What happened on this day, October 30 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1906
Nino Farina, born this day in Turin, made history by winning the first FIA World Championship in 1950. Known for his aggressive driving style and volatile temperament, Farina often gave up if he couldn’t secure a win, even if running in second or third. A dominant pre-war racer, he won the Italian title from 1937 to 1939 but struggled with team dynamics post-war until rejoining Alfa Romeo in 1950. That year, he won three of the season’s six races and claimed the 1950 Drivers’ Championship. Yet, he couldn’t keep pace with Juan Manuel Fangio in the following seasons, compounded by a series of accidents. Despite a 1955 comeback, ongoing pain led him to retire, though he briefly returned for the 1956 Indianapolis 500, where he crashed again. Tragically, Farina died in a car accident in 1959 on his way to watch the 1959 French Grand Prix.
1917
Maurice Trintignant, born in Vaucluse, France, enjoyed a long racing career, competing in Formula One from 1950 to 1964 with ten different teams and achieving two wins in 84 starts. Known for his expertise on street circuits, he secured victories at Monaco with Ferrari in 1955 and again in a Cooper for Rob Walker Racing three years later. He also won three non-championship races in the 1950s and triumphed at Le Mans in 1954. In 1962, substituting for Stirling Moss, Trintignant still showed his skill by outperforming Jim Clark at the non-championship Pau race. He retired in 1964, later became a winemaker near Vergeze, and eventually served as mayor. Trintignant passed away in 2005 at the age of 87.
1952
Indianapolis Speedway president and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Oscar Shaw—victorious in 1937, 1939, and 1940—died tragically in a plane crash. Shaw was the first to win back-to-back Indy 500s and was instrumental in the race’s inclusion in the early FIA World Championship. He was posthumously inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991.
1983
Carsten Tilke, born on 30 October, 1983, is a German race track designer and the son of renowned circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Like his father, Carsten has created F1 circuits, with two major circuits to his name as of 2024. In 2021, he designed the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, an ambitious street circuit by the Red Sea, known for its high-speed layout and challenging corners. Following this, in 2023, he was instrumental in the creation of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in the United States, a unique track that weaves through the iconic Las Vegas Strip, combining the thrill of racing with the city’s famous neon lights and landmarks.
1988
Alain Prost, one of Formula 1’s most prominent drivers on the grid at the time, faced a pivotal moment when Ayrton Senna clinched his first of three world titles in four years by winning the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix despite nearly stalling at the start. Prost finished second, with Benetton driver Thierry Boutsen finishing third. The drama unfolded behind the McLaren duo with the Williams of Nigel Mansell colliding first with the Arrows of Derek Warwick and then with the Lotus of Nelson Piquet, while Andrea de Cesaris angrily confronted rookie Aguri Suzuki, frustrated by his interference in a battle with another car. After the race, fourth-place finisher Gerhard Berger shared that he was contemplating a move to Monaco to avoid being drafted into Austrian national service.
1999
On this day an FIA ruling in Japan ahead of the upcoming 1999 Japanese Grand Prix overturned a decision that had disqualified both Ferraris in Malaysia, positioning Eddie Irvine as the favourite to win the world title. However, the controversy surrounding the ruling meant few sympathised with Irvine, especially after he spun off during qualifying, calling his Ferrari unstable. He could only manage fifth on the grid using a reserve car, which proved insufficient. Mika Hakkinen won the race and claimed the championship, leaving Irvine despondent, missing out by two points.
2011
The 2011 Indian Grand Prix, the first Formula One race held in South Asia and India, took place at the newly constructed Buddh International Circuit. Designed by Hermann Tilke in collaboration with F1 teams, the circuit was created to be one of the fastest on the calendar, with lap times projected to come in under one minute and twenty seconds. Red Bull Racing‘s Sebastian Vettel dominated the 60-lap race, leading every lap from pole position, setting the fastest lap, and claiming his first Grand Chelem. Jenson Button took second for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso completing the podium in third for Ferrari. Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan also marked his return to the HRT team for the home race, having been replaced by Daniel Ricciardo since Silverstone.
2016
The 2016 Mexican Grand Prix saw defending race winner Nico Rosberg enter with a 26-point lead over his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, with both drivers still in contention for the World Drivers’ Championship. Hamilton won the race, closing the points gap on Rosberg, who finished second. The battle for third place added excitement to the race, with both Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel ultimately stripped of their podium positions due to post-race penalties. Verstappen initially crossed the line in third, narrowly ahead of Vettel by 0.99 seconds, with Daniel Ricciardo 3.55 seconds behind them. However, Verstappen was given a five-second penalty for cutting a corner on lap 68 and unfairly retaining his position ahead of Vettel. Though Vettel then took the podium as the third-place finisher, he received a ten-second penalty shortly after the race for moving under braking on lap 69 to block Ricciardo’s pass, officially awarding the final podium spot to Ricciardo.
2022
The 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix was won by defending champion Max Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second and Sergio Perez taking third on home soil. Heading into the weekend, both the Drivers’ (Max Verstappen) and Constructors’ (Red Bull Racing) Championships had already been secured, with the titles decided earlier at the Japanese and United States Grands Prix.
F1 Driver Birthdays 30 October
| Birthday | F1 Legend |
|---|---|
| 30 October 1983 | Carsten Tilke German designer of F1 race tracks. His father is Hermann Tilke, also an F1 track designer. |
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 30 October 1906 | Giuseppe Farina |
| 30 October 1917 | Maurice Trintignant |
| 30 October 1926 | Jacques Swaters |
F1 Driver Deaths 30 October
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 30 October | None |
F1 Champion 30 October
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 30 October 1999 | Ayrton Senna |
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