What Happened On This Day July 14 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, July 14 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1951

The 1951 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was expected to showcase the much-anticipated BRM cars, the Type 15, powered by a 1½-litre 16-cylinder supercharged engine, and the first car to use disc brakes in road racing, they finished fifth and seventh. “The cars showed up exceedingly well,” noted the Guardian, despite drivers requiring first aid for burns due to excessive heat. The writer also pointed out that “The engine needs to be permitted to develop full power without the risk of blowing up.” The race was won by Jose Froilan Gonzalez in a Ferrari, marking the first time an Alfa Romeo did not win a championship event.

1956

Tragedy struck during an F2 race at Reims with the deaths of one-race Formula One drivers Bill Whitehouse and Herbert MacKay-Fraser. Whitehouse’s borrowed Cooper-Climax crashed after a tire burst, somersaulting and exploding in flames. Later, MacKay-Fraser lost control of his Lotus at high speed and died on impact.

1956

Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1956 British Grand Prix, although it wasn’t one of his most remarkable wins. An early spin dropped him down the field, but he persevered as a series of retirements among the leading drivers allowed him to recover. Tony Brooks narrowly escaped serious injury when his BRM overturned and caught fire; he was thrown clear and emerged with only minor injuries.

1973

Paul Revson claimed his first F1 victory at the 1973 British Grand Prix, a race marked by first-lap chaos due to multiple accidents. The trouble began when Jack Oliver rear-ended Niki Lauda. Later in the lap, Jody Scheckter lost control of his McLaren, hitting the pit wall and spinning back into the track, causing a nine-car pile-up. Andrea de Adamich suffered the most serious injuries, requiring 30 minutes to be extracted from his Brabham and delaying the race restart by an hour with a reduced 19-car field.

1979

Clay Regazzoni, the oldest driver on the grid, secured the Frank Williams team’s first Grand Prix win at their home race, the 1979 British Grand Prix. Alan Jones led initially before his engine overheated. Regazzoni’s podium celebration was modest as he stood back while Rene Arnoux and Jean-Pierre Jarier sprayed champagne; Regazzoni’s sponsors from Saudi Arabia prohibited any association with alcohol, so he used lemonade instead.

1991

Before the 1991 British Grand Prix, all eyes were on Nigel Mansell, who was trailing Ayrton Senna in the drivers’ championship. The excitement peaked when Mansell secured pole position. Despite a poor start that allowed Senna to take the lead, Mansell quickly overtook him and went on to win, thrilling the 150,000-strong crowd. “For the last two laps I was so terrified I was going to be left without gears,” Mansell admitted after experiencing gearbox issues. Senna ran out of fuel on the last lap but avoided a long walk back to the pits when Mansell picked him up during his victory lap.

1996

Following in Mansell’s footsteps, Damon Hill took pole position at the 1996 British Grand Prix, raising expectations for another British victory. However, Hill’s poor start led to a spin while attempting to pass Mika Hakkinen, ending his race early. Both Ferrari drivers, Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine, retired within the first six laps due to technical problems—Schumacher with hydraulic issues and Irvine with an engine failure.

F1 Driver Birthday’s 14 July