What happened on this day, October 24 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1954
The 1954 Spanish Grand Prix took place on the Pedralbes street circuit in Barcelona. It was the season’s final race, with Ferrari’s Mike Hawthorn taking the win, followed by Luigi Mussi for Maserati and Juan Manuel Fangio, who drove for Mercedes in third place. This race marked the last time Formula One cars competed on the Pedralbes circuit, as safety concerns in 1955, due to the tragic loss of life at the the Le Mans disaster of 1955, led to its removal from the calendar.
1965
The 1965 Mexican Grand Prix saw Richie Ginther claim his first and only F1 Championship victory. It was also Honda’s first win in Formula One and the first for a non-European team, excluding the Indianapolis 500. Ginther led the race from start to finish, showcasing Honda’s strong performance. Driving for Brabham, Dan Gurney finished second, while Mike Spence in a Lotus rounded out the podium in third.
The race was filled with notable milestones. It was the last race of the 1500cc engine era and the only race of the season not won by a British-powered car or a British driver. Honda’s rigorous testing paid off, especially as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, and Jackie Stewart all retired with mechanical issues, leaving Gurney as Ginther’s only real challenger. A collision between Lorenzo Bandini and Pedro Rodriguez further cleared Ginther’s path to victory. Goodyear also exited the Formula One season on a high note with this win.
1976
Despite missing two races following his life-threatening crash at the Nürburgring, Ferrari driver Niki Lauda entered the season’s final race at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix, leading the championship by three points over the McLaren of James Hunt. Hunt qualified second, just ahead of Lauda, but race day brought thick fog and torrential rain, with streams of water crossing the track. Although some drivers called for the race to be cancelled, the organisers proceeded. Hunt quickly took the lead at the start, while Lauda, struggling in the treacherous conditions, dropped back to the midfield. On the second lap, he pulled into the pits and retired, later explaining, “For me, there is something more important than the world championship.” Hunt maintained the lead but began to fall back as the track dried, losing positions to Patrick Depailler and Mario Andretti. Depailler’s rear tyre began deflating two laps later, forcing him to pit, and Hunt soon followed with a similar issue. After a pit stop, Hunt rejoined the race in fifth place and set out to chase down Depailler, Alan Jones, and Clay Regazzoni. Depailler overtook both on lap 70, and Hunt followed suit on the next lap, securing the third place he needed to clinch the championship. Reflecting on the race, Hunt said, “The front tyre started shredding, and I had rubbish all over my visor. I didn’t know what the hell to do. Then the tyre burst. I dropped some places during the pit stop, but I didn’t know how many. At the finish, I thought I still had to pass a couple of cars for third. Fortunately, I was wrong.”
1993
McLaren driver Ayrton Senna won the 1993 Japanese Grand Prix, but not without some unexpected drama involving a rookie making his Formula 1 debut: Eddie Irvine. The Ulsterman, driving for Jordan, was battling for points and unlapped himself against Senna, claiming the Brazilian was driving too slowly and hindering his race against the Williams of Damon Hill. After the race, a furious Senna stormed into the Jordan motorhome, fueled by two glasses of schnapps, and punched Irvine for his perceived disrespect. Senna later said, “You’ve got to learn to respect where you’re going wrong.” Alain Prost secured second place for Williams after starting from pole position, while Senna’s teammate Mika Hakkinen finished third, marking his first-ever podium finish.
Alongside Irvine, two additional drivers, Jean-Marc Gounon and Toshio Suzuki, made their F1 debuts in this race.
2004
Juan Pablo Montoya ended his time at Williams on a high by winning the season-ending 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, beating his future McLaren teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who finished in second. Meanwhile, Jaguar, up for sale and heading toward the history books, saw its final race in Formula 1 end in disaster as its two cars collided, marking an ignominious conclusion to their five-year stint in the sport. Rubens Barrichello in a Ferrari rounded out the podium in third.
2010
The 2010 Korean Grand Prix, the inaugural race in South Korea, took place in difficult wet conditions, with heavy rain causing a delayed start and a race full of incidents. Fernando Alonso with Ferrari won the race, followed by Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren in second place, and Alonso’s teammate Felipe Massa, in third. Sebastian Vettel, who had been leading the race from pole position suffered an engine failure in his Red Bull with just 10 laps to go, handing the win to Alonso. This result had a significant impact on the championship standings, as it allowed Alonso to take the lead in the title race.
2021
The 2021 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) saw a thrilling battle between Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen started from pole position and, after a tense strategic battle, held off Hamilton to win the race by just 1.3 seconds, extending his lead in the championship. Hamilton finished second, while Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, completed the podium in third despite battling dehydration due to a malfunctioning water bottle. Verstappen pitted earlier and managed his tyres expertly to fend off Hamilton, who had fresher tyres in the closing laps. The result was crucial for Verstappen’s title challenge in a fiercely contested 2021 season.
F1 Driver Birthdays 24 October
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 24 October 1924 | George Amick |
| 24 October 1960 | Joachim Winkelhock |
| 24 October 1982 | Fairuz Fauzy |
F1 Driver Deaths 24 October
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 24 October 1971 | Jo Siffert |
| 24 October 2013 | Henry Taylor |
F1 Champion 24 October
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 24 October 1976 | James Hunt |
Seen in:
