9th May is the day on which Prost, Senna and Schumacher shared the podium for the only time, and the day that Jimmy Jump interrupted the start of the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix. The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix will be the fifth Formula 1 race held on 9th May.
9th May Races in Stats:
- All of the last three races on this date – all held at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – have been won from pole position.
- The Safety Car is yet to make an appearance on 9th May.
- Michael Schumacher is the only driver to record multiple podium finishes on this date, doing so at the 1993 and 2004 Spanish Grands Prix.
- Ferrari are the only team to record a 1-2 finish on this date, doing so at the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix.
- The 2010 Spanish Grand Prix is the only previous race on this date in which the driver starting second has finished on the podium.
🇧🇪 1982 Belgian Grand Prix
There was a sombre mood on this day in 1982, as the Belgian Grand Prix took place at Zolder one day after Gilles Villeneuve’s fatal crash in qualifying. Ferrari opted to withdraw Didier Pironi from the race following the loss of his team-mate, making this the second most recent time that no Ferrari cars started a Grand Prix. It was the first time no Ferrari cars appeared in a race since the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. John Watson won the subdued race from tenth on the grid and was joined in the top three by Keke Rosberg and Niki Lauda. However, Lauda’s car was found to be underweight at post-race scrutineering, meaning that Eddie Cheever inherited his maiden podium finish. Only nine cars were classified in the race. In sixth place was Chico Serra, who scored the only point from his eighteen Grand Prix starts. The Brazilian’s points also marked the final time that the Fittipaldi team would score in Formula 1.
🇪🇸 1993 Spanish Grand Prix
Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher shared the podium for the only time in history on this day. Between them, the trio won fourteen Drivers’ Championships in their career – the highest number of championship wins to appear on the podium together, though Schumacher was yet to win any of his seven titles. Prost started from pole for the 25th time in his career, but it was Williams team-mate Damon Hill who led the opening laps. Prost retook the lead but suffered handling issues, allowing Hill to close up once again. He came close to passing, but suffered an engine failure which dropped him out of the race. That allowed Prost to extend his record of most wins in Formula 1 history to 47.
🇪🇸 2004 Spanish Grand Prix
As Michael Schumacher led the drivers halfway around the formation lap for the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix, there was commotion on the grid. Jimmy Jump, a streaker who had risen to infamy after interrupting several football matches, ran down the grid in an attempt to disrupt the start of the race. His plans were short lived however, as marshals dragged him away before the cars approached. The race itself was another dominant display from Schumacher, who cruised to his 75th career victory, setting his 60th Fastest Lap along the way. This was the fifth race of the 2004 season, and Schumacher had won all five up to this point. In doing so, he equalled Nigel Mansell’s record of winning the first five races of the year. Mansell achieved the feat in 1992.
🇪🇸 2010 Spanish Grand Prix
Mark Webber won the Spanish Grand Prix on this day in 2010. This was the tenth race in a row at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to be won from pole position. Webber’s pole was also the tenth for a Red Bull driver. Despite qualifying on the front row, Sebastian Vettel failed to make it a 1-2 finish for the team. He suffered with brake issues in the race and finished third. Vettel was able to finish on the podium thanks to a late race crash for Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton had been running in second place until picking up a puncture which sent his McLaren spearing into the wall.
