What happened on this day, December 21 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1921
One German driver, two names, was born on this day in Hagen. Known as Guenther Bechem and his alias Bernd Nacke. Bechem entered as Nacke in the 1952 German Grand Prix in a BMW but retired after just five laps due to ignition failure. Bechem’s outing under his birth name came at the 1953 German Grand Prix, but his race was even shorter—he retired after only two laps. He was more successful in sports car racing with the Borgward team.
1935
Lorenzo Bandini, an Italian racing driver, was born in Libya, then an Italian colony. Bandini competed in 42 Grand Prix events between 1961 and his untimely death in 1967. He secured one Grand Prix victory at the 1964 Austrian Grand Prix driving a Ferrari and also won the 1963 Le Mans 24 Hours. Tragically, Bandini suffered fatal burns after a crash at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix and passed away three days later.
1962
Gary Hocking, a former world motorcycle champion who had moved to car racing believing it to be safer, tragically died while practising for the Natal Grand Prix. Rob Walker had signed hocking to replace Stirling Moss, whose career had ended earlier that year due to an accident. Driving the Lotus Climax that would have been Moss’s, Hocking fatally crashed during the practice session.
1966
The film Grand Prix premiered in the USA to mixed reviews. While it was criticised for its lack of plot, fans appreciated the authentic race footage blended with staged action. James Garner played the lead role of Pete Aron, and the movie featured cameo appearances from numerous F1 legends, including Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, and Jack Brabham. After decades, the film was finally released on DVD in 2006. During filming at Brands Hatch in July 1966, Garner narrowly escaped serious injury when a stunt went wrong, and he was pulled from a blazing car, suffering minor burns. Displaying his humour, he later remarked, “I must remember not to wear nylon socks next time—they melt in the heat.”
F1 Driver Birthdays 21 December
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 21 December 1921 | Gunther Bechem |
| 21 December 1935 | Lorenzo Bandini |
F1 Driver Deaths 21 December
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 21 December 1962 | Gary Hocking |
| 21 December 1974 | Rex Easton |
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