Michael Schumacher celebrated his record 97th drive for Ferrari with an easy win in the San Marino Grand Prix, opening up a 14-point lead in the drivers' championship that was never challenged. "I didn't expect such domination," Schumacher said. "'It had been close in qualifying and I expected the race to be more difficult. It's a special day for me and the history of Ferrari and I am proud of that." Not for the first time, Eddie Irvine was in the news when he was given a one-finger salute as he was lapped by Rubens Barrichello, who finished second. "'I was basically telling him to go to hell," said Barrichello. "He let Ralf [Schumacher] by nice and easy and he could have done the same to me."
1931
Born in Kingston-upon-Hull, Vic Wilson spent his teenage years growing up in South Africa and started racing in Rhodesia. He gained his Formula One break when Dick Gibson, who had hurt himself crashing his Cooper, suggested that Wilson repair the machine and have a go himself. As a consequence, he raced in the 1960 Italian Grand Prix from which he retired. He did not race at all between 1961 and 1963 but returned in 1964 and had a full season in 1965. He planned a full season in 1966 with Team Chamaco Collect and a couple of BRMs, but after he took a distant fourth at the Syracuse GP and practised briefly at Spa, Bob Bondurant became the team's sole driver.
1912
Joie Chitwood, born on this day, raced across the USA between 1934 and 1950, participating in seven Indianapolis 500 and finishing fifth on three occasions. His final appearance in 1950, when he was fifth in a shared drive with Tony Bettenhausen, was the first Indy 500 which was included in the F1 World Championship. He was the first man ever to wear a safety belt at the Indy 500 and also ran the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show, an exhibition of auto stunt driving that became so successful he gave up racing.
