What happened on this day, October 28 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1876
Henri Rougier, born in Marseilles on this day, was a true pioneer in motorsport. Winner of the first Monte Carlo Rally in 1909, Rougier participated in early races from the 1900s through the 1920s. He was also a small-scale car manufacturer and a record-setting aviator.
1930
Whether admired or criticised, Bernie Ecclestone is undeniably one of the most influential figures in motorsport. Born on this day, 28 October, in Suffolk, Ecclestone’s journey began selling second-hand bicycles before a brief stint as a driver. As his business grew, he pivoted to ownership and management in Formula 1. Twice, he left F1 after the tragic deaths of his drivers, Stuart Lewis-Evans, in 1958 and Jochen Rindt in 1970, but returned in 1972 to purchase Brabham, elevating the team to the top step. Ecclestone also co-founded the Formula One Constructors’ Association, transforming the sport alongside Max Mosley by organising its finances and management, evolving it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise.
Bernie Ecclestone
F1 Debut 1958 Monaco Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Privateer
1951
Juan Manuel Fangio clinched his first of five world championships with a controlled victory at the 1951 Spanish Grand Prix. His team, Alfa Romeo, employed clever tactics, installing dummy fuel tanks to mislead Ferrari into altering their pit-stop strategy. While Fangio’s win was celebrated, his joy was short-lived—later that evening, he learned that Alfa Romeo faced financial troubles and was withdrawing from racing, forcing Fangio to end his partnership with the team. Argentinian Jose Froilan Gonzalez took second for Ferrari in the race, with Nino Farina, Fangio’s teammate, completing the podium in third place.
Full Race Report
1951 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo | 70 | 2:46:54.100 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Jose Froilan Gonzalez | Ferrari | 70 | +54.280s | 6 |
| 3 | 20 | Nino Farina | Alfa Romeo | 70 | +105.540s | 4 |
| 4 | 2 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 68 | +2 laps | 3 |
| 5 | 24 | Felice Bonetto | Alfa Romeo | 68 | +2 laps | 2 |
| 6 | 26 | Toulo de Graffenried | Alfa Romeo | 66 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 7 | 28 | Louis Rosier | Talbot-Lago | 64 | +6 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 34 | Philippe Etancelin | Talbot-Lago | 63 | +7 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 14 | Robert Manzon | Simca-Gordini | 63 | +7 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 44 | Paco Godia | Maserati Milano | 60 | +10 laps | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari | 48 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | André Simon | Simca-Gordini | 48 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 36 | Johnny Claes | Talbot-Lago | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Maurice Trintignant | Simca-Gordini | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 38 | Georges Grignard | Talbot-Lago | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 32 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Talbot-Lago | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Louis Chiron | Talbot-Lago | 4 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Prince Bira | Maserati OSCA | 1 | DNF | 0 |
1981
Nearly three and a half years after the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, Riccardo Patrese was acquitted by a Milan court of manslaughter charges in the death of Ronnie Peterson. Patrese had been accused of reckless driving, sparking a chain reaction that led to Peterson’s fatal accident. F1’s first legal trial saw James Hunt testify against Patrese, asserting that his move to the left triggered the collision. The race starter, also charged, was cleared of allegations of beginning the race with some backmarkers still in motion.
2012
At the 2012 Indian Grand Prix, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel dominated from pole position, claiming victory for the second year in a row. Although he led every lap, McLaren driver Jenson Button‘s late fastest lap prevented Vettel from achieving a Grand Chelem. The race concluded with Indian Olympic bronze medalist shooter Gagan Narang waving the chequered flag. Vettel, was followed by Spain’s Fernando Alonso for Ferrari in second, and Australia’s Mark Webber, in the sister Red Bull, securing third.
2012 Indian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 60 | 1:31:10.744 | 25 |
| 2 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 60 | +9.437 | 18 |
| 3 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | 60 | +13.217 | 15 |
| 4 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 60 | +13.909 | 12 |
| 5 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 60 | +26.266 | 10 |
| 6 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 60 | +44.674 | 8 |
| 7 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus F1 | 60 | +45.227 | 6 |
| 8 | 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India | 60 | +54.998 | 4 |
| 9 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus F1 | 60 | +56.103 | 2 |
| 10 | 19 | Bruno Senna | Williams | 60 | +1:14.975 | 1 |
| 11 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 60 | +1:21.694 | 0 |
| 12 | 11 | Paul di Resta | Force India | 60 | +1:22.815 | 0 |
| 13 | 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 60 | +1:26.064 | 0 |
| 14 | 14 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | 60 | +1:26.495 | 0 |
| 15 | 17 | Jean-Éric Vergne | Toro Rosso | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 16 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 17 | 21 | Vitaly Petrov | Caterham | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 18 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 19 | 25 | Charles Pic | Marussia | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 20 | 24 | Timo Glock | Marussia | 58 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 21 | 23 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT | 58 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 22 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 55 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT | 42 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Sergio Pérez | Sauber | 20 | Collision damage | 0 |
2018
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton entered the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix with a solid 70-point lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the World Drivers’ Championship, with Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen 55 points further back in third. Starting on the front row alongside teammate Daniel Riccardo, Max Verstappen stormed ahead on lap 1 to take the lead going on to claim victory with the Red Bull team, his second win of the season. Vettel and Ferrari teammate Raikkonen finished second and third. Hamilton finished fourth, with enough points to secure his fifth Drivers’ World Championship title.
2018 Mexican Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 71 | 1:38:28.851 | 25 |
| 2 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 71 | +17.316s | 18 |
| 3 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 71 | +49.914s | 15 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 71 | +78.738s | 12 |
| 5 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 70 | +1 lap | 10 |
| 6 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 69 | +2 laps | 8 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber | 69 | +2 laps | 6 |
| 8 | 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | 69 | +2 laps | 4 |
| 9 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 69 | +2 laps | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso | 69 | +2 laps | 1 |
| 11 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Racing Point Force India | 69 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Williams | 69 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 35 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams | 69 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 28 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso | 69 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 69 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 16 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 68 | +3 laps | 0 |
| Ret | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing | 61 | Hydraulics | 0 |
| Ret | 11 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point Force India | 38 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Renault | 28 | Clutch | 0 |
| Ret | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 3 | Water pressure | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 28 October
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 October 1919 | Hans Klenk (d. 2009) |
| 28 October 1919 | Walt Hansgen (d. 1966) |
| 28 October 1924 | Antonio Creus (d. 1996) |
| 28 October 1930 | Bernie Ecclestone |
F1 Driver Deaths 28 October
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 October | None |
F1 Champion 28 October
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 October 1951 | Juan Manuel Fangio |
| 28 October 2018 | Lewis Hamilton |
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