Chequered Past

On this day in Formula 1 history, three very different champions left their mark on the sport. In 1951 , the streets of Barcelona’s Pedralbes district hosted a title decider for the ages — Juan Manuel Fangio versus Alberto Ascari . Tyres failed, strategies backfired, and when the dust settled, Fangio claimed his first World Championship , beginning an era of mastery that would define Formula 1’s e...

From the high-altitude haze of Mexico City to the heat of India, this episode of Chequered Past celebrates two of Formula 1’s most commanding champions — Jim Clark and Sebastian Vettel — and the moments that cemented their dominance on opposite sides of the world. We begin in Mexico 1963 , where Clark and the Lotus 25 delivered a faultless drive to cap one of the greatest seasons in F1 history, wh...

Two races, eleven years apart — both etched into Formula 1 legend. On this day in 1997, the European Grand Prix at Jerez delivered one of the most controversial title deciders in history. Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve went wheel-to-wheel in a collision that crowned one champion and condemned another, ending an era for Williams and Renault while launching Mika Häkkinen’s winning career....

On this day in 1964, Formula 1 crowned a champion in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Three drivers — Jim Clark, Graham Hill and John Surtees — arrived in Mexico City with a chance at glory, but only one would leave as World Champion after a finale that turned on the final lap. In this episode, Chequered Past relives that extraordinary day when fortunes flipped in seconds and history was writ...

October 24th has given Formula 1 some of its most defining moments — and some of its most human.  At Fuji in 1976, James Hunt fought through torrential rain to claim the world title, while Niki Lauda made one of the bravest decisions in racing history by stepping away. At Suzuka in 1993, Ayrton Senna delivered another masterclass to defeat Alain Prost , before famously confronting and punching roo...

October 23 1977 — a day that should have marked Formula 1’s triumphant return to Japan. Instead, the Fuji Speedway finale became a haunting chapter in the sport’s story. In The Day That Darkened Fuji , we revisit James Hunt’s final victory — a race overshadowed by tragedy when Gilles Villeneuve’s Ferrari crashed, claiming two lives and silencing celebrations. As the fallout reshaped Formula 1’s at...

On this day in Formula 1 history, titles were won, tempers flared, and eras ended. In this episode, Chequered Past revisits four unforgettable races that all took place on 22 October — each marking a pivotal chapter in the sport’s story. We begin in Mexico 1967 , where Denny Hulme’s calm consistency earned him New Zealand’s first (and still only) World Championship. Then to Japan 1989 , for one of...

Some championships are won by fractions, others by fury.  In this episode of Chequered Past , we revisit three unforgettable finales — and one late-career revival — that defined Formula 1’s greatest champions. At Estoril in 1984 , Niki Lauda sealed his third world title by just half a point, out-thinking his faster teammate Alain Prost in the closest finish in F1 history. Six years later at Suzuka...

On this day in 1991, Ayrton Senna sealed his third World Championship in Japan — not with raw speed, but with control, composure, and respect. The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka became the race that crowned a legend, confirming Senna’s place among the sport’s immortals and ending Nigel Mansell’s title hopes in the gravel. We also remember Swedish talent Gunnar Nilsson , whose career was cut heartbr...

On October 19th, 1958 , Formula 1 witnessed its most bittersweet day. In Casablanca, Mike Hawthorn became Britain’s first World Champion — his title sealed through courage, consistency, and a moment of sportsmanship from his rival Stirling Moss . Yet the same race claimed the life of Moss’s teammate Stuart Lewis-Evans , and marked the end of an era for Vanwall. This episode revisits the heartbreak...

On 18 October, Formula 1 crowned one of its most unlikely champions. At Interlagos in 2009 , Jenson Button charged from 14th to fifth to seal a fairytale title for Brawn GP — a team born from Honda’s ashes less than a year before. We also remember Ludovico Scarfiotti , the last Italian to win Ferrari’s home Grand Prix, whose life combined courage, refinement, and tragedy; celebrate Pascal Wehrlein...

On October 17 , Formula One rolled the dice on drama, endurance, and emotion. At Las Vegas in 1981, the Caesars Palace Grand Prix turned a hotel car park into a world-championship arena — where Nelson Piquet’s exhaustion, Alan Jones’s farewell victory, and Bruno Giacomelli’s lone podium delivered one of the strangest finales in F1 history. We then celebrate the birthday of Kimi Räikkönen , tracing...

On October 16th, Formula One has often marked the moments when power changes hands. In 2005, Renault sealed their first Constructors’ Championship in Shanghai, ending Ferrari’s long reign and signalling the rise of a new generation. Eleven years earlier, Michael Schumacher reasserted his control at Jerez after returning from suspension — a calm, clinical performance that foreshadowed his decade of...

