What happened on this day, July 20 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1943
Often considered the greatest driver never to win a World Championship Grand Prix, Chris Amon was born in Bulls, New Zealand. He made his Formula 1 debut at 19 with Reg Parnell’s racing team, scoring his first points before turning 21. After Parnell’s death, Amon raced sporadically for Brabham before joining Ferrari in 1967. He immediately showcased his talent, securing four podiums, though a win remained elusive.
In 1970, Amon joined March, where he did achieve a Formula 1 victory, but it was in the non-championship International Trophy at Silverstone. He won again in 1971 on his debut with Matra, but this too did not count towards the World Championship, and the rest of the season was challenging. He came close to victory in the 1972 French Grand Prix, but a puncture thwarted his efforts. Afterward, his career dwindled, and an attempt to run his own team in 1974 proved unsuccessful.
1957
Sir Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks shared a historic victory at the 1957 British Grand Prix held at Aintree, marking the first win for a British car in Formula One. Driving for Vanwall, they led the Ferraris of Luigi Musso and Mike Hawthorn across the finish line. Moss initially suffered an engine failure but took over teammate Brooks’ car midway through the race. Brooks was still recovering from injuries sustained in a massive accident at Le Mans earlier that year.
Rejoining in ninth place, Moss immediately began an impressive comeback. “I came out quite a long way down but that suited me fine,” he recalled. “The trouble is that when you are leading and the car fails, you get labelled as a car breaker. But when you’re at the back coming through the field, they don’t care if you break it. So at least I could have a go.” He fought his way back up the ranks, reaching fourth place before taking the lead when Jean Behra’s clutch exploded, puncturing the tyres of second-placed Mike Hawthorn. Moss then overtook teammate Stewart Lewis-Evans to secure a comfortable victory.
Over half a century later, Moss told the press that this race was his favourite British Grand Prix: “It was not a great circuit or anything else, but it was the first time a British car won a world championship race. And sharing it with Tony Brooks, who was such a fantastic driver anyway, certainly didn’t take anything away from it.”
1959
Giovanna Amati, was born on this day. An Italian former professional racing driver, she is the most recent female driver to have entered the Formula 1 World Championship.
In January 1992, Amati signed with the Brabham team to partner with Eric van de Poele. She was the first female driver to enter a Formula One race since Desiré Wilson in 1980. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify in all three of her race entries, leading Brabham to replace her with future 1996 World Champion Damon Hill.
After her Formula One career, Amati competed in the Porsche SuperCup in 1993 and went on to win the Women’s European Championship.
1963
Jim Clark secured his second of five eventual British Grand Prix victories in his career with a commanding performance in 1963. Despite a shaky start from pole position, Clark quickly recovered the four positions he lost on the first lap. He then dominated the race, finishing 25 seconds ahead of John Surtees in a Ferrari. BRM driver Graham Hill took third place, resulting in an all-British podium at Silverstone.
1985
Keke Rosberg set one of the most remarkable qualifying laps in history at Silverstone, securing pole position for the 1985 British Grand Prix with an average speed above 160 mph. This record-breaking lap was the last qualifying lap set on one of the fastest configurations of the historic track. Rosberg’s best time was 0.658 seconds faster than his Williams teammate, Nelson Piquet.
Lewis Hamilton holds the current fastest qualifying lap record at the Italian Grand Prix. His 2020 pole lap holds the record for the fastest average speed across a lap in F1 history, surpassing the previous record of 263.587 km/h (163.785 mph) set by Kimi Räikkönen two years earlier in the Ferrari SF71H.
Räikkönen’s record broke the long-standing benchmark set by Juan Pablo Montoya during the 2004 qualifying session at Monza. Montoya’s pole lap in the BMW FW26 held the single lap record with an average speed of 259.83 km/h (161.451 mph) until new, wider cars were introduced.
Montoya’s lap, in turn, had surpassed Keke Rosberg’s record, which had stood for 19 years.
Previous F1 average lap speed records
| Driver | Team | Car | Speed | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keke Rosberg | Williams | FW10 | 259.01km/h (160.94mph) | 1985 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | BMW-Williams | FW26 | 259.83 km/h (161.451mph) | 2004 |
| Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | SF17H | 263.586km/h (163.785mph) | 2018 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W11 | 264.362km/h (164.267mph) | 2020* Current record |
2003
One of the most bizarre races in history happened at the 2003 British Grand Prix at Silverstone when a defrocked Irish Roman Catholic priest, Father Cornelius Horan, burst onto the Hangar Straight with a confused religious message. Claiming the world was coming to an end, Horan’s sudden appearance forced drivers to swerve out of his way. Though his prediction proved false, he nearly halted the race, prompting the deployment of a safety car to facilitate his arrest. The incident dramatically altered the race order, leading to an unexpectedly thrilling race.
Rubens Barrichello, who started from pole position, initially lost a few places but fared better than his Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher, along with Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso, who all fell out of the top ten. Barrichello staged a remarkable comeback, executing a brilliant overtake around Kimi Raikkonen at Bridge, ultimately securing one of the greatest victories of his career. Montoya finished second after an impressive drive through the field, with Raikkonen taking third.
Horan was charged with aggravated trespass and pleaded guilty, claiming an open gate onto the track was a sign from God. He was sentenced to two months in jail but later gained more fame on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent.
2004
Sebastien Buemi became one of the youngest drivers ever to test an F1 car at just 15 years old, driving a 1999 Arrows as part of a collaboration with his sponsor TAG Heuer. “The sensations are extraordinary,” Buemi remarked. “More than ever, after this experience, I am determined to conquer the Formula BMW Championship to gradually climb the rungs that I hope will one day lead to Formula One.” He eventually realised his dream in 2009 when he was signed as a Toro Rosso race driver.
2008
Lewis Hamilton overcame a botched strategy to defeat world championship rival Felipe Massa in one of his standout performances during his first title-winning season. Hamilton initially controlled the 2008 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim until a severe accident involving Timo Glock in a Toyota brought out the safety car. While most drivers pitted as expected, Hamilton remained on track, later losing positions when he had to pit under racing conditions. Despite this setback, Hamilton showcased his skill with a remarkable overtaking display, recovering from fifth place to secure victory at the Hockenheim circuit.
F1 Driver Birthday’s 20 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 20 July 1931 | Tony Marsh |
| 20 July 1943 | Chris Amon |
| 20 July 1959 | Giovanna Amati |
| 20 July 1964 | Bernd Schneider |
| 20 July 1976 | Alex Yoong |
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