What happened on this day, June 6 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1960
Jack Brabham clinched victory at the 1960 Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, but the win was tainted by an incident involving American racer Dan Gurney. Gurney’s BRM suffered brake failure, causing a fatal crash at the hairpin, claiming the life of a young spectator who had wandered into a prohibited area.
The race also saw Innes Ireland (Lotus) and Graham Hill (BRM) secure their first podium finishes, taking second and third place, respectively. Stirling Moss driving for Team Lotus achieved their first of many fastest laps in their long F1 history. The race was also the Formula One World Championship debut for future double World Champion Jim Clark.
1960 Dutch Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Jack Brabham | Cooper Climax | 75 | 2:01:47.200 | 8 |
| 2 | 4 | Innes Ireland | Lotus Climax | 75 | +24.000s | 6 |
| 3 | 16 | Graham Hill | BRM | 75 | +56.600s | 4 |
| 4 | 7 | Stirling Moss | Lotus Climax | 75 | +57.700s | 3 |
| 5 | 2 | Wolfgang von Trips | Ferrari | 74 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 3 | Richie Ginther | Ferrari | 74 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 10 | Henry Taylor | Cooper Climax | 70 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 20 | Carel Godin de Beaufort | Cooper Climax | 69 | +6 laps | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Alan Stacey | Lotus Climax | 57 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Phil Hill | Ferrari | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Jo Bonnier | BRM | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Jim Clark | Lotus Climax | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Maurice Trintignant | Cooper Maserati | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Dan Gurney | BRM | 11 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Chris Bristow | Cooper Climax | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper Climax | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Tony Brooks | Cooper Climax | 4 | DNF | 0 |
1982
John Watson orchestrated a remarkable comeback from 17th on the grid in his McLaren to claim victory at the inaugural 1982 Detroit Grand Prix. Watson navigated his way through the pack, benefiting from the better-performing Michelin tyre compounds. Passing 12 cars, Watson found himself in second place behind Keke Rosberg. As Rosberg grappled with mechanical issues and worn tyres, Watson capitalised on the opportunity, eventually overtaking him to secure the win.
American and Ligier driver Eddie Cheever claimed second for his best Grand Prix finish, ahead of Didier Pironi in third for Ferrari and his 10th podium finish. The race also marked Jochen Mass‘s 100th start.
1982 Detroit Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 62 | 1:58:41.043 | 9 |
| 2 | 25 | Eddie Cheever | Ligier Matra | 62 | +15.730s | 6 |
| 3 | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 62 | +28.080s | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams Ford | 62 | +71.980s | 3 |
| 5 | 5 | Derek Daly | Williams Ford | 62 | +83.760s | 2 |
| 6 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Matra | 61 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 17 | Jochen Mass | March Ford | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows Ford | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 4 | Brian Henton | Tyrrell Ford | 60 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 59 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 20 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi Ford | 59 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 54 | +8 laps | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus Ford | 44 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren Ford | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell Ford | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Ford | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Eliseo Salazar | ATS Ford | 13 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Roberto Guerrero | Ensign Ford | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham Ford | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Osella Ford | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS Ford | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Raul Boesel | March Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Mauro Baldi | Arrows Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2007
In a significant decision, the Swiss parliament voted 97 to 77 to overturn the ban on motor racing in Switzerland, a measure imposed after the tragic Le Mans 24 Hours disaster of 1955, which resulted in the deaths of 86 spectators. The race had attracted huge crowds eager to witness the Mercedes team, led by Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Karl Kling. Tragedy struck when Pierre Levegh, a 50-year-old factory driver for Mercedes-Benz, collided with Lance Macklin’s Austin-Healey 100 during the race. The impact sent Levegh’s Mercedes soaring into the air, crashing into an earth mound meant to protect spectators, claiming the lives of 86 individuals. This remains the deadliest disaster in motorsport history.
2021
The 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a dramatic race in which both championship contenders, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, encountered major setbacks. Verstappen suffered a high-speed tyre blowout while leading the race, forcing him to retire, while Hamilton made a costly error at the restart, running off the track and dropping out of contention.
Their misfortunes paved the way for Sergio Perez to claim victory for Red Bull, securing his second career Grand Prix win, following his maiden victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel finished second, earning his only podium with Aston Martin and the final podium finish of his Formula One career. Pierre Gasly took third place for AlphaTauri, marking the last podium finish for the team before it was rebranded as Visa Cash App RB.
Following the race, Pirelli launched an investigation into the tyre failures that caused the high-speed crashes of both Verstappen and Lance Stroll, raising concerns over tyre safety.
2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 51 | 2:13:36.410 | 25 |
| 2 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 51 | +1.385s | 18 |
| 3 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 51 | +2.762s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 51 | +3.828s | 12 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 51 | +4.754s | 10 |
| 6 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 51 | +6.382s | 8 |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri Honda | 51 | +6.624s | 6 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 51 | +7.709s | 4 |
| 9 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 51 | +8.874s | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 51 | +9.576s | 1 |
| 11 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 51 | +10.254s | 0 |
| 12 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 51 | +11.264s | 0 |
| 13 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 51 | +14.241s | 0 |
| 14 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 51 | +14.315s | 0 |
| 15 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 51 | +17.668s | 0 |
| 16 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 51 | +42.379s | 0 |
| 17 | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 48 | DNF | 0 |
| 18 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 45 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 3 | DNF | 0 |
| Note – Latifi received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty converted to a 30-second time penalty for failing to enter the pit lane as instructed during a safety car period. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 6 June
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 6 June 1908 | Giovanni Bracco (d. 1968) |
| 6 June 1923 | Ivor Bueb (d. 1959) |
| 6 June 1923 | Jim Rigsby (d. 1952) |
| 6 June 1951 | Noritake Takahara |
F1 Driver Deaths 6 June
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 6 June 1997 | Eitel Cantoni (b. 1906) |
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