What Happened On This Day November 4 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, November 4 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1919

Born in Surbiton, Eric Thompson emerged as a driver in the post-war years, finding success primarily in endurance racing. He achieved a class win at the 1949 Le Mans 24 Hours and secured victories at Goodwood handicap races. Thompson raced for Aston Martin from 1949 to 1953, with his sole Formula One championship appearance at the 1952 British Grand Prix, where he finished a distant fifth. He continued racing until 1955, after which he focused on his career as a Lloyd’s underwriter and later became a rare motoring literature dealer.

1953

Jacques Villeneuve Sr., born on this day in Canada, didn’t achieve the F1 fame of his brother Gilles Villeneuve or nephew Jacques Villeneuve, as he failed to qualify in all three Grands Prix he entered. Although generally experienced, he struggled with the demands of Formula One, a challenge perhaps masked by the advantages of his family name and sponsor appeal. Nevertheless, Villeneuve built a reputation in Canada, winning the World Championship Snowmobile Derby three times and competing in Formula Atlantic, CART, Can-Am, snowmobile racing, and Formula One.

1990

Nelson Piquet clinched victory at the 1990 Australian Grand Prix in his Benetton, fending off a fierce challenge from Nigel Mansell, who finished second, racing for Ferrari for the last time. McLaren driver Ayrton Senna, who had controversially secured the World Championship two weeks earlier in Japan, was in contention until a missed gear change sent him off track. Mansell openly criticised backmarker Olivier Grouillard, calling him a hazard, to which Grouillard retorted, “If Mansell tried my car, he might understand the issues I faced.” Meanwhile, Alain Prost, who Senna infamously took out in Suzuka, was fined for walking out of a Drivers’ briefing. Piquet defended Prost, stating, “He walked out because FISA promised action against reckless drivers. Just look at Ayrton’s behaviour.” Prost finished in third.

2002

Cristiano da Matta, Brazilian CART champion, signed a two-year deal with Toyota. “Winning the CART championship was one of my goals, and now I’m ready for the next challenge,” he commented. Having achieved his CART success with a Toyota engine, the partnership seemed fitting, yet da Matta struggled to adapt in Formula One. His best results were two sixth-place finishes, and after a difficult 2004 season, he returned to the USA to compete once more.

2005

Murray Walker launched a sharp critique of F1 drivers, accusing them of being too bland and unwilling to speak their minds. “F1 doesn’t lack characters, but it lacks drivers willing to express themselves,” he remarked. “Maybe they don’t want to or are told not to upset sponsors. I can understand that to a point, but it makes them robotic, which doesn’t help the sport. F1 would be better with personalities like Nigel Mansell and Eddie Irvine.”

2009

A report revealed that Formula One’s top 20 drivers collectively earned $134.8 million, even though four went unpaid, excluding sponsor income. According to Sports Pro magazine’s Tom Rubython, Jenson Button might have felt hard done by; despite winning the 2009 Drivers’ Championship, he earned $5 million after taking a pay cut to help his Brawn GP team make it to the grid, while Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari pocketed $45 million.

2012

Kimi Raikkonen claimed victory at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Lotus F1 after starting fourth on the grid, marking his first win since his Formula One comeback and his first since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. The win also gave the Lotus name its first win since Ayrton Senna won the 1987 Detroit Grand Prix for Team Lotus. Fernando Alonso finished second for Ferrari, narrowing the 2012 Drivers’ Championship gap to ten points behind his rival Sebastian Vettel, who climbed to third after starting from the pit lane for Red Bull. Raikkonen’s radio message to his engineer on lap 23—“Just leave me alone, I know what I’m doing”—became iconic, capturing his cool-headed approach as he secured the 55-lap race victory.

F1 Driver Birthdays 4 November

F1 Driver Deaths 4 November