What happened on this day, February 2 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1948
Roger Williamson was born on this day in Leicester. A rising British motorsport star and a two-time British Formula 3 champion, his talent promised greatness far beyond his years. His career was tragically cut short during his second Formula One race, the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, leaving a dark reminder of the sport’s safety issues at the time, which still echo through F1 history today.
Roger Williamson
F1 Debut 1973 British Grand Prix
Current/Last Team March
He made his debut at the 1973 British Grand Prix, which ended abruptly for him in a 13-car pile-up. A fortnight later, he crashed after suffering a suspected tyre failure, with his car rolling and catching fire.
Despite F1 compatriot David Purley’s brave efforts to rescue him, a lack of marshalling preparation and a fire engine’s failure to arrive for 10 minutes, Williamson died of asphyxiation.
2000
Eddie Jordan urged F1 leaders to “strive earnestly” to bring Africa back to the racing calendar seven years after the continent’s last F1 race. Three months prior, Bernie Ecclestone had travelled to Egypt to explore the idea of a Grand Prix, but the discussions ultimately led nowhere.
2004
Jenson Button set an unofficial lap record at the Circuit de Catalunya, breaking it by more than a second while testing BAR’s 2004 car with a time of 1m13.867s. Reflecting on the run, he said, “It was a good lap, but there’s a lot more to come.” BAR ultimately finished second in the championship that year, with Ferrari taking the title.
2005
By signing a testing contract with Minardi, Chanoch Nissany became the first Israeli F1 driver. Having only started racing in 2002, Nissany had tested with both Jordan and Minardi before making his race weekend debut at the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he completed eight laps, finishing over 12 seconds behind the leaders. He never raced again in F1.
2008
Bernie Ecclestone launched a striking critique of Ron Dennis regarding McLaren’s £50 million fine following the Spygate scandal. “What happened last year has been going on in F1 for years,” Ecclestone commented. “If McLaren had just come clean, none of this would have unfolded the way it did. Ron’s a good friend, but he acted like he was ‘six months pregnant and claimed he was a virgin.’ He knows he got off easy.”
2008
Officials at the Barcelona circuit had to close grandstands facing the McLaren garage after Lewis Hamilton faced heavy abuse from Spanish fans during testing. Many fans, upset about Fernando Alonso’s perceived unfair treatment the previous season, shouted obscenities and displayed banners. Hamilton expressed his disappointment, saying, “It saddens me. I love this country, especially Barcelona. The Spanish people have always been so warm.”
2023
Jean-Pierre Jabouille was born on 1 October 1942 in Nazi-occupied Paris. He competed in Formula One from 1974 to 1981, entering 55 Grand Prix and winning two races during Renault‘s pioneering turbocharged era in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
F1 Debut 1974 French Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Ligier
His motorsport career also extended to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he competed from the late 1960s through the early 1990s, driving for Alpine, Matra, Sauber, and Peugeot. Jabouille secured four third-place finishes at Le Mans in 1973, 1974, 1992, and 1993.
He passed away on this day, 2 February 2023, at the age of 80.
F1 Driver Birthdays 2 February
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 2 February 1920 | George Tichenor |
| 2 February 1937 | Tony Shelly |
| 2 February 1948 | Roger Williamson (d. 1974) |
F1 Driver Deaths 2 February
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 2 February 2023 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille (b. 1942) |
Seen in:
