What happened on this day, September 11 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1955
Juan Manuel Fangio led Piero Taruffi in a Mercedes 1-2 finish at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, capping off his championship-winning season. Eugenio Castellotti with Ferrari came third.
This race marked the final appearance of the victorious Mercedes-Benz team in Formula 1 until their return in 2010 following the takeover of Brawn GP. It was also the last Grand Prix for drivers Karl Kling, Roberto Mieres, and 1950 champion Nino Farina, the first-ever F1 World Champion.
1977
Despite being Ferrari’s home race, James Hunt secured pole position for McLaren at the 1977 Italian Grand Prix. However, there was cause for some celebration by the Tifosi when Carlos Reutemann delighted the local fans by starting second, ahead of Wolf driver Jody Scheckter. Come the chequered flag, Mario Andretti delivered a commanding performance in his Lotus to win the race, with Niki Lauda finishing second with Ferrari. Alan Jones took third place for Shadow, marking his second podium in three races. Lauda’s second-place finish was enough to clinch the 1977 Constructors’ Championship for Ferrari with three races still remaining.
1978
The Formula 1 community was left devastated in 1978 when beloved Swedish driver Ronnie Peterson passed away , on this day, due to complications following a horrific accident at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix. At the start of the race, a multi-car collision occurred when Riccardo Patrese‘s car collided with James Hunt’s, triggering a chain reaction that sent Peterson’s Lotus crashing into the barriers, splitting the car in half and igniting it in flames. James Hunt heroically ran back to pull Peterson from the burning wreckage. Though conscious on the track with broken legs, Peterson had to wait 20 minutes for medical assistance, as priority was initially given to Vittorio Brambilla, who had been struck on the head by a flying wheel. Peterson’s injuries were not immediately deemed life-threatening, but a surgery complication caused a bone marrow embolism, leading to his death the following day. It is widely believed that with quicker medical intervention, Peterson might have survived.
1983
Brabham driver Nelson Piquet won the 1983 Italian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Rene Arnoux in a Ferrari and Eddie Cheever for Renault after Riccardo Patrese’s bid for victory was cut short by a blown engine. This victory narrowed the gap in the 1983 Drivers’ Championship standings, with Piquet just three points behind Arnoux, who was in second place, and five points behind leader Alain Prost, who retired with a turbo failure.
The race featured an unusual incident in the pit lane involving Niki Lauda’s McLaren. After completing a pit stop, Lauda’s car stalled in front of the Brabham garage. As the Brabham team was preparing for Nelson Piquet’s pit stop, they were unexpectedly joined by team owner and FOCA chief executive Bernie Ecclestone in pushing Lauda’s car to restart it and clear the space for Piquet. Unfortunately, Lauda retired from the race shortly afterwards due to an electrical failure.
Another incident occurred at the end of the race when the Tifosi flooded onto the track to celebrate Rene Arnoux’s second-place finish while the cars were still running. Nigel Mansell, who was running seventh in his Lotus, slowed down to avoid hitting any spectators but was overtaken by Bruno Giacomelli’s Toleman. Frustrated, Mansell then drove the wrong way into the pit lane.
1988
Gerhard Berger led a timely Ferrari 1-2 finish at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix after the death of team founder Enzo Ferrari on 14 August 1988, with teammate Michele Alboreto following him. It marked the only race of the season that McLaren did not win. Ayrton Senna started on pole for McLaren with his teammate alongside him, while the Ferrari duo lined up just behind. The McLarens maintained their lead until Alain Prost retired unexpectedly with an engine failure on lap 35, leaving Senna poised for victory. However, in the closing laps, Senna collided with Jean-Louis Schlesser in a Williams while attempting to lap him, ending his race and giving Ferrari a rare victory.
1994
The 1994 Italian Grand Prix was the last race for the original Lotus team before the iconic name returned to the grid at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. Johnny Herbert gave the team a memorable final send-off by qualifying an impressive fourth, but a first-corner collision with Eddie Irvine in a Jordan dashed his hopes of a points finish in the race. His race ended on lap 14 when his alternator failed. Damon Hill emerged victorious for Williams, followed by the Ferrari of Gerhard Berger and the McLaren of Mika Hakkinen. Sadly, Lotus went into receivership the next day.
2005
McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen dominated the 2005 Belgian Grand Prix, winning ahead of the Renault of Fernando Alonso and the BAR of Jenson Button, keeping his slim championship hopes alive. Raikkonen’s lead could have been greater if his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya hadn’t collided with him while running in second place just four laps from the finish. Despite Raikkonen’s win, Alonso maintained a 25-point lead in the drivers’ championship with only four races left in the season.
2011
Driving for Red Bull Racing, Sebastian Vettel won the 2011 Italian Grand Prix, starting from pole position. Jenson Button secured second place for McLaren, while Fernando Alonso finished third for Ferrari, completing the podium. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, a special trophy named Coppa del 150° Anniversario dell’Unità d’Italia was awarded to the winner.
2022
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. Despite starting from seventh on the grid due to a penalty, Verstappen quickly moved up the order and took the lead, maintaining his position to secure the victory. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari after starting from pole position, while Mercedes driver George Russell completed the podium in third place. The race ended under a safety car due to a late incident involving Daniel Ricciardo‘s McLaren, which caused some controversy and debate among teams and fans, with some suggesting the race should have been red-flagged instead.
The race also featured the debut of Nyck de Vries, who replaced Alexander Albon after he was ruled out with appendicitis before FP3. De Vries scored points with a ninth-place drive for Williams.
F1 Driver Birthdays 11 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 11 September 1924 | Jose Behra |
| 11 September 1976 | Tomas Enge |
| 11 September 1980 | Antonio Pizzonia |
F1 Driver Deaths 11 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 11 September 1978 | Ronnie Peterson |
F1 Champion 11 September
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 11 September 1977 | Ferrari |
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