What happened on this day, May 8 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1932
Tazio Nuvolari clinched another victory at the 1932 Targa Florio, a public road endurance race held in the mountains of Sicily. He drove the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, under the management of Enzo Ferrari. Preferring a smaller riding mechanic for better aerodynamics, Nuvolari enlisted a novice, Paride Mambelli. He instructed Mambelli to stay low during sharp turns. Post-race, when Enzo asked him about his experience, Mambelli admitted he had spent the race ducked down, seeing nothing.
1977
Mario Andretti kicked off the European leg of the season with a win at the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix, driving a JPL Lotus and managing to lap all but four competitors. Complications beset Niki Lauda, who withdrew due to severe back pains requiring hospitalisation, and James Hunt, whose race ended early due to engine failure. Argentinian Carlos Reutemann finished second in a Ferrari, with South African Jody Scheckter third in a Wolf-Ford.
1977 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Mario Andretti | Lotus Ford | 75 | 1:42:52.220 | 9 |
| 2 | 12 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 75 | +15.850s | 6 |
| 3 | 20 | Jody Scheckter | Wolf Ford | 75 | +24.510s | 4 |
| 4 | 2 | Jochen Mass | McLaren Ford | 75 | +24.870s | 3 |
| 5 | 6 | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus Ford | 75 | +65.830s | 2 |
| 6 | 8 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 74 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Matra | 74 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 3 | Ronnie Peterson | Tyrrell Ford | 74 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 18 | Hans Binder | Surtees Ford | 73 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 30 | Brett Lunger | March Ford | 72 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 10 | Ian Scheckter | March Ford | 72 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 27 | Patrick Neve | 71 | +4 laps | 0 | |
| 13 | 36 | Emilio de Villota | McLaren Ford | 70 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 28 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi Ford | 70 | +5 laps | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 64 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Alan Jones | Shadow Ford | 56 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Rupert Keegan | Hesketh Ford | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Harald Ertl | Hesketh Ford | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Renzo Zorzi | Shadow Ford | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 37 | Arturo Merzario | March Ford | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell Ford | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | James Hunt | McLaren Ford | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Clay Regazzoni | Ensign Ford | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | Surtees Ford | 9 | DNF | 0 |
1982
Professor Sid Watkins described Gilles Villeneuve‘s tragic accident and death at the Zolder circuit as almost inevitable, given Villeneuve’s notorious risk-taking. He had a history of daring behaviours, such as piloting a helicopter despite an empty fuel gauge. Two weeks prior to his death, he had a dispute with Ferrari teammate Didier Peroni, who Villeneuve felt had unfairly won the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix against team orders. During the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, in an intense effort to outpace Peroni, Villeneuve attempted to pass Jochen Mass‘ slower car, misjudged a tight space, and collided. His car launched into the air, crashed down onto the track, and violently somersaulted, ending in catastrophic injuries that proved fatal.
2005
Kimi Raikkonen led from start to finish at the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix, securing his first victory of 2005 with McLaren. Fernando Alonso took second place in front of his home fans and over 100,000 spectators. Alonso’s second-place finish bolstered his lead in the world championship. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher faced setbacks in his quest for a sixth consecutive title with two tyre failures during the race but remained determined, vowing to continue the fight. Jarno Trulli finished third for Toyota.
2005 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren Mercedes | 66 | 1:27:16.830 | 10 |
| 2 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 66 | +27.652s | 8 |
| 3 | 16 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 66 | +45.947s | 6 |
| 4 | 17 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 66 | +46.719s | 5 |
| 5 | 6 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 66 | +57.936s | 4 |
| 6 | 7 | Mark Webber | Williams BMW | 66 | +68.542s | 3 |
| 7 | 10 | Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren Mercedes | 65 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 8 | 14 | David Coulthard | RBR Cosworth | 65 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 9 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 10 | 8 | Nick Heidfeld | Williams BMW | 65 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 11 | 12 | Felipe Massa | Sauber Petronas | 63 | DNF | 0 |
| 12 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Jordan Toyota | 63 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 19 | Narain Karthikeyan | Jordan Toyota | 63 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Jacques Villeneuve | Sauber Petronas | 51 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 46 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Christijan Albers | Minardi Cosworth | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Patrick Friesacher | Minardi Cosworth | 11 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | RBR Cosworth | 9 | DNF | 0 |
2005
Oliver Bearman, born on this day, May 8, 2005, made his F1 race debut in 2024. He had raced in Formula 2 for Prema Racing and won the 2021 titles in both the Italian and ADAC Formula 4 championships, solidifying his promise of an F1 future.
