What happened on this day, August 22 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1947
Ian Scheckter, born on this day, 22 August 1947 in East London, South Africa and older brother of Jody and uncle of Tomas, a racer who carved his own path in motorsport. After winning his national Formula Ford crown and the “Driver to Europe”, Ian made his F1 debut at Kyalami in 1974 with Team Gunston, later driving for Tyrrell, Williams and March in 20 Grand Prix. Though he never scored championship points, he did notch a best finish of 10th at Zandvoort in 1977.
But while F1 was tough, Ian was unstoppable back home: six South African National Drivers’ titles, 49 race wins, and Atlantic championships with Lexington Racing in the late ‘70s. He later turned to touring cars before hanging up his helmet in 1989.
1950
Ex-team boss, Peter Collins, was born on this day, and no, this is the other Peter Collins who made his mark on Formula 1 in the garage, not the cockpit. The Aussie’s F1 dream started after a failed Lotus job application pushed him to move to Europe, a bold move, but it paid off. By 1978, Colin Chapman brought him on as Team Manager at Lotus, and Collins later added stints at Williams, ATS and Benetton to his CV before returning to run Team Lotus until its closure in 1994.
From the buzz of working with legends like Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen, Gerhard Berger and Johnny Herbert to the hard knocks of keeping teams alive in the toughest sport on earth, Collins has seen it all.
1954
Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix for Mercedes-Benz at Bremgarten in Berne. Although the Maserati of Stirling Moss and the Ferrari‘s of Mike Hawthorn and Froilan Gonzalez initially posed a challenge, Fangio quickly took control of the race. He secured victory by nearly a minute, lapping every car except Gonzalez, which finished second. Fangio’s teammate Hans Herrmann came in third.
This triumph marked Fangio’s fifth win in a dominant season, ultimately leading him to clinch his second Drivers’ Championship title with two races remaining. The first and only driver in F1 history to win the title driving for two teams in one season.
This event was the last Grand Prix held in Switzerland, as motor racing was banned following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, which claimed the lives of over 80 spectators and Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh.
1954 Swiss Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes-Benz | 66 | 3:00:34.500 | 9 |
| 2 | 20 | Jose Froilan Gonzalez | Ferrari | 66 | +57.800s | 6 |
| 3 | 6 | Hans Herrmann | Mercedes-Benz | 65 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 4 | 30 | Roberto Mieres | Maserati | 64 | +2 laps | 3 |
| 5 | 28 | Sergio Mantovani | Maserati | 64 | +2 laps | 2 |
| 6 | 18 | Ken Wharton | Maserati | 64 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 7 | 24 | Umberto Maglioli | Ferrari | 61 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 2 | Jacques Swaters | Ferrari | 58 | +8 laps | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Karl Kling | Mercedes-Benz | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 33 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 34 | Harry Schell | Maserati | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 32 | Stirling Moss | Maserati | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Fred Wacker | Gordini | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Jean Behra | Gordini | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Clemar Bucci | Gordini | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2001
Jordan announced that Italian and Benetton driver Giancarlo Fisichella would switch places with compatriot Jarno Trulli, joining Jordan in 2002 on a three-year contract. Team boss Eddie Jordan emphasised the importance of long-term planning, stability, and continuity for success. “I am overjoyed that Giancarlo has signed a three-year contract with us, as this gives Jordan and Honda a strong platform to build on,” Jordan stated. Additionally, Mika Hakkinen‘s manager and former F1 Champion, Keke Rosberg, confirmed that the Finnish driver would remain with McLaren in 2002.
2002
Ford Vice President Richard Parry-Jones announced that the struggling Jaguar Racing team was not for sale. “Ford Motor Company management is not in negotiations and is not planning on the sale of Jaguar Racing,” Parry-Jones declared, underscoring Ford’s commitment to its Formula One endeavors. Despite this, the team was eventually sold to Red Bull in 2004.
F1 Driver Birthdays 22 August
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 August 1947 | Ian Scheckter |
| Birthday | F1 Mentions |
|---|---|
| 22 August 1950 | Peter Collins Former team principal of the former Team Lotus F1 team. |
F1 Driver Deaths 22 August
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 August 1963 | Ted Duncan (b. 1912) |
| 22 August 2015 | Eric Thompson (b. 1919) |
F1 Champion 22 August
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 August 1954 | Juan Manuel Fangio |
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