What happened on this day, April 23 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1961
Pierluigi Martini, an Italian racing driver, was born on this day. Over his Formula One career, he started 118 Grands Prix, scoring 18 championship points. Martini made his F1 debut on September 9, 1984, stepping in as a substitute for Ayrton Senna at Toleman.
He became synonymous with Minardi, spending nearly his entire F1 career with the Italian team, aside from a one-race appearance with Toleman and a single season with Scuderia Italia. With Minardi, he achieved several historic milestones for the team, including scoring Minardi’s first-ever championship point at the 1988 USA Grand Prix, securing the team’s only front-row start at the 1990 USA Grand Prix, leading a lap at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, the only time Minardi ever led a race and earning the team’s joint-best F1 result, finishing fourth.
Beyond Formula One, Martini found success in endurance racing, winning the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours for BMW, alongside Yannick Dalmas and Joachim Winkelhock. Facing fierce competition from Toyota and Mercedes factory teams, the BMW squad emerged victorious, winning by a one-lap margin over Toyota.
1962
The crash that ended Stirling Moss‘ career occurred at Goodwood on this day in 1962, when a misunderstanding with Graham Hill led to Moss losing control of his Lotus. The accident left him with severe injuries, including a month-long coma and partial paralysis for six months.
Nearly a year later, Moss returned to Goodwood to assess whether a comeback was possible. However, despite his efforts, he realised he no longer had the same command of the car and decided to retire from racing for good. Reflecting on the decision, he later remarked:
“I bore the circuit no grudge and could still drive quite fast, but it no longer felt natural. Just driving the car took all my concentration, while in the past I could do that, look at the dials, and spot a pretty girl in the crowd.”
1989
The 1989 San Marino Grand Prix was overshadowed by a terrifying crash involving Gerhard Berger at Tamburello corner. Berger’s Ferrari slammed into the barriers at high speed, bursting into flames. Fortunately, quick action from marshals ensured he escaped with only minor injuries. The race was halted for an hour before being restarted.
When racing resumed, Ayrton Senna took victory from pole position, leading home McLaren teammate Alain Prost and Alessandro Nannini, who finished third for Benetton.
The event also set a unique record, featuring 39 entrants, the largest field in Formula One history. This number was matched in the next 14 races of the season, but as of 2024, it remains unbeaten.
The race is also remembered for the escalting tensions between Senna and Prost post-race. Prost revealed that McLaren had a pre-race agreement that whoever led into the first corner would not be challenged—an arrangement ironically suggested by Senna himself. However, after the restart, Senna overtook Prost on the first lap, violating the agreement in Prost’s eyes, further fueling their legendary rivalry.
1989 San Marino Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren Honda | 58 | 1:26:51.245 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren Honda | 58 | +40.225s | 6 |
| 3 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton Ford | 57 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams Renault | 57 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows Ford | 57 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell Ford | 57 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara Ford | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS Ford | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows Ford | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara Ford | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton Ford | 56 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella Ford | 52 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham Judd | 51 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus Judd | 46 | +12 laps | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi Ford | 43 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March Judd | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus Judd | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams Renault | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham Judd | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi Ford | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier Ford | 4 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 3 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March Judd | 1 | DNF | 0 |
2000
David Coulthard claimed victory at an earlier-than-usual and largely uneventful 2000 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but the race was overshadowed by chaos off the track due to severe weather conditions. Heavy rain turned car parks into mud pits, stranding spectators in 15-mile traffic queues for up to six hours, while many others—despite holding valid tickets—were unable to even reach the circuit. Fog also grounded helicopters, meaning even the VIPs were forced to endure the miserable conditions.
ITV’s Jim Rosenthal set the tone in his opening broadcast, describing Silverstone as “saturated, chilly, and totally uninviting.” Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley distanced themselves from the debacle, claiming the decision to move the race from its traditional July slot was due to “internal politics.” Mosley insisted, “We try to control everything, but no one can do anything about the weather,” while Ecclestone drew little sympathy from fans with his remark: “I’ve been at Silverstone many times in July when it has rained.”
