On 11 March 1990, Formula One returned to the streets of Phoenix for the opening race of a new season. What should have been a routine victory for one of the sport’s established stars instead became the race that introduced a remarkable new talent. In only his ninth Grand Prix start, Jean Alesi stunned the paddock by taking the lead at the start and going wheel-to-wheel with Ayrton Senna. Their fierce duel on the tight Phoenix street circuit turned the season opener into one of the most memorable breakthrough performances in modern Formula One.

In this episode of Chequered Past, we revisit that dramatic 1990 United States Grand Prix and the moment Alesi announced himself to the world.

We also celebrate the birthday of Irish driver Derek Daly, whose career took him from the British Formula 3 championship to Formula One before continuing across the Atlantic in IndyCar and endurance racing.

And we remember Arturo Merzario — a distinctive figure of 1970s Formula One — whose courage during Niki Lauda’s fiery Nürburgring crash in 1976 became one of the most remarkable acts of bravery in the sport’s history.

Three stories from one day in racing history: a breakthrough duel, a career that crossed continents, and a moment of courage that saved a champion.

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Music by #Mubert Music Rendering