What Happened On This Day March 10 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, March 10 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1955

Toshio Suzuki, known mostly for his sports car and development driving with Nissan, was born. Although he raced in only two Grand Prix for Larrousse as a stand-in for Philippe Alliot, Suzuki is more famously associated with his work on the Nissan GTR. Though he scored no championship points, Suzuki finished both races, the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix (P12) and 1993 Australian Grand Prix (P14).

1991

Ayrton Senna secured his 27th career win at the 1991 United States Grand Prix in Phoenix, the first round of the season, an impressive feat considering he had only received the McLaren car ten days earlier. Senna started on pole and swiftly pulled ahead of Alain Prost in a Ferrari. Prost fell further behind after a mishandled tyre change by his team, leaving Senna unchallenged for the lead. The race saw further drama when Nigel Mansell, running third, had to retire on the 35th lap. His exit promoted Gerhard Berger in the sister McLaren, who shortly after also retired. This sequence of events allowed Riccardo Patrese to move into second place in his Williams, although he nearly lost it after a skid but managed to continue despite a collision with Roberto Moreno’s Benetton.

Alain Prost secured second while Nelson Piquet third in a Benetton-Ford. The race also saw the debut of future double World Champion Mika Häkkinen and the Jordan team. It was also the first F1 World Championship race where the win awarded ten points instead of nine, following a revision in the scoring system for 1991. However, this race would also be the last US Grand Prix until 2000, a break prompted by declining attendance.

1991 United States Grand Prix Race Results

1996

Australian Formula One fans were treated to a thrilling start to the season as the country hosted the first race, the 1996 Australian Grand Prix, just a few months after the finale of the 1995 season. Damon Hill, driving for Williams Renault, clinched victory on his way to the Championship later that year, although his teammate Jacques Villeneuve dominated most of the race. On his F1 debut, Villeneuve had taken pole and led comfortably until a late oil leak forced him to slow, enabling Hill to catch and overtake in the closing laps. Hill acknowledged Villeneuve as the “moral winner” and matched his father’s record (Graham Hill) of 14 Grand Prix wins. Hill also shared a peculiar challenge he faced during the race—a loose stone in his overalls, which shifted uncomfortably every time he moved. The race was also remembered for Martin Brundle, who miraculously walked away from a dramatic 170mph crash on the opening lap. Although his Jordan car was destroyed, Brundle returned in a spare car, only to spin out again on the restart. Eddie Irvine completed the podium for Ferrari.

1996 Australian Grand Prix Race Results

2017

John Surtees, who died on this day in 2017, was a British motorsport legend, excelling as a motorcycle road racer and a Formula 1 driver. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1952 to 1960 and Formula One from 1960 to 1972. Surtees claimed seven Grand Prix motorcycle World Championships, including four in the 500cc class with MV Agusta. In 1964, he won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship with Ferrari, making him the only person in history to win World Championships on both two wheels and four.

In 1970, Surtees founded the Surtees Racing Organisation, leading his team for nine seasons across Formula 5000, Formula 2, and Formula 1 as a constructor. He retired from competitive racing in 1972, a year when future F1 driver Mike Hailwood clinched the European Formula 2 Championship with the team. The team continued until its the end of 1978. Surtees’ contributions to motorsports were finally recognised in 1996 when he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He passed away on March 10, 2017, at St George’s Hospital in London, at the age of 83, and was laid to rest beside his son Henry in Lingfield, Surrey. A tribute to Surtees was held at the Goodwood Members Meeting shortly after, on March 19.

F1 Driver Birthdays 10 March

F1 Driver Deaths 10 March