April 2, 1926. Jack Brabham was born on this date near Sydney, Australia. He achieved his first major race victory with a Cooper in Monte Carlo in 1959 and, in the final race of the season in Sebring, Florida, he secured the championship by pushing his car across the finish line. He successfully defended his title in 1960 with five consecutive wins in eight races.
In 1966, Brabham became the first and only driver to win the world championship in a car of his own ownership. “Black Jack” passed away on May 19, 2014.
April 2, 1940. Mike Hailwood was born into the world of cars and racing. His father, Stanley, was involved in selling cars and motorcycles and had already competed in races before the start of World War II.
“Mike the Bike” had a brilliant career in motorcycles, winning the prestigious Isle of Man TT fourteen times. He was the world champion in the premier 500cc category from 1962 to 1965, racing for the Italian team MV Agusta.
In 1969, Hailwood and David Hobbs finished third at Le Mans in John Wyer’s Ford GT40. Hailwood also won the 1972 Formula 2 Championship, driving for another motorcycle legend, John Surtees.
Hailwood competed in fifty Formula 1 races, with his best result being a second place behind Emerson Fittipaldi in Monza in 1972.
The man who survived racing at the Isle of Man and one of the most dangerous eras of Formula 1 tragically lost his life in a car accident on March 23, 1981, at the age of 40. The accident also took the life of his nine-year-old daughter, Michelle.
April 3, 1977. USGP “West”. This was the second Formula 1 race in the port city of Long Beach, located south of Los Angeles. It was only the third grand prix of the championship ever held in California, the first being held in Riverside in 1960.
Jody Scheckter, from South Africa, who had won the season-opening race in Argentina, driving for Canadian oil tycoon Walter Wolff, was on his way to securing his second win of the season. However, towards the end of the race, he suffered a slow puncture in the right front tire.
On lap 77 out of 80, Mario Andretti thrilled the local surfing community of Southern California by taking the lead. Niki Lauda in his Ferrari was less than a second behind, but Andretti managed to cross the finish line first and secure his third victory in Formula 1. To this day, he is the only American driver to win his own grand prix at home. Scheckter finished in third place.
April 7, 1966. Tragedy struck at Le Mans during rainy tests, resulting in the death of Walt Hansgen. The accident of his Ford GT40 Mk2 from Holman & Moddy took the life of the American sports car racing ace from New Jersey.
At the beginning of the 1966 season, Hansgen and Mark Donohue finished third in the 24 Hours of Daytona race and second in the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Hansgen competed in two Formula 1 races. Initially, he took part in the first United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1961. Unfortunately, he had to retire his Cooper Climax on lap 14 out of 100. Three years later, at the same venue, he secured a fifth place driving a Lotus Climax.
On April 7, 1968, the world of car racing was deeply saddened by the tragic death of Jim Clark during a Formula 2 race in the rain at Hockenheimring. This incident had a profound impact on the entire automotive community. After the race, Chris Amon expressed his dissatisfaction with the wet tires to Ferrari engineer Mauro Forghieri, stating that “even Jimmy couldn’t get away from me.”
Forghieri responded, “Jimmy didn’t finish the race.” In fact, it was Jimmy’s teammate at Lotus, Graham Hill, who managed to stay ahead of Amon.
During this race, a promising young English driver named Max Mosley made his Formula 2 debut with the London Racing team.
Jim Clark is widely recognized as one of the greatest drivers of all time. He won his first championship title in 1963 while racing for Colin Chapman’s Lotus team, the only team he competed for in Formula 1. In 1965, he triumphed at the Indianapolis 500 and won his second world championship.
© 2024
Dramatic events unfolded at this weekend’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, leaving motorsport fans in shock. During the race, a horrific accident occurred, resulting in several serious injuries. The drivers involved were rushed to the hospital as spectators watched in horror.
The accident happened on lap 20, when two cars collided at high speed. The images show debris flying through the air as the cars spun out of control. It was a moment of pure terror for everyone present.
Medical teams acted quickly to rescue the injured pilots. Ambulances were called and the pilots were taken to the nearest hospital. There is no information yet on the pilots’ health status, but everyone is hoping for their full recovery.
The race was interrupted after the accident and organizers are investigating the causes of the incident. The safety of the pilots is a priority and measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
Motorsport fans are sending messages of support to the injured pilots and sharing their concern on social media. Everyone hopes they will recover quickly and be back on the track soon.
This accident serves as a reminder of how dangerous and unpredictable motorsport can be. Pilots risk their lives in every race and we should value their courage and skill. Let’s continue to cheer for them and hope for positive news about their recovery.
