After Alexander Albon’s fine seventh place in Canada, here are our favourite moments when F1’s underdogs broke through to score big results.
F1 history articles archive
F1 History
The Canadian GP thriller F1 loves to celebrate but can no longer replicate
F1 history
Posted onJenson Button’s last-lap pass concluded a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix in 2011 but under today’s rules it would have been stopped before half-distance.
McLaren unveil special Indy 500 ‘Triple Crown’ liveries
IndyCar
Posted onMcLaren have unveiled three special liveries it will run in next month’s Indianapolis 500, commemorating its wins in each of the three ‘Triple Crown’ races.
McLaren poke fun at Massa’s bid to take 2008 F1 title from Hamilton
2008 F1 season
Posted onMcLaren responded to Felipe Massa’s call for “justice” over the outcome of the 2008 world championship with the words: “denial is a river in Egypt”.
Massa’s problematic vision of Lance Armstrong-style justice over Crashgate
F1 history
Posted onFelipe Massa sees parallels between the Tour de France doping controversy and the Crashgate scandal he believes cost him the 2008 world championship. Is he right?
Jordan reveals deal he did with Faldo to make Schumacher’s F1 test debut happen
F1 history
Posted onFormer Formula 1 team principal Eddie Jordan has revealed a deal he made with golfing star Nick Faldo to make Michael Schumacher’s first F1 test happen.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, 1942-2023
F1 history
Posted onJean-Pierre Jabouille, whose victory for Renault in the 1979 French Grand Prix heralded a new era of turbo-powered Formula 1 cars, has died at the age of 80.
Still your favourite race after 10 years: Can anything top the 2012 Brazilian GP?
F1 history
Posted onA decade since the thrilling 2012 season finale, no race has received a higher rating from our readers. Will anything ever top that stunning Interlagos title-decider?
Benetton, 40 years on: How a fashion label conquered Formula 1
F1 history
Posted onThis week 40 years ago, an Italian fashion label signed a deal which began one of F1’s most successful, influential and colourful sponsorship programmes.
The forgotten story of the first time F1 snubbed Michael Andretti in 1986
F1 history
Posted onMichael Andretti’s chance of a Formula 1 debut in 1986 was thwarted when the sport’s governing body refused to give him a superlicence.
What happened to the last 10 new teams to enter Formula 1?
F1 history
Posted onThe FIA is looking into admitting a new team into Formula 1. But while gaining an entry is difficult, staying in is even harder.
Nato to race using number 17 in tribute to Bianchi
Formula E
Posted onNissan driver Norman Nato has chosen to race as number 17 in his return to Formula E next year as a tribute to Jules Bianchi, his fellow French racer who died seven years ago.
The case for changing F1’s penalty points system as Gasly nears ban
2022 F1 season
Posted onPierre Gasly is pushing for Formula 1 to change its penalty points rules as he is at risk of a ban. Should the FIA reconsider its system?
Red Bull’s $7 million penalty for cost cap breach is the second-highest in F1 history
2022 F1 season
Posted onRed Bull have been fined $7m by the FIA for breaching the 2021 budget cap. But how does that penalty compare to previous fines by the governing body?
Future F1 stars, huge rows and unforgettable races: The 1988 Formula Ford Festival
F1 history
Posted onFuture F1 racers Michael Schumacher and Vincenzo Sospiri competed in the 1988 Formula Ford Festival, which saw spectacular races but also shocking crashes and controversies, as this exclusive book excerpt relates.
The five teams of number five: Vettel’s F1 career history in pictures
F1 history
Posted onSebastian Vettel, who will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the year, won four world championships and 53 races in a career spanning five different teams.
Tony Brooks, 1932-2022
F1 history
Posted onTony Brooks, six-times grand prix winner and 1959 Formula 1 world championship runner-up, has passed away at the age of 90.
“He died and we didn’t even know”: How one fan witnessed the 1994 San Marino GP
F1 history
Posted onOne fan headed to Imola in 1994 excitedly anticipating their first live Formula 1 race, not expecting the tragic weekend which unfolded.
How F1’s last female racer stood little chance in a once-great team close to collapse
F1 history
Posted onThe last woman to sign a deal to race in Formula 1 got her opportunity 30 years ago today. But Giovanna Amati never had much of a chance at a Brabham team that was already close to collapse.
Sir Frank Williams, 1942-2021
F1 history
Posted onSir Frank Williams, who has passed away at the age of 79, founded one of Formula 1’s most successful teams and continued to run it long after the road car accident which confined him to a wheelchair.