What happened on this day, May 4 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1928
In 1928, an F1 driver was born who would most likely have become the 1961 World Champion had tragedy not struck at Monza. Wolfgang von Trips, Germany’s most successful F1 driver before the era of Michael Schumacher, met an untimely end when his car veered into the crowd, claiming the lives of 15 spectators and himself. Despite early career setbacks that earned him a reputation for crashing, von Trips redeemed himself upon rejoining Ferrari in 1960. He showcased his speed with several top-six finishes, setting the stage for a determined bid for the World Championship in 1961. With two wins and two-second places in six races, he seemed poised for victory at the Italian Grand Prix. However, a poor start and an attempt to defend his position on the first lap led to a collision with Jim Clark and the fateful crash that followed.
1946
In 1946, Ulsterman John Watson was born, Ulsterman John Watson was born, a driver who would go on a remarkable F1 journey spanning over a decade in the sport. His debut win came in Australia in 1976, where he subsequently participated in 152 races.
Notable career highlights include his triumph at the 1981 British Grand Prix, and his final F1 win at Long Beach, where he charged from 22nd on the grid to victory. This remarkable feat echoed his win in Detroit the previous year, from a 17th starting position.
After retiring from racing, Watson remained active in the motorsport community, transitioning to TV commentary and operating a race school at Silverstone.
1969
In 1969, a significant milestone in F1 history was set as the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix winner finished two laps ahead of second place. Jackie Stewart‘s Matra crossed the finish line well ahead of Bruce McLaren, with Jean-Pierre Beltoise trailing behind by an extra lap in third place. However, the race was marred by serious incidents involving the Team Lotus drivers. Both Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill crashed heavily due to failures of their rear wing supports at the same spot on the track. Rindt collided with the wreckage of his teammate 10 laps later.
1969 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Jackie Stewart | Matra Ford | 90 | 2:16:53.990 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Bruce McLaren | McLaren Ford | 88 | +2 laps | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra Ford | 87 | +3 laps | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Denny Hulme | McLaren Ford | 87 | +3 laps | 3 |
| 5 | 14 | John Surtees | BRM | 84 | +6 laps | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | Jacky Ickx | Brabham Ford | 83 | DNF | 1 |
| NC | 9 | Pedro Rodriguez | BRM | 73 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 56 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Jack Brabham | Brabham Ford | 51 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Jo Siffert | Lotus Ford | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Jochen Rindt | Lotus Ford | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Piers Courage | Brabham Ford | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Graham Hill | Lotus Ford | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 1 | DNF | 0 |
1980
Ligier driver Didier Pironi dominated the 1980 Belgian Grand Prix, leading from the start to claim his inaugural F1 win. He lapped all but two drivers during the race. Williams driver Alan Jones, who ultimately clinched the drivers’ title that season, settled for second place after being passed by Pironi on the first lap. Carlos Reutemann came home in third in the second Williams.
1980 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Didier Pironi | Ligier Ford | 72 | 1:38:46.510 | 9 |
| 2 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams Ford | 72 | +47.370s | 6 |
| 3 | 28 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams Ford | 72 | +84.120s | 4 |
| 4 | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 71 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Tyrrell Ford | 71 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 71 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 21 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi Ford | 71 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 4 | Derek Daly | Tyrrell Ford | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 12 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Ford | 69 | DNF | 0 |
| 11 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Ford | 68 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | Jan Lammers | ATS Ford | 64 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 61 | +11 laps | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows Ford | 58 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Mario Andretti | Lotus Ford | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Patrick Depailler | Alfa Romeo | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham Ford | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Alain Prost | McLaren Ford | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi Ford | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Tiff Needell | Ensign Ford | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 11 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Ricardo Zunino | Brabham Ford | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Jochen Mass | Arrows Ford | 1 | DNF | 0 |
2003
In 2003, Michael Schumacher showered praise on the new Ferrari, the F2003-GA, saying, “It’s something special, so beautiful, so fine” following his victory in the 2003 Spanish Grand Prix. Meanwhile, championship leader Kimi Raikkonen faced a setback as he collided with the stalled Jaguar of Antonio Pizzonia after lights out on the grid. From there, Schumacher maintained complete control of the race. However, stealing the headlines and the admiration of the 96,000-strong crowd was 22-year-old local talent Fernando Alonso, who clinched second place in his Renault. Reflecting on his result, Alonso remarked, “That was the fifth consecutive race in which I have finished in the points, which is all I could have dreamt of,” he said. “And I am still dreaming.” Schumacher’s teammate Rubens Barrichello finished third.
