What happened on this day, September 1 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1985
Stefan Bellof, a driver destined for greatness, tragically lost his life at the 1000 km of Spa World Sportscar Championship. He made a daring attempt to overtake at the perilous Eau Rouge corner in his Porsche 956, resulting in a fatal accident. Known for his electrifying driving style and often pushing the limits of control, Bellof made his Formula One debut in 1984 with Tyrrell. During that year’s Monaco Grand Prix, he was challenging for victory in the rain-soaked race before it was stopped while he was in third place, closing in on Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Unfortunately, Tyrrell was later found guilty of a technical infringement, leading to Bellof’s disqualification from the entire season. Before his untimely death, he had already secured six wins for Porsche and was on his way to a sixth when tragedy struck.
1994
Carlos Sainz was born on 1 September 1994 in Madrid, Spain. He is the son of two-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr. and began his career in motorsport with karting before progressing through junior formulas. Sainz made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso in 2015, later moving to Renault and then McLaren, where he achieved his first podium in 2019. In 2021, he joined Scuderia Ferrari before making another team move, this time to Williams Racing for the 2025 season.
2002
Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominated the 2002 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, where his performance was so commanding that some reporters described it as “another massacre at Malmedy.” Schumacher secured a record-breaking tenth win of the season and his seventh victory at Spa, finishing ahead of his teammate Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya of Williams. The race saw little overtaking, underscoring Schumacher’s dominance.
2003
Cornelius Horan, a former priest who infamously ran onto the track during the 2003 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, was released from custody after six weeks on remand. Horan believed that divine intervention protected him and the drivers during his protest. He claimed that he only invaded the track because a gate leading to it had been left open, which he interpreted as a sign from God.
2007
Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya announced his ambition to bring India into Formula One by partnering with Spyker‘s Formula One director Michiel Mol to make an 80 million euro bid for the struggling team. “Team India is on the F1 grid,” Mallya declared at a press conference. His dream became a reality when his Force India team made its debut at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix.
2019
Charles Leclerc claimed victory at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, becoming the first driver from Monaco to win a Formula One Grand Prix. He was followed by Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in second and third place, respectively. The event was marked by several tributes to French driver Anthoine Hubert, who tragically passed away the previous day in a Formula 2 feature race. Leclerc, a close friend of Hubert, dedicated his win to him.
2024
On this day, Charles Leclerc secured a sensational victory at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix on Ferrari’s home turf, fending off the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Mclaren teammate Lando Norris completed the podium in third place. Leclerc’s win, his second of the season, came courtesy of a strategic one-stop approach that saw him finish 2.6 seconds ahead of Piastri. Despite starting as favourites with a front-row lockout, McLaren’s race strategy faced early challenges when Piastri overtook Norris on the first lap. This left Norris trailing and unable to rejoin the battle for the lead, ultimately settling for third place. The result narrowed Norris’s gap to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship to 62 points after he finished in 6th place.
Full Race Report
F1 Driver Birthdays 1 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 September 1968 | Franck Lagorce |
| 1 September 1994 | Carlos Sainz |
F1 Driver Deaths 1 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 September 1985 | Stefan Bellof |
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