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.
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.
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 marked 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 1978.
1983
Popular Italian driver Michele Alboreto triumphed at the 1983 US Grand Prix in Detroit. Qualifying sixth, Alboreto and Nelson Piquet stayed out while major runners pitted mid-race. With Rene Arnoux exiting 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 marked the last-ever victory for the Tyrrell team, which had powered Jackie Stewart to three driver’s titles in the 1970s.
2000
Michael Schumacher rebounded swiftly after David Coulthard‘s victory at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix. 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, noting 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.”
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