2003 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 65 | 1:33:46.933 | 10 |
| 2 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 65 | +5.716s | 8 |
| 3 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 65 | +18.001s | 6 |
| 4 | 3 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams BMW | 65 | +62.022s | 5 |
| 5 | 4 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams BMW | 64 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 6 | 21 | Cristiano da Matta | Toyota | 64 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 7 | 14 | Mark Webber | Jaguar Cosworth | 64 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 8 | 12 | Ralph Firman | Jordan Ford | 63 | +2 laps | 1 |
| 9 | 17 | Jenson Button | BAR Honda | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber Petronas | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 18 | Justin Wilson | Minardi Cosworth | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 19 | Jos Verstappen | Minardi Cosworth | 62 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Jordan Ford | 43 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Olivier Panis | Toyota | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Sauber Petronas | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | David Coulthard | McLaren Mercedes | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Jacques Villeneuve | BAR Honda | 12 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Antonio Pizzonia | Jaguar Cosworth | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2025
Jochen Mass, who died on this day, won once in 102 Formula 1 starts between 1973 and 1982. He made his F1 debut with Surtees and later moved to McLaren in 1975, where he played the role of an excellent No. 2 to Emerson Fittipaldi, winning the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. However, his prominence declined when James Hunt joined McLaren in 1976, as he could not match Hunt’s pace. After stints with ATS and Arrows and a year off in 1981, Mass returned for an uncompetitive season with March in 1982. He then focused on sports cars, winning Le Mans in 1989. Mass later mentored young talents, including Michael Schumacher, before retiring in 1991.
2025
After a relentless run of five races in just six weeks, the Formula 1 paddock finally had a moment to reset before plunging back into the intensity of the season. The next stop brought a return to one of the sport’s newest and most vibrant venues: Miami. With a new championship leader at the top of the drivers’ standings and several drivers still in the hunt, there was no shortage of guessing who would leave the weekend in first as the series headed stateside for its latest showdown — and the added twist of a Sprint weekend promised even more drama.
Come race day for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri lit up Miami with a statement win, claiming his third victory of the 2025 season and stretching his lead in the drivers’ championship. The young Aussie wasted no time snatching the lead from Max Verstappen early on, setting the tone for a race where McLaren looked untouchable. With the team dialled in at the Miami International Autodrome, Piastri’s pace and composure delivered a result that firmly marks him as the title frontrunner.
Lando Norris backed up McLaren’s dominance by locking in second, giving the Woking squad a clean 1-2 finish and serious momentum heading into the next rounds. George Russell brought home third for Mercedes, while Verstappen—unable to match the McLarens—had to settle for fourth. Alex Albon put in a standout drive for Williams in fifth, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc could only manage seventh on a day the Scuderia looked out of sorts.
Full Race Report
2025 Miami Grand Prix Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | 1:28:51.587 | 25 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +4.630s | 18 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 57 | +37.644s | 15 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | +39.956s | 12 |
| 5 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 57 | +48.067s | 10 |
| 6 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 57 | +55.502s | 8 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 57 | +57.036s | 6 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 57 | +60.186s | 4 |
| 9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 57 | +60.577s | 2 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | +74.434s | 1 |
| 11 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 57 | +74.602s | 0 |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +82.006s | 0 |
| 13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 57 | +90.445s | 0 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 27 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| Note – Tsunoda received a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 4 May
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 4 May 1913 | Adolf Lang (d. 1993) |
| 4 May 1925 | Dick Reese (d. 2013) |
| 4 May 1928 | Wolfgang von Trips (d. 1961) |
| 4 May 1946 | John Watson |
F1 Driver Deaths 4 May
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 4 May 1974 | Marvin Pifer (b. 1928) |
| 4 May 2014 | Tony Settember (b. 1926) |
| 4 May 2014 | Al Pease (b. 1921) |
| 4 May 2021 | Leslie Marr (b. 1922) |
| 4 May 2025 | Jochen Mass (b. 1946) |
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