What happened on this day, July 28 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1935
At the 1935 German Grand Prix held at the Nurburgring, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi leadership anticipated a dominant performance from the German-made Mercedes and Auto Union cars, driven by German drivers, in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 300,000 fans. Hitler emphasised the importance of a German victory, but Italian driver Tazio Nuvolari defied expectations by securing a dramatic victory on the final lap with his less powerful Alfa Romeo, much to Hitler’s dismay. Motorsport magazine described the scene: “At first, there was deathly silence, and then the innate sportsmanship of the Germans triumphed over their astonishment. Nuvolari was given a wonderful reception.” So certain were the Nazi officials of a German win that they hadn’t prepared the Italian national anthem. Fortunately, Nuvolari had his own record of the anthem, which he always carried for luck.
1991
Nigel Mansell won the 1991 German Grand Prix, finishing ahead of his Williams teammate Riccardo Patrese and the Ferrari of Jean Alesi, narrowing the gap in the drivers’ championship led by Ayrton Senna. Pole-sitter Mansell made an excellent start and maintained his lead throughout the race, leaving his competitors to fight for second place.
Brazilian Ayrton Senna, the leader of the Drivers’ Championship, failed to score in his McLaren-Honda after running out of fuel for the second consecutive race.
Pre-race, Senna had spent a night in a Mannheim hospital after a crash during pre-race testing a week earlier. Senna experienced a tyre failure at the end of a long straight, causing his car to launch into the air and flip several times. According to witnesses, the McLaren-Honda soared 15 feet into the air and was destroyed in the crash. Senna regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital with neck and chest bruises
1996
Damon Hill secured his 20th Grand Prix victory with Williams, matching the career tally of Michael Schumacher, by winning the 1996 German Grand Prix. Although this marked Hill’s seventh win of the season, it was not an easy feat. A poor start put him behind the Benettons of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger. However, a superior strategy allowed Hill to overtake Alesi. When it seemed he would have to settle for second place, Berger’s engine failed three laps from the finish, handing Hill the victory.
Berger’s French teammate, Alesi finished second, while Canadian Jacques Villeneuve took third in the other Williams-Renault.
With this victory, Hill extended his lead over Villeneuve in the 1996 Drivers’ Championship to 21 points, with five races remaining. Hill went on to win the Championship.
2002
Michael Schumacher matched his own, and Nigel Mansell’s record of nine Grand Prix wins in a season by winning the 2002 German Grand Prix. Despite the victory, Schumacher faced significant competition from his brother Ralf Schumacher, who, using superior Michelin tyres, began to close the gap. Ralf reduced the lead to six seconds after the first pit stop, but a late pneumatic issue dropped him to third place behind his Williams teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.
This was the first Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring since the track was redesigned, removing the forest sections and shortening its length.
2024
George Russell was disqualified from the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix for having an underweight car, handing victory to his Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
Russell had pulled off an audacious one-stop strategy, stunning the field and securing a surprise Mercedes one-two at Spa. However, approximately 90 minutes after the race concluded, the FIA announced that his car had come in underweight. The W15 weighed 796.5 kilograms, 1.5 kg below the minimum weight required by the sport’s regulations. Initially, the car met the 798 kg limit, but once the remaining fuel was drained in accordance with the rules, it fell below the minimum weight.
This decision also meant McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was promoted to second place, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc moved up to third, taking the final podium spot.
F1 Driver Birthday’s 28 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 July 1924 | Luigi Musso |
| 28 July 1927 | Heini Walter |
| 28 July 1935 | Massimo Natili |
| 28 July 1961 | Yannick Dalmas |
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