What happened on this day, July 27 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1954
Former Formula One driver Philippe Alliot was born in Voves, France. Throughout his career, he raced for RAM, Ligier, Larrousse, and McLaren. Alliot was known for his frequent accidents, drawing heavy criticism from team members, fellow drivers, and sports commentators like James Hunt, who dubbed him “one of the worst Grand Prix drivers ever.” In the early 1990s, Alliot moved to sports car racing and found considerable success with the Peugeot team, managed by Jean Todt.
1986
At the 1986 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, Alain Prost was closely tailing the Williams of Nigel Mansell when his McLaren ran out of fuel on the final lap. Prost exited his car and attempted to push it over the finish line, earning applause from the crowd. Despite not making it across the line, he secured a point for sixth place, as the next driver was more than a lap behind.
The 45-lap race was won by Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet, who drove a Williams-Honda. Fellow Brazilian Ayrton Senna secured second place in a Lotus-Renault, while Briton Nigel Mansell finished third. With Prost taking a single point this allowed Mansell to extend his lead in the ’86 Drivers’ Championship to seven points.
In the lead-up to the race, Keke Rosberg declared his intention to retire from Formula One at the end of the season. Lotus revealed plans to switch to Honda engines for 1987, due to Renault’s departure from the sport, with Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima set to replace Johnny Dumfries. At the same time, Ligier brought in Philippe Alliot to stand in for the injured Jacques Laffite.
1997
Gerhard Berger won the 1997 German Grand Prix, marking his last win and podium finish in Formula One and the 27th and final victory for the Benetton team. The win was especially poignant as Berger’s first Grand Prix victory in 1986 was also Benetton’s first.
After missing the previous three races due to a sinus problem, Berger secured pole position and dominated the race, leading from start to finish aside from pit stops. Local hero Michael Schumacher finished second in a Ferrari, with Finn Mika Hakkinen taking third in a McLaren-Mercedes.
Jacques Villeneuve failed to finish in his Williams-Renault, allowing Schumacher to extend his lead over the Canadian in the Drivers’ Championship to 10 points.
F1 Driver Birthday’s 27 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 27 July 1933 | Chris Lawrence |
| 27 July 1943 | Max Jean |
| 27 July 1954 | Philippe Alliot |
| 27 July 1968 | Ricardo Rosset |
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