What happened on this day, September 15 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1881
Ettore Bugatti, born in Milan, became a renowned designer and manufacturer of high-quality sports and racing cars during the interwar period. Bugatti founded his company in 1910, producing cars that were both luxurious and competitive. His Bugatti Type 35 became one of the most successful racing cars in history, winning hundreds of events. However, personal tragedies in 1939, with the deaths of his wife and son, deeply affected him, and his career faltered. After World War II, Bugatti’s reputation was further damaged when he was imprisoned on charges of collaboration. He passed away in 1947.
1888
Antonio Ascari, one of Italy’s early motorsport heroes, was born in Bonferraro. Starting his career as a mechanic, he eventually took on an Alfa Romeo franchise and moved into racing. In 1923, during his fifth Targa Florio, he finished second and followed it up with a win at Cremona in an Alfa Romeo P2. In 1924, he came close to winning the French Grand Prix but did secure victory in the Italian Grand Prix, establishing himself as a top driver of the time. In 1925, Ascari dominated the Belgian Grand Prix but tragically lost his life while leading the French Grand Prix. His son, Alberto Ascari, went on to win the World Championship twice before also dying in a racing accident at the age of 36.
1916
Swiss racing driver Toni Branca was born. Branca competed in just three Formula One Grands Prix between 1950 and 1951, with his best finish being tenth place. He passed away in May 1985 at the age of 68.
1985
Lotus driver Ayrton Senna won the 1985 Belgian Grand Prix, with the next four positions occupied by former or future world champions: Nigel Mansell (P2) in a Williams, Alain Prost (P3) in a McLaren, Keke Rosberg (P4), and Nelson Piquet (P5) in a Brabham. The race had originally been postponed from 2 June after the Spa circuit began to break up during practice. Senna showcased his exceptional skill in the wet conditions, pulling away from the field as rain fell in the latter half of the race, earning the 75th victory for the Lotus team.
2001
Italian racing driver Alex Zanardi suffered a massive crash while competing in the Cart series in Germany. Despite the severity of the crash, Zanardi miraculously survived but had to undergo the amputation of both legs. Remarkably, he returned to racing within two years. Zanardi had previously driven in Formula One for teams like Jordan, Lotus, and Williams, with his best F1 result being a sixth-place finish at the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix. In 2006, he made a symbolic return to an F1 cockpit, driving a BMW Sauber at Valencia using a hand-operated throttle and brake. Afterward, he expressed his joy, stating, “Of course, I know that I won’t get a contract with the Formula One team, however having the chance to drive an F1 racer again is just incredible.”
2002
Rubens Barrichello led a Ferrari one-two at the 2002 Italian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of teammate Michael Schumacher and the Jaguar of Eddie Irvine, the driver Barrichello had replaced at Ferrari. Although Barrichello’s win was comfortable, he initially trailed the Williams of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya after the first corner. Ralf led the early laps but controversially had to move aside for Montoya, who was deemed faster. Ralf’s race ended soon after with an engine failure. Montoya later lost positions to both Barrichello and Schumacher before retiring with chassis issues, leaving Ferrari to take a dominant victory, much to the delight of the Italian crowd.
2024
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri held off the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc to claim victory in a thrilling 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Lando Norris fought back after starting in 15th to finish 4th ahead of Championship rival Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. Piastri emerged victorious after an intense battle for the lead with Leclerc throughout much of the race. The drama escalated on the penultimate lap when the Red Bull of Sergio Perez and Ferrari of Carlos Sainz collided while battling for third, resulting in a dramatic crash. Mercedes driver George Russell capitalised on the incident to secure third place, with Norris overtaking Verstappen late on thanks to an alternative strategy. Norris reduced his gap to the Dutchman to 59 points with 7 races and 3 Sprints of the season remaining in the 2024 Drivers’ Championship battle. McLaren’s result gave them a 20-point lead in the Constructors’ Championship, overhauling Red Bull’s lead.
Full Race Report
F1 Driver Birthdays 15 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 15 September 1888 | Antonio Ascari |
| 15 September 1916 | Toni Branca |
| 15 September 1929 | David Clarke |
F1 Driver Deaths 15 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 15 September 1975 | Franco Bordoni |
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