Chequered Past

Monza has always been a stage for milestones, and in this very special 100th episode of Chequered Past , we celebrate three centuries that shaped Formula One. We begin in 1963 , when Ferrari reached its 100th World Championship race , only for Jim Clark and Lotus to dominate and secure both his first Drivers’ title and the Constructors’ crown. Then we move to 1968 , where the Italian Grand Prix ma...

On this day in 1969, Jackie Stewart clinched his first World Championship at Monza in one of Formula One’s most thrilling slipstream battles. In The Slipstream That Sealed Stewart’s Supremacy , we revisit that breathtaking four-way sprint to the line and the race that confirmed Matra as the first and only French constructor to take the crown. We also look back to 1958, when Tony Brooks’s victory f...

On this day, the Italian Grand Prix has delivered some of Formula One’s most powerful stories — of glory, grief, and the unexpected. In this episode, we revisit 1970 at Monza , where Ferrari rookie Clay Regazzoni scored his first victory in front of the tifosi, on a weekend darkened by the loss of championship leader Jochen Rindt . We also look back to 1964 , when John Surtees started from pole an...

On this day in motorsport history, Monza delivered the most dramatic slipstream finish Formula One has ever seen. The 1971 Italian Grand Prix ended with five cars crossing the line within six-tenths of a second, Peter Gethin snatching his one and only victory in breathtaking fashion. Yet amid the chaos, Chris Amon’s record-breaking pole and trademark bad luck, and Jackie Stewart’s early retirement...

On this day in Formula One history, Ferrari’s fortunes at Monza told two very different stories. In 1960, Phil Hill led a Ferrari 1–2–3 in front of a depleted field, claiming his first win and delivering the final triumph for a front-engined car. Six years later, Ludovico Scarfiotti gave the tifosi the victory they had long craved, leading Mike Parkes in a Ferrari one-two as Jack Brabham clinched...

On this day in Formula One history, we travel from the dawn of the World Championship to one of its most dominant modern eras. At Monza in 2023, Max Verstappen broke Sebastian Vettel’s long-standing record to claim an unprecedented tenth consecutive Grand Prix victory, cementing Red Bull’s place in history and underlining his complete control of the season. We also pause to consider the complicate...

On this day in racing history, we revisit one of Formula One’s most famous acts of sportsmanship. At Monza in 1956, Peter Collins gave up his Ferrari and with it his own shot at the title, allowing Juan Manuel Fangio to clinch his fourth World Championship.  We also celebrate the birthday of Olivier Panis, whose unexpected Monaco triumph in 1996 gave France its last Grand Prix winner for over two...

On this day, 1st September, Chequered Past revisits a weekend of triumph and tragedy at Spa in 2019 — when Charles Leclerc claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory and dedicated it to his late friend Anthoine Hubert.  We also remember Stefan Bellof, the fearless German talent who won the 1984 World Sportscar Championship but lost his life at Spa in 1985, and we celebrate Ferrari’s latest glory at Monz...

On 31st August, Formula One history delivered high drama, heartbreak, and turning points. In this episode of Chequered Past , we revisit the 1980 Dutch Grand Prix — The Dutch Duel That Tightened the Title — where Nelson Piquet seized his second career victory at Zandvoort to close Alan Jones’ championship lead and set up a tense run-in to the season’s finale. We also celebrate the birth of Raymond...

On this day in 1982, Keke Rosberg scored his first – and only – victory of the season at Dijon, in the one-off Swiss Grand Prix, a lone win that ultimately carried him to the World Championship.  In this episode of Chequered Past , we explore that remarkable story, celebrate the birthday of the maverick James Hunt, and revisit Hunt’s crucial triumph at Zandvoort in 1976. We also look back at Damon...

On August 30, Formula One history was made in the Ardennes. In 1998, Spa-Francorchamps delivered one of the sport’s most dramatic races – a rain-soaked demolition derby at the start, Michael Schumacher’s fury after colliding with David Coulthard, and a fairytale maiden victory for Eddie Jordan’s team, sealed with a 1–2 finish for Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher. But Spa has delivered more than just...

On this day in Formula One history, the 1994 season’s controversies spilled into Spa. Michael Schumacher crossed the line first in the Belgian Grand Prix, but post-race scrutineering found excessive wear on his Benetton’s wooden plank — leading to disqualification and handing victory to Damon Hill. It was a moment that kept alive a championship battle already shaped by suspicion, penalties, and tr...

