What happened on this day, January 21 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1930
British racer John Campbell-Jones was born in Leatherhead, Surrey. He competed in the 1962 Belgium Grand Prix driving a borrowed Lotus 18 after his original Emeryson’s gearbox failed. Despite facing a similar gearbox issue with the Lotus during the race, Campbell-Jones was classified 11th.
1975
Born in Saitama, Japan, Yuji Ide’s brief stint in Formula One with Super Aguri is often remembered for its challenges rather than successes. He joined the team primarily due to sponsorship and lacked the competitive edge, participating in only four races. His performance was notably below par, leading to the FIA revoking his superlicense after the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix. He was replaced by Franck Montagny and subsequently returned to Japan to compete in Formula Nippon and Super GT series.
1979
Jacques Laffite had a strong start to the season at the 1979 Argentina Grand Prix, securing pole position, the fastest lap, and the victory for Ligier. Although briefly overtaken by Patrick Deppailler, Laffite regained the lead. The race saw a dramatic moment with an eight-car collision at the first corner, leading to a restart. McLaren driver John Watson managed to finish third despite being involved in the incident. Lotus driver Carlos Reutemann finished in second. Laffite continued his winning streak at the following Grand Prix, but mechanical reliability issues later affected his season, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the championship.
1979 Argentina Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Ford | 53 | 1:36:03.210 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Lotus Ford | 53 | +14.940s | 6 |
| 3 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 53 | +88.810s | 4 |
| 4 | 25 | Patrick Depailler | Ligier Ford | 53 | +101.720s | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | Mario Andretti | Lotus Ford | 52 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 14 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi Ford | 52 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 18 | Elio de Angelis | Shadow Ford | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 30 | Jochen Mass | Arrows Ford | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams Ford | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 28 | Clay Regazzoni | Williams Ford | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 22 | Derek Daly | Ensign Ford | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 12 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 48 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | Hector Rebaque | Lotus Ford | 46 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Jan Lammers | Shadow Ford | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | James Hunt | Wolf Ford | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Tyrrell Ford | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Niki Lauda | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Didier Pironi | Tyrrell Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Patrick Tambay | McLaren Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Arturo Merzario | Merzario Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1993
Before the 1994 season began, controversy arose when Williams, the defending Drivers’ and Constructors’ champion, when on this day, was initially left off the entry list for the season opener in South Africa. The situation was rectified after all other teams agreed to allow Williams to compete, although two teams had refused to do so without being given “concessions”. This incident was embarrassing for team principal Frank Williams and upsetting for his sponsors, but ultimately, the Williams cars were confirmed on the grid for the race.
F1 Driver Birthdays 21 January
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 21 January 1923 | Jud Larson |
| 21 January 1930 | John Campbell-Jones |
| 21 January 1975 | Yuji Ide |
F1 Driver Deaths 21 January
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 21 January 1981 | Cuth Harrison |
| 21 January 1994 | Wayne Selser |
| 21 January 2014 | Tony Crook |
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