journalist.

1978

In the opening race of the season, the 1978 Argentine Grand Prix saw Mario Andretti clinch his tenth career pole driving for Lotus and secure a commanding victory, finishing over thirty seconds ahead of reigning world champion Niki Lauda in a Brabham. Andretti praised his car’s performance, remarking, “It was perfect, just humming along. I was completely at ease.” Local favorite Carlos Reutemann appeared to be a strong contender until a pit stop for a tyre change set him back, ultimately finishing seventh for Ferrari. Lauda’s teammate, John Watson, who had been in second for most of the race, suffered an engine failure. This race marked the beginning of Andretti’s successful season, culminating in six victories and the 1978 Drivers’ Championship. Patrick Depailler finished in third for Tyrrell.

1978 Argentine Grand Prix Race Results

1996

Max Mosley made headlines when he announced that drivers would need to pass written tests on regulations before being permitted to race. “We’ve seen a few instances where drivers didn’t adhere to rules simply because they were unaware,” Mosley explained. “There have been cases where ignorance of the rules led to disciplinary actions.” The tests would focus on clear regulations, such as the meanings of specific flags.

2003

FIA chief Max Mosley declared a ban on several driver aids, including traction control, launch control, and all forms of telemetry and radio communication during races. Bernie Ecclestone defended the technical progression in Formula One, stating, “The issue isn’t technology; it’s that some teams can’t keep up financially.” Despite this, the implementation of these changes was hasty and Mosley was compelled to partially reverse his decision within a week.

F1 Driver Birthdays 15 January

F1 Driver Deaths 15 January