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
22nd May 1955: The Teddy Bear That Won at Monaco
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On 22 May 1955, Maurice Trintignant — a Provençal winegrower's son who had once been declared clinically dead and carried a stuffed teddy bear in the pocket of every racing car he ever drove — became the first Frenchman to win a World Championship Grand Prix. He did it because the Mercedes-Benz juggernaut collapsed, and because Alberto Ascari — the two-time world champion who had been about to inherit the lead — drove into Monaco harbour on lap 81 and sank to the bottom. Ascari walked away. Four days later he was dead.
This episode tells the story of that race in full — and three others on the same date:
- Jackie Stewart winning in 1966 as the new 3-litre formula produced just four finishers;
- Jody Scheckter and Walter Wolf's five-month-old team beating the world in 1977;
- Kimi Räikkönen winning wire-to-wire in 2005 while a championship leader burned his tyres to nothing and an Australian finally stood on a Formula One podium for the first time.
Music by #Mubert Music Rendering