What happened on this day, September 13 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1953
Juan Manuel Fangio snatched victory at the 1953 Italian Grand Prix, spoiling Ferrari’s party after a dramatic finish. Ferrari drivers Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Villoresi, and Mike Hawthorn appeared set to dominate, with Alberto Ascari leading early on. But in the final corner, Ascari spun, and Farina veered off-track to avoid him, leading to chaos as Ascari was hit by Onofre Marimon. Fangio avoided the melee to claim victory, with Farina recovering for second ahead of Villoresi.
1959
Stirling Moss delivered a commanding win at the 1959 Italian Grand Prix, finishing nearly a minute ahead of Ferrari driver Phil Hill and his Cooper teammate Jack Brabham. Hill briefly took the lead but pitted midway through the race, anticipating Moss to do the same. However, Moss stayed out, confident in his tyres, and comfortably secured victory ahead of Hill and Brabham.
The combined efforts of Brabham and Moss during the race, plus Maurice Trintignant, Bruce McLaren and Masten Gregory over the season were enough to secure the 1959 Constructors’ Championship for the Cooper team at the final race of the season in December.
1981
The 1981 Italian Grand Prix returned to Monza after being held at Imola in 1980. Nelson Piquet, driving for Brabham, and Carlos Reutemann for Williams, entered the race tied in the championship standings, but it was Alain Prost who dominated in his Renault, moving from third to first on the opening lap and holding the lead throughout. The Williams duo of Alan Jones and Reutemann completed the podium, while Piquet finished fifth, losing valuable ground in the championship.
1986
Japan’s reputation for producing inconsistent F1 drivers changed when Kamui Kobayashi, born on this day in Amagasaki, made an impact in F1. Kobayashi impressed in 2009 with Toyota, and when the team withdrew from the sport, Sauber quickly signed the talented driver. He finished his career with the Caterham team having amassed 125 career points, a single podium with third place for Sauber at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix and a fastest lap in China in 2012. He has since gone on to have huge success in WEC and Le Mans.
1992
McLaren driver Ayrton Senna won the 1992 Italian Grand Prix on a day marked by Nigel Mansell’s announcement of his retirement from F1, citing dissatisfaction with Williams after going back on a deal that they failed to honour. Mansell, starting from pole, quickly built a 12-second lead over teammate Riccardo Patrese. However, he slowed down inexplicably and allowed Patrese to pass, shadowing him closely before suffering a hydraulics failure. Patrese then led Senna, but his race also ended due to hydraulic issues, allowing Benetton teammates Martin Brundle and Michael Schumacher to follow Senna home for the podium positions.
1998
Michael Schumacher thrilled the Tifosi with a Ferrari 1-2 at the 1998 Italian Grand Prix, leading teammate Eddie Irvine to their first such result in a decade. Schumacher had a difficult start, dropping from pole to fifth, with both McLarens, Irvine, and Jacques Villeneuve’s Williams overtaking him. McLaren driver David Coulthard built a strong lead ahead of teammate Mika Hakkinen, but his race ended early when his engine blew on lap 17. Schumacher fought back, passing Villeneuve and Irvine before overtaking Hakkinen, whose spin later dropped him to fourth. The Jordan of Ralf Schumacher secured the final podium spot in third.
2009
The 2009 Italian Grand Prix marked the final victory for Brawn GP and driver Rubens Barrichello. Teammate and championship leader Jenson Button finished second, securing Brawn’s fourth and final 1-2 finish of the season. Kimi Raikkonen claimed third place for Ferrari after reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton crashed on the last lap. Hamilton’s crash led to the race finishing under the safety car, though it didn’t pick up the leader. Adrian Sutil, finishing fourth, set the first fastest lap of his career and the first for the Force India team.
As of the 2024 season, this remains the last Formula One race won by a Brazilian driver.
2020
The 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix was a one-off Formula 1 race held on 13 September 2020 at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Tuscany, Italy. The race was held to commemorate Ferrari’s 1000th race in the Formula One World Championship, with the safety car sporting a special red livery instead of the usual silver in honour of the occasion. It was the first time the Mugello Circuit hosted a Formula One World Championship race. During the COVID pandemic it was the ninth round of the 2020 World Championship and was the first race of the season to allow spectators. As of 2024, it remains the only Tuscan Grand Prix and the only Formula One race ever held at the Mugello circuit.
Lewis Hamilton claimed victory for Mercedes, with teammate Valtteri Bottas finishing second, marking Mercedes’ third 1-2 finish of the season. Alexander Albon with Red Bull Racing secured his first-ever F1 podium with a third-place finish, becoming the first Thai driver and the first non-Japanese Asian driver to reach the podium.
The race was also notable for having two red flags, the first time this occurred since the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, leading to three standing starts throughout the race.
F1 Driver Birthdays 13 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 13 September 1932 | Mike MacDowel |
| 13 September 1986 | Kamui Kobayashi |
F1 Driver Deaths 13 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 13 September | None |
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