What happened on this day, August 25 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1985
Niki Lauda won the 1985 Dutch Grand Prix on this day 25 August. The race marked the 25th and final Grand Prix victory for three-time World Champion Lauda, driving for McLaren. His teammate, Alain Prost, finished second, while Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna secured third place with Lotus. The race marked the last Dutch Grand Prix for 36 years. Although the race was scheduled to return in 2020 on a revamped Zandvoort circuit, the reintroduction was delayed and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dutch Grand Prix finally returned in 2021, with Max Verstappen, the nation’s first World Champion, taking victory. Tragically, this race was also the last Grand Prix for German driver Stefan Bellof, who lost his life the following week during the 1000 km of Spa World Sportscar race.
1991
Brazilian and McLaren driver Ayrton Senna, starting from pole, claimed victory at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, driving. His teammate, Austrian Gerhard Berger, finished second, while fellow Brazilian Nelson Piquet secured third place with Benetton. The race proved pivotal in the championship battle as Senna’s main rival, British driver Nigel Mansell, retired due to an electrical failure, allowing Senna to extend his lead to 22 points with five races remaining.
This race also marked the debut of future seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, racing for Jordan. Schumacher’s debut was awe-inspiring, as he qualified seventh, matching the team’s best grid position of the season, and outperformed veteran teammate Andrea de Cesaris. Although Schumacher retired on the opening lap due to a clutch failure, his qualifying performance—achieved in the Jordan 191, a midfield car with minimal testing and no prior experience at the Spa circuit—left a lasting impression on the paddock.
1996
Michael Schumacher claimed victory at the 1996 Belgian Grand Prix, driving for Ferrari. Despite a heavy crash during Friday practice, Schumacher recovered to qualify third and went on to secure his second win of the season. Jacques Villeneuve, who started from pole position, finished second in his Williams, while Mika Hakkinen took third place for McLaren. Damon Hill, Villeneuve’s teammate and the Drivers’ Championship leader, crossed the line in fifth place.
2006
Kimi Antonelli, born 25 August 2006, is an Italian racing driver who has achieved significant success in various single-seater categories throughout his career. His notable victories include winning the Italian F4 Championship and ADAC Formula 4 Championship with Prema, as well as securing the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship with Mumbai Falcons and the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship with Prema. Antonelli has been a member of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019 and secured a full-time seat with the team for the 2025 season after Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from the team at the start of the 2024 season.
2013
Sebastian Vettel claimed victory at the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix for Red Bull, finishing with a time of 1:23:42 and an average speed of 220.80 km/h, which extended his championship lead to 46 points. Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari took second place, while Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole position, finished third in his Mercedes. This win marked the beginning of Vettel’s record-setting streak (at the time) of nine consecutive Formula 1 wins.
2024
Lando Norris bounced back from losing the lead at the start of the race to defeat Max Verstappen and claim victory at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix comfortably. Despite his streak of poor starts, which saw him relinquish the lead for the sixth consecutive time from pole position, Norris regained the lead from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the beginning of lap 18. From there, the McLaren driver dominated the race, winning by a 22-second margin. This win, coupled with an extra point for setting the fastest lap, allowed Norris to cut Verstappen’s lead in the 2024 Drivers’ Championship to 70 points with nine rounds left in the 2024 season. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari delivered an impressive performance, moving up from sixth on the grid to secure the final podium position, narrowly holding off Norris’ McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.
Full Race Report
F1 Driver Birthdays 25 August
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 August 2006 | Kimi Antonelli |
F1 Driver Deaths 25 August
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 August 1967 | Oscar Cabalen |
| 25 August 1976 | Doc Shanebrook |
| 25 August 1990 | David Hampshire |
| 25 August 2001 | Ken Tyrrell (Non-World Championship Driver and Team Owner of Tyrrell) |
| 25 August 2021 | Peter Bolton |
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