What happened on this day, March 15 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1913
Jack Fairman, a British driver, was born on this day in Surrey. He competed in 12 Grands Prix from 1953 to 1961, with the likes of HWM, BRM, Cooper, and Rob Walker Racing, with his best season in 1956, earning five championship points. Fairman’s motorsport career began in 1934 with hillclimbs and trails in an Alvis 12/50, later moving to circuit races at Brooklands. His racing was interrupted by World War II. He passed away in 2002 at a motorsport retirement home in Rugby at the age of 88.
1927
American driver Al Herman was born on this day. He raced in five Grands Prix, all at Indianapolis, with his highest finish being 7th in 1955, which earned him the “Rookie of the Year” title. Tragically, he died at 33 from injuries sustained in a Midget car accident at West Haven Speedway in 1960.
1981
At the 1981 United States Grand Prix West in Long Beach, California, Alan Jones triumphed in his Williams Ford, clinching both the race win and the fastest lap. Riccardo Patrese achieved his and Arrows first pole position, which also remained their only pole.
Controversy emerged when the Lotus 88 was disqualified during practice and banned from the race after 11 teams protested its design, particularly its skirts. The car was initially approved by the FISA technical staff and passed by the scrutineers, allowing it to take part in Friday practice. Ultimately, however, the teams’ appeal was allowed, and the car was banned for the rest of the weekend, with Lotus having to qualify and race the more conventional Lotus 81.
Jones’s teammate Carlos Reutemann finished second, with Nelson Piquet completing the podium in third for Brabham.
1981 United States Grand Prix West Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams Ford | 80 | 1:50:41.330 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams Ford | 80 | +9.190s | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham Ford | 80 | +34.920s | 4 |
| 4 | 22 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo | 80 | +49.310s | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell Ford | 80 | +66.700s | 2 |
| 6 | 33 | Patrick Tambay | Theodore Ford | 79 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 21 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi Ford | 78 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 77 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Marc Surer | Ensign Ford | 70 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 67 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier Matra | 64 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Hector Rebaque | Brabham Ford | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Matra | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi Ford | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Jan Lammers | ATS Ford | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows Ford | 33 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 32 | Beppe Gabbiani | Osella Hart | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus Ford | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Ford | 13 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1994
After winning the 1993 title on his return with Williams, Alain Prost dismissed the possibility of a second return to Formula One with McLaren after months of speculation.
He had fueled rumours by testing the new McLaren MP4 9 at Estoril but finally said, “I am not ready to take the risks anymore,” confirming that his decision to retire remained unchanged after the test. “To be truthful, I haven’t changed my mind since I made my original decision. I did the test drive to see if I really wanted to start all over again. The answer is no.”
2015
The 2015 Formula One season kicked off with its first round at the Melbourne Circuit for the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. This was the 80th event of the Australian Grand Prix since its inception in 1928 with the 100 Miles Road Race and the 20th time the event was hosted in Melbourne.
Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg entered the race as the defending winner, but it was his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who started on pole and led him over the finish line in a Mercedes one-two finish. Sebastian Vettel secured third place on the podium in his debut Ferrari race.
The race also saw the F1 debuts of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, both driving for Toro Rosso. Verstappen made history by becoming the youngest F1 driver to compete in Formula One at just 17 years and 166 days old. And in fifth place, Felipe Nasr, in his Grand Prix debut at Melbourne, stunned the paddock by finishing fifth, scoring 10 points for a team that had failed to register a single point the year before. It remains the best-ever debut finish for a Brazilian driver and was a critical result for Sauber, boosting the team’s morale and financial standing.
2015 Australian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 58 | 1:31:54.067 | 25 |
| 2 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 58 | +1.360s | 18 |
| 3 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 58 | +34.523s | 15 |
| 4 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams Mercedes | 58 | +38.196s | 12 |
| 5 | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber Ferrari | 58 | +95.149s | 10 |
| 6 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing Renault | 57 | +1 lap | 8 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India Mercedes | 57 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 8 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | STR Renault | 57 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India Mercedes | 57 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren Honda | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 33 | Max Verstappen | STR Renault | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Red Bull Racing Renault | 0 | DNS | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren Honda | 0 | DNS | 0 |
2020
The 2020 Australian Grand Prix, scheduled as the season opener in Melbourne at the Albert Park Circuit, was officially cancelled on this day. This decision came just hours before the first practice session started in response to the growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The cancellation followed McLaren’s withdrawal from the event after a team member tested positive for the coronavirus.
The race would have marked the 85th instance of the Australian Grand Prix since the inaugural 100 Miles Road Race in 1928, and it would have been the 25th time the event was held at the Albert Park circuit and the 36th occasion it featured as part of the Formula One World Championship.
2026
Kimi Antonelli converted his youngest-ever Formula 1 pole position into victory at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, delivering a commanding performance to finish ahead of Mercedes team-mate George Russell. At 19 years, 6 months and 18 days, Antonelli became the second-youngest race winner in F1 history, behind only Max Verstappen. The race began dramatically when Lewis Hamilton, starting third for Ferrari, made an excellent launch and swept past both Mercedes cars into the lead. Hamilton briefly controlled the race, but Antonelli reclaimed the lead before the end of Lap 2 and quickly established control of the Grand Prix. Despite a brief scare when he ran slightly deep at the Turn 14 hairpin with four laps remaining, the Italian maintained his advantage to take the chequered flag 5.515 seconds ahead of Russell after 1:33:15.607. Russell, who had won Saturday’s Sprint race, recovered from losing ground behind the Ferraris after the Safety Car restart to secure second place and maintain his lead in the Drivers’ Championship after two rounds. Hamilton completed the podium in third, his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari, after defending against team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth.
Behind the leading quartet, Ollie Bearman produced an impressive drive to finish fifth for Haas.
Antonelli’s landmark win secured Mercedes another dominant 1-2 finish and confirmed the young Italian as an early contender in the 2026 championship battle.
Full Race Report
2026 Chinese Grand Prix race results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 56 | 01:33:16 | 25 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 56 | +5.515s | 18 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 56 | +25.267s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 56 | +28.894s | 12 |
| 5 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 56 | +57.268s | 10 |
| 6 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 56 | +59.647s | 8 |
| 7 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 56 | +80.588s | 6 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 56 | +87.247s | 4 |
| 9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 55 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 55 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 45 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 0 | DNS | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 0 | DNS | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 0 | DNS | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 0 | DNS | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 15 March
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 15 March 1913 | Jack Fairman (d. 2002) |
| 15 March 1918 | Marvin Burke (d. 1994) |
| 15 March 1927 | Al Herman (d. 1960) |
| 15 March 1939 | Jean-Louis Lafosse (d. 1981) |
F1 Driver Deaths 15 March
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 15 March | None |
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