What happened on this day, May 4 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1928
In 1928, an F1 driver was born who would most likely have become the 1961 World Champion had tragedy not struck at Monza. Wolfgang von Trips, Germany’s most successful F1 driver before the era of Michael Schumacher, met an untimely end when his car veered into the crowd, claiming the lives of 15 spectators and himself. Despite early career setbacks that earned him a reputation for crashing, von Trips redeemed himself upon rejoining Ferrari in 1960. He showcased his speed with several top-six finishes, setting the stage for a determined bid for the World Championship in 1961. With two wins and two-second places in six races, he seemed poised for victory at the Italian Grand Prix. However, a poor start and an attempt to defend his position on the first lap led to a collision with Jim Clark and the fateful crash that followed.
1946
In 1946, Ulsterman John Watson was born, a driver who would go on a remarkable F1 journey spanning over a decade in the sport. His debut win came in Australia in 1976, where he subsequently participated in 152 races. Notable highlights include his triumph at the 1982 British Grand Prix, where he secured sixth place in the drivers’ championship. The following year, he achieved third place overall, propelled by wins in Belgium and Detroit. Despite a less impressive season in 1983, McLaren released him and signed Alain Prost. However, Watson’s resilience shone through in his final F1 win at Long Beach, where he charged from 22nd on the grid to victory. This remarkable feat echoed his win in Detroit the previous year, achieved from a 17th starting position. After retiring from racing, Watson remained active in the motorsport community, transitioning to TV commentary and operating a race school at Silverstone.
1969
In 1969, a significant milestone in F1 history was set as the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix winner finished two laps ahead of second place. Jackie Stewart‘s Matra crossed the finish line well ahead of Bruce McLaren, with Jean-Pierre Beltoise trailing behind by an extra lap in third place. However, the race was marred by serious incidents involving the Team Lotus drivers. Both Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill crashed heavily due to failures of their rear wing supports at the same spot on the track. Rindt collided with the wreckage of his teammate 10 laps later.
1969 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Jackie Stewart | Matra Ford | 90 | 2:16:53.990 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Bruce McLaren | McLaren Ford | 88 | +2 laps | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra Ford | 87 | +3 laps | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Denny Hulme | McLaren Ford | 87 | +3 laps | 3 |
| 5 | 14 | John Surtees | BRM | 84 | +6 laps | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | Jacky Ickx | Brabham Ford | 83 | DNF | 1 |
| NC | 9 | Pedro Rodriguez | BRM | 73 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 56 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Jack Brabham | Brabham Ford | 51 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Jo Siffert | Lotus Ford | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Jochen Rindt | Lotus Ford | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Piers Courage | Brabham Ford | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Graham Hill | Lotus Ford | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 1 | DNF | 0 |
1980
Ligier driver Didier Pironi dominated the 1980 Belgian Grand Prix, leading from the start to claim his inaugural F1 win. He lapped all but two drivers during the race. Williams driver Alan Jones, who ultimately clinched the drivers’ title that season, settled for second place after being passed by Pironi on the first lap. Carlos Reutemann came home in third in the second Williams.
1980 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Didier Pironi | Ligier Ford | 72 | 1:38:46.510 | 9 |
| 2 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams Ford | 72 | +47.370s | 6 |
| 3 | 28 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams Ford | 72 | +84.120s | 4 |
| 4 | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 71 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Tyrrell Ford | 71 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 71 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 21 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi Ford | 71 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 4 | Derek Daly | Tyrrell Ford | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 12 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Ford | 69 | DNF | 0 |
| 11 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Ford | 68 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | Jan Lammers | ATS Ford | 64 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 61 | +11 laps | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows Ford | 58 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Mario Andretti | Lotus Ford | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Patrick Depailler | Alfa Romeo | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham Ford | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Alain Prost | McLaren Ford | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi Ford | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Tiff Needell | Ensign Ford | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 11 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Ricardo Zunino | Brabham Ford | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Jochen Mass | Arrows Ford | 1 | DNF | 0 |
2003
In 2003, Michael Schumacher showered praise on the new Ferrari, the F2003-GA, saying, “It’s something special, so beautiful, so fine” following his victory in the 2003 Spanish Grand Prix. Meanwhile, championship leader Kimi Raikkonen faced a setback as he collided with the stalled Jaguar of Antonio Pizzonia after lights out on the grid. From there, Schumacher maintained complete control of the race. However, stealing the headlines and the admiration of the 96,000-strong crowd was 22-year-old local talent Fernando Alonso, who clinched second place in his Renault. Reflecting on his result, Alonso remarked, “That was the fifth consecutive race in which I have finished in the points, which is all I could have dreamt of,” he said. “And I am still dreaming.” Schumacher’s teammate Rubens Barrichello finished third.
2003 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 65 | 1:33:46.933 | 10 |
| 2 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 65 | +5.716s | 8 |
| 3 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 65 | +18.001s | 6 |
| 4 | 3 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams BMW | 65 | +62.022s | 5 |
| 5 | 4 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams BMW | 64 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 6 | 21 | Cristiano da Matta | Toyota | 64 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 7 | 14 | Mark Webber | Jaguar Cosworth | 64 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 8 | 12 | Ralph Firman | Jordan Ford | 63 | +2 laps | 1 |
| 9 | 17 | Jenson Button | BAR Honda | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber Petronas | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 18 | Justin Wilson | Minardi Cosworth | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 19 | Jos Verstappen | Minardi Cosworth | 62 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Jordan Ford | 43 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Olivier Panis | Toyota | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Sauber Petronas | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | David Coulthard | McLaren Mercedes | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Jacques Villeneuve | BAR Honda | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Antonio Pizzonia | Jaguar Cosworth | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 4 May
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 4 May 1913 | Adolf Lang (d. 1993) |
| 4 May 1925 | Dick Reese (d. 2013) |
| 4 May 1928 | Wolfgang von Trips (d. 1961) |
| 4 May 1946 | John Watson |
F1 Driver Deaths 4 May
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 4 May 1974 | Marvin Pifer (b. 1928) |
| 4 May 2014 | Tony Settember (b. 1926) |
| 4 May 2014 | Al Pease (b. 1921) |
| 4 May 2021 | Leslie Marr (b. 1922) |
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