What Happened On This Day July 26 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, July 26 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1925

Italian racing driver Antonio Ascari tragically died while leading the 1925 French Grand Prix in an Alfa Romeo P2 at the Autodrome de Montlhéry near Paris. He left behind a seven-year-old son, Alberto Ascari, who later became a two-time FIA World Champion in 1952 and 1953. Eerily, Alberto met a similar fate as his father, dying on the 26th of the month at the age of 36 in car No. 26. Both father and son had won 13 grands prix, died four days after surviving previous accidents, and left behind a wife and two children.

1987

Nelson Piquet won the 1987 German Grand Prix, with Stefan Johansson and Ayrton Senna completing the podium. Nigel Mansell started on pole, ahead of title rivals Senna, Alain Prost, and Piquet. After a slow start, Mansell overtook Senna to re-take the lead on the second lap. The race seemed Mansell’s to lose, which he did when an engine problem forced his retirement. Prost then appeared poised for victory until a broken alternator belt allowed Piquet to take the win.

1992

Massive crowds flocked to Hockenheim to watch Michael Schumacher for the 1992 German Grand Prix, but it was Nigel Mansell who claimed victory. Mansell dominated the race, while behind him, Ayrton Senna and Schumacher, who did not stop for pit stops, finished second and third. Schumacher benefitted from a late spin by Riccardo Patrese in the Williams.

1998

Mika Hakkinen triumphed at the 1998 Austrian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of his McLaren teammate David Coulthard and the Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine. Rain during qualifying led to an unusual grid, with the Benetton of Giancarlo Fisichella on pole and the Sauber of Jean Alesi alongside. Hakkinen and Schumacher quickly overtook the front-row cars at the start. However, the standout performance came from Coulthard, who charged through the field from 14th on the grid to seventh by lap 16. Subsequent overtakes and pit stops by other drivers elevated Coulthard to second, behind Hakkinen, with Schumacher finishing third.

2009

Lewis Hamilton celebrated his tenth Grand Prix victory by winning the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix after starting from fourth place on the grid.

The 2007 world champion, Kimi Räikkönen, secured second place for Ferrari, while the Red Bull of Mark Webber finished third. Brawn GP driver and Championship leader Jenson Button had a disappointing race, finishing seventh and losing ground to Webber in the championship standings.

Hamilton’s victory was his first since the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix, marking his return to the podium. It was also notable for being the first win for a car equipped with a regenerative brake system (KERS). Räikkönen’s second place marked Ferrari’s best result of the season, though his teammate Felipe Massa had a serious accident during the second part of Saturday’s qualifying session, resulting in a fractured skull.

The race also saw the debut of World Series by Renault racer and 2008 British Formula Three champion Jaime Alguersuari. At 19 years and 125 days old, he became the youngest Formula One driver in the championship’s 59-year history and the first born in the 1990s, a record later broken by Max Verstappen in 2015. Alguersuari replaced the ousted Sébastien Bourdais at Scuderia Toro Rosso.

F1 Driver Birthday’s 26 July