What happened on this day, November 21 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1943
Jacques Laffite, one of the most famous French racing drivers, was born on this day in Paris. He became the first Frenchman to win a world championship race at the 1977 Swedish Grand Prixin a French car (Ligier) with a French engine. Known for his playful humour and irreverent personality, Laffite’s talent and charisma enlivened the Grand Prix circuit throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved six victories with Ligier before a crash at the 1986 British Grand Prix ended his Formula One career.
2000
Three-time world champion Niki Lauda resigned as CEO of his airline, Lauda Air, following reports of financial irregularities. “I won’t comment on whether the criticism is valid or whether blame lies with me,” he stated. “But as I’ve always said, if there were any reason for criticism, I would resign—and I am doing so.” The airline became a fully owned subsidiary of Austrian Airlines a month later.
2004
Alexandre Premat of France won the 2004 Macau Grand Prix, guiding his ASM Dallara-Mercedes to victory in a chaotic race. He finished ahead of Robert Kubica and Lucas di Grassi after the event was cut short at 13 laps due to a multi-car pile-up. Starting third on the grid behind Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Premat inherited the lead after both Hamilton and Rosberg crashed on the second lap. Despite his own mistake that let Kubica close in, Premat held on to secure the win.
2005
Giancarlo Fisichella had his driver’s license confiscated for speeding after being clocked at 148 kph (92 mph) in a 60 kph (37 mph) zone in Rome. This incident occurred just six days after he publicly urged Italian teenagers to avoid street racing following the tragic high-speed crash that killed a 16-year-old.
2007
Bernie Ecclestone urged then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown to allocate government funds for a London street Grand Prix rather than focusing on the 2012 Olympics. “Mayor Ken Livingstone was very supportive, and we outlined a plan,” Ecclestone explained. “It was feasible; it was simply a matter of funding.” The estimated cost was around $150 million, considerably less than the Olympic budget.
2009
Mercedes dismissed rumours of Michael Schumacher’s potential return to F1 with a pointed remark: “As long as there’s an open seat, there will always be speculation. But some rumours are just dreams.” Schumacher’s spokesperson, Sabine Kehm, added: “Michael is enjoying life, so a return seems highly unlikely right now.” Nevertheless, Schumacher was revealed as the team’s new driver a month later.
2021
Originally scheduled for November 19-21 at Melbourne’s Albert Park as the 21st round of a 23-race season, the 2020 Australian Grand Prix was cancelled on 6th July 2021. A Formula 1 spokesperson expressed disappointment over the cancellation but stated confidence in still delivering a full 23-race season.
2021
The inaugural 2021 Qatar Grand Prix took place at the Lusail International Circuit, marking the 20th round of the Formula One World Championship. Originally absent from the season’s calendar, it was added to replace the 2021 Australian Grand Prix, which had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This event was the first Qatar Grand Prix, establishing the start of a 10-year contract to host the race from 2023 onwards at a new, purpose-built circuit. Notably, there was no Qatar Grand Prix in 2022 as the country was focused on hosting the FIFA World Cup.
In an exciting first race in Qatar, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton claimed the win ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, with the Alpine of Fernando Alonso finishing third to earn his first podium since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix and his first with Team Enstone since the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton’s win at Lusail also marked the 30th different circuit where he had achieved an F1 Grand Prix victory.
2021 Qatar Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 57 | 1:24:28.471 | 25 |
| 2 | 33 | Max Verstappen1 | Red Bull Racing Honda | 57 | +25.743s | 19 |
| 3 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 57 | +59.457s | 15 |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 57 | +62.306s | 12 |
| 5 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 57 | +80.570s | 10 |
| 6 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 57 | +81.274s | 8 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 57 | +81.911s | 6 |
| 8 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 57 | +83.126s | 4 |
| 9 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 56 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri Honda | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 55 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 18 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 55 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 50 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 48 | DNF | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 21 November
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 21 November 1928 | Bob Schroeder |
| 21 November 1943 | Jacques Laffite |
F1 Driver Deaths 21 November
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 21 November 1953 | Felice Bonetto (b. 1903) |
| 21 November 2018 | Keith St John |
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