He passed away on March 10, 2017, at St George’s Hospital in London, at the age of 83, and was laid to rest beside his son Henry in Lingfield, Surrey. A tribute to Surtees was held at the Goodwood Members Meeting shortly after, on March 19.
The team continued until its the end of 1978. Surtees’ contributions to motorsports were finally recognised in 1996 when he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
In 1970, Surtees founded the Surtees Racing Organisation, leading his team for nine seasons across Formula 5000, Formula 2, and Formula 1 as a constructor. He retired from competitive racing in 1972, a year when future F1 driver Mike Hailwood clinched the European F2 Championship with the team.
Surtees claimed seven Grand Prix motorcycle World Championships, including four in the 500cc class with MV Agusta. In 1964, he won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship with Ferrari, making him the only person in history to win World Championships on both two wheels and four.
Remembering John Surtees, who died #OnThisDay 10th March in 2017, he was a British motorsport icon, excelling as a motorcycle road racer and a Formula 1 driver. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1952 to 1960 and Formula One from 1960 to 1972.
#f1 #formula1
The race was also remembered for Martin Brundle, who miraculously walked away from a dramatic 170mph crash on the opening lap. Although his Jordan car was destroyed, Brundle returned in a spare car, only to spin out again on the restart. Eddie Irvine completed the podium for Ferrari.
Hill acknowledged Villeneuve as the “moral winner” and matched his father’s record (Graham Hill) of 14 Grand Prix wins. Hill also shared a peculiar challenge he faced during the race—a loose stone in his overalls, which shifted uncomfortably every time he moved.
On his F1 debut, Villeneuve had taken pole and led comfortably until a late oil leak forced him to slow, enabling Hill to catch and overtake in the closing laps.
Damon Hill, driving for Williams, clinched victory on his way to the Championship later that year, although his teammate Jacques Villeneuve dominated most of the race.
1996: Damon matches his father’s record (Graham Hill) of 14 Grand Prix wins
#OnThisDay 10th March, Australian fans were treated to back-to-back races with the first race, the 1996 Australian GP, just a few months after the finale of the 1995 season.
#f1 #formula1
He also beat Lewis Hamilton by becoming the first British driver in a Ferrari since Eddie Irvine in 1999.
Bearman’s entry made him the youngest British F1 driver at the time, the youngest ever Ferrari driver at the time, the first English Ferrari driver since Nigel Mansell, and the first driver since Arturo Merzario, in 1972, to make his F1 debut in a Ferrari.
As was the case with the Bahrain Grand Prix, Formula 1 hosted yet another race on a Saturday to prevent an overlap with the start of Ramadan on the 10th of March.
The race weekend also saw the debut of British Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman standing in the Carlos Sainz.
2024: Oliver Bearman makes his F1 debut
#OnThisDay 9th March, Verstappen flawlessly extended his winning streak to a ninth consecutive victory at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP aiming for his fourth straight F1 championship, leading RB to another 1-2. Leclerc followed home in third.
#f1 #Formula1
None of the teams that had considered signing him, Jordan and Stewart, finished the race, offering him slight consolation.
Coulthard’s teammate, Mika Hakkinen, finished third, with the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher finishing second.
Meanwhile, defending champion Damon Hill, having switched to Arrows from Williams, faced a mechanical failure during the parade lap after qualifying 20th.
Although Williams had dominated the previous season, the race unfolded differently. Jacques Villeneuve was eliminated by Eddie Irvine right at the start, and his teammate, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, ended his race in the gravel three laps from the finish due to a pit stop error.
This was also a huge win for a Mercedes engine, the first since Juan Manuel Fangio‘s championship-sealing race at Monza in 1955.
1997: First win for a Mercedes-powered car since 1955
#OnThisDay 9th March, David Coulthard won at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix for McLaren, starting from fourth on the grid, marking the team’s first win in 50 races.
#f1 #formula1
Despite some points finishes, Maldonado’s penalties and the team’s financial woes highlighted a disappointing season, his last in F1.
In 2015, his last season and with Lotus F1 now using Mercedes power units, the team was more competitive, but financial difficulties overshadowed the season. Maldonado was outperformed by teammate Romain Grosjean, who achieved the team’s only podium.
Despite driving one of Williams’ least competitive cars, he won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. His shock win means he holds the title of the only Venezuelan F1 driver to win an F1 Championship Grand Prix.
Happy birthday to Pastor Maldonado, who was born #OnThisDay 9th March in 1985. He started 95 races between 2011 and 2015, racing for the Williams and Lotus F1 teams.
#f1 #formula1
Happy 75th birthday to Gary Anderson. A Northern Irish racing car designer and former Formula One technical director who worked for teams such as Jordan, Stewart, and Jaguar. He is best known for designing the Jordan 191.
#f1 #formula1
She was, we also cover other openly gay drivers here… www.formulaonehistory.com/gay-f1-drive...
As it’s #InternationalWomensDay we look back at F1’s trailblazers of the sport from Maria Teresa de Filippis to Susie Wolff and the F1 Academy.
#f1 #Formula1
www.formulaonehistory.com/list-of-fema...
It’s hard enough to win in F1 — getting both cars on the podium’s top steps is next-level. After Mercs latest, and 61st, see which teams have pulled off the most 1-2 finishes in the sport’s history?
www.formulaonehistory.com/which-f1-tea...
#f1 #formula1 #ausgp
George Russell converted pole into victory in the season-opening 2026 GP, leading home Merc teammate Kimi Antonelli to seal a 1-2 finish. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari.
Full weekend report: www.formulaonehistory.com/2026-austral...
#f1 #formula1
Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen secured third place, his only podium appearance of the season. The race also celebrated Bridgestone’s first victory, making it the first GP win by a tyre other than Goodyear since the 1991 Canadian GP. Johnny Herbert also earned his only point of the season.
This incident led the World Motorsport Council to suggest that "any future act prejudicial to the interests of competition should be severely punished", setting the backdrop for the eventual ban on team orders in 2003.
