What Happened On This Day October 21 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, October 21 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1934

Tazio Nuvolari won the only Gran Premio di Napoli held in Posillipo, a race also known as the Coppa Principessa di Piemonte in honour of Princess Marie-José of Belgium. It succeeded a 1933 event held on the Circuito Province Meridionale. The race was revived from 1937 to 1939 as a Voiturette event dominated by Maserati entries. After World War II, it resumed as the Gran Premio di Napoli, running from 1948 until 1962.

1984

Niki Lauda secured his third world championship by a razor-thin margin of just half a point over McLaren teammate Alain Prost at the 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix. Starting from eleventh on the grid, Lauda steadily picked his way through the field at Estoril, finishing second behind Prost, to earn enough points to clinch the title. Afterwards, Lauda reflected, “This has been the hardest season of my life, and that last lap felt like one of the longest. But I’ve done it by half a point, and I can tell you, Alain Prost was a tough man to beat.” A young Ayrton Senna finished in third place on the Toleman team.

The race also marked the final victory for French tyre manufacturer Michelin in F1 until their next win at the 2001 San Marino Grand Prix.

1990

The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka became one of the most controversial endings in F1 championship history, as bitter rivals Ayrton Senna (McLaren) and Alain Prost (Ferrari) clashed once again. Senna had taken pole position but requested the starting slot be moved to the clean side of the track. When the FIA denied his request, an enraged Senna declared he wouldn’t back down in the first corner, regardless of what happened. Prost, starting from the cleaner side, got a better launch, but Senna held his ground, knowing that a collision would hand him the title. The inevitable occurred: both cars collided and went off the track in a cloud of dust. “What he did is disgusting,” Prost remarked afterwards. “I won’t fight against irresponsible people who aren’t afraid to die.” Senna was unapologetic, saying, “I don’t care what he says. He’s tried to destroy me, but he won’t. Prost made the mistake of closing the door as I came inside. He knows I always go for the gap.” Despite the controversial ending, Senna won and retained the 1990 Drivers’ Championship, his second title.

The race delivered the best result at that time for the Benetton team, with Brazilian veteran Nelson Piquet and his protégé Roberto Moreno securing a 1-2 finish. Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki achieved a career-best finish, coming third in his Lola, which also marked the best-ever result for the Larrousse team and the Lamborghini engine.

2007

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen clinched his first and only Drivers’ Championship at Interlagos by a single point, beating both the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in a dramatic season finale. F1 rookie, Hamilton entered the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix leading the championship, with the title within his grasp. However, a poor start saw him fall to fourth, with the Ferraris and his teammate Alonso getting ahead. In an attempt to overtake Alonso around the outside, Hamilton ran off the track and rejoined in eighth. Things worsened when his McLaren briefly lost power, dropping him to 18th. Though Hamilton fought back to finish seventh, it wasn’t enough, as Raikkonen won the race and the title. “This is my first year, I’ll come back stronger. I’ve learned a lot, and the mistakes I made won’t happen again next year,” Hamilton vowed. True to his word, he returned in 2008 to claim the championship in even more dramatic fashion. Raikkonen’s teammate, Felipe Massa, finished second, with Alonso in third.

The race also saw the last time cars with traction control were allowed and the final race for Ralf Schumacher who finished in 11th place for Toyota.

2018

The 2018 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin saw Kimi Raikkonen claim his first victory in over five years in his second stint for Ferrari, making him the oldest race winner since Nigel Mansell in 1994. Raikkonen took the top spot on the podium, followed by Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen in second and Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton in third. Hamilton, who was on the brink of securing his fifth World Championship, needed to outscore Sebastian Vettel by eight points, but Vettel’s fourth-place finish delayed Hamilton’s title celebration to the next race in Mexico. Verstappen’s second place was more impressive after he had started from 18th, delivering a stellar drive to reach the podium, while Hamilton’s strategy gamble on a two-stop pit plan didn’t pay off, costing him the win.

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