What happened on this day, May 14 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1961
On May 14, Stirling Moss claimed victory at the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix for the second year in a row, driving a Lotus-Climax entered by Rob Walker. In a masterful display, he drove the nimble car to triumph over three significantly more powerful Ferrari 156 “sharknoses”. This race is often hailed as one of the finest of his career. Moss skillfully fended off Phil Hill‘s Ferrari in the first half of the race and Richie Ginther’s Ferrari in the latter half, ultimately winning by three seconds. Wolfgang von Trips, driving the third Ferrari, finished fourth despite crashing on the final lap.
1972
In 1972, Jean Pierre Beltoise delivered an outstanding performance on the rain-soaked streets of Monte Carlo, winning the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix on May 14 by over half a minute ahead of Jacky Ickx. Seizing the lead at the first corner, Beltoise remained unchallenged by the era’s top drivers, including Emerson Fittipaldi and Jackie Stewart. The race marked Beltoise’s only Grand Prix victory.
1988
In 1988, Ayrton Senna delivered what is often considered the greatest qualifying lap in history on the streets of Monte Carlo. Driving the dominant McLaren MP4-4, he recorded a lap time of 1:23.998, a staggering 1.427 seconds ahead of his teammate, Alain Prost. Senna later described the experience as an out-of-body experience during which he was looking down on the cockpit from above. After setting the remarkable time, he returned to the pits and got out of his car, visibly shaken by what had just transpired.
1995
In 1995, Nigel Mansell took part in his final Formula 1 race at the 1995 Spanish Grand Prix on May 14, a lacklustre round marked by his retirement due to his McLaren being undrivable. Michael Schumacher claimed a dominant victory for Benetton after Jean Alesi‘s Ferrari engine failed on lap 25, eliminating any competition for the lead. Mansell had missed the season’s first two races due to issues fitting into the car, and in his debut for McLaren at the previous race, he finished two laps down in tenth place. His relationship with Ron Dennis had been strained from the start, and his criticism of the car only worsened it. His unfortunate exit marked a disappointing end to Mansell’s illustrious career.
2006
Fernando Alonso dominated the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix to win in front of 131,000 home fans for the first time. For everybody other than the Spaniards, the race was entirely forgettable, as the only excitement hinged on whether Alonso would make a third pit stop and be caught by Michael Schumacher. He didn’t.
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