What Happened On This Day November 25 In F1 History?

From Alex Zanardi driving a specially modified BMW Sauber in 2006 to Sebastian Vettel securing his third title in 2012 to Fernando Alonso's first retirement in 2018.

Lee Parker

By Lee Parker
Updated on November 15, 2024

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes; Fernando Alonso, Mclaren; Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari. 2018 Abu Dhabi GP
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes; Fernando Alonso, Mclaren; and Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari perform doughnuts at the end of the 2018 Abu Dhabi GP // Image: Sutton

What happened on this day, November 25 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1955

Stirling Moss and Peter Collins concluded a week of testing BRMs at Silverstone, assessing their options for the 1956 season. “After their success in a Mercedes in the Targa Florio, the pair decided they would race in the same team,” reported The Times. However, in the end, Moss accepted an offer from Maserati while Collins joined Ferrari.

1920

Race driver Gaston Chevrolet tragically died in a crash at the Beverly Hills Speedway when his modified Monroe collided with Eddie O’Donnell’s car as he attempted an overtake. O’Donnell’s car plunged off the ramp, while Chevrolet’s car rose, crashed through fencing, and ultimately fell back onto O’Donnell’s wreckage. Both Chevrolet, O’Donnell, and Lyall Jolls, O’Donnell’s riding mechanic, died instantly. Despite the tragedy, Chevrolet’s prior victories that year secured him the national race-car-driving championship title based on accumulated points.

1946

Unlike many drivers supported by wealthy patrons, Slim Borgudd, born on this day in Borgholm, Sweden, found unique backing. A drummer with a passion for racing, Borgudd was also a session musician with ABBA, securing sponsorship through his connection to the band. His F1 career was brief—15 races with a best finish of sixth—but after ABBA split in the early 1980s, he continued racing, eventually becoming a European champion in truck racing.

2006

Alex Zanardi, who had lost both legs in a crash five years earlier, returned to test an F1 car for the first time since his accident. Driving a specially modified BMW Sauber, he posted impressive times, underscoring his commitment to ensure it wasn’t just a publicity stunt. “I was a bit too big for the cockpit of this car,” he joked, “so we cut something off my legs and made me a little bit shorter. I told the guys it was much faster than adjusting the pedals. It was just fantastic. People expect a man who loses his legs to just go home and flip channels on the TV with a remote. I’ve shown that this guy can come back after such an accident and still live the same life. That’s the great thing.”

2008

Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz reclaimed full ownership of Toro Rosso after purchasing back a 50% stake from team boss Gerhard Berger. This acquisition meant Mateschitz now entirely owned two F1 teams, with Red Bull Racing being the other. He had initially founded Toro Rosso by buying a controlling interest in the Minardi team from Paul Stoddart in 2005, subsequently entering a joint-ownership arrangement with Berger Motorsport in 2006.

2012

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was a race filled with milestones and farewells. Jenson Button claimed victory for McLaren, marking the 15th and final win of his Formula One career. This race also became McLaren’s last Grand Prix win until the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, and the last victory by a British driver for McLaren until Lando Norris triumphed at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel secured his third consecutive World Drivers’ Championship, finishing just ahead in the standings despite Fernando Alonso‘s second-place finish in both the race and the championship. Alonso briefly held the provisional championship lead late in the race, but Vettel’s progress up the field ultimately provided him a narrow three-point advantage, sealing the title. At just 25 years old, Vettel became the youngest driver to win three world championships, surpassing Ayrton Senna, who had held that record since 1991. Reflecting on the achievement, Vettel remarked on the significance of winning his third title in Brazil, Senna’s homeland: “To win that third title here, where one of my greatest idols, Ayrton Senna, was from, it is very difficult to imagine I join him and other great names by winning three successive titles.”

The race was also a farewell for many, as it marked the 306th and final race for Michael Schumacher, who retired for a second time. It was also the last appearance for drivers Bruno Senna, Vitaly Petrov, Timo Glock, Pedro de la Rosa, and Narain Karthikeyan, as well as for the HRT Formula 1 Team, which withdrew from the sport due to financial challenges after never scoring a championship point.

