What happened on this day, March 22 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1912
British racing driver Leslie Johnson was born on this day in Walthamstow. He competed in an English Racing Automobiles (ERA) car at the inaugural championship race, the 1950 British Grand Prix. It was his only F1 appearance, and sadly, he retired from the race. Johnson later ascended to the role of managing director for ERA, a position he held until his untimely death from a heart attack in 1959. Aside from F1, he progressed from rallies to hill climbs, sports car racing, and single-seaters. He won the 1948 Spa 24 Hours in a prototype Aston Martin shared with St. John Horsfall. Aston Martin’s first postwar victory.
1974
On this day in 1974, American driver Peter Revson tragically lost his life at the age of 35 during a practice session at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa. He was driving a Ford-powered Shadow DN3. This incident marked the second racing fatality in the Revson family, following his brother Douglas, who died in a crash in Denmark in 1967. Revson had two Grand Prix wins to his name. “There was an obvious failure in the car,” Graham Hill said. “It went straight into the barrier at about 120mph and burst into flames. At the time Peter was pretty much alone on the track. Emerson Fittipaldi and I were ahead of him.” Hill added he pulled up where the car was and “by that time the race crew were there with extinguishers. We picked up the front end of the car to get Peter out.” Sadly, Revson succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital.
Revson, along with Dan Gurney, was one of two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, Can-Am, and Trans-Am. His exuberant champagne-spraying celebrations in victory lane earned him the nickname “Champagne Peter.” Revson was posthumously inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996.
From 30 starts, he scored 61 points, securing two wins and eight podiums driving for some of F1’s most historic teams, including McLaren and Tyrrell. He also drove a Lotus 24 and 25 with the privateer team Reg Parnell Racing.
1992
The 1992 Mexican Grand Prix marked the second round of that year’s championship, with the Williams of Nigel Mansell clinching the win, having started from pole position. Italian teammate Riccardo Patrese finished second. The race also featured Michael Schumacher, who earned his first F1 podium finish by coming in third with his Benetton-Ford. It was the first of an eventual 155 podiums for the German driver. Meanwhile, Alex Caffi and Enrico Bertaggia were set to compete for the struggling Andrea Moda team but were sidelined as they awaited new cars and failed to race.
This was the final F1 race in Mexico until 2015, when the Grand Prix was restored on a modified Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.
1992 Mexican Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams Renault | 69 | 1:31:53.587 | 10 |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams Renault | 69 | +12.971s | 6 |
| 3 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton Ford | 69 | +21.429s | 4 |
| 4 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren Honda | 69 | +33.347s | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell Ilmor | 68 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus Ford | 68 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus Ford | 68 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 21 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara Ferrari | 68 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier Renault | 67 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier Renault | 67 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi Lamborghini | 66 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 30 | Ukyo Katayama | Venturi Lamborghini | 66 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork Mugen Honda | 65 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton Ford | 47 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal Ford | 45 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Andrea Chiesa | Fondmetal Ford | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Pierluigi Martini | Dallara Ferrari | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 31 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi Lamborghini | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan Yamaha | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell Ilmor | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren Honda | 11 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi Lamborghini | 2 | DNF | 0 |
1998
In 1998, World Rally Champion Colin McRae revealed that he was contemplating a switch to Formula One and had arranged tests with Jackie Stewart‘s Ford-powered Stewart Grand Prix team. McRae expressed his longstanding interest in F1, saying, “To drive in Formula One is something I have been thinking about for quite some time. If I am competitive in this test then I have to consider what I might be getting into. And if I’m committed, then there’s no reason why I couldn’t make it.” He had previously tested for Jordan in 1996, but ultimately, nothing arose from these opportunities.
1999
Former F1 driver Mick Schumacher, born on this day in 1999, is the son of the legendary seven-time Formula One World Champion, Michael Schumacher. Mick is also the nephew of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher and the cousin of DTM racer David Schumacher, making racing a part of his family’s DNA. He made his F1 debut during the 2021 season for Haas, but was dropped at the end of 2022 and chosen as the reserve driver for both the Mercedes and McLaren teams. From 33 starts, he secured 12 points. Outside of F1, he competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Alpine in 2024.
2020
The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix was maybe doomed from the very start. Originally scheduled for this day, 22 March 2020, as the season’s second round, the Bahrain Grand Prix faced disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, the organisers decided to hold the event without spectators. However, on 13 March 2020, the race was postponed indefinitely. This marked the second postponement in the history of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix, following the 2011 race cancellation. Instead, on the planned race day, an online virtual Grand Prix took place, featuring racing drivers, celebrities, and e-sports racers, with Formula Two and future F1 driver Zhou Guanyu taking the win. The event was eventually rescheduled for 29 November. However, the November race was stopped for eighty minutes due to a severe accident involving Romain Grosjean, whose Haas car split in two and burst into flames. Grosjean managed to escape with second-degree burns on his hands.
F1 Driver Birthdays 22 March
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 March 1912 | Leslie Johnson (d. 1959) |
| 22 March 1922 | Carlo Dusio (d. 2006) |
| 22 March 1991 | Roberto Merhi |
| 22 March 1999 | Mick Schumacher |
F1 Driver Deaths 22 March
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 March 1974 | Peter Revson (b. 1939) |
| 22 March 2021 | Johnny Dumfries (b. 1958) |
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