What Happened On This Day January 29 In F1 History?

From the birth of 1979 Drivers' Champion Jody Scheckter to Carlos Reutemann winning the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Ben

By Ben Bush
Updated on December 20, 2024

Jody Scheckter b.1950
1979 Drivers' Champion Jody Scheckter was born on 29 January 1950 // Image: Ferrari Media

What happened on this day, January 29 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1915

Johnny McDowell, born on this day in Delavan, Illinois, competed in three Indianapolis Grand Prix races from 1950 to 1952, which were part of the FIA World Championship. He tragically died in 1952 during a qualifying crash at Milwaukee a week after his last Indianapolis appearance. He was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.

1940

Kunimitsu Takahashi, born in Tokyo, competed in only one Grand Prix—his home race in 1977 where he finished ninth in a non-works Tyrrell. He continued racing until 2000 and served as president of the Japanese GT association from 1993 to 2007.

1950

Born on this day in East London, South Africa, Jody Scheckter competed in Formula 1 from 1972 to 1980, achieving 10 wins over 113 Grands Prix races. He clinched the 1979 Drivers’ Championship during his inaugural season with Ferrari, despite securing only three wins that year. Initially viewed as reckless, Scheckter transformed his driving style after the tragic death of Francois Cevert in 1973, prioritising safety thereafter. “From then on, all I wanted to do was save my life.” He replaced Jackie Stewart at Tyrrell, where he was supposed to partner with Cevert, and later moved to Wolf Racing, where he continued to win. After his time with Ferrari, which culminated in the championship, he retired in 1980. Scheckter thrived in business post-racing, running a security firm and later an organic farm in England.

1978

Carlos Reutemann achieved his first victory for Ferrari at the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix, ending Goodyear’s 80-race winning streak as his car was equipped with Michelin tyres. Starting strongly, Reutemann led from the first lap, thrilling the crowd as local hero Emerson Fittipaldi secured second place. The race saw many retirements due to the intense heat, including McLaren driver James Hunt who had a challenging weekend, crashing mid-race and being fined for a previous incident. Niki Lauda finished third for Brabham.

1978 Brazilian Grand Prix Race Results
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
111Carlos ReutemannFerrari631:49:59.8609
214Emerson FittipaldiFittipaldi Ford63+49.130s6
31Niki LaudaBrabham Alfa Romeo63+57.020s4
45Mario AndrettiLotus Ford63+93.120s3
517Clay RegazzoniShadow Ford62+1 lap2
63Didier PironiTyrrell Ford62+1 lap1
79Jochen MassATS Ford62+1 lap0
82John WatsonBrabham Alfa Romeo61+2 laps0
926Jacques LaffiteLigier Matra61+2 laps0
1036Riccardo PatreseArrows Ford59+4 laps0
1127Alan  JonesWilliams Ford58+5 laps0
NC25Hector RebaqueLotus Ford40DNF0
NC12Gilles VilleneuveFerrari35DNF0
NC8Patrick TambayMcLaren Ford34DNF0
NC16Hans-Joachim StuckShadow Ford25DNF0
NC7James HuntMcLaren Ford25DNF0
NC20Jody ScheckterWolf Ford16DNF0
NC6Ronnie PetersonLotus Ford15DNF0
NC22Danny OngaisEnsign Ford13DNF0
NC30Brett LungerMcLaren Ford11DNF0
NC4Patrick DepaillerTyrrell Ford8DNF0
NC18Rupert KeeganSurtees Ford5DNF0
NC23Lamberto LeoniEnsign Ford0DNF0
NC10Jean-Pierre JarierATS FordDNS0

2012

François Migault, born on December 4, 1944, in Le Mans, France, was a professional racing driver. He made his Formula One debut on 13 August 1972 and competed in 16 World Championship Grands Prix with Connew, BRM, Hill, and Williams without scoring any championship points.

Migault remained active in racing well into his mid-fifties, notably at the Le Mans circuit, where he secured his best result with a second-place finish in 1976, among other podium appearances. He passed away on this day 29 January 2012, after a lengthy fight with cancer.

F1 Driver Birthdays 29 January

BirthdayF1 Driver
29 January 1915Johnny McDowell
29 January 1929Jerry Hoyt
29 January 1940Kunimitsu Takahshi
29 January 1950Jody Scheckter

F1 Driver Deaths 29 January

DeathF1 Driver
29 January 2012Francois Migault

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About The Author

Staff Writer

Ben Bush
Ben

Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.

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