What Happened On This Day November 5 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, November 5 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1905

Louis Rosier, born in France on this day, began his career driving trucks for his father before competing in hillclimb events in his twenties. Around the same time, he opened his own garage, selling Renaults and Talbots. By 1938, at 32, he had shifted focus to racing, including competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours. During World War II, he worked with the French Resistance, and when Germany took his wife and daughter hostage, he travelled there to reunite with them after the war. Racing with Talbot, he quickly gained prominence, winning his first race in Albi in 1947. Rosier went on to win the Belgian Grand Prix in 1948 and consistently placed in the British Grand Prix, finishing fourth in 1948 and third in 1949. That same year, he claimed victory in the International Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps and held the French Championship title each year from 1949 to 1952. Although he competed in the early FIA World Championship and won the non-championship 1950 Dutch Grand Prix and again in 1951, an official F1 victory eluded him. Rosier continued to manage and develop racing teams until 1956 when he tragically died from injuries after a crash in his Ferrari at Le Mans.

1952

Joe James, a two-time Indianapolis 500 driver, tragically passed away on this day following a crash three days prior at San Jose Speedway. A native of Mississippi, James had just been crowned the AAA Midwest Sprint Car Champion with six wins under his belt. On 17 October 1952, he was honoured as the champion at a banquet in Dayton, Ohio. Only sixteen days later, blinded by the sun, he missed a yellow flag and struck a wheel on the track, causing his car to flip and inflict severe head injuries. A memorial race, the Joe James Memorial Auto Race, was established in 1953 and continued annually until the track’s closure in 1999.

1989

Thierry Boutsen clinched victory in a rain-soaked 1989 Australian Grand Prix for Williams, which was stopped after just 70 of the scheduled 81 laps, with 13 of the 25 starters crashing out. Ayrton Senna, who collided with Martin Brundle in a Brabham on lap 14, was outraged by the decision to race in such conditions. “FISA is to blame for allowing this race to happen,” he fumed, likely also frustrated from a recent clash with FISA over his disqualification at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. “They complain about us being lunatics, but it’s clear they’re the crazy ones.” A driver boycott was nearly in the works, and Alain Prost followed through by withdrawing after a single lap, while others persevered. Another vocal critic, Nelson Piquet stated, “This is a dangerous sport and doesn’t need added risks. There’s a line between bravery and recklessness.” Despite the treacherous conditions in Adelaide, worse would come in future years.

1989 Australian Grand Prix Race Results

2023

At the 2023 São Paulo Grand Prix, the season’s final weekend to feature F1’s Sprint race format, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen dominated both the sprint and main race, further cementing his historic season where we would go on to claim 19 wins. Amid challenging, weather-affected conditions, Verstappen took pole for the main race, while McLaren driver Lando Norris claimed pole for the Sprint. Verstappen’s victory in the main race set a new Formula One record for the highest win percentage in a single season, surpassing Alberto Ascari‘s longstanding record from 1952. This win also marked Red Bull Racing’s 19th victory of the season, tying Mercedes‘ record from 2016.

Norris finished second, securing his 13th career podium and tying Nick Heidfeld for the most podiums without a race win. In an intense final lap, Fernando Alonso beat Sergio Perez to the finishing line to claim third by a mere 0.053 seconds, marking his ninth podium at Interlagos without a win and his first there since 2013. Verstappen’s victory by an eight-second margin not only broke his own record for podium finishes in a season, with his 19th podium, but also placed him above Alain Prost in all-time race wins, reaching a career total of 52.

2023 São Paulo Grand Prix Race Results

F1 Driver Birthdays 5 November

F1 Driver Deaths 5 November