United States Grand Prix: The Key Highlights

1959: Jack Brabham wins his first world championship title

For this first United States Grand Prix run as part of the World Championship, Formula 1 drops its suitcases on the Sebring circuit in Florida. Ninth and final round of the 1959 season, this meeting is marked by two major firsts in the history of F1. Already a winner at Monaco and Aintree, Jack Brabham clinches, at the wheel of a Cooper-Climax, the first of his three World Championship titles. The other event is the first F1 victory for Bruce McLaren, who was then Brabham’s teammate at Cooper.

1970: Jochen Rindt posthumously crowned

The story of this edition of the United States Grand Prix begins a month earlier during the trials of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Driving his Lotus, Austrian driver Jochen Rindt is killed in the Parabolica while he is leading the championship and there are still four races to run. At Watkins Glenn, Jacky Ickx emerged as the main threat to take over first place from the late Rindt. For this, the Belgian must win the last two races of the season, starting with this 12th United States Grand Prix in history. Only 4th, he must give up his dreams but does not complain about it at the finish by declaring that « it was a relief for me not to be champion against someone who was no longer there to defend himself and who, anyway, had scored the most points. » Jochen Rindt thus becomes the only posthumous world champion in F1 history.

1971: First and only victory of François Cevert

Eleventh and final appointment of the 1971 season, this United States Grand Prix, once again contested at Watkins Glenn, takes place without major issue since Jackie Stewart and Tyrrell have already secured the title in their respective championship. Teammate of the Scottish champion, François Cevert represents a new generation of talented and flamboyant drivers. Battling it out with Jacky Ickx’s Ferrari for most of the race, Cevert ends up triumphing and offers France its first victory in F1 since that of Maurice Trintignant in Monaco in 1958. Unfortunately, this turns out to be the only victory of the Parisian in F1, who will die two years later on the same circuit, during the qualifications of the United States Grand Prix 1973.

1990: Jean Alesi’s first podium

From one Tyrrell to another, Jean Alesi also shone in the United States with the team created by Ken Tyrrell. For this first Grand Prix of the 1990 season, Formula 1 moves for the second time to the streets of Phoenix. Starting 4th on the grid, Alesi made an excellent start to take the lead. The following laps boil down to a chase between the Frenchman and Ayrton Senna. Mid-race, the Brazilian made his first attacks on Alesi. A legendary duel then ensued between the two drivers who repeatedly swapped positions over two laps. Senna ultimately had the final say and won with just an 8 second lead over the man from Avignon. Alesi made a striking impression at the start of his second F1 season, even earning Senna’s admiration for his performance.

2001: An edition in emotion

The United States Grand Prix 2001 takes place less than three weeks after the September 11th attacks. To pay tribute to the victims, several drivers and teams take advantage of F1’s visit to American soil to send messages. This is, for example, the case of Jarno Trulli whose Jordan sports an American flag on the sides of the central air intake. On the Ferrari side, the noses of the two single-seaters are painted black, as was already the case two weeks ago in Monza. On the sporting side, it is double World Champion Mika Häkkinen who wins the race, his 20th and final victory in F1 before the Finn retired at the end of the season. This Grand Prix is also the 200th raced by Jean Alesi, who also retired at the end of this year.

2005: The Grand Prix of the fiasco

In a period where F1 is trying to make its place in the land of Uncle Sam, the 2005 United States Grand Prix edition did not help to make this sport beloved to the American audience. During the free practice on Friday, Ralf Schumacher loses control of his Toyota in the banking. After investigation, it turns out that the Michelin tyres of the Japanese single-seater did not withstand the stresses imposed by the Indianapolis circuit. The French manufacturer, which equips seven out of ten stables, advises its clients not to compete for the race. The weekend continues until the grid is set, but at the end of the formation lap, all the single-seaters equipped with Michelin dive into the pit lane to withdraw in the most total incomprehension. Hence, amidst the spectators’ jeers, only the Ferraris, the Jordans and the Minardis participate in the race. A disaster for F1, which will take several years to regain interest across the Atlantic.

2018: Kimi Räikkönen’s Last Victory

The 18th round of the 2018 season, the United States Grand Prix is being held for the seventh time in Austin, a circuit appreciated by fans and drivers. In a season marked by the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, the teammate of the German driver, announced during the summer his departure from Ferrari to Alfa Romeo as of 2019. The race in Texas is therefore an opportunity for the Finn to win a final victory in red. Second on the grid behind Hamilton, the native of Espoo gets the better of the Brit at the start. He then manages to handle his race with a good pace and a good management of his tires to impose himself, 113 races after his last victory, a record in the history of F1. It is not known yet but this is the 21st and last victory of the 2007 world champion in F1.