Chequered Past
Chequered Past is a Formula 1 history podcast that dives deep into iconic races, legendary drivers, and forgotten moments from motorsport’s rich and dramatic past. Each episode revisits Grand Prix events that took place on the same date in history, uncovering fascinating stories, on-track controversies, and the evolution of F1 through the decades. Whether you're a lifelong fan or new to the sport, Chequered Past offers compelling insights and nostalgia-fuelled storytelling from the world’s fastest sport.
Chequered Past
18th February 1898: The Drivers That Ferrari Admired
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
On 18 February, we mark the birthday of Enzo Ferrari — the founder, the autocrat, and the figure whose name became inseparable from Formula One itself.
In this episode of Chequered Past, we explore a different side of Ferrari. Not the political operator. Not the disciplinarian. But the admirer.
Across half a century of racing, two drivers stood apart in his memory. The pre-war hero Tazio Nuvolari, whose 1935 Nürburgring victory defied machinery and nation alike. And the fearless Canadian Gilles Villeneuve, whose instinctive, uncompromising style rekindled Ferrari’s belief in racing as an act of courage.
Neither man defined Ferrari statistically.
Both defined him emotionally.
This episode examines what those choices reveal about Ferrari himself — and the kind of racing spirit he valued above calculation, politics, and even championships.
Music by #Mubert Music Rendering