What was the F1 news on your birthday?

March 6, 2009 at 8:00 am by Keith Collantine

Autosport November 5th, 1981 (click to enlarge)

Yesterday F1 Fanatic celebrated its fourth brithday.

By sheer coincidence a couple of days ago I came across the issue of Autosport that was printed on my own birthday: November 5th, 1981 (see picture).

This got me thinking – can we find out what the big F1 news was on the day (or week) of all our birthdays?

So, post your birth date in the comments below and I’ll do my best to rummage through the stacks of Autosports, Motorsports and other motor racing magazines I have piled up to find out what was going on in the F1 world on that day…

An Autosport cover without F1 on it would be unthinkable these days – but on November 5th, 1981 the lead story was the Ivory Coast rally.

But the Formula Ford Festival is mentioned at the bottom of the cover – it was won by Tommy Byrne, a rival of Ayrton Senna. Byrne went on to have a brief F1 career and you can read more of his story in the excellent book “Crashed and Byrned” which came out last year.

Autosport November 5th, 1981, page two (click to enlarge)

There was big news in the F1 world that week though. Carlos Reutemann, who had lost the 1981 world championship to Nelson Piquet in the last round of the season at Las Vegas, announced he was leaving F1. This left Williams with no drivers at all, as Alan Jones had already announced his retirement. Opposite page two was a story about Keke Rosberg leaving the tail-end team Fittipaldi.

Reutemann started the 1982 season with Williams but left abruptly, leaving them with Rosberg, who went on to win the title. On the same page is a story about John Watson turning down a drive with the team for 1982 – Watson remained at Mclaren and fought Rosberg for the title until the final round.

In other F1 news that day, Riccardo Patrese was finally cleared of wrongdoing in the accident that had claimed Ronnie Peterson’s life at Monza in 1978. Race starter Gianni Restelli was also foung not guilty by a court in Milan.

What was the F1 news on your birthday?

Post your birth date below and we’ll see if F1 Fanatic readers can find out what the F1 news was on the day you were born.

Read more: F1 Fanatic is four!

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781 comments on What was the F1 news on your birthday?

Pete Walker said on 6th March 2009, 10:39

My birth date is May 24th 1984. Its a nice birthday to have actually, as every once in a while I get a birthday Monaco GP (1998, this season). :)

- sumedh said on 7th March 2009, 7:55
  
  Hey; I am born 1 day and 3 years later.
  25th May 1987.
  
  And Monaco GP was on 25th in 2008; not 24th :P
  
  Its cool to have a birthday in the holidays, I feel. I have celebrated mine in atleast 10 different cities so far ( out of 22).
  
- driftin said on 3rd June 2011, 0:33
  
  That’s the EXACT date of my birthday!
  
anirudh said on 6th March 2009, 10:44

30th Nov 1991

Smitty said on 6th March 2009, 10:49

6th February 1989

ukk said on 6th March 2009, 10:49

18th Sept 1975
Niki Lauda became World Champion a week before, I think

Kester said on 6th March 2009, 10:49

Friday 13th April 1984

Oliver said on 6th March 2009, 10:51

30th April 1973

ajokay said on 6th March 2009, 10:53

Jan 3rd 1985… 4 days before Lewis’s, in a hospital a few miles south of Stevenage.

I also share my birthday with Michael Schumacher, who would have been celebrating his 16th birthday.

SamS said on 6th March 2009, 10:59

10th January 1984 randomly the US and the vatican established full diplomatic relations. FACT. Need to get out more

- ajokay said on 6th March 2009, 11:09
  
  Just as well, otherwise there’d be a small crater in the middle of Rome by now.
  
- Tom said on 6th March 2009, 11:51
  
  The small crater would be an ideal place to build a new track for the Rome GP.
  
- ukk said on 6th March 2009, 12:47
  
  yep… the crater will make for a good oval ;-)
  
  - Mike said on 7th April 2010, 5:51
    
    Finally a new track with elevation changes….
    
Nefer said on 6th March 2009, 11:09

Oh everyone’s so young.

2nd August 1972

- Speed Damon said on 29th November 2010, 20:36
  
  Uh uh I must be youngest
  3rd December 1995
  
  - Ell (@ell) said on 1st May 2011, 14:41
    
    nope, 7 august 1998
    
Ted Tofield said on 6th March 2009, 11:14

Like Pete I get the occasional Monaco GP or even Indy 500

30th May 1974

Also: Number-one song in the charts today
In the USA:
“The Streak” by Ray Stevens

hahahahaha

- Cole said on 12th December 2010, 2:50
  
  Same here!
  May 30th, 1970 though!
  
Christian Briddon said on 6th March 2009, 11:15

12th November 1969.

Am I the oldest person here? I don’t feel that old. :-)

I never get a GP on my birthday but looking at this years calendar we seem to be getting closer!!

qazuhb said on 6th March 2009, 11:22

20th January 1965. One of the eldest here it seems! The great Jim Clark had won the South African Grand Prix on the first day of January, in his bid to win his second championship, which he would finally get with a perfect score of 54 points (9 points for each victory, only the best six round results could be retained).

- Shirleen Riffe said on 4th March 2012, 0:09
  
  I might have the honors. 19 May 1959
  
- Daniel Martinez (@danielito) said on 15th January 2013, 12:22
  
  I’m close, 16th january 1968
  
Mark said on 6th March 2009, 11:28

September 12th 1988. I always get either Monza or spa around then. I like it as they are the best tracks on the calander (until they get replaced by some random arab race).

Matt Aitch said on 6th March 2009, 11:33

25th November, 1969! Pah, the F1 driver’s these days…they don’t know they’re born! Hay bails for barriers, 4 wheels off the ground… and that was just the Silverstone car park!

El Gordo said on 6th March 2009, 11:33

27 April 1975… cor I’m old and didn’t know it. :-)

- PaulT said on 16th February 2011, 23:03
  
  22 July 1951! Is anyone older than that?!!
  
  - dot_com (@dot_com) said on 13th September 2012, 0:34
    
    Absolutely nobody!!