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What Happened On This Day September 7 In F1 History?
From Vanwall winning the first-ever Formula One Constructor's title in 1958 to Jackie Stewart and Matra winning Drivers' and Constructors' Championships at the 1969 Italian Grand Prix.
Jackie Stewart and Matra win Drivers' and Constructors' Championships at the 1969 Italian Grand Prix // Image: Motorsport Images
What happened on this day, September 7 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1952
Alberto Ascari capped off his and Ferrari‘s dominant season by winning the 1952 Italian Grand Prix in front of his home fans. However, Froilan Gonzalez ensured it wasn’t all about Ferrari on the day, bringing his Maserati home in second place, ahead of Ferrari drivers Luigi Villoresi and Giuseppe Farina. Such was the dominance of the Ferrari team throughout the 1952 season; the World Drivers’ Championship had already been clinched a month before the season-ending Italian Grand Prix.
1952 Italian Grand Prix Race Results
Pos
No
Driver
Car
Laps
Time/retired
Pts
1
12
Alberto Ascari
Ferrari
80
2:50:45.600
8.5
2
26
Jose Froilan Gonzalez
Maserati
80
+61.800s
6.5
3
16
Luigi Villoresi
Ferrari
80
+124.200s
4
4
10
Nino Farina
Ferrari
80
+131.400s
3
5
22
Felice Bonetto
Maserati
79
+1 lap
2
6
8
Andre Simon
Ferrari
79
+1 lap
0
7
14
Piero Taruffi
Ferrari
77
+3 laps
0
8
48
Chico Landi
Maserati
76
+4 laps
0
9
40
Ken Wharton
Cooper Bristol
76
+4 laps
0
10
62
Louis Rosier
Ferrari
75
+5 laps
0
11
50
Eitel Cantoni
Maserati
75
+5 laps
0
12
30
Dennis Poore
Connaught Lea Francis
74
+6 laps
0
13
36
Eric Brandon
Cooper Bristol
73
+7 laps
0
14
2
Robert Manzon
Gordini
71
+9 laps
0
15
38
Alan Brown
Cooper Bristol
68
+12 laps
0
NC
32
Stirling Moss
Connaught Lea Francis
60
DNF
0
NC
46
Gino Bianco
Maserati
46
DNF
0
NC
6
Jean Behra
Gordini
42
DNF
0
NC
42
Mike Hawthorn
Cooper Bristol
38
DNC
0
NC
24
Franco Rol
Maserati
24
DNF
0
NC
4
Maurice Trintignant
Gordini
5
DNF
0
NC
28
Kenneth McAlpine
Connaught Lea Francis
4
DNF
0
NC
18
Rudi Fischer
Ferrari
3
DNF
0
NC
34
Elie Bayol
OSCA
0
DNF
0
1958
Tony Brooks spoiled the day for the Tifosi by winning the 1958 Italian Grand Prix in his Vanwall, finishing ahead of Ferrari drivers Mike Hawthorn in second and Phil Hill in third. It was a race marked by high attrition, with pole-sitter Stirling Moss fading from contention, leaving Brooks as the sole Vanwall to challenge the Italian cars, eventually passing Hawthorn with ten laps remaining. With that win, Vanwall won the first-ever Formula One Constructor’s title with one race of the 1958 season to go.
1958 Italian Grand Prix Race Results
Pos
No
Driver
Car
Laps
Time/retired
Pts
1
28
Tony Brooks
Vanwall
70
2:03:47.800
8
2
14
Mike Hawthorn
Ferrari
70
+24.200s
6
3
18
Phil Hill
Ferrari
70
+28.300s
5
4
32
Masten Gregory
Maserati
SHC
0
4
32
Carroll Shelby
Maserati
69
+1 lap
0
5
6
Roy Salvadori
Cooper Climax
62
+8 laps
2
6
38
Graham Hill
Lotus Climax
62
+8 laps
0
7
36
Cliff Allison
Lotus Climax
61
+9 laps
0
NC
42
Maria Teresa de Filippis
Maserati
57
DNF
0
NC
22
Giulio Cabianca
Maserati
51
DNF
0
NC
8
Jean Behra
BRM
42
DNF
0
NC
24
Hans Herrmann
Maserati
32
DNF
0
NC
30
Stuart Lewis-Evans
Vanwall
30
DNF
0
NC
2
Maurice Trintignant
Cooper Climax
24
DNF
0
NC
26
Stirling Moss
Vanwall
17
DNF
0
NC
12
Jo Bonnier
BRM
14
DNF
0
NC
20
Olivier Gendebien
Ferrari
4
DNF
0
NC
40
Gerino Gerini
Maserati
2
DNF
0
NC
34
Carroll Shelby
Maserati
1
DNF
0
NC
10
Harry Schell
BRM
0
DNF
0
NC
16
Wolfgang von Trips
Ferrari
0
DNF
0
NC
4
Jack Brabham
Cooper Climax
0
DNF
0
Note – Gregory received no points as he shared his drive with Shelby.
1969
Jackie Stewart narrowly defeated Jochen Rindt by just 0.08 seconds at the 1969 Italian Grand Prix in what was described by The Times as the most thrilling Grand Prix finish he had ever witnessed. The top four drivers were separated by only 0.19 seconds in a race that saw the lead change hands 14 times. Stewart’s victory secured him the 1969 Drivers’ Championship and the Matra team the 1969 Constructors’ title. “We had an absolutely terrific scrap,” Stewart said. “I feel utterly exhausted, but at this moment, I could not be happier.” The Times painted a vivid picture of the race’s final moments, noting, “In an electric atmosphere, with the crowd on their toes, we waited and watched for the leaders to appear out of the south curve on the final lap. Four cars roared into view—seemingly welded together—with Stewart and Rindt wheel-to-wheel, just ahead of [Jean-Pierre] Beltoise and [Bruce] McLaren. It was a fairytale finish to a tremendous race that will live long in grand prix history and thousands of Italian memories.”