2012 Brazilian Grand Prix Race Results
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
13Jenson ButtonMcLaren Mercedes711:45:22.65625
25Fernando AlonsoFerrari71+2.754s18
36Felipe MassaFerrari71+3.615s15
42Mark WebberRed Bull Racing Renault71+4.936s12
512Nico HulkenbergForce India Mercedes71+5.708s10
61Sebastian VettelRed Bull Racing Renault71+9.453s8
77Michael SchumacherMercedes71+11.907s6
817Jean-Eric VergneSTR Ferrari71+28.653s4
914Kamui KobayashiSauber Ferrari71+31.250s2
109Kimi RäikkönenLotus Renault70+1 lap1
1121Vitaly PetrovCaterham Renault70+1 lap0
1225Charles PicMarussia Cosworth70+1 lap0
1316Daniel RicciardoSTR Ferrari70+1 lap0
1420Heikki KovalainenCaterham Renault70+1 lap0
158Nico RosbergMercedes70+1 lap0
1624Timo GlockMarussia Cosworth70+1 lap0
1722Pedro de la RosaHRT Cosworth69+2 laps0
1823Narain KarthikeyanHRT Cosworth69+2 laps0
1911Paul di RestaForce India Mercedes68DNF0
NC4Lewis HamiltonMcLaren Mercedes54DNF0
NC10Romain GrosjeanLotus Renault5DNF0
NC18Pastor MaldonadoWilliams Renault1DNF0
NC19Bruno SennaWilliams Renault0DNF0
NC15Sergio PerezSauber Ferrari0DNF0

2018

The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the last race officiated by Charlie Whiting as race director; he sadly passed away shortly before the following season. This race was also the final Formula One race for Fernando Alonso before his return in 2021 with Alpine. To commemorate Alonso’s departure, McLaren ran a special one-off livery, the first time they had done so since the 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix, celebrating the end of an era for the Spanish driver, who had announced his departure from the sport for 2019.

Mercedes driver and Championship winner Lewis Hamilton took victory from pole position, followed by Ferrari‘s Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who rounded out the podium. In a fitting tribute after the race, Alonso was joined by Hamilton and Vettel on the pit straight, where the three drivers performed celebratory doughnuts to honour Alonso’s career.

2018 Abu Dahabi Grand Prix Race Results
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
144Lewis HamiltonMercedes551:39:40.38225
25Sebastian VettelFerrari55+2.581s18
333Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing TAG Heuer55+12.706s15
43Daniel RicciardoRed Bull Racing TAG Heuer55+15.379s12
577Valtteri BottasMercedes55+47.957s10
655Carlos SainzRenault55+72.548s8
716Charles LeclercSauber Ferrari55+90.789s6
811Sergio PerezForce India Mercedes55+91.275s4
98Romain GrosjeanHaas Ferrari54+1 lap2
1020Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari54+1 lap1
1114Fernando Alonso1McLaren Renault54+1 lap0
1228Brendon HartleyScuderia Toro Rosso Honda54+1 lap0
1318Lance StrollWilliams Mercedes54+1 lap0
142Stoffel VandoorneMcLaren Renault54+1 lap0
1535Sergey SirotkinWilliams Mercedes54+1 lap0
NC10Pierre GaslyScuderia Toro Rosso Honda46DNF0
NC31Esteban Ocon2Force India Mercedes44DNF0
NC9Marcus EricssonSauber Ferrari24DNF0
NC7Kimi RäikkönenFerrari6DNF0
NC27Nico HulkenbergRenault0DNF0
1Fernando Alonso handed three five-second penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
2Esteban Ocon handed a five-second penalty for the same offence.

F1 Driver Birthdays 25 November

BirthdayF1 Driver
25 November 1908Ottis Stine
25 November 1946Slim Borgudd

F1 Driver Deaths 25 November

DeathF1 Driver
25 November 1982Walt Ader

F1 Champion 25 November

DateTeam/Driver
25 November 2012Sebastian Vettel

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About The Author

Senior Editor

Lee Parker
Lee Parker

Lee is our staff writer specialising in anything technical within Formula 1 from aerodynamics to engines. Lee writes most of our F1 guides for beginners and experienced fans having followed the sports since 1991, researching and understanding how teams build the ultimate machines. Like everyone else on the team he listens to podcasts about F1 and enjoys reading biographies of former drivers.

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