What happened on this day, June 18 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1936
On 18 June 1936, New Zealand’s only F1 world champion, Denny Hulme, was born. Nicknamed “The Bear” for his reserved demeanour and quick temper, he was deeply respected by those who knew him well.
In 1964, he finished second in the Formula Two series to Jack Brabham, later joining Brabham’s own Formula One team in 1965. His debut season was promising, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the French Grand Prix in Clermont-Ferrand. By 1967, Hulme achieved his first Formula One victory at Monaco, added another win at the Nurburgring, and claimed the ’67 championship over Brabham for his only drivers’ title. That same year, he also competed in the CanAm sports car series with Bruce McLaren‘s team before moving to McLaren‘s Formula One team in 1968; Hulme raced there until his retirement in 1975, securing six additional wins.
Alongside his championship, his most notable successes included a third-place finish in the 1968 season and a 1972 season that featured a win in Kyalami, two runner-up finishes, and four third-place results. His last win was at the 1973 Swedish Grand Prix with the iconic McLaren M23 chassis. Hulme also found considerable success in CanAm, winning the championship in 1968 and 1970. He returned to racing casually in the 1990s and tragically passed away from a heart attack during a touring car race at Bathurst.
1950
The 1950 Belgian Grand Prix, part of the first World Championship season, was dominated by the Alfa Romeo trio of Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Luigi Fagioli. Raymond Sommer briefly led in his Talbot-Lago while the Alfas pitted, but his engine failed soon after. Ascari then led briefly before the Alfas regained the front positions, culminating in a win for Fangio, followed by Farina and Fagioli.
1960
The day before the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix was marked by misfortune as Stirling Moss met with an accident during practice in his Rob Walker-entered Lotus, which rolled over a grass bank and threw him clear, resulting in broken legs and a broken nose. Another Lotus, driven by Mike Taylor, crashed due to a steering fault, jumped a ditch, and plunged into woods, leaving him with broken ribs. Despite considering withdrawal, Lotus continued after flying in replacement parts from the UK. Tragically, the following day, Alan Stacey lost his life when his Lotus crashed.
1960
Al Herman tragically died after sustaining severe injuries in a Midget car accident at the West Haven Speedway. He had competed in five Grand Prix, all at Indianapolis, with his highest finish being 11th in the 1955 race, which earned him “Rookie of the Year.”
1961
The 1961 Belgian Grand Prix witnessed a Ferrari sweep, with Phil Hill from California taking the win and moving into the lead in the 1961 drivers’ championship, followed by Taffy von Trips.
1967
Dan Gurney clinched the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix, overtaking Jackie Stewart after a dramatic start that saw Graham Hill stall and John Surtees‘ Honda engine explode, while Michael Parkes’ Ferrari flipped. Stewart faced his own challenges, struggling with a gearbox issue that forced him to manually hold his car in gear for the last ten laps.
1989
At the 1989 Canadian Grand Prix, Thierry Boutsen celebrated his first of three F1 victories. However, the event was overshadowed by Nigel Mansell, who was disqualified during the parade lap for ignoring pit lane warning lights. Ayrton Senna seemed poised to win until his McLaren-Honda failed, emitting smoke with just three laps left.
2000
Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello secured a 1-2 finish for Ferrari at the 2000 Canadian Grand Prix. David Coulthard experienced a setback, finishing seventh due to a stop-go penalty after his McLaren team overran the permitted work time on the grid. In the race’s final stages, Barrichello played a defensive role for Schumacher, who later acknowledged, “He’s a good man … one day I will pay him back.”
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