What Happened On This Day January 6 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, January 6 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1926

Pat Flaherty, an American driver, was born in Glendale, California. He competed in six Indy 500 races while it was part of the F1 World Championship but stepped away from racing in the 1960s. Later, he took up pigeon racing as a hobby. Flaherty passed away in 2002 after a long illness.

1926

Dick Rathmann was born in Los Angeles, California. He competed in the Indy 500 from 1950 to 1960 while it was part of the F1 World Championship, earning a pole position in the 1958 race. Rathmann retired in the 1960s and moved to Florida, where he joined his brother Jim in managing a successful Chevrolet dealership. He passed away in 2000 at the age of 74.

1989

Jim Hurtubise, an American racing driver, passed away in Port Arthur, Texas. He competed in the 1960 Indy 500 the final race while it was part of the F1 World Championship, and later raced in the Winston Cup and ChampCar series. After retiring, he ran a hunting lodge in Texas, where he died of a heart attack at the age of 56.

1998

In one of Formula 1’s stranger episodes, German prosecutors announced the possibility of charging Michael Schumacher with attempted murder for his collision with rival Jacques Villeneuve during the previous year’s final race in Spain, the 1997 European Grand Prix. The FIA had already penalised Schumacher for deliberately ramming Villeneuve, and the prosecutor suggested potential charges of “attempted murder, inflicting grievous bodily harm, coercion, and driving offences.” Unsurprisingly, no legal action was pursued.

2000

Legendary commentator Murray Walker, aged 76, signed a one-year contract with ITV despite previously indicating he was ready to retire. “I was seriously considering stepping down because I’ve always wanted to quit while I was ahead,” he explained. “This will be my 52nd year in the business, and I’d hate for people to start thinking: ‘Why doesn’t the old fool stop?'” Walker ultimately retired at the end of the following season.

F1 Driver Birthdays 6 January

Birthday	F1 Driver
6 January 1926	Dick Rathmann
6 January 1926	Pat Flaherty

Birthday	F1 Mentions
6 January 1976	Andreas Seidl Former McLaren Team Principal

F1 Driver Deaths 6 January

Death	F1 Driver
6 January 1980	Raymond Mays
6 January 1989	Jim Hurtubise
6 January 2024	Alberto Colombo

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Lee is our staff writer specialising in anything technical within Formula 1 from aerodynamics to engines. Lee writes most of our F1 guides for beginners and experienced fans having followed the sports since 1991, researching and understanding how teams build the ultimate machines. Like everyone else on the team he listens to podcasts about F1 and enjoys reading biographies of former drivers.