What happened on this day, June 1 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1959
Martin Brundle, a veteran of 165 grands prix and a renowned commentator, was born on this day June 1, 1959. Brundle climbed the ranks in the late 1970s and early 1980s, competing in BTCC, British Formula Ford, and Formula 3. In 1983, he narrowly missed the F3 title to Ayrton Senna, but his performance earned him a drive with Tyrrell in F1 the following year.
Despite a 13-year career in F1, he never won a race, achieving two second-place finishes and a best-season result of sixth with Benetton in 1992 alongside Michael Schumacher. His crowning achievement was winning the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours with Price Cobb and John Nielsen in a Jaguar XJR-12.
Brundle retired from F1 at the end of 1996, turning down a Sauber contract to join Murray Walker as a commentator for ITV, where he quickly became a fan favourite. In 2010, he returned to racing in the VW Scirocco Cup, finishing on the podium in his debut race.
1986
Jo Gartner tragically died at the Le Mans 24 Hours due to a mechanical failure on his Kremer Porsche 962C, causing him to crash into the barriers at 160 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. Gartner had previously made a mark in Formula 2 with several race wins and entered Formula One in 1984 with Osella, taking part in eight races. Despite finishing fifth at the 1984 Italian Grand Prix, he earned no points as the team had only officially entered one car for the season. A gifted sports car driver, Gartner won the 1986 Sebring 12 Hours in a Porsche 962 alongside Hans Stuck and Bob Akin.
2001
Jaguar appeared to have secured top F1 car designer Adrian Newey from McLaren, with an announcement that he would join the Ford-backed team from 2002 onwards. However, the deal fell through as Ron Dennis persuaded Newey to stay at McLaren. Newey eventually moved to Red Bull, formerly Jaguar, in 2006.
2003
Juan Pablo Montoya achieved his only win in Monte Carlo at the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix, narrowly beating Kimi Raikkonen by less than a second. The race was decided during the pit stops when Montoya overtook his teammate, Ralf Schumacher, during refuelling and maintained his lead on the tight circuit. Early on, Heinz-Harald Frentzen suffered a severe crash at the Swimming Pool section, hitting the barriers after misjudging the kerb. Montoya’s victory marked Williams‘ first win in Monaco in over 20 years and remains their last to date.
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