On 14 March 1993, Formula One returned to Kyalami for a season opener that would quietly become a historic milestone. Alain Prost began his comeback season with victory in the technologically remarkable Williams FW15C, while Ayrton Senna fought hard in an underpowered McLaren and a young Michael Schumacher showed flashes of the future. In the years that followed, the race would take on additional significance as the most recent Formula One World Championship event held in Africa.

We also revisit the opening race of the 2010 season in Bahrain, where Fernando Alonso won on his Ferrari debut and Michael Schumacher made his long-awaited return to Formula One.

And we remember Eugenio Castellotti, one of Ferrari’s most promising drivers of the 1950s, whose career showed immense promise before his tragic death during testing in 1957.

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On 13 March 1983 the Formula One season began in dramatic fashion at Jacarepaguá in Rio de Janeiro. Nelson Piquet thrilled the home crowd by winning for Brabham in their radical new BMW-powered BT52, but the race is remembered just as much for the chaos behind him. A fiery pit stop for Keke Rosberg triggered one of the most unusual outcomes in Grand Prix history: the reigning World Champion finished second on the road, only to be disqualified after the race for receiving an illegal push start — leaving the official results with no driver credited with second place.

In this episode of Chequered Past, we explore that remarkable Brazilian Grand Prix and the turbulent early days of Formula One’s turbo era.

We also remember the life and career of Vic Elford, one of motorsport’s greatest all-round drivers. From winning the Monte Carlo Rally to conquering Daytona and the Targa Florio in the same extraordinary season, Elford’s versatility defined an era when the best drivers succeeded across every form of racing.

Finally, we travel back to Brands Hatch in 1965 for the inaugural Race of Champions, where early dominance from Jim Clark gave way to a surprise overall victory for Lotus teammate Mike Spence after the race was decided across two dramatic heats.

Three stories from one day in racing history — a controversial Grand Prix in Brazil, a tribute to one of motorsport’s most versatile drivers, and a non-championship race that delivered an unexpected winner.

Cover Image: Nelson Piquet by Bill Nicholls, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

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On this day in Formula One history, three races capture the sport at very different moments in its evolution.

At Brands Hatch Circuit in 1967, the Race of Champions brought together many of the era’s leading drivers for one of the most prestigious non-championship contests on the calendar. Dan Gurney guided his Eagle to victory after a race shaped by clever tactics, mechanical trouble and fierce competition from Ferrari, Brabham and Honda.

More than three decades later, the 2000 Australian Grand Prix opened the Formula One season in Melbourne. When Michael Schumacher took victory for Ferrari, it proved to be the first step in ending Ferrari’s 21-year wait for the drivers’ championship and the beginning of one of the most dominant eras in the sport’s history.

Six years later, the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix opened the season that would become Schumacher’s final campaign with Ferrari. His battle with Fernando Alonso that day set the tone for a championship fight that would bring the Schumacher-Ferrari era to its close.

From the non-championship races of the 1960s to the Ferrari dominance of the early 2000s, today’s episode explores how three races on the same date helped frame the beginning — and the ending — of a remarkable period in Formula One history.

Cover image: By Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

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