Nelson Piquet led a Williams1-2 finish at the 1986 Italian Grand Prix, with teammate Nigel Mansell in second and Stefan Johansson taking third for Ferrari. Although Teo Fabi and Alain Prost qualified on the front row, issues with their cars meant Fabi started from the back, and Prost from the pit lane. After overtaking Mansell, Piquet went on to secure a dominant win, moving him to second in the standings, just five points behind Mansell.
McLaren driver David Coulthard won the 1997 Italian Grand Prix after starting from sixth on the grid, beating Jean Alesi in a Benetton and the Williams of Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Alesi had begun from pole position for only the second time in his career, leading Frentzen and a fast-starting Coulthard. The race was ultimately decided during the pit stops, with McLaren’s efficient work allowing Coulthard to emerge ahead of the Benetton of Alesi. Coulthard then led a procession to the finish.
1997 Italian Grand Prix Race Results
Pos
No
Driver
Car
Laps
Time/retired
Pts
1
10
David Coulthard
McLaren Mercedes
53
1:17:04.609
10
2
7
Jean Alesi
Benetton Renault
53
+1.937s
6
3
4
Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Williams Renault
53
+4.343s
4
4
12
Giancarlo Fisichella
Jordan Peugeot
53
+5.871s
3
5
3
Jacques Villeneuve
Williams Renault
53
+6.416s
2
6
5
Michael Schumacher
Ferrari
53
+11.481s
1
7
8
Gerhard Berger
Benetton Renault
53
+12.471s
0
8
6
Eddie Irvine
Ferrari
53
+17.639s
0
9
9
Mika Hakkinen
McLaren Mercedes
53
+49.373s
0
10
14
Jarno Trulli
Prost Mugen Honda
53
+62.706s
0
11
15
Shinji Nakano
Prost Mugen Honda
53
+63.327s
0
12
17
Gianni Morbidelli
Sauber Petronas
52
+1 lap
0
13
22
Rubens Barrichello
Stewart Ford
52
+1 lap
0
14
21
Tarso Marques
Minardi Hart
50
+3 laps
0
NC
1
Damon Hill
Arrows Yamaha
46
DNF
0
NC
11
Ralf Schumacher
Jordan Peugeot
39
DNF
0
NC
16
Johnny Herbert
Sauber Petronas
38
DNF
0
NC
19
Mika Salo
Tyrrell Ford
33
DNF
0
NC
23
Jan Magnussen
Stewart Ford
31
DNF
0
NC
18
Jos Verstappen
Tyrrell Ford
12
DNF
0
NC
20
Ukyo Katayama
Minardi Hart
8
DNF
0
NC
2
Pedro Diniz
Arrows Yamaha
4
DNF
0
2008
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was controversially stripped of victory at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix after stewards ruled that he had gained an unfair advantage by passing Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari after cutting a chicane. Despite Hamilton giving back the position immediately after the manoeuvre, the stewards imposed a 25-second penalty, dropping him to third. “This is motor racing, and if there’s a penalty, then there’s something wrong,” Hamilton remarked as the stewards deliberated. “But you know what they are like.” Raikkonen later crashed out, allowing Felipe Massa to take the win for Ferrari, with Nick Heidfeld in a Sauber finishing second.
2008 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
Pos
No
Driver
Car
Laps
Time/retired
Pts
1
2
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
44
1:22:59.394
10
2
3
Nick Heidfeld
Sauber BMW
44
+9.383s
8
3
22
Lewis Hamilton
McLaren Mercedes
44
+10.539s
6
4
5
Fernando Alonso
Renault
44
+14.478s
5
5
15
Sebastian Vettel
STR Ferrari
44
+14.576s
4
6
4
Robert Kubica
Sauber BMW
44
+15.037s
3
7
14
Sebastien Bourdais
STR Ferrari
44
+16.735s
2
8
10
Mark Webber
Red Bull Renault
44
+42.776s
1
9
12
Timo Glock
Toyota
44
+67.045s
0
10
23
Heikki Kovalainen
McLaren Mercedes
43
DNF
0
11
9
David Coulthard
Red Bull Renault
43
+1 lap
0
12
7
Nico Rosberg
Williams Toyota
43
+1 lap
0
13
20
Adrian Sutil
Force India Ferrari
43
+1 lap
0
14
8
Kazuki Nakajima
Williams Toyota
43
+1 lap
0
15
16
Jenson Button
Honda
43
+1 lap
0
16
11
Jarno Trulli
Toyota
43
+1 lap
0
17
21
Giancarlo Fisichella
Force India Ferrari
43
+1 lap
0
18
1
Kimi Räikkönen
Ferrari
42
DNF
0
NC
17
Rubens Barrichello
Honda
19
DNF
0
NC
6
Nelson Piquet
Renault
13
DNF
0
2014
At the 2014 Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the 53-lap race from pole, the 36th pole position of his career. His teammate Nico Rosberg finished second, while Felipe Massa in the Williams took third. The result saw Hamilton lower Rosberg’s lead in the 2014 Drivers’ Championship to 22 points, a championship Hamilton would go on to win by 67 points to Rosberg in second.
Lee is our staff writer specialising in anything technical within Formula 1 from aerodynamics to engines. Lee writes most of our F1 guides for beginners and experienced fans as well as our F1 on this day posts having followed the sport since 1991, researching and understanding how teams build the ultimate machines. Like everyone else on the team he listens to podcasts about F1 and enjoys reading biographies of former drivers.
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