What happened on this day, October 25 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1964
The 1964 Mexican Grand Prix was the season’s final race and one of the most dramatic Championship deciders in Formula One history. Points were awarded to the top six finishers (9 for first, 6 for second, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, 2 for fifth, and 1 for sixth). Heading into the final race, three drivers were in contention for the title: Graham Hill (BRM) leading with 39 points, John Surtees (Ferrari) with 34, and Jim Clark (Lotus) with 30. For Clark to claim the championship, he needed to win the race, with Surtees finishing no higher than third and Hill no higher than fourth. Surtees could win the title by finishing first or second, provided Hill did not finish in the top three. The stage was set.
By race end, Ferrari driver John Surtees clinched the title, claiming second place. Joining him on the podium was Dan Gurney in first place for Brabham and teammate Lorenzo Bandini in third. With Bandini colliding with Hill, compromising Hill’s race and an oil line failure on Clark’s car with one lap left to go, Surtees won the championship by just one point. Surtees became the first and only driver to win world titles on two- and four-wheels.
With Ferrari finishing P2 and P3, it was enough for them to secure the 1964 Constructors’ Championship.
1970
Ferrari’s Jacky Ickx won the final race of the season, the 1970 Mexican Grand Prix, with Clay Regazzoni driving for Ferrari, finishing second. The podium was completed by New Zealander Denny Hulme, who finished third for McLaren. The start was delayed due to the huge crowd, which spilt onto the track at various points before the race started, leading to safety concerns the race may be cancelled. Despite these issues, the race began, delayed by almost two hours, and Ickx’s victory secured his place as runner-up in the 1970 Drivers’ Championship. In a poignant moment, drivers and teams remembered Jochen Rindt, who had already posthumously won the title following his tragic death earlier that season.
Due to crowd control issues, the Mexican Grand Prix was removed from the 1971 Formula One calendar. After a fifteen-year absence, it returned to the championship in 1986.
1992
Italian and Williams driver Riccardo Patrese won the 1992 Japanese Grand Prix, marking Patrese’s sixth and final Grand Prix victory. It would be the last win by an Italian driver for over a decade until Giancarlo Fisichella triumphed at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. Austrian Gerhard Berger secured second place in a McLaren, while British driver Martin Brundle finished third for Benetton.
Before the season’s penultimate race, two driver changes took place: Ferrari replaced Ivan Capelli with test driver Nicola Larini, and Karl Wendlinger left March to join Sauber‘s preparatory program for their 1993 debut. His seat at March was filled by Jan Lammers, who was making his first F1 start in over a decade.
2015
Lewis Hamilton, the defending race winner, entered the 2015 United States Grand Prix with a 66-point lead in the 2015 Drivers’ Championship over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, with his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg trailing Vettel by an additional seven points. The three-day event was plagued by heavy rain, leading to the cancellation of the second practice session and qualifying being rescheduled for the morning of race day.
Hamilton went on to win the race, overtaking Rosberg in the later stages to secure his third Drivers’ Championship, while Vettel finished third. The race was filled with incidents, leaving only twelve cars to reach the finish. The Toro Rosso of Max Verstappen equalled his best result of the season in fourth, and Jenson Button achieved a season-best sixth for McLaren. Despite the damp start, both Red Bull drivers briefly challenged Mercedes for the lead, but fell back as the track dried. Daniil Kvyat crashed out, while Daniel Ricciardo finished in tenth place.
2020
Lewis Hamilton claimed his 92nd race victory at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, surpassing seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher‘s record for the most Grand Prix wins. He finished over 25 seconds ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, marking the second-largest winning margin of the season, with Max Verstappen finishing third, making his 40th podium appearance.
This race marked the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix for the first time since 1996, this time it was held at the Algarve International Circuit. The 2020 Formula One season had been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many originally scheduled Grands Prix either cancelled or postponed, leading the FIA to create a revised calendar. The Portuguese Grand Prix, not initially part of the 2020 schedule, was added in July to help maximize the number of races.
Initially, up to 45,000 fans were expected to attend, but due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, the number of spectators was reduced to 27,500.
F1 Driver Birthdays 25 October
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 October 1910 | Johnny Mauro |
F1 Driver Deaths 25 October
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 October 1958 | Stuart Lewis-Evans |
| 25 October 1972 | Johnny Mantz |
F1 Champion 2 October
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 October 1964 | John Surtees |
| 25 October 2015 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 25 October 1964 | Ferrari |
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