What happened on this day, November 8 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1933
Peter Arundell, born today in Ilford, Essex, raced in 13 Grand Prix for Lotus between 1964 and 1966 after winning the British Formula Junior Championship in 1962 and 1963. Seen as a promising talent and second driver to Jim Clark, he debuted in F1 in 1964, finishing third in his first two races.
Peter Arundell
F1 Debut 1964 Monaco Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Team Lotus
However, his career was disrupted after a severe crash in an F2 event at Reims that season, where he sustained multiple injuries, including two broken legs. Out for the remainder of 1964 and all of 1965, Arundell returned in 1966 but struggled to regain his previous form, retiring at the end of the year. He later moved to Florida, founding a software company.
1985
Masten Gregory, born 29 February 1932 (the only F1 driver born on a leap year), passed away on this day 8 November 1985. He was an American driver known as “The Kansas City Flash.” He competed in Formula One from 1957 to 1965 but had more success in sports car racing.
Gregory’s career included 38 starts from 43 F1 Grand Prix entries, mainly with privateer teams. He stood out in non-championship races, notably winning the 1962 Kanonloppet GP with BRP. His best result in an F1 Championship Race was with the Scuderia Centro Sud team driving a Maserati 250F, claiming third place at the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix.
Gregory’s driving extended to endurance racing, where he entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans 16 times from 1955 to 1972. His crowning achievement came in 1965 when he won at Le Mans in a Ferrari 250LM, driving alongside Jochen Rindt for the North American Racing Team (NART).
Masten Gregory
F1 Debut 1957 Monaco Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Privateer
1992
Williams driver Nigel Mansell‘s intended final Formula 1 race at the 1992 Australian Grand Prix turned sour after a collision with the McLaren of Ayrton Senna while battling for the lead. Frustrated, Mansell walked across the track to avoid a confrontation and criticised the stewards for their inaction, as well as his own Williams team for lack of support. “I’m glad I’m out of it,” he remarked, as he prepared to transition to the IndyCar series. “He just rammed me at 40 mph faster than I was going. I ran across the track [otherwise] there would have been a big fight, and I don’t think that’s the way to leave F1. Certain people can get away with what they want.” Meanwhile, Senna, whose teammate Gerhard Berger won the race, remained untroubled by the incident. “I have no bad feelings about it,” Senna said. “I think he’s been complaining, but that’s normal for him. He always complains.”
Berger won by 0.7 seconds from the Benetton of Michael Schumacher, with Schumacher’s teammate Martin Brundle third.
Jan Lammers, Stefano Modena, Mauricio Gugelmin and Olivier Grouillard saw their F1 careers come to an end at the chequered flag. This Grand Prix also proved to be the last for the March team.
1992 Australian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren Honda | 82 | 1:46:54.786 | 10 |
| 2 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton Ford | 82 | +0.741s | 6 |
| 3 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton Ford | 82 | +54.156s | 4 |
| 4 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 81 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier Renault | 81 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan Yamaha | 81 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus Ford | 81 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 10 | Aguri Suzuki | Footwork Mugen Honda | 80 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi Lamborghini | 80 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi Lamborghini | 80 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 28 | Nicola Larini | Ferrari | 80 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 16 | Jan Lammers | March Ilmor | 79 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus Ford | 78 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara Ferrari | 70 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Emanuele Naspetti | March Ilmor | 55 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi Lamborghini | 51 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams Renault | 50 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Ukyo Katayama | Venturi Lamborghini | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell Ilmor | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams Renault | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren Honda | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 33 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Jordan Yamaha | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier Renault | 4 | DNF | 0 |
2005
Red Bull announced that renowned designer and aerodynamics expert Adrian Newey would join as chief technical officer, enticing him away from McLaren, where he had been since 1997. Ironically, McLaren’s then-weapon—money—became the issue, as Newey reportedly sought a pay rise from $6 million to $10 million, leading him to Red Bull. “It’s a massive recruitment for us,” said Red Bull sporting director Christian Horner. “Given the choice between Adrian and Michael Schumacher, I’d choose Adrian every time. It’s of that magnitude. It shows we’re absolutely serious about our ambitions.” Newey had previously agreed to join Jaguar in 2001, only to reverse his decision after intense meetings with McLaren boss Ron Dennis.
F1 Driver Birthdays 8 November
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 8 November 1933 | Peter Arundell (d. 2009) |
| 8 November 1947 | Giorgio Francia |
F1 Driver Deaths 8 November
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 8 November 1985 | Masten Gregory (b. 1932) |
| 8 November 2021 | Mike Harris (b. 1939) |
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