What happened on this day, October 3 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1941
Andrea de Adamich was born on this day in Trieste. He managed two fourth-place finishes in 36 Formula 1 races over five seasons. His career ended with a spectacular crash at the 1973 British Grand Prix, but he went on to become a successful journalist and TV pundit in his native Italy.
1965
Driving a BRM, Graham Hill completed a hat-trick of successive wins at the US Grand Prix in 1965 after an early battle with Jim Clark in a Lotus-Climax. The thrilling duel ended when Clark retired with engine trouble on the 11th of 110 laps. Dan Gurney finished second for the Brabham team, and his teammate Jack Brabham came in third. Along with the win, Hill took pole and fastest lap. It was also the final year of the 1.5-litre formula; Jim Clark had clinched his second Drivers’ Championship (and won the Indianapolis 500) before the teams arrived in North America for the last two races.
1969
F1 driver Massimiliano Papis was born on this day in Como, Italy. He later became Emerson Fittipaldi‘s son-in-law, but his Formula 1 career was limited to just seven races for Footwork in 1995. He found greater success after switching to sports car racing in the USA.
1971
Tyrrell driver Francois Cevert won the last race of the season, the 1971 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, capping a season in which he had really made his mark with a brace of second-place finishes and third place in the 1971 Drivers’ Championship. It was his only F1 win, achieved at a circuit where he tragically lost his life two years and four days later. Jackie Ickx drove an impressive race, smashing the lap record and cutting Cevert’s lead to three seconds before his Ferrari suffered ignition trouble. Jo Siffert took second for BRM and March driver Ronnie Peterson third.
1976
McLaren driver James Hunt cut Ferrari driver Niki Lauda‘s lead in the 1976 Drivers’ Championship to eight points with two races remaining, following his victory at the 1976 Canadian Grand Prix in front of 85,000 spectators. Hunt was chased all the way by Patrick Depailler, ultimately winning by just 100 yards. Both drivers needed medical treatment afterward—Hunt for driving into a barrier on his victory lap, and Depailler for burns on his back caused by leaking fuel in his Tyrrell. “The left eye, she is completely closed,” Depailler remarked of his final laps. “Fortunately the pain, she keep me awake.” He collapsed as he exited his car and had to be rushed to the hospital. Meanwhile, Lauda finished back in eighth place, out of the points, with Mario Andretti taking third for Lotus.
2021
The 2021 Singapore Grand Prix was notable for not taking place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the second consecutive year the event was cancelled. Originally scheduled as part of the 2021 F1 season, the race was called off in June 2021 because of ongoing travel restrictions and safety concerns in Singapore. This decision reflected the broader challenges faced by the F1 schedule during the pandemic, with several events adjusted or cancelled to accommodate varying global conditions. The cancellation left fans waiting for the Marina Bay Street Circuit’s iconic night race to return in a future season.
F1 Driver Birthdays 3 October
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 3 October 1927 | Chuck Hulse |
| 3 October 1941 | Andrea De Adamich |
| 3 October 1969 | Max Papis |
F1 Driver Deaths 3 October
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 3 October | None |
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