What happened on this day, May 11 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1947
On May 11, 1947, Ferrari made their debut in motor racing with the Tipo 125 S at the Piacenza circuit, marking Enzo Ferrari’s transition from team manager at Alfa Romeo to racing his own cars under his name. The Tipo 125 S was fast, leading the race and setting the fastest lap, but a fuel pump issue forced its driver, Franco Cortese, to retire just two laps before the finish. Nevertheless, just two weeks later, the Ferrari achieved its first race win in Rome, signalling the start of Ferrari’s rice history in motorsports.
1975
Niki Lauda claimed victory at the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix, delivering the first win for the Ferrari 312T and breaking Ferrari’s 20-year winless streak in Monte Carlo. Lauda dominated the race, only briefly relinquishing the lead during a pit stop, before securing victory by two seconds over Emerson Fittipaldi in the McLaren M23. Carlos Pace rounded out the podium in his Brabham BT44B.
The race became the 179th and final Grand Prix weekend for two-time world champion Graham Hill, though he failed to qualify for the race. The five-time Monaco winner, struggling with practice issues, missed out by just 0.377 seconds as new regulations restricted the grid to 18 cars. Following his non-qualification, Hill announced his retirement, ending a legendary 17-season career spanning 176 race starts. He turned his focus to managing his Embassy Hill team.
Following the tragic events of the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix two weeks earlier, which had raised serious safety concerns, Monaco introduced urgent circuit modifications with additional guard rails and catch fences, kerbing was resited, the chicane was modified, a staggered grid formation was introduced and the starting grid was reduced to 18 cars.
Lauda secured pole position, but the biggest shock came from Tom Pryce, who lined up alongside him on the front row in a Shadow—a remarkable feat for a driver who, just a year earlier, had been deemed too inexperienced to compete. The race also marked the Formula One debut of Swedish driver Torsten Palm.
1975 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Niki Lauda | Ferrari | 75 | 2:01:21.310 | 9 |
| 2 | 1 | Emerson Fittipaldi | McLaren Ford | 75 | +2.780s | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Carlos Pace | Brabham Ford | 75 | +17.810s | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus Ford | 75 | +38.450s | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell Ford | 75 | +40.860s | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Jochen Mass | McLaren Ford | 75 | +42.070s | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | Jody Scheckter | Tyrrell Ford | 74 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 6 | Jacky Ickx | Lotus Ford | 74 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 7 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham Ford | 73 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Mark Donohue | Penske Ford | 66 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | James Hunt | Hesketh Ford | 63 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Alan Jones | Hesketh Ford | 61 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Vittorio Brambilla | March Ford | 48 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Tom Pryce | Shadow Ford | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | John Watson | Surtees Ford | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Mario Andretti | Parnelli Ford | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Shadow Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1986
The 1986 Monaco Grand Prix on May 11 featured a revised harbour chicane for the first time, significantly slowing down one of the fastest sections of the Monte Carlo Circuit. Dominated by the McLarens, Alain Prost won from pole position, while Keke Rosberg charged from ninth to finish second. The race pace of the front runners was highlighted when only three drivers, including Ayrton Senna (finishing third) and Nigel Mansell in fourth, finished on the same lap as the leaders.
1986 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren TAG | 78 | 1:55:41.060 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren TAG | 78 | +25.022s | 6 |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus Renault | 78 | +53.646s | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams Honda | 78 | +71.402s | 3 |
| 5 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier Renault | 77 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Renault | 77 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams Honda | 77 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows BMW | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows BMW | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell Renault | 74 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 74 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell Renault | 67 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola Ford | 67 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton BMW | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham BMW | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham BMW | 31 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton BMW | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola Ford | 2 | DNF | 0 |
1997
Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher showcased his skills in the wet by winning the 1997 Monaco Grand Prix on May 11 by a substantial 53-second margin over Rubens Barrichello, driving for Stewart, and Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine in third. As the race began under mixed weather conditions, Schumacher tested both wet and dry set-ups during reconnaissance laps, ultimately opting for wet tyres—a decision that his championship rivals, Mika Hakkinen and Damon Hill, did not follow, choosing slicks instead. This choice proved pivotal as Schumacher took an early lead. The race saw a major collision on the second lap, started by David Coulthard spinning, and consequently resulting in the retirement of four cars, with another eight failing to finish. Schumacher’s dominant performance scored his first win of the season, although he was later disqualified from the championship after a controversial incident with Jacques Villeneuve in the final race.
