When a home grand prix ended in heartbreak for an F1 driver
Many Formula 1 drivers are lucky enough to have a grand prix in their native country and some have even enjoyed vast success at their home race.
Max Verstappen has three wins on Dutch turf, Alain Prost claimed six victories in France – two with French marque Renault – while Lewis Hamilton is a nine-time British Grand Prix winner.
The seven-time world champion even holds F1’s record for the most wins by a driver at the same grand prix.
But not everyone has enjoyed such luck at their home race, with some even losing a victory or podium in heartbreaking fashion.
Sometimes it’s through retirement caused by their own mistake, a disqualification or something completely different. Nevertheless, when has an F1 driver had a home race to forget in the cruellest of circumstances?
Nelson Piquet – 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix – Disqualified after winning
Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT49D Ford
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Nelson Piquet endured a lot of hard luck at the Brazilian GP early on, as the eventual triple world champion failed to finish inside the points for any of his first three home races. The then-Brabham driver thought he ended that run in 1982 when the reigning world champion crossed the line in first at Jacarepagua after one of the most intense races in history.
It saw several drivers suffer in the soaring temperatures, while Riccardo Patrese retired due to heat exhaustion. Piquet also struggled as he often propped his head on one hand, but the Brazilian was locked in a battle with Gilles Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg for the lead.
The local hero eventually came out on top, but Piquet soon had his first home victory taken away because an underweight BT49D disqualified him post-race – thrown out for its controversial water-cooled brakes which were eventually outlawed. He finally won in Brazil the following year en route to clinching a second world title, while Piquet won his home race again in 1986 – both times in Rio de Janeiro.
Damon Hill – 1993 British Grand Prix – Engine failure while leading
Marshals extinguish the smoking car of Damon Hill, Williams FW15C Renault.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Damon Hill had a tough rookie season in 1992 as he was driving for Brabham, who failed to qualify for all but three of the races it entered. One grand prix it qualified for was Silverstone where Hill finished 16th, but a move to world champions Williams in 1993 saw him fighting at the front for his second home F1 race.
The then 32-year-old qualified second but overtook team-mate Prost at start to the delight of the Silverstone crowd, who was cheering on its new hero after Nigel Mansell’s move to America. Hill quickly pulled away to lead by five seconds after seven laps, thus looking on course to win the British GP.
His advantage over Prost was cut to nothing though when Luca Badoer’s lap 32 crash caused a safety car, yet Hill kept his lead at the restart eight tours later. But, on lap 41 his engine failed forcing the Briton to retire to the heartbreak of the home fans.
“I am sorry for Damon, and sorry for the crowd,” said eventual winner Prost. “He deserved to win today, but what can I do about it? That’s the way racing is.”
Grand Prix Gold: 1993 British GP
Redemption followed in 1994 though when Hill won the British GP, two years before he clinched the world championship.
Jacques Villeneuve – 1997 Canadian Grand Prix – Crashed while running second
Jacques Villeneuve
Photo by: LAT Photographic
Jacques Villeneuve won the 1997 world championship amid a career that had 11 grand prix victories, but not one of them came in his native Canada. That’s hard to imagine for a driver who finished second at his first home race in 1996, before starting the event on the front row again the following year.
But, while running second, the then-Williams driver crashed into the Wall of Champions on lap two. Just as he was walking away, commentator Murray Walker reacted: “You can imagine what this is going to do to Canada, you can imagine what it’s doing to Villeneuve – he’s absolutely distraught.”
To make things worse, Michael Schumacher eventually won the race to claim the championship lead from Villeneuve after seven rounds – but the Canadian clinched the title at the Jerez season finale. He had eight more Canadian GPs after that moment, but the Quebec-born driver retired from six of those while failing to finish the remainder any higher than ninth.
Felipe Massa – 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix – Won but lost the championship to Lewis Hamilton
An emotional Felipe Massa proudly slaps the Prancing Horse insignia on his chest as he celebrates victory and a well fought season in front of his home fans
Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images
Although Felipe Massa won the 2008 Brazilian GP, his second home victory, he still had tears of both pride and sadness on the podium. The Ferrari driver headed into the season finale trailing Hamilton by seven points, meaning to clinch the championship Massa needed to win with his McLaren rival finishing sixth or lower based on the points system at the time.
Massa dominated from pole while Hamilton, who started fourth, was circulating in the top five during the ever-changing conditions. But with eight laps remaining, the 23-year-old was in the position he started, before dropping to fifth three tours later after pitting for intermediates while Toyota’s Timo Glock stayed on slicks.
It became sixth with two laps left when Hamilton dramatically ran wide in the final sector, allowing Sebastian Vettel to go through, and this sent the Ferrari garage into raptures because the title now provisionally belonged to Massa.
