What Happened On This Day October 12 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, October 12 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1906

Born in Rome on this day, Piero Taruffi was 43 by the time the FIA World Championship came into being, but he raced until he was almost 50, winning once in 18 starts. In 1952, he finished third for Ferrari in the 1952 Drivers’ Championship, and that year came his one win at the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix. Pre-war, he raced bikes, and he also enjoyed success late in his career in sports cars, winning the 1954 Targa Florio for Lancia and the Mille Miglia in 1957, by which time he was 51.

1937

Born on this day, three unmemorable starts in a Brabham and a Lotus in 1964 and 1965 were the extent of Paul Hawkins’ F1 career, but he made far more of a mark in sports car racing. His other F1 claim to fame was that he remains one of only two men – the other being Alberto Ascari – to plunge into the harbour at the Monaco Grand Prix. He died at the age of 31 when he crashed in a race at Oulton Park.

1986

Nigel Mansell‘s title hopes stalled on the grid at the 1986 Mexican Grand Prix, although he stormed back to take fifth and set up an (ultimately frustrating) finale in Australia. “It was a bloody awful race,” Mansell said. “I just want to forget about it.” In a Benetton, Gerhard Berger won his first Grand Prix shortly before switching to Ferrari. Alain Prost finished second for McLaren, while Ayrton Senna completed the podium for Lotus.

1997

The finish that the sport wanted at the 1997 Japanese Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher’s win for Ferrari left a winner-takes-the-title finale against Jacques Villeneuve (Williams) at the 1997 European Grand Prix a fortnight later came true. Schumacher’s victory was helped dramatically by teammate Eddie Irvine, who helped increase the gap between him and Villeneuve by driving defensively. “Eddie did a brilliant job,” acknowledged Schumacher. “It has to be one of the most satisfying victories of my career.” But the champagne had barely stopped flowing on the podium before Williams started reminding Schumacher of what happened in Australia in 1994 with Damon Hill… Ultimately, Villeneuve went on to win the title in the following race, even though he finished in third.

Williams clinched the 1997 Constructors’ Championship as Ferrari could not pass their points tally with only one race remaining.

2003

At the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, the remarkable Michael Schumacher wrote his name in the record books by securing his sixth Drivers’ title – and his fourth of five in a row, surpassing the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957. He finished eighth, but as Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello took the chequered flag to deny his nearest rival Kimi Raikkonen, he took the championship. It was a fair result as Schumacher had six wins to Raikkonen’s one, even if his race was not one of his best, with a couple of scares along the way. It was also enough for Ferrari to seal the 2003 Constructors’ Championship. “The feelings are not there now,” Schumacher said. “I can feel for the team but not for me, they have not sunk in yet. I am empty, exhausted. It’s very strange for me. Most of my championships I have won with a victory but here I am winning it with eighth place so it is a mixed emotion.” Raikkonen’s McLaren teammate, David Coulthard, finished third.

This race was the final one in which cars used launch control and fully automatic gearboxes, both of which were reintroduced at the 2001 Spanish Grand Prix. The FIA banned these electronic driver-aids in the 2004 season. It was also the last Grand Prix appearance for Heinz-Harald Frentzen, a three-time race winner, and Jos Verstappen, the father of future multiple world champion Max Verstappen.

2008

There were accusations and recriminations at the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton accused Felipe Massa of deliberately crashing into him as the pair clashed for fifth place on the second lap. The incident put Hamilton to the back of the field, cut his lead in the 2008 Drivers’ Championship over Massa to five points, and left him facing blowing the title for the second year. “I did the corner normally and he came back very aggressively and hit me,” Hamilton fumed. “I think that was pretty much as deliberate as can be.” Massa was more diplomatic. “The duel with Hamilton was hard but fair … I have a good relationship with [him] and I will not do anything to destroy something on purpose.” Fernando Alonso won the race with Renault with Robert Kubica in a BMW Sauber, finishing second with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, completing the podium in third.

2014

At the 2014 Russian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton dominated from start to finish to secure the win, marking his fourth consecutive victory of the season. He was joined on the podium by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who finished second after recovering from an early mistake when he locked up his brakes into turn 2 attempting to outbrake Hamilton and had to pit on the first lap. Valtteri Bottas in a Williams rounded out the podium in third. Rosberg’s early pit stop forced him to drive the remainder of the race on a single set of tyres, while Bottas set the fastest lap in the race’s final moments.

Hamilton and Rosberg’s points haul was enough for the Mercedes team to clinch the 2014 Constructors’ Championship title.

F1 Driver Birthdays 12 October

Birthday	F1 Driver
12 October 1906	Piero Taruffi
12 October 1918	Frank Armi
12 October 1937	Paul Hawkins
12 October 1943	Bertil Roos

F1 Driver Deaths 12 October

Death	F1 Driver
12 October 1985	Duke Dinsmoor
12 October 2006	Eugene Martin
12 October 2019	Nanni Galli

F1 Champion 12 October

Date	Team/Driver
12 October 2003	Michael Schumacher
12 October 1997	Williams
12 October 2003	Ferrari
12 October 2014	Mercedes