What happened on this day, October 19 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1924
Antonio Ascari won the third Italian Grand Prix by more than 16 minutes from Louis Wagner, with the Alfa Romeos taking the first four places, with the fourth-placed Ferdinando Minoia a remarkable 48 minutes clear of Jules Goux in fifth. Mercedes withdrew from the race after Count Louis Zborowski, the millionaire racing driver son of a Polish Count and an American mother, crashed into a tree and was killed.
1958
Although Stirling Moss won the sole championship-ranking 1958 Morocco Grand Prix driving a Vanwall, the spotlight ultimately fell on Mike Hawthorn, who secured the 1958 World Championship by a single point. For Moss to claim the championship, he needed to win and set the fastest lap and for Hawthorn to finish below second. While Moss accomplished the first two, Hawthorn, in a Ferrari, finished second nearly 90 seconds behind, aided by his teammate Phil Hill, who allowed him to pass finishing third. At the finish line, as both drivers were surrounded by the crowd, Moss grinned and shook Hawthorn’s hand, saying, “So you got it, you old so-and-so.” However, the day was overshadowed by tragedy: Moss’ teammate, Stuart Lewis-Evans, suffered severe burns in a crash and died six days later.
1958 Morocco Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Stirling Moss | Vanwall | 53 | 2:09:15.100 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | 53 | +84.700s | 6 |
| 3 | 4 | Phil Hill | Ferrari | 53 | +85.500s | 4 |
| 4 | 18 | Jo Bonnier | BRM | 53 | +106.700s | 3 |
| 5 | 16 | Harry Schell | BRM | 53 | +153.700s | 2 |
| 6 | 22 | Masten Gregory | Maserati | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 7 | 30 | Roy Salvadori | Cooper Climax | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 32 | Jack Fairman | Cooper Climax | 50 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 24 | Hans Herrmann | Maserati | 50 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 34 | Cliff Allison | Lotus Climax | 49 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 50 | Jack Brabham | Cooper Climax | 49 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 28 | Gerino Gerini | Maserati | 48 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 52 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper Climax | 48 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 58 | Robert La Caze | Cooper Climax | 48 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 60 | Andre Guelfi | Cooper Climax | 48 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 16 | 36 | Graham Hill | Lotus Climax | 45 | +8 laps | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Stuart Lewis-Evans | Vanwall | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 54 | Francois Picard | Cooper Climax | 31 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 56 | Tom Bridger | Cooper Climax | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Tony Brooks | Vanwall | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Olivier Gendebien | Ferrari | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Jean Behra | BRM | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Wolfgang Seidel | Maserati | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Ron Flockhart | BRM | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 38 | Maurice Trintignant | Cooper Climax | 9 | DNF | 0 |
1969
McLaren driver Denny Hulme claimed victory at the final race of the season, the 1969 Mexican Grand Prix, but the championship had already been secured by Jackie Stewart, who finished in fourth place. Stewart briefly led the race at the start before Hulme took control, eventually crossing the line 2.56 seconds ahead of Jackie Ickx and his 43-year-old Brabham teammate Jack Brabham, finishing third. “I’m satisfied,” Stewart remarked afterward. “There was nothing wrong with the car. Denny just drove a great race.”
1969 Mexican Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Denny Hulme | McLaren Ford | 65 | 1:54:08.800 | 9 |
| 2 | 7 | Jacky Ickx | Brabham Ford | 65 | +2.560s | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Jack Brabham | Brabham Ford | 65 | +38.480s | 4 |
| 4 | 3 | Jackie Stewart | Matra Ford | 65 | +47.040s | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra Ford | 65 | +98.520s | 2 |
| 6 | 15 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 63 | +2 laps | 1 |
| 7 | 12 | Pedro Rodriguez | Ferrari | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 16 | Johnny Servoz-Gavin | Matra Ford | 63 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 21 | Pete Lovely | Lotus Ford | 62 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 18 | Piers Courage | Brabham Ford | 61 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 19 | Silvio Moser | Brabham Ford | 60 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | John Surtees | BRM | 53 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Jochen Rindt | Lotus Ford | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | George Eaton | BRM | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Jo Siffert | Lotus Ford | 4 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | John Miles | Lotus Ford | 3 | DNF | 0 |
1985
Williams driver Nigel Mansell secured his second consecutive victory at the subdued 1985 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. The event was marked by the absence of several teams, TV networks, and journalists in protest against the race being held in apartheid-era South Africa. Despite the controversy, Mansell fended off a strong challenge from reigning world champion Alain Prost in the McLaren, ultimately finishing seven seconds ahead of his Williams teammate Keke Rosberg for a team 1-2 finish. The race also saw a dramatic incident between Alfa Romeo drivers Eddie Cheever and Riccardo Patrese, who spun off at the first corner and then confronted each other afterwards.
The South African Grand Prix wouldn’t return until 1992, after the end of apartheid, on a newly reconfigured Kyalami circuit. Nigel Mansell once again claimed victory at the 1992 race, this time driving a Williams powered by a naturally aspirated Renault engine.