The local hero crossed the line believing he had clinched the championship, yet moments later Hamilton overtook fifth-placed Glock at the final corner to claim his maiden drivers’ crown.
A heartbroken Massa started crying in parc ferme after what turned out to be his 11th and final grand prix victory before retiring in 2017.
Lewis Hamilton – 2013 British Grand Prix – Puncture while leading
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W04 suffers a puncture
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Hamilton also endured heartbreak at his home race five years later, though not to the extent of Massa. The Mercedes driver started the 2013 British GP from pole looking for the first win of his Silver Arrows career having gone winless in the opening seven races.
And there was no better place to do it than Silverstone, a circuit Hamilton hadn’t won at since his wet masterclass in 2008. That drought looked set to end as he was leading on lap eight, but the Mercedes suddenly suffered a rear-left puncture causing the tyre to rapidly deflate along the Wellington Straight.
He eventually got back to the pits and rejoined the race in last, before a brilliant recovery drive to fourth.
Daniel Ricciardo – 2014 Australian Grand Prix – Disqualified after finishing second
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, 2nd Position, on the podium with his trophy and champagne
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Daniel Ricciardo has technically never finished higher than fourth at the Australian GP, but the Perth-born driver did stand on the podium in 2014. He impressed from the off that weekend, as the Red Bull debutant qualified second behind Hamilton.
Ricciardo kept position at race start before a relatively untroubled run to second place, initially making him the first Aussie to claim a home podium at a world championship round. But the joy soon turned to agony because the eight-time grand prix winner was disqualified post-race, as his RB10 exceeded the maximum 100kg per hour fuel flow rate that was allowed.
Sebastian Vettel – 2018 German Grand Prix – Crashed while leading
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF71H, crashes out of the race
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Vettel potentially has the most famous crash of anybody at their home race, as it was a hammer blow to a fifth F1 crown in 2018. The Heppenheim-born driver had just beaten title rival Hamilton at the season’s 10th round at Silverstone to extend his championship lead to eight points.
The Ferrari driver looked set to increase that advantage even further, as Vettel qualified on pole for the German GP while his Mercedes rival, who was also chasing a fifth crown, started 14th after suffering a hydraulics problem during qualifying at the Hockenheimring.
It was going well for Vettel, who led the race at the three-quarter mark until lap 51 when the German locked up at Turn 12 and headed straight for the barriers.
“Fuck sake, sorry guys,” reacted Vettel while banging his steering wheel.
The pendulum of the title fight therefore swung in an instance, as Hamilton claimed a shock victory after staying out during the safety car while others pitted. This allowed him to leave Germany with a 17-point championship lead, before clinching that year’s title with two rounds remaining.
Nico Hulkenberg – 2019 German Grand Prix – Slid off while running second
Nico Hulkenberg, Renault F1 Team, climbs out of his damaged car and retires from the race
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
There was more heartbreak at the Hockenheimring the following year when Nico Hulkenberg missed an opportunity to finally stand on the F1 podium. The 2019 German GP was crazy as heavy rain caused four formation laps with several drivers changing positions at race start.
But conditions started to dry out so many teams fitted slick tyres, which were not yet viable as many drivers crashed out due to the ever-changing conditions. By lap 34, Hulkenberg was in second, a position he held for six more laps before sliding into the Turn 17 gravel trap, causing his Renault to get stuck.
The German said the “sting is deep” and since then he has claimed the record for the most grand prix starts without a podium.
Charles Leclerc – 2021 Monaco Grand Prix – Failed to start after crashing in qualifying
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21, crashes out towards the end of Qualifying
Photo by: Jean Petin / Motorsport Images
Charles Leclerc finally tasted success at the Monaco GP when he won his home event in 2024 to become the first Monegasque to win the race since Louis Chiron in 1931. But that came after several years of heartache, with 2021 perhaps being his biggest missed opportunity.
The Ferrari driver qualified on pole, but towards the end of the session he crashed at the exit of Turn 16 – preventing others from going faster. There was concern that the incident caused too much damage to his gearbox, but the Scuderia cleared it so he was expected to start the race.
Yet his driveshaft suddenly failed on the reconnaissance lap, meaning Leclerc failed to start. More frustration occurred in 2022 when Leclerc was again on pole, but dropped to fourth as Ferrari was too late in pitting him for slick tyres in changeable conditions.
George Russell – 2024 British Grand Prix – Mechanical problem after starting on pole
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
The Silverstone crowd was ecstatic in 2024 as it witnessed Hamilton end a 56-race winless streak for his first victory of the ground-effect era. But it came at the cost of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who started on pole but retired from fourth because of a water leak on lap 33.
So a disappointed Russell was prevented from winning back-to-back grands prix after claiming victory in Austria a week prior, meaning he is yet to finish higher than fifth at Silverstone since joining F1 in 2019.