As a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Bearman had been a reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari and the Haas F1 Team. Positions that eventually culminated in his F1 race debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when Bearman stepped in for the ill Carlos Sainz. Bearman’s entry made him the youngest British F1 driver at the time, the youngest ever Ferrari driver at the time, the first English Ferrari driver since Nigel Mansell, and the first driver since Arturo Merzario, in 1972, to make his F1 debut in a Ferrari. He also beat Lewis Hamilton by becoming the first British driver in a Ferrari since Eddie Irvine in 1999.
Bearman was rewarded a full-time drive with Haas for the 2025 F1 Season.
2011
The 2011 Turkish Grand Prix was won by championship leader Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing, who secured victory after starting from pole. His teammate, Mark Webber, finished second, while the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso took third place, completing the podium.
This weekend was the last Turkish Grand Prix until its return in 2020, which was prompted by disruptions to the Formula One calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The race set a record for the most pit stops in a Grand Prix—with over 80—and saw the highest number of overtakes since 1983. Vettel’s win extended his lead in the World Championship standings, reaching 93 points, while Lewis Hamilton remained in second place with 59 points.
2011 Turkish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault | 58 | 1:30:17.558 | 25 |
| 2 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing Renault | 58 | +8.807s | 18 |
| 3 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 58 | +10.075s | 15 |
| 4 | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | +40.232s | 12 |
| 5 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 58 | +47.539s | 10 |
| 6 | 4 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | +59.431s | 8 |
| 7 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Renault | 58 | +60.857s | 6 |
| 8 | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 58 | +68.168s | 4 |
| 9 | 18 | Sebastien Buemi | STR Ferrari | 58 | +69.394s | 2 |
| 10 | 16 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber Ferrari | 58 | +78.021s | 1 |
| 11 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 58 | +79.823s | 0 |
| 12 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 58 | +85.444s | 0 |
| 13 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Mercedes | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 17 | Sergio Perez | Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams Cosworth | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | STR Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 12 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams Cosworth | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 21 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Renault | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Renault | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 20 | 25 | Jerome d’Ambrosio | Virgin Cosworth | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 21 | 22 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT Cosworth | 55 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 22 | 23 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | HRT Cosworth | 53 | +5 laps | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India Mercedes | 44 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Cosworth | DNS | 0 |
2022
The 2022 Miami Grand Prix became the first-ever race in Miami under much fanfare. The fifth round of the season saw Red Bull driver Max Verstappen claim victory, finishing ahead of championship leader and pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, who secured second place, while his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, took third. Verstappen also walked away with the fastest lap of the race while misery found the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, who initially finished eighth, but he was handed two five-second penalties—one for causing a collision with Pierre Gasly and another for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
2022 Miami Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing RBPT | 57 | 1:34:24.258 | 26 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 57 | +3.786s | 18 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 57 | +8.229s | 15 |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing RBPT | 57 | +10.638s | 12 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 57 | +18.582s | 10 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 57 | +21.368s | 8 |
| 7 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 57 | +25.073s | 6 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 57 | +28.386s | 4 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 57 | +32.365s | 2 |
| 10 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 57 | +37.026s | 1 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 57 | +37.128s | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri RBPT | 57 | +40.146s | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +40.902s | 0 |
| 14 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 57 | +49.936s | 0 |
| 15 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +73.305s | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 56 | DNF | 0 |
| 17 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri RBPT | 45 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| Note – Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Alonso and Magnussen received five-second time penalties for causing collisions. Ricciardo and Alonso received five-second time penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 8 May
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 8 May 1975 | Gaston Mazzacane |
| 8 May 2005 | Oliver Bearman |
F1 Driver Deaths 8 May
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 8 May 1970 | Ray Reed (b. 1932) |
| 8 May 1982 | Gilles Villeneuve (b. 1950) |
| 8 May 1984 | Gino Bianco (b. 1916) |
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