What happened on this day, September 22 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1896
Sir Henry Seagrave, a renowned figure in the 1920s who set three land speed records and a water speed record, was born in Baltimore on this day. Raised in Ireland and educated at Eton, Seagrave served with distinction in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I before taking up motor racing. He became the first Briton to win a Grand Prix (pre-World Championship) in a British car, securing victories in the 1923 French Grand Prix and the 1924 San Sebastian Grand Prix in a Sunbeam. After another win at Miramas, he retired to focus on speed records, becoming the first person to travel over 200 mph in a car and exceed 100 mph on water. Seagrave was knighted in 1929 and tragically died in 1930 when his boat crashed while breaking the water-speed record on Lake Windermere.
1921
British driver Ian Raby was born on this day. He had a brief career in Formula One, which ended tragically. Raby began racing in the 500cc Formula 3 in 1953 before transitioning to sports cars. Two years later, he returned to single-seaters, racing in Formula Juniors and eventually Formula 1 in a BRM, though he failed to score any points. In 1966, Raby shifted to Formula 2 racing, but in 1967, he suffered a fatal crash at Zandvoort, succumbing to his injuries four months later.
1935
The 1935 Spanish Grand Prix was dominated by Mercedes, who secured the top three positions, with Rudolf Caracciola taking the win. Achille Varzi, starting from the front row in his Auto Union, had to retire after a stone smashed his windscreen, injuring his face. After receiving medical treatment, Varzi returned to the race but was forced to retire for good due to transmission issues.
1968
McLaren driver Denny Hulme won the 1968 Canadian Grand Prix after starting from sixth on the grid. His teammate, Bruce McLaren, finished second, with BRM driver Pedro Rodriguez taking third place.
Following the success of the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix, the event was included in the 1968 Season but moved from Mosport Park to the Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The spotlight was on the intense battle for the 1968 Drivers’ Championship, with Graham Hill leading the standings with 30 points, followed closely by Jacky Ickx with 27, Jackie Stewart with 26, and defending champion Denny Hulme with 24.
The race would be remembered for a late retirement for a dominant Ferrari in Chris Amon‘s hands, which denied the New Zealander his best chance at a race win.
1974
The penultimate race of the season, the 1974 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, was a nail-biting affair, with four drivers within eight points of each other. McLaren driver Emerson Fittipaldi started on pole with the Ferrari of Niki Lauda alongside him. Lauda soon took the lead, breaking the lap record four times before crashing on lap 67 after running over debris and spinning into the barriers. Fittipaldi went on to win the race, which left him tied on points with Lauda’s teammate Clay Regazzoni, who finished second. Lotus driver Ronnie Peterson finished third. Jody Scheckter, who was third in the championship standings and driving for Tyrrell then, crashed on lap 49 when his brakes failed. The race itself was delayed 45 minutes due to a power failure that blacked out the entire area.
1991
Williams and British driver Nigel Mansell’s bid for the championship ended in heartbreak and near farcical circumstances at the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix. After starting fourth on the grid, Mansell drove brilliantly to take the lead. However, a tyre was not fitted correctly during a pit stop and came off, bouncing down the pit lane. His mechanics quickly ran over to reattach a new wheel, but Mansell, now in 17th place, set multiple lap records to climb back up to sixth, only to be disqualified for having illegal repairs made outside his pit box. Devastated, he silently walked back to his motorhome in tears, later saying, “I just don’t believe it. I’ve done everything I can and just don’t know what else I have to do.” The final finishing order saw his teammate Riccardo Patrese claim the win, with the McLaren of Ayrton Senna finishing in second and the Ferrari of Jean Alesi in third.
1996
Jacques Villeneuve pulled off what was described as one of the “most breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres” of the season in his Williams, passing the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher on the outside of the final corner to win the 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix. Schumacher having to settle for third. Villeneuve’s victory kept the championship alive, denying his teammate Damon Hill, in second place, who needed a win to secure the title. The critical moment came when Villeneuve overtook Hill during the final pit stop. Hill admitted, “I was pretty shocked to see him coming out of the pits ahead of me. He was flying and there was no way I could keep up with him.”
The Portuguese Grand Prix did not return until 2020, but in that season, it was held at the Algarve International Circuit rather than at Estoril. This event reappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic after a shuffle of the 2020 F1 season calendar, which caused many long-haul destinations to be cancelled and a reduced number of races.
2013
At the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel achieved his most statistically dominant victory, claiming pole position, leading every lap, setting the fastest lap, and winning by over 32.6 seconds, marking his third career Grand Slam. The Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with an excellent start and skillful management of the safety car situation, moved up from seventh on the grid to finish second. Kimi Raikkonen, despite starting from 13th and battling a back injury, fought his way to secure the final spot on the podium for Lotus F1.
2019
The 2019 Singapore Grand Prix marked the 20th running of the race and the 12th time it had taken place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel claimed victory, finishing ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, while the Haas of Kevin Magnussen set the fastest lap. This was the final Singapore Grand Prix before a two-year break, as the 2020 and 2021 races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also marked Ferrari’s last 1–2 finish and Vettel’s final career win, with both milestones remaining unchallenged until the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. As of 2024, Vettel’s win remains the most recent for a German driver in Formula One.
2024
Lando Norris kept his championship hopes alive with a commanding victory for McLaren at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. The Briton showcased impressive pace, leading from start to finish under the street circuit’s lights. However, 2024 Drivers’ Championship leader Max Verstappen minimised the damage by securing second place for Red Bull. McLaren’s dominance was further highlighted by Oscar Piastri, who climbed from fifth on the grid to third, overtaking both Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. This result extended McLaren’s 2024 Constructors’ Championship lead over Red Bull to 41 points. Norris finished 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen, cutting the Dutchman’s championship lead to 52 points with six rounds left in the season.
Full Race Report
F1 Driver Birthdays 22 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 September 1907 | Philip Fotheringham-Parker |
| 22 September 1921 | Ian Raby |
| 22 September 1944 | Richard Robarts |
| 22 September 1958 | Franco Forini |
| 22 September 2001 | Ayumu Iwasa |
F1 Driver Deaths 22 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 September | None |
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