On the track, Mika Hakkinen finished second, securing McLaren its first 1-2 of the season, while Michael Schumacher took third place for Ferrari, notching his 75th career podium.
2000 British Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | David Coulthard | McLaren Mercedes | 60 | 1:28:50.108 | 10 |
| 2 | 1 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren Mercedes | 60 | +1.477s | 6 |
| 3 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 60 | +19.917s | 4 |
| 4 | 9 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams BMW | 60 | +41.312s | 3 |
| 5 | 10 | Jenson Button | Williams BMW | 60 | +57.759s | 2 |
| 6 | 6 | Jarno Trulli | Jordan Mugen Honda | 60 | +79.273s | 1 |
| 7 | 11 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Benetton Playlife | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 17 | Mika Salo | Sauber Petronas | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 12 | Alexander Wurz | Benetton Playlife | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 10 | 14 | Jean Alesi | Prost Peugeot | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 11 | 16 | Pedro Diniz | Sauber Petronas | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 8 | Johnny Herbert | Jaguar Cosworth | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 7 | Eddie Irvine | Jaguar Cosworth | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 20 | Marc Gene | Minardi Fondmetal | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 21 | Gaston Mazzacane | Minardi Fondmetal | 59 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 22 | Jacques Villeneuve | BAR Honda | 56 | DNF | 0 |
| 17 | 5 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Jordan Mugen Honda | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Nick Heidfeld | Prost Peugeot | 51 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Ricardo Zonta | BAR Honda | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Pedro de la Rosa | Arrows Supertec | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Jos Verstappen | Arrows Supertec | 20 | DNF | 0 |
2006
Michael Schumacher secured victory at the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, narrowly edging out the Renault of Fernando Alonso by less than two seconds after an intense race-long battle.
Meanwhile, Jenson Button was left furious after a botched pit stop cost him a podium finish. Running third on lap 30, Button pulled in for refueling when his lollipop man mistakenly lifted the ‘Stop’ board too early. As Button accelerated, the lollipop was slammed back down onto his helmet, forcing him to brake suddenly. In the confusion, the fuel nozzle was ripped off the hose, delaying his stop. By the time the issue was resolved, he had dropped to seventh, ending his hopes of a podium.
2006 San Marino Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 62 | 1:31:06.486 | 10 |
| 2 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 62 | +2.096s | 8 |
| 3 | 4 | Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren Mercedes | 62 | +15.868s | 6 |
| 4 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 62 | +17.096s | 5 |
| 5 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren Mercedes | 62 | +17.524s | 4 |
| 6 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams Cosworth | 62 | +37.739s | 3 |
| 7 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 62 | +39.635s | 2 |
| 8 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 62 | +40.200s | 1 |
| 9 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 62 | +45.511s | 0 |
| 10 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 62 | +77.851s | 0 |
| 11 | 10 | Nico Rosberg | Williams Cosworth | 62 | +79.675s | 0 |
| 12 | 17 | Jacques Villeneuve | Sauber BMW | 62 | +82.370s | 0 |
| 13 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber BMW | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 20 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | STR Cosworth | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 21 | Scott Speed | STR Cosworth | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | MF1 Toyota | 60 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 14 | David Coulthard | RBR Ferrari | 47 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Takuma Sato | Super Aguri Honda | 44 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Christian Klien | RBR Ferrari | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Yuji Ide | Super Aguri Honda | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Christijan Albers | MF1 Toyota | 0 | DNF | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 23 April
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 23 April 1961 | Pierluigi Martini |
| 23 April 1963 | Paul Belmondo |
F1 Driver Deaths 23 April
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 23 April 1971 | Dempsey Wilson (b .1927) |
| 23 April 1992 | Ronnie Bucknum (b. 1936) |
| 23 April 2019 | Neal Carter (b. 1923) |
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