What Happened On This Day July 1 In F1 History?

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

1951

Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli, driving an Alfa Romeo, claimed victory at the 1951 French Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Ferrari drivers Jose Froilan Gonzalez and Alberto Ascari in second. Luigi Villoresi finished in third place for Ferrari. It was the first of three occasions where two drivers would be credited with a Grand Prix win after sharing a car.

Luigi Fagioli’s victory in this race marked his first and only World Championship win, making him the oldest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix—a record that still stands.

Additionally, this race is the longest Formula One Grand Prix in F1 History in terms of total distance covered. The 77 laps around the 4.856-mile Reims-Gueux circuit added up to a gruelling 373.961 miles.

1956

Ferrari dominated the 1956 French Grand Prix, with Peter Collins leading his teammate Eugenio Castellotti to victory. The team nearly secured a 1-2-3 finish, but a fuel leak dropped Juan Manuel Fangio to fourth place behind Jean Behra, who took third in a Maserati.

Bugatti made a rare one-off appearance in this race, entering the Type 251 with Maurice Trintignant behind the wheel. However, the car proved uncompetitive, and Trintignant retired after just 18 laps.

The race was also the only Formula One World Championship entry as a driver for Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

1973

Ronnie Peterson secured his first Formula One victory at the 1973 French Grand Prix, finishing ahead of local favourite François Cevert. Jody Scheckter initially took the lead, with a fast-starting Peterson chasing him, followed by pole-sitter Jackie Stewart, Denny Hulme, and Emerson Fittipaldi. When Stewart and Hulme retired due to tyre problems, Peterson allowed Fittipaldi to move into second place to challenge Scheckter. On lap 42, Scheckter hesitated while lapping Jean-Pierre Beltoise, giving Fittipaldi an opportunity to overtake. However, Scheckter didn’t yield, resulting in a collision that forced both drivers to retire. Peterson then took the lead and went on to claim his first Grand Prix win, followed by Cevert and Carlos Reutemann, who achieved his first podium finish.

1979

Jean-Pierre Jabouille won the 1979 French Grand Prix, but the race is best remembered for an epic final lap battle between Gilles Villeneuve and René Arnoux. At the start, Villeneuve jumped from third on the grid to take the lead, with Jabouille in second and Jody Scheckter in third. Arnoux had a poor start, dropping to ninth, but he fought back to third by lap 15. Villeneuve’s Ferrari struggled with handling issues, allowing Jabouille to pass him for the lead. The race then featured a dramatic fight for second place between Arnoux and Villeneuve, with the two drivers swapping positions and banging wheels. On the last corner, Arnoux drifted wide, and Villeneuve seized the opportunity to pass him on the inside, finishing just two-tenths of a second ahead. This race marked the first victory for Renault and the first for a turbocharged engine, a significant milestone in F1 history.

2001

In 2001, Michael Schumacher achieved his 50th F1 career win at the 2001 French Grand Prix, overcoming tough competition from his brother Ralf Schumacher, who had started from pole position. Ralf, driving for Williams, posed the main threat to Michael, maintaining his lead until the first pit stop on lap 24. However, a slow stop due to a problem with the right rear tyre allowed Michael to take the lead during the second stint and begin pulling away. Juan Pablo Montoya, who was running longer on harder tyres, emerged as Schumacher’s primary challenger until engine failure on lap 53 ended his chances of winning. Ultimately, the Schumacher brothers finished first and second, with Rubens Barrichello securing third place for Ferrari.

2007

On this day, Kimi Raikkonen dominated the 2007 French Grand Prix, thwarting a bid from Lewis Hamilton for a hat-trick of wins. Hamilton’s strategy hinged on a three-stop plan that required a strong start. However, Raikkonen overtook him at the beginning and set his sights on catching Felipe Massa in the leading Ferrari. The race then became a duel between the two Ferrari drivers, with Raikkonen gaining the upper hand when Massa encountered traffic during his second stint.

F1 Driver Birthday’s 1 July