On this day in 2000, Mika Häkkinen produced one of Formula One’s greatest ever overtakes at Spa-Francorchamps, sweeping past Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta in a breathtaking three-wide move that sealed victory in the Belgian Grand Prix. In this episode of Chequered Past , we revisit that iconic race and its impact on the title fight, celebrate the birthday of Derek Warwick — a driver whose c...

On this day in 1990, Ayrton Senna cemented his reputation as the master of Spa-Francorchamps, taking his third consecutive Belgian Grand Prix victory in commanding style. We revisit the drama of that race — with three starts, early incidents, and a relentless Senna pulling clear of Prost and Berger — to explore how Belgium once again became his domain. We then shift to 2007 in Turkey , where Felip...

On August 25th, Formula One history was made at Spa-Francorchamps. Ayrton Senna may have taken victory for McLaren, but it was Michael Schumacher’s dazzling debut for Jordan that stole the headlines — a single race weekend that launched a dynasty. In this episode of Chequered Past , we revisit the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, a race that proved the winner isn’t always the biggest story. We also pause...

 On August 24, 1997, Michael Schumacher delivered one of the greatest wet-weather drives in Formula 1 history, conquering Spa-Francorchamps in treacherous conditions to extend his title lead.  In this episode we revisit that masterclass, reflect on Stirling Moss’s act of sportsmanship in the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix, relive Fernando Alonso’s breakthrough victory in Hungary in 2003, and revisit t...

On August 23rd, racing history has given us moments of brilliance, heartbreak, and redemption.  In this episode of Chequered Past , we begin in Lisbon in 1959, where Stirling Moss produced a masterclass at Monsanto Park that reignited the World Championship battle and kept his title hopes alive.  We then move to Austria in 1964, as the country hosted its first World Championship Grand Prix on the...

On August 22, 1954, Juan Manuel Fangio and Mercedes conquered the fearsome Bremgarten circuit at the Swiss Grand Prix. It was Fangio’s fifth victory of the season, enough to clinch his second World Championship — and a defining display of Silver Arrows supremacy. In this episode, we also celebrate the birthday of South Africa’s Ian Scheckter, a flamboyant talent who dominated at home but faced fru...

On this day in racing history, Formula One made its first trip to Istanbul Park for the 2005 Turkish Grand Prix. In The Track That Took Turkey To F1 , we relive Kimi Räikkönen’s dominant drive, the chaos that cost Juan Pablo Montoya a McLaren 1-2, and the debut of a circuit that instantly won fans with its fearsome Turn 8.  We also celebrate the birthday of Felipe Nasr, the last Brazilian to score...

On this day in racing history: We revisit the 1939 Swiss Grand Prix , the last major international race before the outbreak of World War II. We head to Karlskoga for the 1961 Kanonloppet , a non-championship race where Stirling Moss once again showed his class. We celebrate the birthday of Jo Ramírez , the man who kept the McLaren team together during its most volatile years. And we recall Luca Ba...

On this day in 1984, Niki Lauda gave Austria a victory to remember. At the Österreichring, he overcame Nelson Piquet and capitalised on Alain Prost’s retirement to deliver his one and only home win — a result that swung the World Championship in his favour and ultimately secured the closest title margin in Formula 1 history. In this episode of Chequered Past , we relive that pivotal Austrian Grand...

On August 18, 1957, Formula One travelled to the longest and most dangerous circuit ever to host a World Championship race: Pescara . Stirling Moss tamed the 25-kilometre monster to claim a famous victory — but the track never returned, earning its place as The Circuit That Time Forgot . In this episode of Chequered Past , we explore that one-off Italian epic, before turning to other dramatic Augu...

 On August 17th, Formula 1 has seen moments of chaos, courage, and change.  In 1975, the Austrian Grand Prix was hit by torrential rain, ending in tragedy for Mark Donohue but also delivering Vittorio Brambilla’s one and only win — celebrated with a crash after the chequered flag.  It’s also the birthday of Nelson Piquet, the crafty Brazilian who claimed three world titles with brains as much as b...

On August 16th , Formula 1 history saw Nigel Mansell finally crowned World Champion. In our main feature, we head to the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix, where Ayrton Senna claimed victory on the day Red Five sealed the title with five races to spare — capping one of the most dominant seasons the sport has ever seen. We also revisit the 1970 Austrian Grand Prix , the first at the breathtaking Österreich...

August 15 has a special place in Formula 1 history — a day when the top step of the podium has so often been claimed for the very first time. In this episode, we revisit three maiden victories from three different decades. We begin in 1982 at the Österreichring, for one of the closest finishes the sport has ever seen — Elio de Angelis edging out Keke Rosberg by just 0.05 seconds in a race packed w...