- December 4 down the years
Who do you think you are …
What happened on December 4 in Formula One history?
1997
Nigel Mansell was stopped by police doing 92mph on a 70mph road in Somerset, weeks after he had taken delivery of his new 170mph £233,000 Bentley. His lawyer subsequently told the court that Mansell was "a highly experienced driver who has an unblemished record as far as accidents are concerned. He is meticulous about road safety," adding that the car was "well-insulated against noise and crept up over 70mph without him knowing." The magistrates were unimpressed, banning Mansell for six months and fining him £400.
2009
Kimi Raikkonen's much speculated upon move to the World Rally Championship was confirmed. Once a switch from Ferrari to McLaren was scotched after the latter rejected his pay demands, the change was inevitable. "I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point," he said. "Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citron C4. This is a very exciting challenge. I'm really looking forward to testing the car and taking it to the start of the first rally." Asked about a return to F1 - something that would be a constant theme - he merely said: "We will see how it goes for the future."
2005
Michael Schumacher presented the Pope with the steering wheel from one of his championship-winning cars. The wheel bore the inscription: "The Formula 1 World Champion's steering wheel to His Holiness Benedict XVI, Christianity's driver." Perhaps Schumacher was looking for some divine intervention for an eighth title?
1957
Raul Boesel born on this day in Curitiba, Brazil, competed in 30 grands prix in 1982 and 1983 for March and Ligier, his best finish coming at the 1983 USA Grand Prix when he was seventh. He then headed to IndyCar and sports cars. In 1987 he won the World Sportscar Championship and in 1988 the Daytona 24-Hour race. After he retired from racing he became a DJ.
1944
His birthplace - Le Mans - was a good omen for Francois Migault but in 16 grands prix between 1972 and 1975 he managed only four finishes. In fairness, he was with a succession of low-key and underfunded teams. He also entered many 24 Hours of Le Mans races between 1971 and 2001.
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