Chequered Past

On October 3rd, 1971, François Cevert claimed his first and only Formula 1 victory at Watkins Glen, seizing the moment when Jackie Stewart stepped aside and fortune played its hand. It was a breakthrough drive that marked him as a future star — yet history remembers that podium with poignancy, as Cevert, Jo Siffert, and Ronnie Peterson would all later lose their lives to racing. In this episode of...

On October 2nd, history has often been sealed on American soil. In this episode of Chequered Past, we revisit 1966 at Watkins Glen, where Jim Clark gave the BRM H-16 its one and only victory while Jack Brabham’s team clinched their first Constructors’ Championship. Eleven years later in 1977, James Hunt won the U.S. Grand Prix East, but the bigger story was Niki Lauda confirming his second world c...

On October 1st, Formula 1 history gave us one of Jim Clark’s grittiest victories. At Watkins Glen in 1967, the Scotsman nursed a failing Lotus across the line to win ahead of Graham Hill, while Denny Hulme edged closer to the world title.  Eleven years later, Carlos Reutemann delivered his final Ferrari triumph at the same circuit in 1978, as Alan Jones signalled his rise to the front.  We also re...

On this day in Formula 1 history, rain, resilience and rivalries took centre stage.  We relive the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, where Lewis Hamilton mastered torrential conditions to tighten his grip on the championship while Heikki Kovalainen claimed a breakthrough podium.  We celebrate the birthday of Jochen Mass , a German all-rounder remembered for both triumph and tragedy.  We revisit th...

On September 29, Ferrari’s dominance at the 2002 United States Grand Prix reached an almost farcical climax. Michael Schumacher slowed on the final straight, trying to stage a dead-heat finish with Rubens Barrichello – only to be beaten by 0.011 seconds. What was meant as a show of supremacy instead fueled the fury of fans still raw from Austria’s team orders scandal. In this episode of Chequered...

On this day in Formula 1 history, the sport staged its first-ever night race at Singapore in 2008 — a dazzling spectacle that would later be darkened by scandal.  In this episode, we revisit the drama of Crashgate, the pitlane chaos that cost Felipe Massa dearly, and the pivotal swing that helped Lewis Hamilton towards his first world title.  We also celebrate the birthday of Mika Häkkinen, rememb...

On this day, Williams’ story was written across four unforgettable chapters.  In 1981 Canada , Carlos Reutemann faltered but Williams secured back-to-back Constructors’ crowns.  By 1987 Spain , Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet fought bitterly as Williams again clinched the teams’ title.  In 1992 Portugal , Nigel Mansell sealed his golden season with a record-breaking ninth victory.  And by 1998 Lux...

On this day in Formula 1 history, the Nürburgring descended into chaos. The 1999 European Grand Prix was a storm of strategy blunders, sudden showers and shattered hopes—yet out of the mayhem came Johnny Herbert, delivering Stewart GP their one and only victory.  We also celebrate the birthday of Aldo Tim Schenken, look back on Lewis Hamilton’s 100th career win and Lando Norris’ heartbreak in the...

On this day in 1982, Formula One’s season of chaos reached its finale in the car park of Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Keke Rosberg needed only a handful of points to clinch the crown — but with John Watson charging through the field, the title was anything but certain. We revisit how consistency, calmness, and a touch of Las Vegas luck made Rosberg World Champion. We also celebrate the birthday of e...

So the 24th of September gave us a day when Scotland’s finest shone on opposite sides of the Atlantic. In 1995, David Coulthard broke through for his maiden victory at Estoril, while Michael Schumacher edged ever closer to his second crown. In 1989, Nigel Mansell’s defiance of a black flag created chaos and shifted the balance of that year’s title fight. And in 1972, Jackie Stewart proved once aga...

On this day in 1990, Nigel Mansell — Il Leone — roared to his final victory for Ferrari at the Portuguese Grand Prix, defying Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in the heat of their title fight. We also celebrate the birthday of Robert Doornbos, the Dutch racer who took an unconventional path into motorsport and made his mark beyond Formula One. And we journey back to the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, remem...

On this day in Formula 1 history, championships were shaped, rivalries defined, and finales set up in unforgettable fashion. We begin at Mosport in 1974 , where Emerson Fittipaldi pounced on Niki Lauda’s misfortune to draw level with Clay Regazzoni in one of the closest title battles of the decade. Then it’s back to Canada 1968 , where McLaren scored their first-ever 1–2 after Chris Amon’s luckles...

