The stewards dominated the headlines at the Portuguese Grand Prix after they fined Ferrari's Nigel Mansell $50,000 and banned him from the next race after he ignored a black flag. Leading by 20 seconds after 40 laps, Mansell pitted, overshot and reversed half a car length. The stewards noticed and disqualified him. Three times Mansell roared past the black flag as he battled to overtake Ayrton Senna, and then added to the confusion by colliding with Senna's McLaren taking them both out of the race. Mansell argued he had not seen the flag in the heat of battle. The ban was upheld by the FIA but despite Ferrari lodging an appeal, the authorities controversially decided the ban had to stand pending that and so Mansell missed the Spanish Grand Prix. He briefly threatened to retire before normal service was resumed.
1972
Jackie Stewart romped to his second successive win at the Canadian Grand Prix, leading home Peter Revson, who had claimed his first pole the day before, by 50 seconds. The victory lifted him to second in the World Championship but Emerson Fittipaldi had already secured the title.
1995
Damon Hill conceded the title was as good as Michael Schumacher's after he could only finish third as David Coulthard secured his maiden win, a result all the sweeter as he had retired while leading the previous two grands prix. It was a timely victory as well, as a fortnight earlier Williams had signed Jacques Villeneuve to replace him for 1996. The race started with a first-lag collision as Ukyo Katayama cut across Luca Badoer's Minardi and was flipped, landing upside down before smashing into barriers on the outside of the track, while Badoer's Minardi was hurled at high speed into the pit wall. The red flags came out stopping the race and Katayama was extracted from his car unconscious.
2000
Michael Schumacher won the first US Grand Prix in a decade at Indianapolis, surviving a spin four laps from the end to record his 42nd career victory. Reigning world champion Mika Hakkinen, who was on Schumacher's tail in the championship, had pushed him all the way until a fire forced him to retire, allowing the German to take an eight-point lead and the other Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello to claim second. As rain fell before the start, Ferrari's Jean Todt persuaded officials to move the whole grid back on row, arguing Schumacher would get too much wheelspin if it was left where it was.
1981
Ryan Briscoe was born on this day in Sydney. Impressive performances in the 2003 Formula Euroseries secured him a seat as a test driver for the Toyota F1 team, but never managed to secure a race start and decided to try his chances in America in IndyCar.
1931
Michael Parkes, born on this day in Richmond, Surrey, was an engineer at Ferrari who drifted into Formula One after establishing a reputation as a long-distance specialist. In the middle of the 1966 season John Surtees unexpectedly quit the team and, needing a new driver at short notice, Enzo Ferrari decided to promote Parkes. At his first race in France he finished second and later in the year finished second again at Monza. However, after two races in 1967 he smashed his legs in a serious crash at the Belgian Grand Prix, ending his brief F1 career.