On 15 October 1983 , Formula One’s turbocharged revolution reached its first great climax at Kyalami , where Nelson Piquet sealed his second World Championship with a drive defined not by speed, but by strategy. In a race of attrition and calculation, Piquet eased his Brabham-BMW home in third to become the first turbo-powered world champion, as teammate Riccardo Patrese claimed victory and Ferrar...

On 14 October 2012, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing delivered a masterclass at the Korean Grand Prix — a performance that marked the turning point in the fight for the World Championship. As Vettel surged past teammate Mark Webber at the start and never looked back, Red Bull scored their only 1–2 finish of the year, reclaiming control of both titles. Alongside that moment of modern dominance,...

On October 13th , Suzuka once again became the stage where Formula 1 history was written. In 1996 , Damon Hill faced the ultimate test — one race to prove he could do what many said he never would. As his rival and teammate Jacques Villeneuve faltered, Hill drove with quiet precision to seal the World Championship, becoming the first son of a world champion to win the title himself . We revisit th...

On October 12th , Formula 1 crowned a legend. At Suzuka in 2003, Michael Schumacher battled nerves, rain-threatened skies, and a determined Kimi Räikkönen to claim an eighth-place finish that sealed his record-breaking sixth World Championship , surpassing Juan Manuel Fangio’s mark that had stood for nearly fifty years. It was a moment that redefined greatness and symbolised the height of Ferrari’...

On October 11th , Formula 1 returned to the Nürburgring for the one-off 2020 Eifel Grand Prix — and witnessed history repeat itself in the most poetic way. In cold, foggy conditions, Lewis Hamilton claimed his 91st career victory , equalling the great Michael Schumacher’s all-time record at a circuit that had long been a German icon. The emotional moment was sealed when Mick Schumacher presented H...

On October 10th, Formula 1 celebrates the sounds that shaped its soul. It’s the birthday of Murray Walker , the legendary broadcaster whose enthusiasm and “Murrayisms” made him the unmistakable voice of Formula 1. We trace his journey from early motorcycle commentaries to the BBC and ITV years that defined generations of fans — and his fiery on-air partnership with James Hunt , the 1976 World Cham...

On October 9 , Formula 1 history has delivered some unforgettable moments — but none more spectacular than Kimi Räikkönen’s 2005 charge through the field at Suzuka . Starting 17th, the Finn produced a masterclass of precision and bravery to snatch victory on the final lap from Giancarlo Fisichella in what remains one of the sport’s greatest comebacks. This episode also revisits the 1977 Canadian G...

Every legend starts somewhere — and on this day, Formula 1 witnessed three of them. From Lotus’s first-ever Grand Prix victory at Watkins Glen in 1961, to Gilles Villeneuve’s breakthrough home win in Montréal in 1978, and Michael Schumacher’s first title with Ferrari at Suzuka in 2000, this episode explores the “firsts” that changed everything. Each moment marked the beginning of a new era: Lotus’...

On this day in Formula 1 history, a rookie’s title hopes slipped away in Shanghai. In this episode of Chequered Past , we relive the drama of the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix , where Lewis Hamilton’s first major mistake handed Kimi Räikkönen and Ferrari a lifeline in the championship fight. We then jump back to the 1984 European Grand Prix , as Alain Prost kept his duel with Niki Lauda alive in the tur...

On October 6, 1974, Formula 1 arrived at Watkins Glen for a championship decider steeped in tension and tragedy. As Emerson Fittipaldi fought to secure his second world title, the race brought glory for McLaren — but heartbreak for Helmut Koinigg , the young Surtees driver killed in a horrific crash that echoed the loss of François Cevert at the very same corner one year earlier. We also mark the...

 On this day in 2014, Formula 1 was forever changed at Suzuka. Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident in the Japanese Grand Prix would lead to sweeping safety reforms — from the Virtual Safety Car to the Halo — saving countless lives in the years since. We reflect on that defining day and remember Andrea de Cesaris, who died on October 5 2014. Plus, we celebrate the birthdays of José Froilán González, Mi...

On this day in 1970, Formula One arrived at Watkins Glen for the United States Grand Prix under the shadow of tragedy. Jochen Rindt, already the dominant force of the season, had been killed at Monza, leaving his rookie teammate Emerson Fittipaldi to carry Lotus’s hopes. What followed was a breakthrough performance from the young Brazilian, whose maiden victory ensured Rindt became Formula One’s o...