What happened on this day, July 22 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1984
In the 1984 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, McLaren teammates, Lauda and Prost, faced off once more, with Niki Lauda emerging victorious. This win allowed Lauda to narrow the gap in the championship standings against Alain Prost. Derek Warwick achieved his closest brush with a Formula One victory, finishing second in his Renault. The race also saw the Tyrrell team banned for using lead balls in its water ballast. Despite their appeal, the team was unsuccessful and stripped of all points for the entire season.
2003
Rubens Barrichello accidentally broke his winner’s trophy for the 2003 British Grand Prix while checking in for his flight home at Heathrow Airport. The gold replica of the original was knocked to the ground and shattered, leaving the Brazilian driver distraught after one of his greatest F1 victories. “Somebody bumped into the trophy and it fell and broke,” he explained.
2004
In 2004, Bernie Ecclestone defended Michael Schumacher‘s dominance in F1 as the German driver neared a record seventh world title. Critics argued that Schumacher’s success had made the sport boring, but Ecclestone, the sport’s commercial rights holder and the one with the most to lose from declining viewership, disagreed. He stated, “Michael is a superstar. That is exactly what we wanted—every sport needs a superstar, and he is ours. Everybody tries to beat him, and that is great publicity for Formula One. He is fortunate to drive for a team that supports him like Ferrari does, but it was Michael who motivated them after their initial problems.”
2007
Fernando Alonso won the 2007 European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, narrowing the championship gap to just two points between himself and McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton. A rainstorm hit the circuit after just one lap, resulting in the extraordinary sight of debutant Markus Winkelhock leading his first F1 race by half a minute in a Spyker. Unfortunately for Winkelhock, the conditions were so severe that the race had to be suspended. Upon the restart, Kimi Raikkonen led Felipe Massa and Alonso, but further rainfall and more pitstops shuffled the order, allowing Alonso to win ahead of Massa and Mark Webber in a Red Bull. BBC radio listeners enjoyed the commentary of Murray Walker for the first time since his retirement in 2001.
2007
Michael Schumacher had a corner named after him at the Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit. The high-speed turns nine and ten were officially named in his honour at that year’s 2007 European Grand Prix, commemorating the German driver’s illustrious career, which began at a nearby kart track. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be privileged to experience a situation like this,” said Schumacher.
2008
BMW had to halt testing of its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) after one of its mechanics received an electric shock. The team was conducting tests in preparation for the following year when the revolutionary technology would be introduced to the sport. During an early development stage, the first mechanic to touch the car after a test run fell to the ground from an electric shock. This incident was one of several scares surrounding the new technology, eventually leading to mechanics wearing rubber gloves when handling the cars.
2024
Oscar Piastri secured his debut F1 Grand Prix victory in Hungary following intra-team drama at McLaren. Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris, eventually complied with orders to hand back the lead to Piastri, who had lost it due to the team’s pit stop strategy.
At the start, Piastri, Lando Norris, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen went three abreast, with Piastri emerging as the leader into Turn 1. He maintained his lead for much of the race. However, during the second round of pit stops, Norris was pitted first to cover off Lewis Hamilton and emerged ahead of Piastri.
The team issued several calls for Norris to return the position to Piastri, which he was reluctant to follow for many laps. Finally, on Lap 68 of 70, Norris slowed down and allowed Piastri to pass.
The 23-year-old Piastri took the win, finishing two seconds ahead of Norris. Lewis Hamilton claimed the final podium position in third for Mercedes despite facing his own drama with Verstappen during a late-race battle.
Full Race Report
F1 Driver Birthday’s 22 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 July 1909 | Dorino Serafini |
| 22 July 1916 | Gino Bianco |
| 22 July 1929 | John Barber |
Seen in:
