(Motorsport-Total.com) – Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), George Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris (McLaren) caused a statistical peculiarity at the Formula 1 race in Barcelona that had not happened for 43 years: All three drivers on the podium came from the same country – in this case Great Britain.
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In fact, we have to look back to 1983 to see a complete podium from one nation: At that time, Patrick Tambay, Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux, three Frenchmen, stood on the podium at the race in Imola.
In our photo gallery, we want to take a look at the other occasions where there has been a “Clean Sweep” on the podium. Spoiler: Germany has not yet achieved this.
In total, only three nations have been able to achieve this statistical peculiarity, four if you include a bureaucratic trick: the Indy 500, which often distorts Formula 1 statistics from earlier years.
This was officially part of the World Championship from 1950 to 1960, but in fact no “real” Formula 1 driver started. More than that: The field usually consisted ONLY of Americans at that time. It is hardly surprising that in all the years the race counted towards the championship, only Americans occupied the podium.
If you clean up the statistics by excluding these pure oval races, the exclusive club of triple successes shrinks drastically – from 29 to 18.
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Only one nation on the Formula 1 podium
Apart from the Indianapolis “pasta pot,” historically it was mainly three nations that dominated Formula 1 so brutally at times that there was no room on the podium for the rest of the world: Italy, France and Great Britain.
In the very early years of Formula 1, Italy was the undisputed superpower – at least when the Argentine superstar Juan Manuel Fangio gave the others a chance. The Italians are also responsible for another statistical curiosity on the podiums, because at the season finale in Monza 1950, even four Italians ended up in the top 3.
The solution to the puzzle: Alberto Ascari suffered an engine failure in his own Ferrari. According to the regulations at the time, however, he was allowed to take over the car of his teammate Dorino Serafini. Ascari whipped the car to second place behind Farina. The logical consequence: Ascari and Serafini were both classified as second and shared the points brotherly.
All further information about podiums with only one nation can be found in the photo gallery.
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