What happened on this day, May 29 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1960
Stirling Moss claimed victory at the opening round of the European season at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix, driving a Lotus 18 for Rob Walker’s privateer team. The race, held in wet conditions, saw all 16 starters break the previous lap record. British cars dominated the event, leading The Guardian to note that the Ferraris, “once the unchallenged masters, were able to provide only impressive exhaust noise out of proportion to their performance.” As the race neared its conclusion, only four cars remained in contention, prompting several damaged or partially repaired cars to reappear to qualify as finishers. This win marked the first F1 championship race victory for Lotus.
1963
F1 driver Ukyo Katayama was born in Tokyo on May 28, 1963. Despite showing early promise in his F1 career, he failed to meet expectations due to underpowered cars. After a massive crash in 1996 and another disappointing season with Minardi, he retired at the end of 1997 to pursue his true passion: mountain climbing.
1994
Damon Hill secured a morale-boosting win for Williams at the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix, just a month after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna. Michael Schumacher performed remarkably well to guide his Benetton to second place despite being stuck in fifth gear for three-quarters of the race.
1994
Nigel Mansell crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 after being hit from behind under a yellow flag. Initially overcoming the shunt, his car began to fill with smoke, prompting a marshal to rush to his aid, fearing he was on fire due to the invisible flames of ethanol fuel. Mansell refused to go to the hospital, stating, “I’ve upset a few medical staff. They want me to go to hospital, but I don’t. They can take away my license if they want.”
1988
Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna dominated the 1988 Mexican Grand Prix, leading many journalists to declare the season effectively over after just four races. Their predictions were accurate, as the McLaren duo won all but one race throughout the year.
2005
David Coulthard‘s chances for a podium finish at the 2005 European Grand Prix were thwarted by speeding penalties. After incurring a penalty during qualifying for a pit-lane error, he repeated the offence during the race, resulting in a costly drive-through penalty. “These things happen,” Coulthard remarked. “The margin was so tight, but once I had to drive through the pits for the penalty, I knew the podium had gone.” The race was won by Fernando Alonso.
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