What Happened On This Day March 5 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, March 5 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1975

Luciano Burti, a Brazilian driver, was born on this day in 1975. He was unexpectedly called to replace an ill Eddie Irvine at the 2000 Austrian Grand Prix for Jaguar and earned a full-time seat with the team the following season. After being let go, Burti signed to test for the Ferrari team between 2002 and 2004. His F1 career so zero points scored. He returned to Brazil, where he competed in Stock Car Brasil and commentated on Formula One races for TV Globo.

1977

In a tragic turn of events at the 1977 South African Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Niki Lauda emerged victorious, making an important step towards reclaiming the Drivers’ title from Britain’s James Hunt, who finished fourth in the race for McLaren. However, the race was overshadowed by the harrowing death of promising British driver Tom Pryce. A fiery incident involved Renzo Zorzi’s stationary car near the grandstand, leading two marshals to dash across the track. Tragically, one marshal, Jansen van Vuuren, was fatally struck by Pryce at high speed, and Pryce himself was killed instantly when an extinguisher hit him with such force that it removed his helmet. His car continued uncontrolled, eventually crashing into the barriers. Pryce, who had expressed concerns about the impact of death on his loved ones, died at the age of 27, witnessed by his wife from the stands. Jody Scheckter for Wolf finished second, and Patrick Depailler finished third for Tyrrell.

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  List of Fatal Accidents in F1

1977 South African Grand Prix Race Results

2009

On this day in 2009, Ross Brawn acquired the Honda Racing team and renamed it Brawn GP. The move came after Honda announced in December 2008 that it would withdraw from Formula 1 due to the global financial crisis happening at the time. For the 2009 season, despite their exit, Honda provided a substantial budget of $100 million. Mercedes stepped in and supplied engines, forming a customer relationship with the team. Brawn retained Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, both former Honda drivers. Button and Barrichello achieved immediate success by winning the first race in Australia under the new team name. Brawn F1 went on to secure both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in a spectacular season.

2023

At the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, the curtain-opener for that year’s Formula One World Championship, Red Bull Racing‘s Max Verstappen claimed both pole position and the race victory. He was closely followed by his teammate, Sergio Pérez, securing their first 1-2 finish of the season. Fernando Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, finished third, marking his first podium since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix and the beginning of what would be a strong season with eight podium finishes. The race featured the Formula One debuts of three new drivers: Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri), and Logan Sargeant (Williams).

2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Results

F1 Driver Birthdays 5 March

F1 Driver Deaths 5 March