On This Day in Formula One - 13 September

1953

Juan Manuel Fangio spoiled the party for the hordes of assembled Ferrari fans by stealing victory in the Italian Grand Prix from the scarlet trio of Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Villoresi and Mike Hawthorn. Alberto Ascari had started the race from pole and led early on as Fangio dropped back to fourth. With Ascari and Farina leading the majority of the race, the duo looked certain to finish first and second but on the last corner Ascari spun and Farina went across the grass to avoid his team-mate, who was punted into retirement by Onofre Marimon. A surprised Fangio avoided the carnage to take victory as Farina recovered to take second from Villoresi.

1959

Stirling Moss won the Italian Grand Prix in dominant fashion, winning by just under a minute from Phil Hill and Cooper team-mate Jack Brabham. Hill had passed Moss for the lead but pitted at half-distance, expecting the Coopers to follow suit. But feeling comfortable on his rubber, Moss stayed out for the remainder of the race to win comfortably from Hill and Brabham.

1981

The Italian Grand Prix returned to its spiritual home in Monza after the 1980 race was held at Imola. Nelson Piquet and Carlos Reutemann were locked on equal points at the top of the drivers' standings but it was Alain Prost who was to take a dominant victory after jumping from third place and into the lead on the opening lap. The Williams duo of Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann grabbed the other podium places with Piquet losing ground back in fifth.

1986

Japan had a reputation of producing a succession of well-connected but ultimately inconsistent F1 drivers until Kamui Kobayashi, born on this day in Amagasaki, Japan, burst onto the F1 scene. Kobayashi raised eyebrows with some impressive showings for Toyota in 2009 and with the team announcing its withdrawal from the sport, Sauber snapped up the talented Japanese.

1992

Ayrton Senna won the Italian Grand Prix on the day that Nigel Mansell announced that he would retire from F1 at the end of the season, blaming Williams for not doing enough to keep him. Having qualified on pole, Mansell rocketed off into the distance, building a 12 second lead over team-mate Riccardo Patrese before bizarrely slowing and allowing him past before sitting on his gearbox. The strange spectacle ended with a hydraulics failure for the Williams. Patrese led Senna before a hydraulics problem also forced his retirement, Martin Brundle and Michael Schumacher following the Brazilian home.

Michael Schumacher celebrates his victory at the 1998 Italian Grand Prix.
Source - Sutton Images

1998

Michael Schumacher led home team-mate Eddie Irvine for a Ferrari 1-2 the Italian Grand Prix to the delight of the assembled Tifosi, who had not witnessed a team 1-2 for ten years. It took a determined drive by Schumacher, who slipped back to fifth from pole at the start, both McLarens, Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve's Williams Mecachrome all passing the German. David Coulthard soon established a healthy lead over Mika Hakkinen until his engine blew on lap 17. Schumacher passed Villeneuve and Irvine before reeling in and taking Hakkinen. A spin from the Finn dropped him further back to fourth, Ralf Schumacher grabbing the remaining podium spot.

[INFORMATION BY - ESPNF1.com]