What happened on this day, June 5 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1928
Italian racing driver Umberto Maglioli was born in Bioglio, Vercelli. Racing in ten Grand Prix, he achieved two podiums and scored 3.33 championship points. Maglioli also won the gruelling Carrera Panamericana sports car race in 1954.
1945
Patrick Head, born on this day, co-founded Williams Grand Prix Engineering alongside Frank Williams in 1977. As Technical Director, Head played a pivotal role in the team’s ascent within Formula One, overseeing the design and construction of their cars. His innovative FW07 chassis led to the team’s inaugural victory at the 1979 British Grand Prix. Under his technical leadership, Williams secured multiple Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s, establishing themselves as a dominant force in the sport.
In 2004, Head moved to the role of Director of Engineering, passing the Technical Director responsibilities to Sam Michael. He retired from the Williams board in 2012 but returned in 2019 as a consultant to assist the team during challenging times. Recognised for his contributions to motorsport, Head was knighted in 2015.
1955
Mercedes drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss dominated the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. Despite Lancia‘s withdrawal from the championship, Eugenio Castellotti convinced the company to let him race a D50. He secured pole position but couldn’t maintain pace with the dominant Mercedes, eventually falling to third before retiring mid-race due to a gearbox problem. Fangio and Moss maintained their lead, finishing 30 seconds ahead of Giuseppe Farina.
1955 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes-Benz | 36 | 2:39:29.000 | 9 |
| 2 | 14 | Stirling Moss | Mercedes-Benz | 36 | +8.100s | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Nino Farina | Ferrari | 36 | +100.500s | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | Paul Frere | Ferrari | 36 | +205.500s | 3 |
| 5 | 24 | Roberto Mieres | Maserati | SHC | 1 | |
| 5 | 24 | Jean Behra | Maserati | 35 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 6 | 4 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 35 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 7 | 22 | Luigi Musso | Maserati | 34 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 26 | Cesare Perdisa | Maserati | 33 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 28 | Louis Rosier | Maserati | 33 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Karl Kling | Mercedes-Benz | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Eugenio Castellotti | Lancia | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 40 | Mike Hawthorn | Vanwall | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Jean Behra | Maserati | 3 | DNF | 0 |
1977
Swedish speedster Gunnar Nilsson clinched victory at the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix held at Zolder in a Lotus-Cosworth despite weather interruptions. Starting third on the grid, Nilsson avoided an incident involving Ian Scheckter and Harold Ertyl at the first corner. Benefiting from a series of pit stops by other drivers changing tyres, he fought back from eighth place to secure a memorable win. This race was his only Formula One victory, as later that year, he was diagnosed with cancer. Nilsson, in an era marked by frequent fatalities among racing drivers, succumbed to cancer in October 20 1978.
Austrian driver Niki Lauda finished second in a Ferrari, while Nilsson’s fellow Swede, Ronnie Peterson, finished third in the six-wheeled Tyrrell-Ford.
1977 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus Ford | 70 | 1:55:05.710 | 9 |
| 2 | 11 | Niki Lauda | Ferrari | 70 | +14.190s | 6 |
| 3 | 3 | Ronnie Peterson | Tyrrell Ford | 70 | +19.950s | 4 |
| 4 | 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | Surtees Ford | 70 | +24.980s | 3 |
| 5 | 17 | Alan Jones | Shadow Ford | 70 | +75.470s | 2 |
| 6 | 8 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 69 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 1 | James Hunt | McLaren Ford | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell Ford | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 25 | Harald Ertl | Hesketh Ford | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 10 | 27 | Patrick Neve | 68 | +2 laps | 0 | |
| 11 | 34 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Penske Ford | 68 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 18 | Larry Perkins | Surtees Ford | 67 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 31 | David Purley | LEC Ford | 67 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 37 | Arturo Merzario | March Ford | 65 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 33 | Boy Hayje | March Ford | 63 | +7 laps | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Jody Scheckter | Wolf Ford | 62 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Jochen Mass | McLaren Ford | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Matra | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Clay Regazzoni | Ensign Ford | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Rupert Keegan | Hesketh Ford | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Riccardo Patrese | Shadow Ford | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Ian Scheckter | March Ford | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi Ford | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Mario Andretti | Lotus Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1983
Popular Italian driver Michele Alboreto triumphed at the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix West in Detroit. Qualifying sixth, Alboreto and Nelson Piquet stayed out while major runners pitted mid-race. With Rene Arnoux retiring due to electrical issues, Piquet led, followed by Alboreto and a recovering Keke Rosberg. The race’s outcome was decided on lap 51 when Piquet suffered a puncture and dropped to fourth after pitting, giving Alboreto the lead. This win was the last-ever victory for the Tyrrell team and Alboreto’s second F1 win. The team had powered Jackie Stewart to three driver’s titles in the 1970s.
Rosberg finished second for Williams and John Watson third for McLaren.
1983 Detroit Grand Prix West Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell Ford | 60 | 1:50:53.669 | 9 |
| 2 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams Ford | 60 | +7.702s | 6 |
| 3 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 60 | +9.283s | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham BMW | 60 | +72.185s | 3 |
| 5 | 2 | Jacques Laffite | Williams Ford | 60 | +92.603s | 2 |
| 6 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus Ford | 59 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 30 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows Ford | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman Hart | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 10 | 26 | Raul Boesel | Ligier Ford | 58 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows Ford | 58 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 56 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren Ford | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore Ford | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 34 | Johnny Cecotto | Theodore Ford | 34 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 33 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 31 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Danny Sullivan | Tyrrell Ford | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier Ford | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS BMW | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman Hart | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham BMW | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Renault | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 4 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella Alfa Romeo | 4 | DNF | 0 |
2000
Michael Schumacher rebounded swiftly after David Coulthard‘s victory at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix, the day before (June 4). Coulthard’s win came after Schumacher retired with a cracked exhaust, and his teammate Mika Hakkinen, also failed to score. Despite this, Schumacher expressed minimal concern over Coulthard’s win when speaking to the press, remarking his main rival, Hakkinen, also missed out on points. Schumacher ultimately won the championship comfortably ahead of Hakkinen. “I am disappointed but not too much. It’s true that I could have picked up 10 points – but the driver I consider my main rival could also have done so.”
F1 Driver Birthdays 5 June
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 5 June 1908 | Franco Rol (d. 1977) |
| 5 June 1923 | Jorge Daponte (d. 1963) |
| 5 June 1928 | Umberto Maglioli (d. 1999) |
| Birthday | F1 Mentions |
|---|---|
| 5 June 1945 | Patrick Head Co-founder and former Engineering Director of the Williams Formula One team. |
F1 Driver Deaths 5 June
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 5 June | None |
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