On this day in Formula One history, Nigel Mansell delivered one of his finest performances at the 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix. From the moment the lights went out, Mansell controlled the race at Estoril, beating his championship rivals and securing the Constructors’ title for Williams.  We also revisit 1997, when Formula One returned to Austria after a decade away and Jacques Villeneuve reignited h...

On September 19, 1971, Formula One saw history at Mosport Park when the Canadian Grand Prix became the first World Championship race to be stopped with the red flag. Jackie Stewart had already secured his second world title, but torrential rain and fog turned the race into chaos, cutting it short after 64 laps. Stewart took the win, Ronnie Peterson claimed second, and American star Mark Donohue ea...

On this day in Formula One history, Canada twice played host to unforgettable showdowns.  In 1969 at Mosport, Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx duelled ferociously until contact ended Stewart’s race, handing victory to the young Belgian.  A year later at Mont-Tremblant, Stewart looked set to dominate Tyrrell’s debut — only for mechanical failure to open the door for Ickx to claim another famous win, l...

On this day in 2016, Nico Rosberg claimed a tense and vital victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, fending off Daniel Ricciardo’s late charge to take the win by less than half a second. It was his 200th start, and the result proved decisive in his march toward the world championship. We also celebrate the birthday of Giancarlo Minardi , the man behind one of Formula One’s most beloved underdog teams...

On this day in Formula One history, two British icons were born.  We celebrate the birthday of Stirling Moss – the man hailed as “the greatest driver never to win the World Championship,” whose courage, versatility and sportsmanship defined an era.  We also mark the birthday of Damon Hill, who overcame the weight of expectation to become World Champion in 1996 and carry on his father’s legacy.  An...

On September 16th, Formula One has witnessed landmark victories — but sometimes the spotlight has been elsewhere.  In this episode of Chequered Past , we revisit the 2001 Italian Grand Prix, where Juan Pablo Montoya finally claimed his first win, muted by the grief of 9/11 and Alex Zanardi’s devastating crash.  We move to Spa in 2007, where Ferrari sealed a one-two and clinched the Constructors’ C...

 Some wins are about breaking through, but others are about proving you belong. On this day in Formula One history, Ayrton Senna at Spa in 1985 and Oscar Piastri at Baku in 2024 both claimed their second career victories — the moments that confirmed them as genuine front runners. We also revisit Juan Pablo Montoya’s record-shattering pole lap at Monza in 2002 and Ferrari’s home triumph, and wind b...

On this day in 2008, Formula One witnessed a fairytale that would change the sport forever. A 21-year-old Sebastian Vettel stunned the world by guiding Toro Rosso to victory at a rain-soaked Monza, becoming at the time the youngest race winner in F1 history and proving that greatness can emerge from the unlikeliest of places. But 14th September has offered other turning points too. In 2001, Mika H...

On this day in Formula One history, September 13th brought us moments that could never be repeated — but which left a lasting impact on the sport.  In this episode of Chequered Past , we relive the chaos of the one-off Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello in 2020, celebrate the fearless flair of birthday boy and one-time F1 podium finisher Kamui Kobayashi, revisit the unprecedented Spygate scandal that ro...

On this day, Formula One’s stage at Monza has seen comebacks of every kind — from redemption and resilience to sheer survival. In our main feature, we relive the 2021 Italian Grand Prix , where Daniel Ricciardo silenced the doubters with a brilliant victory, leading McLaren to their first 1–2 finish in over a decade. It was a comeback for both driver and team, made possible by the dramatic clash b...

On 11 September 1988 , Ferrari delivered one of the most emotional victories in Formula One history. Just weeks after the death of Enzo Ferrari, Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto scored a fairytale 1–2 at Monza, ending McLaren’s season-long dominance in front of the roaring tifosi. Ayrton Senna’s late collision with stand-in Jean-Louis Schlesser handed Ferrari their only win of the year — a resu...

On this day in Formula One history, 10th September , Monza delivered moments of triumph and heartbreak in equal measure. In 1961 , Ferrari dominated qualifying with a 1–2–3–4 grid lockout, but the race ended in disaster as Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators lost their lives, even as Phil Hill became America’s first World Champion.  Seventeen years later in 1978 , Mario Andretti clinched the titl...

On this day in Formula One history, Monza delivered some of its most unforgettable moments.  In this episode of Chequered Past , we relive Jody Scheckter’s 1979 Italian Grand Prix victory , where Ferrari sealed both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships at home to the delight of the Tifosi.  We go back to 1973 , when Jackie Stewart overcame a puncture and stormed through the field to secure...