What happened on this day, January 28 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1915
Brian Shawe-Taylor, born in Dublin, competed in the 1950 British Grand Prix and again in 1951. He had a stint in practice for Ferrari at the 1951 French Grand Prix but did not secure the drive. He experienced a severe crash at Goodwood, which ended his racing career and led to a role at GCHQ in Cheltenham.
1934
Juan Manuel Bordeu, a friend and protégé of racing legend Juan-Manuel Fangio, was born in Balcarce, Argentina. He entered the 1961 French Grand Prix but withdrew before the race. Post-retirement in 1973, he took up a role in race administration as the Argentine delegate to the World Motorsport Council.
1926
Gene Hartley, born in Roanoke, Indiana, participated in nine Indianapolis Grand Prix during the 1950s, when these races were part of the FIA World Championship. Coming from a family of racers, Hartley was deeply entrenched in the racing world.
1938
Bernd Rosemeyer, a top driver for Germany’s Auto Union during the 1930s and European Champion in 1936, died in a tragic attempt to break the land speed record. He lost control of his Auto Union Streamliner on the Autobahn due to a suspected gust of wind, leading to a fatal crash.
1973
Lotus driver Emerson Fittipaldi kicked off his championship defence by clinching the win at the 1973 Argentine Grand Prix at the Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Galvez. The race saw a thrilling battle between Fittipaldi and Tyrrell teammates Jackie Stewart and Francois Cevert. Stewart, affected by a slow puncture, managed a commendable third-place finish. Fittipaldi overtook Cevert in the race’s final ten laps. Stewart lauded his teammate Cevert, saying, “He drove the race of his life … it was remarkable. He truly has become the great young driver everyone anticipated.” Tragically, Cevert died during practice for the season’s final Grand Prix.
1973 Argentine Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus Ford | 96 | 1:56:18.220 | 9 |
| 2 | 8 | Francois Cevert | Tyrrell Ford | 96 | +4.690s | 6 |
| 3 | 6 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell Ford | 96 | +33.190s | 4 |
| 4 | 18 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 96 | +42.570s | 3 |
| 5 | 14 | Denny Hulme | McLaren Ford | 95 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 12 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Brabham Ford | 95 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 32 | Clay Regazzoni | BRM | 93 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 16 | Peter Revson | McLaren Ford | 92 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 20 | Arturo Merzario | Ferrari | 92 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 22 | Mike Beuttler | March Ford | 90 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | March Ford | 84 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | BRM | 79 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 38 | Howden Ganley | Iso Marlboro Ford | 79 | +17 laps | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus Ford | 66 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 34 | Niki Lauda | BRM | 66 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham Ford | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Carlos Pace | Surtees Ford | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Mike Hailwood | Surtees Ford | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 36 | Nanni Galli | Iso Marlboro Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1977
Takuma Sato, born in Tokyo, had a seven-year stint in Formula One racing for teams including Jordan, BAR, and Super Aguri. He achieved one podium finish and became a fan favourite, especially after his 2004 USA Grand Prix performance. Despite a promising start, he later moved to IndyCar, where he became a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2017 and 2020, remaining the only Asian driver to win the event. His F1 career ended with 44 points from 90 starts.
1995
Aldo Gordini, son of Amedee Gordini, who founded the French sports car company Gordini, passed away in Paris at 73. Known for his sporadic work as a team mechanic and participation in various racing series, Aldo competed in the 1951 French Grand Prix and was a noted figure in France.
2002
Alain Prost‘s racing team Prost folded, citing debts of US$30 million, becoming Formula One’s first major casualty in seven years. Prost attributed the team’s demise to the economic slump following the 9/11 attacks.
2005
Tensions in Formula One escalated when only Ferrari attended a meeting called by FIA president Max Mosley to discuss rule changes. The absence of the other nine teams signaled a growing resistance against dictated regulations, highlighting deepening rifts within the sport.
F1 Driver Birthdays 28 January
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 January 1915 | Brian Shawe-Taylor |
| 28 January 1926 | Gene Hartley |
| 28 January 1926 | Jimmy Bryan |
| 28 January 1934 | Juan-Manuel Bordeu |
| 28 January 1977 | Takuma Sato |
F1 Driver Deaths 28 January
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 January 1995 | Aldo Gordini |
| 28 January 2009 | Oswald Karch |
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