What Happened On This Day January 16 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, January 16 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1903

Born in Paris, William Grover-Williams became a revered war hero and a formidable racecar driver. He initially raced incognito to avoid family disapproval, achieving notable success with the Bugatti team by winning the French Grand Prix in 1928 and 1929 and securing the first-ever Monaco Grand Prix victory in 1929. He later triumphed at the Belgian Grand Prix and won the Grand Prix de la Baule three years running. Grover-Williams’ life took a tragic turn during World War II, where he served in the Special Operations Executive but was eventually captured and executed by the Nazis in 1945 at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

1935

AJ Foyt, born in Houston, would emerge as a towering figure in motorsports, known affectionately as the King of the Indy. His record in Formula One might be brief, with just three appearances at the Indianapolis 500 when it was part of the FIA World Championship, yet his achievements at Indy are legendary. He is celebrated as the first to clinch the race four times and the only driver to compete for 35 consecutive years, completing 4,909 laps or 12,272½ miles. Foyt amassed earnings of $2,637,963 from the Indy 500 alone and holds records for his seven national championships and 67 victories in Indy car racing. His remarkable versatility is highlighted by victories in the Indy 500, NASCAR’s Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans—a unique triple crown in motorsports.

1937

Luiz Bueno, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is remembered mainly for his prolific career in Brazil’s touring car championship, despite a brief stint in Formula One, where he competed in his home Grand Prix in 1973, finishing twelfth driving a Surtees TS9B.

1952

Piercarlo Ghinzani, born in Riviera d’Adda, Italy, had a Formula One career stretching from 1981 to 1989 over 111 races but scored only two points. His journey through motorsports was gradual, starting in 1970, reaching Formula Three in 1973, and clinching the European Formula Three title in 1977 before progressing to Formula Two and eventually Formula One with Osella.

After retiring from Formula 1, he formed his own Formula 3 team, becoming a leading figure in the Italian championship. He also considered expanding into the newly inaugurated Italian F3000 championship in 2000.

1955

The fierce heat of Argentina hosted the inaugural round of that year’s F1 championship, the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix, a gruelling race with only seven finishers, won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio. It marked the beginning of what would be his fourth consecutive Drivers’ title. He was one of only two drivers (the other was Roberto Mieres) to complete the race without a co-driver.

Fangio endured severe burns to his leg during the race, as it constantly rubbed against the chassis frame heated by the exhaust. It took him three months to recover from the injury and was left a permanent scar on his leg for the rest of his life.

Ferrari drivers Nino Farina and Maurice Trintignant secured second and third-place finishes in races where they shared driving duties with José Froilán González and Umberto Maglioli, respectively.

1955 Argentine Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	2	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes-Benz	96	3:00:38.600	9
2	12	Jose Froilan Gonzalez	Ferrari		SHC	2
2	12	Nino Farina	Ferrari	96	+89.600s	3.3
2	12	Maurice  Trintignant	Ferrari		SHC	3.3
3	10	Nino Farina	Ferrari		SHC	0
3	10	Umberto  Maglioli	Ferrari	94	+2 laps	1.3
3	10	Maurice  Trintignant	Ferrari		SHC	0
4	8	Hans  Herrmann	Mercedes-Benz		SHC	1
4	8	Karl Kling	Mercedes-Benz		SHC	1
4	8	Stirling Moss	Mercedes-Benz	94	+2 laps	1
5	18	Roberto Mieres	Maserati	91	+5 laps	2
6	28	Harry Schell	Maserati		SHC	0
6	28	Jean Behra	Maserati	88	+8 laps	0
7	22	Luigi Musso	Maserati		SHC	0
7	22	Sergio Mantovani	Maserati		SHC	0
7	22	Harry Schell	Maserati	83	+13 laps	0
NC	26	Clemar Bucci	Maserati		SHC	0
NC	26	Harry Schell	Maserati		SHC	0
NC	26	Carlos Menditeguy	Maserati	54	DNF	0
NC	20	Sergio Mantovani	Maserati		SHC	0
NC	20	Luigi Musso	Maserati		SHC	0
NC	20	Jean Behra	Maserati	54	DNF	0
NC	42	Jesus Iglesias	Gordini	38	DNF	0
NC	14	Maurice  Trintignant	Ferrari	36	DNF	0
NC	36	Eugenio Castellotti	Lancia		SHC	0
NC	36	Luigi  Villoresi	Lancia	35	DNF	0
NC	6	Stirling Moss	Mercedes-Benz	29	DNF	0
NC	30	Alberto Uria	Maserati	22	DNF	0
NC	32	Alberto Ascari	Lancia	21	DNF	0
NC	38	Elie Bayol	Gordini	7	DNF	0
NC	34	Luigi  Villoresi	Lancia	2	DNF	0
NC	16	Jean Behra	Maserati	2	DNF	0
NC	4	Karl Kling	Mercedes-Benz	2	DNF	0
NC	40	Pablo Birger	Gordini	1	DNF	0
NC	24	Carlos Menditeguy	Maserati	1	DNF	0

1996

Michael Schumacher‘s early days at Ferrari were marked by a challenging incident where he crashed at Fiorano test track due to icy conditions, escaping uninjured. That same day, Damon Hill also faced troubles at Estoril, mirroring Schumacher’s misfortune with his own off the track excursions.

2004

The French Grand Prix faced controversy upon its return to the F1 calendar after financial disputes. Its inclusion extended the season to 18 races, a decision met with mixed reactions as some, like Jaguar boss Tony Purnell, considered it the upper limit of the season’s manageable length.

F1 Driver Birthdays 16 January

Birthday	F1 Driver
16 January 1920	Alberto Crespo
16 January 1930	Luki Botha
16 January 1935	AJ Foyt
16 January 1937	Luiz Bueno
16 January 1952	Piercarlo Ghinzani

Birthday	F1 Mentions
16 January 1903	William Grover-Williams (d.1945) Known for winning the first Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.

F1 Driver Deaths 16 January

Death	F1 Driver
16 January 2008	Jorge de Bagration