What happened on this day, September 26 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1943
Tim Schenken, born on this day in Sydney, came into F1 in 1970 with an impressive pedigree in British Formula racing but in tragic circumstances as a replacement at De Tomaso for Piers Courage. In 1971, he drove for Brabham, where he more than matched No. 1 driver Graham Hill and secured his only podium at the 1971 Australian Grand Prix. A switch to Surtees in 1972 proved to be a bad decision, and his career ended in 1974 driving for the uncompetitive Trojan outfit. He subsequently drove in sports car events before retiring in 1977.
1980
Patrick Friesacher, born on this day in Wolsberg, Austria, had half a season in Formula One in 2005 with the struggling Minardi team. The record books will show he finished sixth at the 1980 US Grand Prix, but that was the infamous race where only six cars started after a boycott over safety. He was ditched midway through the year after his sponsors failed to come up with the promised money.
1993
Alain Prost became only the second man after the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio to win four world championships when a second-place finish with Williams at the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix secured him the title. A title he took, having taken the 1992 season as a sabbatical. Ironically, the winner was Benetton driver Michael Schumacher, the man who went on to take five and equal Fangio. “These records only mean anything when you are racing,” Prost said. “Once you have stopped they are of no consequence.” Prost drove a typically safe race, steering clear of several accidents, but the drive of the day was by Prost’s teammate, Damon Hill. Starting the day on pole, he stalled on the grid before the formation lap, began the race at the back, and then stormed through the field to take third. “My father once said to me you’re a better class of person from the back of the grid,” he said, adding: “But I’m not sure I would agree after that.”
1999
The 66-lap 1999 European Grand Prix saw Johnny Herbert claim victory in a Stewart, with Jarno Trulli finishing second for Prost, and Herbert’s teammate Rubens Barrichello taking third.
The race was marked by a high number of retirements, which allowed Marc Gene to secure sixth place for the Minardi team, earning their first points since Pedro Lamy’s finish at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix.
This race would mark Herbert’s third and final Formula 1 victory, as well as his seventh and last podium finish. It was also the only win for the Stewart Grand Prix team, and their sole double podium in the team’s history.
2004
With Michael Schumacher’s fifth consecutive title for Ferrari wrapped up before the end of August, it was team-mate Rubens Barrichello‘s chance to take his rewards for his yeoman-like support, and he followed victory a fortnight earlier at Monza with another win at the debut 2004 Chinese Grand Prix. The race as a spectacle was helped by Schumacher being forced to start from the back of the grid after a spin during qualifying, and without him dominating there was a real battle, less than a second and a half covering Barrichello, the BAR of Jenson Button, and the McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen at the finish. Richard Williams in the Guardian said of the new venue that it was an “outstanding new track, which combines a rich architectural spectacle with a layout that encourages the drivers to attempt the overtaking manoeuvres that used to be the point of motor racing. The result is remarkable enough to make it seem a shame that it took the course designer, Hermann Tilke, three goes to get it right. But where the German architect’s previous efforts in Malaysia and Bahrain produced circuits manifestly unconducive to proper racing.”
2010
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix from pole position, with Sebastian Vettel finishing second for Red Bull, followed by his teammate Mark Webber in third. The victory marked Alonso’s second consecutive win and his fourth of the 2010 season, having also started from pole to claim the 2010 Italian Grand Prix two weeks prior. This win propelled Alonso to second place in the 2010 Drivers’ Championship, just eleven points behind the leader, Mark Webber.
2021
The 2021 Russian Grand Prix marked the tenth running of the event and the eighth and final race held at the Sochi Autodrom.
McLaren’s Lando Norris secured pole position and led most of the race. However, he lost the lead after opting not to switch to intermediate tyres as weather conditions worsened. The race was ultimately won by Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton, who became the first driver in Formula 1 history to achieve 100 Grand Prix victories. Max Verstappen finished second with Red Bull, with Carlos Sainz taking third for Ferrari. Hamilton’s win also allowed him to reclaim the championship lead from Verstappen.
This would be the last Formula One race at Sochi and the final Russian Grand Prix as of the 2024 season, following the cancellation of future races due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
F1 Driver Birthdays 26 September
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 26 September 1943 | Tim Schenken |
| 26 September 1980 | Patrick Friesacher |
F1 Driver Deaths 26 September
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 26 September | None |
F1 Champion 26 September
| Date | Driver/Team |
|---|---|
| 26 September 1993 | Alain Prost |
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