What happened on this day, September 20 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1873
Ferenc Szisz, the first-ever Grand Prix winner, was born in Szeghalom, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Initially an engineer, he moved to France in 1900 and worked as a riding mechanic for Louis Renault before becoming a driver himself. In 1906, Szisz made history by winning the inaugural Grand Prix at Le Mans, driving a Renault AK 90CV.
1914
Born in Yorkshire, Peter Whitehead was the first Ferrari F1 privateer, having convinced Enzo Ferrari to sell him a Formula 1 car in 1949. In ten F1 starts, he achieved a podium finish once, notably leading the 1950 French Grand Prix before gearbox trouble dropped him to third. Tragically, in 1958, Whitehead was killed during the Tour de France Automobile when the Jaguar he was in, driven by his half-brother Graham, plunged off a bridge near Nimes.
1969
Belgian driver Jacky Ickx won the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix from pole position in a works Brabham. His teammate Jack Brabham finished second, and Jochen Rindt, in a works Lotus, was third.
This race marked the final World Championship Grand Prix featuring Climax-powered cars. One of the entrants, Al Pease, in an Eagle-Climax, became the only driver in F1 history to be disqualified for driving too slowly. The other Climax entrant, John Cordts in a Brabham-Climax, retired after just ten laps.
By finishing sixth, Johnny Servoz-Gavin made history as the first (and, as of 2024, only) driver to score points in a Formula One race driving a four-wheel-drive car.
1970
Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx, who started from second on the grid, won the 1970 Canadian Grand Prix. His teammate Clay Regazzoni finished in second place, while Chris Amon, driving for March, secured third. This race also marked the debut of Tyrrell Racing as a constructor, with Jackie Stewart taking pole position in the team’s first appearance. Tim Schenken’s finish, 11 laps down, was the best result ever achieved by a De Tomaso-built car.
1975
Juan Pablo Montoya was born on this day in Colombia. Known for his speed and aggression, Montoya joined Williams in 2001 after winning the Indianapolis 500. He was considered a potential challenger to Michael Schumacher, with his best year coming in 2003 when he narrowly missed out on the title after receiving a drive-through penalty at Indianapolis. Montoya switched to McLaren in 2005, winning three races, but left F1 in 2006, disillusioned with the sport. He then transitioned to racing in NASCAR in the United States.
1987
McLaren driver Alain Prost secured his 28th career win at the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix, surpassing Jackie Stewart’s record of 27 victories. Prost’s relentless pursuit of leader Gerhard Berger paid off two laps from the end when Berger spun his Ferrari. “I wasn’t altogether surprised when he spun because we were both running very hard,” Prost remarked. The race, however, had to be restarted after a multi-car pile-up at the first corner stopped the initial attempt after only two laps. Off the track, Nigel Mansell made headlines, expressing frustration with the Honda engine in his Williams and claiming his car was “five miles-per-hour slower than the others.” He retired after 13 laps with engine trouble, severely denting his championship hopes. His teammate Nelson Piquet finished in third.
1989
American driver Richie Ginther passed away from a heart attack while on holiday in France at the age of 59. Ginther made his F1 debut at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing sixth in a Ferrari, leading to a full-time drive with the team in 1961, where he gained significant attention after a fierce battle with Stirling Moss at that years Monaco GP. He finished just 3.6 seconds behind. Ginther’s career highlight was his sole F1 win at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix for Honda. After a dangerous incident at the Indianapolis 500 in 1967, he retired on the spot. In total, Ginther made 52 F1 starts, securing one win.
2015
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel won the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix from pole position, with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo finishing second and Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen taking third. Mercedes struggled at Singapore, with Lewis Hamilton suffering his first-season retirement and Nico Rosberg managing only fourth, narrowing the championship gap between the two drivers to 41 points.
This was the only Grand Prix of the 2015 season where Mercedes failed to secure pole position, with their drivers qualifying in fifth and sixth.
F1 Driver Birthdays 20 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 20 September 1921 | Horace Gould |
| 20 September 1975 | Juan Pablo Montoya |
F1 Driver Deaths 20 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 20 September 1952 | Bill Schindler |
| 20 September 1989 | Richie Ginther |
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