What Happened On This Day August 24 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, August 24, in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1881

Vincenzo Lancia, the founder of the iconic Lancia automotive manufacturer, was born on this day in Fobello near Turin. Lancia showed a keen interest in engineering from a young age and quickly moved into the emerging new motor industry. By 19, he had become Fiat’s chief inspector and test driver. Although he showed promise as a racer, his true talent lay in production. He unveiled his first car model in 1907 and continued his work until his untimely death from a heart attack at 55 in 1937. His wife and son carried on running the company for another 18 years. Scuderia Lancia, founded in 1952 by Gianni Lancia, son of Vincenzo, and later rebranded as Squadra Corse HF Lancia, serving as the Lancia car company’s racing division would appear in four F1 Championship races.

1958

Stirling Moss won the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix, closing the gap in the Drivers’ Championship to just four points behind compatriot Mike Hawthorn. The paddock was a sombre place, as the race was held just three weeks after Peter Collins‘s fatal accident at the Nurburgring. Enzo Ferrari, who had also lost Luigi Musso weeks earlier, decided not to replace Collins, fielding only two cars for Hawthorn and Wolfgang Von Trips. Hawthorn briefly led the race before Moss took control and pulled away, securing victory with Vanwall ahead of Hawthorn’s Ferrari and his Vanwall teammate Stuart Lewis-Evans.

1997

Michael Schumacher secured the 26th victory of his Formula One career at the 1997 Belgian Grand Prix with Ferrari, finishing ahead of Jordan driver Giancarlo Fisichella and the Williams of Heinz-Harald Frentzen. This victory is remembered as one of Schumacher’s finest, as he dominated the race in treacherous, monsoon-like conditions, leaving the rest of the field in his wake.

2003

Renault and Spanish driver Fernando Alonso made history by becoming the youngest-ever Grand Prix winner (at the time) at 22 years and 104 days, securing his first victory at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. This win came 43 years after Bruce McLaren set the previous record. Alonso capitalised on poor starts from the Williams duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, while the faster McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen was held up by Mark Webber‘s Jaguar, along with the rest of Alonso’s challengers. This allowed Alonso to build a significant lead, ultimately winning by nearly 17 seconds ahead of Raikkonen and Montoya. More importantly, this victory intensified the battle for the Drivers’ Championship, with Michael Schumacher on 72 points, Montoya on 71, and Raikkonen on 70.

2008

Valencia hosted its first-ever Grand Prix, where the Ferrari of Felipe Massa claimed victory in the 2008 European Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica. The race, held on a tight new street circuit, was relatively uneventful, with Massa maintaining control from start to finish. The most significant incident occurred when Kimi Raikkonen attempted to leave the pits before his car refuelling hose was detached, resulting in a team refueler, Pietro Timpini, being knocked over and suffering a foot fracture and back pain. Massa’s victory narrowed the gap in the championship standings to six points between him and leader Hamilton.

2014

After starting from fifth position, Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo claimed victory at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg finished second for Mercedes, while Williams’ Valtteri Bottas secured third place.

During the podium interviews conducted by former team owner Eddie Jordan, Rosberg faced boos from the crowd on four occasions, stemming from his collision with Lewis Hamilton on lap two, which many perceived as intentional. Rosberg attributed the negative reaction to a small group of Hamilton’s British supporters and suggested that they familiarise themselves with the regulations and drivers’ code of conduct before passing judgment. The race result maintained Ricciardo’s third place in the Drivers’ Championship standings, while Rosberg extended his lead over Hamilton to 29 points after Hamilton retired due to bodywork damage.

F1 Driver Birthdays 24 August

F1 Driver Deaths 24 August