Full Race Report
1985 South African Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams Honda | 75 | 1:28:22.866 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams Honda | 75 | +7.572s | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren TAG | 74 | DNF | 4 |
| 4 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 74 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows BMW | 74 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows BMW | 74 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell Renault | 73 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Renault | 52 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi Motori Moderni | 45 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren TAG | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell Renault | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus Renault | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham BMW | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Toleman Hart | 4 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman Hart | 3 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham BMW | 3 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella Alfa Romeo | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | DNS | 0 | |
| NC | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | DNS | 0 |
2008
Lewis Hamilton kept the championship battle alive with a victory with McLaren at the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix, ahead of his closest rival, Felipe Massa, who finished second for Ferrari. Heading into the final race in Brazil needing just four points to secure the title, Hamilton cautioned, “Remember last year? It’s not over until it’s over.” His words proved prophetic. The China race itself offered little excitement, with the only notable overtake among the frontrunners coming when Kimi Raikkonen handed second place to his Ferrari teammate, Massa, and settled for third. “It was pretty boring, even for us drivers,” Massa admitted.
2008 Chinese Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | 1:31:57.403 | 10 |
| 2 | 2 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 56 | +14.925s | 8 |
| 3 | 1 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 56 | +16.445s | 6 |
| 4 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 56 | +18.370s | 5 |
| 5 | 3 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber BMW | 56 | +28.923s | 4 |
| 6 | 4 | Robert Kubica | Sauber BMW | 56 | +33.219s | 3 |
| 7 | 12 | Timo Glock | Toyota | 56 | +41.722s | 2 |
| 8 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Renault | 56 | +56.645s | 1 |
| 9 | 15 | Sebastian Vettel | STR Ferrari | 56 | +64.339s | 0 |
| 10 | 9 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Renault | 56 | +74.842s | 0 |
| 11 | 17 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 56 | +85.061s | 0 |
| 12 | 8 | Kazuki Nakajima | Williams Toyota | 56 | +90.847s | 0 |
| 13 | 14 | Sebastien Bourdais | STR Ferrari | 56 | +91.457s | 0 |
| 14 | 10 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Renault | 56 | +92.422s | 0 |
| 15 | 7 | Nico Rosberg | Williams Toyota | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 16 | Jenson Button | Honda | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 21 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Force India Ferrari | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren Mercedes | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Ferrari | 13 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 2 | DNF | 0 |
2025
Max Verstappen claimed a commanding win at the 2025 United States Grand Prix, converting pole position into his fifth victory of the season to close in on the leaders of the 2025 F1 World Championship. The Red Bull driver led from lights to flag, executing a smooth one-stop strategy and managing his soft tyres to perfection to finish nearly eight seconds clear of Lando Norris. Behind him, Norris and Charles Leclerc delivered one of the races of the season with a fierce wheel-to-wheel fight for second, eventually settled in the McLaren driver’s favour after a bold move in the closing laps.
Lewis Hamilton brought home fourth for Ferrari despite a late puncture scare, while Oscar Piastri, still leading the Drivers’ Championship, salvaged fifth in a damage-limitation drive after a difficult weekend for McLaren. George Russell followed in sixth, Yuki Tsunoda secured seventh, and Nico Hülkenberg once again impressed for Kick Sauber in eighth. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman scored valuable points on home turf in ninth, and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten for Aston Martin.
Further down the order, Williams endured a mixed day as Carlos Sainz retired following contact with Kimi Antonelli, while Alex Albon finished 14th. Franco Colapinto defied team orders at Alpine to finish ahead of Pierre Gasly, adding tension to an otherwise straightforward race. As the dust settled in Austin, Verstappen’s win reduced Piastri’s title lead to 40 points, with Norris now just 14 behind his teammate — setting up a tantalising triple-header in Mexico, Brazil, and Las Vegas as the championship battle intensified across the Americas.
Full Race Weekend Report
2025 United States Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 56 | 01:34:00 | 25 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 56 | +7.959s | 18 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 56 | +15.373s | 15 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 56 | +28.536s | 12 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 56 | +29.678s | 10 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 56 | +33.456s | 8 |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 56 | +52.714s | 6 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 56 | +57.249s | 4 |
| 9 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 56 | +64.722s | 2 |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 56 | +70.001s | 1 |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 56 | +73.209s | 0 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 56 | +74.778s | 0 |
| 13 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 56 | +75.746s | 0 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 56 | +80.000s | 0 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 56 | +83.043s | 0 |
| 16 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 56 | +92.807s | 0 |
| 17 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 5 | DNF | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 19 October
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 19 October 1978 | Enrique Bernoldi |
| 19 October 1981 | Heikki Kovalainen |
F1 Driver Deaths 19 October
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 19 October 1987 | Hermann Lang (b. 1909) |
| 19 October 2003 | Nello Pagani (b. 1911) |
F1 Champion 19 October
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 19 October 1958 | Mike Hawthorn |
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