On this day in 2002, Michael Schumacher delivered one of the most dominant statements in Formula 1 history — sealing his fifth world title with six races to spare at the French Grand Prix. It was a clinical, strategic masterclass that ended the championship chase and cemented his place alongside Fangio in the sport’s pantheon.

We also mark the birthday of Claire Williams, whose quiet strength and leadership helped guide one of F1’s most storied teams through its modern era.

And in our final segment, we head to Hungary in 2024, where Oscar Piastri claimed his maiden Grand Prix win in a race which featured McLaren team orders, and rising tension between teammates.

It’s an episode of milestones, messages, and moments where everything changed.

Cover photo: Mschumacher 2002 by Mathieu Felten licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Music by #Mubert Music Rendering

Silverstone has seen its fair share of drama over the decades—but nothing quite like the events of July 20, 2003. In our 50th episode, we relive the British Grand Prix that was thrown into chaos when a lone protestor ran across the track mid-race, disrupting strategies, endangering lives, and creating one of the most bizarre scenes in modern Formula 1 history. But amid the madness came a moment of redemption, as Rubens Barrichello delivered one of the greatest drives of his career to take an emotional win.

We also mark the birthday of Chris Amon—an immensely talented New Zealander who never quite got the luck he deserved—and revisit two landmark British Grands Prix: the 1957 race where Vanwall delivered a historic all-British victory, and the 1968 contest where Jo Siffert triumphed for a privateer team in a changing era.

From chaos to celebration, from heartbreak to triumph—this is Chequered Past.

Cover photo: Rubens Barrichello and Cristiano da Matta 2003 Silverstone by Martin Lee licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Music by #Mubert Music Rendering

Silverstone. Sunshine. And then – chaos.

In this episode of Chequered Past, we dive into the 1975 British Grand Prix, a race that began in dry conditions but ended in a torrential downpour that caused multiple crashes, a red flag, and a highly controversial result. Many of the leading drivers slid out in quick succession. Emerson Fittipaldi was declared the winner, but many left Silverstone wondering what might have been.

We also pay tribute to Chet Miller, and Indianapolis veteran, who tragically became the first driver to lose his life during a World Championship event on this day in 1953.

And we rewind to 1969, when Jackie Stewart delivered a commanding home victory, lapping the field on his way to British Grand Prix glory.

Music by #Mubert Music Rendering

On this day in Formula One history, two of the sport’s fiercest title fights were rocked by controversy. In our main story, we return to Brands Hatch in 1976, where James Hunt thrilled the home crowd with a stunning British Grand Prix win — only to have it stripped weeks later in a ruling that nearly derailed his championship bid.

We then head to Silverstone in 1981, where John Watson gave McLaren its first win in years and ushered in a new era of F1 design with the carbon fibre MP4/1.

Finally, we revisit the explosive 2021 British Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided at Copse Corner — a clash that ignited one of the most intense title battles in recent memory.

Three races. Two championship flashpoints. One day where Formula One’s margins were razor-thin.

Image: James Hunt British GP 1976 by Martin Lee licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Music by #Mubert Music Rendering

On this day in 1971, Jackie Stewart delivered one of the most dominant drives of his illustrious career, crushing the field at the British Grand Prix and taking a commanding step toward his second world title. In this episode, we revisit that brilliant performance at Silverstone — from Clay Regazzoni’s early lead to Stewart’s relentless pace and Tyrrell’s growing might.

We also pay tribute to motorsport legends past and present:
🧠 Juan Manuel Fangio, the quiet genius who passed away on this day in 1995 and left a legacy that still shapes Formula One.
🏎️ Ferrari’s statement win at the 1954 British Grand Prix, as José Froilán González stunned the returning Mercedes.
🕊️ And we close with the story of Jules Bianchi — the rising star whose tragic passing in 2015 changed Formula One safety forever.

A day of domination, reflection, and remembrance — this is Chequered Past.

Photo: Jackie Stewart Tyrrell 003 Brands Hatch 1971 by Martin Lee license CC BY-SA 2.0

Music by #Mubert Music Rendering

On July 16th, British drivers delivered some of the most iconic home-soil triumphs in Formula 1 history. In this episode of Chequered Past, we relive Johnny Herbert’s emotional first Grand Prix win at Silverstone in 1995 — a victory born from chaos and crowned by resilience.

We also rewind to Stirling Moss’s breakthrough at Aintree in 1955, where he became the first British driver to win the British Grand Prix, and to James Hunt’s storming Silverstone success in 1977, a rare high point in a turbulent title defence.

It’s a day when the Union Jack flew highest and British pride took centre stage.

Original Image: Johnny Herbert - Benetton B195 at the 1995 British Grand Prix, Silverstone (49720286518)

By Martin Lee licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

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On this day in 1961, Ferrari stamped their authority on the British Grand Prix with a dominant 1-2-3 at a rain-soaked Aintree, as Wolfgang von Trips took a commanding win that would prove to be his last.

In this episode of Chequered Past, we revisit that decisive race, reflect on the remarkable life and career of Prince Bira — Thailand’s trailblazing Grand Prix pioneer — and relive Emerson Fittipaldi’s composed victory at Brands Hatch in 1972 that brought him one step closer to a maiden world title.

From legends lost to champions in the making, it’s a story of speed, style, and significance — all on 15th July.

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Silverstone, 1991: Nigel Mansell delivers one of the most dominant performances of his career — a Grand Slam on home soil that sends the crowd into raptures and ends with an unforgettable gesture of sportsmanship, offering a lift to a stranded Ayrton Senna.

In this episode of Chequered Past, we relive that extraordinary day and explore the events that shaped it — from the collision that ended Riccardo Patrese’s race on lap one to the wild track invasion that crowned Mansell a national hero.

We also rewind to 1979, when Clay Regazzoni gave the fledgling Williams team its first Grand Prix win, and to 1973, when Silverstone’s opening lap turned into a demolition derby in one of F1’s most notorious pile-ups.

Three British Grands Prix. One iconic circuit. And the kind of stories that remind us why we fell in love with Formula 1 in the first place.

Music by #Mubert Music Rendering