What Happened On This Day September 23 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, September 23 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1887

Alfieri Maserati was born on this day in Voghera, Italy. He became an engineer and, along with his brothers, established the Maserati racing car manufacturer. As a driver, he won several races on either side of World War One. Maserati passed away in 1932 during surgery to repair liver damage sustained in a racing accident five years earlier.

The company’s legacy in F1 was cemented by the iconic Maserati 250F. This stunningly designed car not only helped Stirling Moss showcase his talents, eventually leading him to a factory drive with Mercedes, but it also propelled Juan Manuel Fangio to the 1954 and 1957 World Drivers’ Championships.

The 1954 championship also stands out as it was the year when Fangio drove and won races for Maserati and Mercedes-Benz, making him the only driver in F1 history to win a championship driving for more than one team in the same season.

1973

Utter confusion surrounded McLaren driver Peter Revson’s victory at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park. It took more than ten minutes after the chequered flag for officials to announce the result, and only after a series of protests was it confirmed. The chaos stemmed from accidents and a rain-delayed start. When the safety car came out on the 55th lap, Emerson Fittipaldi was leading. However, ten laps under the yellow flag followed, creating confusion. Fittipaldi claimed, “I was ahead of Revson from the start. I don’t see how I didn’t win.” Lotus boss Colin Chapman, convinced of Fittipaldi’s victory, threw his hat in the air as Fittipaldi crossed the line. It was later revealed that the safety car, a new concept, had come out ahead of the wrong car, allowing Revson to legally make up a lap. Brit, Jackie Oliver claimed third with the Shadow team, his first podium in five years and his last ever. It also turned out to be Revson’s last victory and podium finish in Formula One.

1981

Robert Doornbos was born on this day in Rotterdam, Netherlands. His brief career in Formula One included 11 race starts. He later found more success in American Champ Cars, finishing third in his debut season.

1990

A brilliant victory at the 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix dispelled speculation that Ferrari driver Nigel Mansell would retire. This win and a new deal to drive for Williams after two seasons with Ferrari influenced his decision to continue racing. Mansell fended off a strong challenge from the McLaren of Ayrton Senna in a race stopped nine laps early after Alex Caffi crashed his Arrows. In post-race interviews, Mansell’s teammate, Alain Prost, who finished third, admitted he was out of the title race and criticised his Ferrari team, saying, “We don’t deserve to win the world championship because there is nobody in the team with the authority to give direction and make the strategy to compete with McLaren.”

This race was notable for being the first in Formula One to feature an effective traction control system. Ferrari installed the system on both Prost’s and Mansell’s cars. The system helped Prost secure a third-place podium finish. Although Mansell’s car was also equipped with the system, he opted to turn it off during the race but still went on to claim victory.

2012

The McLaren of Lewis Hamilton started from pole position at the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix, but it was Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel who claimed his second victory of the season after Hamilton’s gearbox failed early in the race. Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button claimed second while Fernando Alonso completed the podium in third for Ferrari.

Following the race, the stewards handed the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher a ten-place grid penalty for the next round at Suzuka, after his collision with the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne, which resulted in both drivers retiring from the race.

F1 Driver Birthdays 23 September

F1 Driver Deaths 23 September