1997 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 62 | 2:00:05.654 | 10 |
| 2 | 22 | Rubens Barrichello | Stewart Ford | 62 | +53.306s | 6 |
| 3 | 6 | Eddie Irvine | Ferrari | 62 | +82.108s | 4 |
| 4 | 14 | Olivier Panis | Prost Mugen Honda | 62 | +104.402s | 3 |
| 5 | 19 | Mika Salo | Tyrrell Ford | 61 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 12 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Jordan Peugeot | 61 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 23 | Jan Magnussen | Stewart Ford | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 18 | Jos Verstappen | Tyrrell Ford | 60 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 8 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton Renault | 60 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 20 | Ukyo Katayama | Minardi Hart | 60 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Williams Renault | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Shinji Nakano | Prost Mugen Honda | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Nicola Larini | Sauber Petronas | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Jean Alesi | Benetton Renault | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams Renault | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Ralf Schumacher | Jordan Peugeot | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Johnny Herbert | Sauber Petronas | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Jarno Trulli | Minardi Hart | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | David Coulthard | McLaren Mercedes | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren Mercedes | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Damon Hill | Arrows Yamaha | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Pedro Diniz | Arrows Yamaha | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2000
Yuki Tsunoda born on this day in Sagamihara, Japan, was backed by Honda from 2016 through their Honda Formula Dream Project, and in 2018, he clinched the Japanese F4 title. A member of the grid since the 2021 season, Tsunoda also received support from Red Bull Racing in 2019, and in 2020, during which he secured third place in the Formula 2 Championship. This success led to his Formula One debut for AlphaTauri in 2021. Often overlooked by the parent team, Red Bull Racing, as of 2025, Tsunoda has continued in the sister team through its various name changes from AlphaTauri to Racing Bulls in 2025.
2008
Rubens Barrichello set a record as the most experienced Formula One driver by competing in his 257th race at the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix on May 11. Despite the milestone, Barrichello struggled with understeer throughout the race and finished in 14th place in the subpar Honda RA108, not quite the celebratory performance he would have hoped for. He overtook Riccardo Patrese‘s previous record of 256 races.
2008
Felipe Massa clinched victory on May 11 at the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix, successfully countering the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton and their aggressive three-stop strategy. Despite Hamilton temporarily taking the lead, Ferrari maintained control, with Massa securing one of his six wins of the 2008 season. He would narrowly miss being crowned champion, finishing just one point behind Hamilton in Brazil. Kimi Raikkonen was third in the second Ferrari.
2008 Turkish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 58 | 1:26:49.451 | 10 |
| 2 | 22 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | +3.779s | 8 |
| 3 | 1 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 58 | +4.271s | 6 |
| 4 | 4 | Robert Kubica | Sauber BMW | 58 | +21.945s | 5 |
| 5 | 3 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber BMW | 58 | +38.741s | 4 |
| 6 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 58 | +53.724s | 3 |
| 7 | 10 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Renault | 58 | +64.229s | 2 |
| 8 | 7 | Nico Rosberg | Williams Toyota | 58 | +71.406s | 1 |
| 9 | 9 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Renault | 58 | +75.270s | 0 |
| 10 | 11 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 58 | +76.344s | 0 |
| 11 | 16 | Jenson Button | Honda | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 23 | Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 12 | Timo Glock | Toyota | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 17 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Renault | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 15 | Sebastian Vettel | STR Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Sebastien Bourdais | STR Ferrari | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Kazuki Nakajima | Williams Toyota | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Force India Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2014
Lewis Hamilton secured victory at the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix from pole position to claim his fourth consecutive win of the season for Mercedes. His teammate Nico Rosberg finished second, keeping the race close until the final laps, while Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo secured third place, earning his first official Formula One podium after being disqualified from his second-place finish in Australia earlier in the season.
With this result, Hamilton moved to 100 points, taking the lead in the 2014 Drivers’ Championship for the first time since 2012, edging ahead of Rosberg as their title battle intensified.
2014 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 66 | 1:41:05.155 | 25 |
| 2 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 66 | +0.636s | 18 |
| 3 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing Renault | 66 | +49.014s | 15 |
| 4 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault | 66 | +76.702s | 12 |
| 5 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams Mercedes | 66 | +79.293s | 10 |
| 6 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 66 | +87.743s | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 65 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 8 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus Renault | 65 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India Mercedes | 65 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India Mercedes | 65 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren Mercedes | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams Mercedes | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | STR Renault | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus Renault | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber Ferrari | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 99 | Adrian Sutil | Sauber Ferrari | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 17 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia Ferrari | 64 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 19 | 4 | Max Chilton | Marussia Ferrari | 64 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 20 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham Renault | 64 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham Renault | 34 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR Renault | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| Note – Vergne qualified 16th, but was dropped 10 grid spots for an unsafe release in FP2. Vettel qualified P10, but was dropped five grid places for an unscheduled gearbox change. Maldonado failed to set a qualifying time, but raced at the stewards’ discretion. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 11 May
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 11 May 1921 | Geoff Crossley (d. 2002) |
| 11 May 1926 | Rob Schroeder (d. 2011) |
| 11 May 1940 | Herbert Muller |
| 11 May 2000 | Yuki Tsunoda |
| Birthday | F1 Mention |
|---|---|
| 11 May 1956 | Stefano Domenicali Former Team Principal of Ferrari 2008–2014 and CEO of Formula One Group from 2021. |
F1 Driver Deaths 11 May
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 11 May | None |
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