What happened on this day, July 25 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1982
Rene Arnoux triumphed at the 1982 French Grand Prix, driving for Renault, marking the manufacturer’s tenth win in Formula One. Arnoux finished ahead of teammate Alain Prost, achieving Renault’s first-ever 1-2 finish. However, Prost was furious with Arnoux, believing he should have allowed Prost to win to boost his chances of winning the Drivers’ Championship. There was a pre-race agreement that if he and Prost were running first and second, respectively, he would let Prost past.
It wasn’t just a 1-2 for Renault; it was also a French 1–2–3–4, with Frenchmen Didier Pironi and Patrick Tambay taking third and fourth for Ferrari
On the eleventh lap of the race, a big accident occurred when Jochen Mass in the March collided with Mauro Baldi’s Arrows at Signes. Mass’s car tore through the catch fencing, crashed into the tyre walls, and then catapulted into a spectator area, catching fire. Mass managed to escape with burns on his hands, while several spectators sustained injuries. Following this incident, the West German driver immediately retired from F1.
1993
Alain Prost won the 1993 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim with Williams, strengthening his hold on a fourth drivers’ title. Despite a poor start from pole, allowing teammate Damon Hill and Benetton driver Michael Schumacher to pass, Prost overtook both rivals. A stop-go penalty for cutting a chicane dropped him to fifth. Hill seemed set for victory, but a left-rear tyre failure on the penultimate lap handed the win to Prost.
1999
Following Michael Schumacher’s leg-breaking crash during the 1999 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Eddie Irvine won the 1999 Austrian Grand Prix for Ferrari, embracing his role as the team’s lead driver. Mika Hakkinen started from pole but was spun by his McLaren teammate David Coulthard at the first corner. Coulthard led until his pit stop, allowing Irvine to take the lead and maintain it until the finish.
2004
Michael Schumacher claimed victory with Ferrari at the 2004 German Grand Prix, securing his 11th win in 12 races during a dominant season. Jenson Button finished just eight seconds behind Schumacher in the BAR-Honda, despite being hindered by an engine failure during practice that pushed him from his qualifying third position to 13th on the grid. Fernando Alonso took third place in his Renault.
F1 Driver Birthday’s 25 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 July 1905 | Georges Grignard |
| 25 July 1910 | Jimmy Jackson |
| 25 July 1911 | Len Duncan |
| 25 July 1936 | Gerry Ashmore |
| 25 July 1985 | Nelson Piquet Jr. |
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