What happened on this day, March 8 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1968
Michael Bartels was born on this day in Plettenberg, Germany. He failed to qualify in his four attempts at a Grand Prix with Lotus in 1991, filling in for Johnny Herbert, who had commitments in Japanese Formula 3000.
While F1 wasn’t his calling, he enjoyed a successful stint in DTM racing. Bartels eventually won the FIA GT Championship, securing three titles with Maserati in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
1998
McLaren driver Mika Hakkinen clinched victory in a controversial finish to the 1998 Australian Grand Prix. His teammate, David Coulthard, deliberately slowed down during the final laps to let Hakkinen pass, following an earlier mix-up where Hakkinen inadvertently pitted due to a miscommunication put down to unauthorised radio interference.
Initially leading after a strong start, Hakkinen lost his position to Coulthard, who later gave the lead. Post-race investigations revealed a pre-race agreement between the drivers that the leader at the first corner would ultimately win.
This incident led the World Motorsport Council to suggest that “any future act prejudicial to the interests of competition should be severely punished”, setting the backdrop for the eventual ban on team orders in 2003.
Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen secured third place, his only podium appearance of the season. The race also celebrated Bridgestone’s first Formula One victory, making it the first Grand Prix win by a tyre manufacturer other than Goodyear since the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix. Johnny Herbert also earned his only point of the season.
1998 Australian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | 1:31:45.996 | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | David Coulthard | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | +0.702s | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Williams Mecachrome | 57 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | Eddie Irvine | Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams Mecachrome | 57 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 15 | Johnny Herbert | Sauber Petronas | 57 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 6 | Alexander Wurz | Benetton Playlife | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 9 | Damon Hill | Jordan Mugen Honda | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 11 | Olivier Panis | Prost Peugeot | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Benetton Playlife | 43 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Jean Alesi | Sauber Petronas | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Jarno Trulli | Prost Peugeot | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Ricardo Rosset | Tyrrell Ford | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Mika Salo | Arrows | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Esteban Tuero | Minardi Ford | 22 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Shinji Nakano | Minardi Ford | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Pedro Diniz | Arrows | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Ralf Schumacher | Jordan Mugen Honda | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Jan Magnussen | Stewart Ford | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Toranosuke Takagi | Tyrrell Ford | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Rubens Barrichello | Stewart Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2004
The Formula 1 chief, Bernie Ecclestone, introduced a new qualifying format to improve exposure for smaller teams. The format consisted of two sessions, one on Saturday and another on Sunday morning, with combined times determining the starting grid. The change faced immediate backlash from fans, who preferred knowing the pole position by Saturday. Ecclestone defended the change, explaining it aimed to increase visibility for less well-known teams during qualifying despite concerns that it might reduce viewer interest.
2021
Keith Greene, a British driver, passed away on this day in 2021. He competed in Formula One between 1959 and 1962, taking part in six World Championship Grands Prix with just three starts. Two were retirements with a best-place finish of 15th at the 1961 British Grand Prix for the Gilby Engineering team driving a Gilby 61.
Before his time in Formula One, Greene enjoyed a successful career in sportscar racing. In 1956, he drove a Cooper T39 in 11 national-level races, finishing outside the top six just once. He earned two wins and three more podium finishes.
2026
George Russell converted pole into victory in the season-opening 2026 Australian Grand Prix, leading home Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to seal a commanding 1-2 finish for the Silver Arrows. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari, holding off Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth after failing to find a way past his teammate in the closing stages. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen followed in fifth and sixth respectively, while Oliver Bearman led the midfield for Haas charge in seventh ahead of rookie Arvid Lindblad, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, who rounded out the top ten.
Esteban Ocon finished just outside the points in 11th, followed by Alexander Albon, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez completing the classification. After taking the chequered flag, Russell guided his Mercedes towards the pit wall to celebrate with the team, declaring over the radio: “Very nice, very nice. I like this car. I like this engine!”—a fitting reaction as the Brit secured both his and Mercedes’ first win of the new season.
Full Race Report
2026 Australian Grand Prix race results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 58 | 01:23:07 | 25 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 58 | +2.974s | 18 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 58 | +15.519s | 15 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 58 | +16.144s | 12 |
| 5 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 58 | +51.741s | 10 |
| 6 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 58 | +54.617s | 8 |
| 7 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 57 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 8 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 57 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 57 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 57 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 16 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 55 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 43 | +15 laps | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 0 | DNS | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 0 | DNS | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 8 March
F1 Driver Deaths 8 March
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 8 March 1991 | Ludwig Fischer (b. 1915) |
| 8 March 2021 | Keith Greene |
Seen in:
