Formula One History

Formula One History F1 history from 1950 to modern day. Explore the legendary drivers, circuits, seasons and records with daily F1 on this day articles.

2009 - Brazils 100th race win 23 August, Rubens Barrichello claimed victory for Brawn GP after starting from third on t...
23/08/2025

2009 - Brazils 100th race win

23 August, Rubens Barrichello claimed victory for Brawn GP after starting from third on the grid at the 2009 European Grand Prix. The 2008 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, finished second for McLaren, while the 2007 world champion, Kimi Räikkönen, took third place for Ferrari. Championship leader Jenson Button finished seventh for the second consecutive race but extended his lead as both Red Bull Racing drivers, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, failed to score points.

This win was Barrichello’s first Grand Prix victory since the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, a gap of 85 races during which he was driving for Ferrari. His triumph also marked the 100th victory for a Brazilian driver in Formula One. Notably, there were no overtakes recorded during this race.

1959 23 August, Stirling Moss and Masten Gregory demonstrated the dominance of the Cooper-Climax T51 by finishing firs...
23/08/2025

1959 23 August, Stirling Moss and Masten Gregory demonstrated the dominance of the Cooper-Climax T51 by finishing first and second, at the 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix.

Moss led from pole position, with the Cooper’s of Jack Brabham, Gregory, and Bruce McLaren in pursuit. Brabham then spun while avoiding the lapped Mario de Araujo Cabral, hitting a telegraph pole and being launched back onto the track, narrowly missing Gregory after being thrown from his car. The incident promoted McLaren to third, but a transmission failure eventually saw the Ferrari of Dan Gurney inherit the position.

1953 – Alberto Ascari defied team orders to lead a Scuderia Ferrari 1-2-3 finish 23 August 1953 at the Swiss Grand Pri...
23/08/2025

1953 – Alberto Ascari defied team orders to lead a Scuderia Ferrari 1-2-3 finish 23 August 1953 at the Swiss Grand Prix to clinch his second World Championship. Despite battling engine problems and having to pit he rejoined the race behind teammates Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn, Ascari ignored instructions to hold position and overtook both to secure the victory. It was his last race win and finish of his F1 career.

Guy Ligier passed away , 23 August 2015. He achieved several top-six finishes in Formula Two in 1964 and moved to Formu...
23/08/2025

Guy Ligier passed away , 23 August 2015. He achieved several top-six finishes in Formula Two in 1964 and moved to Formula One in 1966. Despite breaking his kneecap mid-season, he returned in 1967 with a Brabham, scoring his only point at the Nurburgring. After a brief retirement following the death of his friend Jo Schlesser, Ligier returned to racing and began building sports cars in 1970, eventually founding the Ligier Formula One team in 1976. Though his team had sporadic success, they never fully capitalised on their potential. Ligier sold most of his shares in the team in the early 1990s. Following his death, his funeral took place at the church of St. Blaise de Vichy. Ligier was survived by his wife and their two children, son Philippe and daughter Pascale.

Remembering Didier Pironi, who passed away , 23 August 1987. Pironi died when his powerboat flipped in the Solent off t...
23/08/2025

Remembering Didier Pironi, who passed away , 23 August 1987. Pironi died when his powerboat flipped in the Solent off the Isle of Wight in the UK.

He became the focal point of one of Formula One’s most infamous team disputes when he ignored Ferrari team orders, seizing a dramatic last-minute victory from Gilles Villeneuve at the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix. A furious Villeneuve vowed never to speak to Pironi again and tragically lost his life while attempting to secure pole position for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit Zolder two weeks later.

Known in F1 for his uncompromising driving style, Pironi continued this approach into watersports; the wake of an oil tanker at full throttle caused his boat to flip and instantly killed him and his two crew members. Two weeks after his death, Pironi’s girlfriend, Catherine, gave birth to twins, naming them Gilles and Didier.

2002 22 August, Ford Vice President Richard Parry-Jones announced that the struggling Jaguar Racing team was not for s...
22/08/2025

2002 22 August, Ford Vice President Richard Parry-Jones announced that the struggling Jaguar Racing team was not for sale. “Ford Motor Company management is not in negotiations and is not planning on the sale of Jaguar Racing,” Parry-Jones declared, underscoring Ford’s commitment to its Formula One endeavors. Despite this, the team was eventually sold to Red Bull in 2004.

2001 22 August, Jordan announced that Italian and Benetton driver Giancarlo Fisichella would switch places with compat...
22/08/2025

2001 22 August, Jordan announced that Italian and Benetton driver Giancarlo Fisichella would switch places with compatriot Jarno Trulli, joining Jordan in 2002 on a three-year contract. Team boss Eddie Jordan emphasised the importance of long-term planning, stability, and continuity for success. “I am overjoyed that Giancarlo has signed a three-year contract with us, as this gives Jordan and Honda a strong platform to build on,” Jordan said. Additionally, Mika Hakkinen‘s manager and former F1 Champion, Keke Rosberg, confirmed that the Finnish driver would remain with McLaren in 2002.

However Hakkinen wouldn’t return, taking a sabbatical, that never resulted in a comeback.

1954 – Fangio's Second TitleJuan Manuel Fangio won the Swiss Grand Prix 22 August 1954 for Mercedes-Benz at Bremgarten...
22/08/2025

1954 – Fangio's Second Title

Juan Manuel Fangio won the Swiss Grand Prix 22 August 1954 for Mercedes-Benz at Bremgarten in Berne. Although Stirling Moss's Maserati and Mike Hawthorn's and Froilan Gonzalez's Ferrari initially posed a challenge, Fangio quickly took control of the race. He secured victory by nearly a minute, lapping every car except Gonzalez, which finished second. Fangio’s teammate Hans Herrmann came in third.

This triumph was Fangio’s fifth win in a dominant season, ultimately leading him to clinch his second Drivers’ title with two races remaining. The race was the last F1 Grand Prix held in Switzerland, as motor racing was banned following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, which claimed the lives of over 80 spectators and Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh.

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to Ian Scheckter, born 22 August 1947 in East London, South Africa – older brother of Jo...
22/08/2025

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to Ian Scheckter, born 22 August 1947 in East London, South Africa – older brother of Jody and uncle of Tomas, and a racer who carved his own path in motorsport. After winning his national Formula Ford crown and the “Driver to Europe”, Ian made his F1 debut at Kyalami in 1974 with Team Gunston, later driving for Tyrrell, Williams and March across 20 Grands Prix. Though he never scored championship points, he did notch a best finish of 10th at Zandvoort in 1977.

But while F1 was tough, Ian was unstoppable back home: six South African National Drivers’ titles, 49 race wins, and Atlantic championships with Lexington Racing in the late ‘70s. He later turned to touring cars before hanging up the helmet in 1989.

Happy Birthday to Peter Collins, born 22 August 1950 – and no, this is the other Peter Collins who made his mark on Fo...
22/08/2025

Happy Birthday to Peter Collins, born 22 August 1950 – and no, this is the other Peter Collins who made his mark on Formula 1 in the garage, not the cockpit! The Aussie’s F1 dream started after a failed Lotus job application pushed him to move to Europe – a bold move, but it paid off. By 1978, Colin Chapman brought him on as Team Manager at Lotus, and Collins later added stints at Williams, ATS and Benetton to his CV before returning to run Team Lotus until its closure in 1994.

From the buzz of working with legends like Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen, Gerhard Berger and Johnny Herbert to the hard knocks of keeping teams alive in the toughest sport on earth, Collins has seen it all. A life in F1 with highs, lows, and plenty of stories worth raising a glass to today – cheers, Peter!

2007 21 August, BMW Sauber ended months of speculation by confirming Nick Heidfeld would remain with Robert Kubica for...
21/08/2025

2007 21 August, BMW Sauber ended months of speculation by confirming Nick Heidfeld would remain with Robert Kubica for the 2008 season. BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said, “Both Nick and Robert have delivered very strong performances this season. They have played a decisive role in establishing the BMW Sauber F1 Team as the third best team in Formula One.”

1988 – Accident at Brands Hatch (viewer discretion).The career of future F1 driver Johnny Herbert was jeopardised 21 A...
21/08/2025

1988 – Accident at Brands Hatch (viewer discretion).

The career of future F1 driver Johnny Herbert was jeopardised 21 August 1988, after a major accident at Brands Hatch during an F3000 race. Herbert’s legs bore the impact, narrowly avoiding the loss of a foot. Despite severe injuries, he amazed doctors with his determination to recover. Even though he struggled to walk properly, he made a remarkable F1 debut for Benetton in Brazil in 1989, finishing fourth.

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