What Happened On This Day May 23 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, May 23 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1971

Tyrrell driver Jackie Stewart delivered a masterful performance at the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix, securing pole position by over a second and winning the race by a comfortable 25-second margin. While Stewart dominated, young Ronnie Peterson provided the excitement further back. In his second season, Peterson raced from eighth on the grid to finish second, overtaking Jacky Ickx, who finished third, and Jo Siffert on the narrow principality circuit.

This was the last race on the original Monaco circuit, as a dedicated pit lane was created along the harbour before Tabac in 1972.

1971 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	11	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell Ford	80	1:52:21.300	9
2	17	Ronnie Peterson	March Ford	80	+25.600s	6
3	4	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	80	+53.300s	4
4	9	Denny Hulme	McLaren Ford	80	+66.700s	3
5	1	Emerson Fittipaldi	Lotus Ford	79	+1 lap	2
6	24	Rolf Stommelen	Surtees Ford	79	+1 lap	1
7	22	John Surtees	Surtees Ford	79	+1 lap	0
8	27	Henri Pescarolo	March Ford	77	+3 laps	0
9	15	Pedro Rodriguez	BRM	76	+4 laps	0
10	8	Tim  Schenken	Brabham Ford	76	+4 laps	0
NC	14	Jo Siffert	BRM	58	DNF	0
NC	21	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra	47	DNF	0
NC	20	Chris Amon	Matra	45	DNF	0
NC	3	Clay Regazzoni	Ferrari	24	DNF	0
NC	10	Peter  Gethin	McLaren Ford	22	DNF	0
NC	2	Reine  Wisell	Lotus Ford	21	DNF	0
NC	12	Francois  Cevert	Tyrrell Ford	5	DNF	0
NC	7	Graham Hill	Brabham Ford	1	DNF	0

1972

Rubens Barrichello, one of Formula One’s most experienced drivers, was born in Sao Paulo on this day, May 23, 1972. With 326 entries and 322 starts, 11 victories, 68 podiums, and 14 pole positions, his career spanned 18 seasons with six teams. His most successful year was with Ferrari in 2002, but as Michael Schumacher‘s number two, he was never a title contender. In 2009, driving for Brawn, Barrichello had the car and team to challenge for the championship but ended the season third, with two wins compared to teammate Jenson Button‘s six. His career in F1 ended at the last race of the 2011 season, when he transitioned to the IndyCar Series in 2012 with KV Racing Technology.

1982

Riccardo Patrese secured the win at a chaotic 1982 Monaco Grand Prix that seemed cursed for the leading contenders. Four potential winners crashed or ran out of fuel in the final two laps. As light rain made the track slippery, Keke Rosberg was the first to crash on lap 65. Then, Alain Prost spun into the barriers near Tabac, handing the lead to Patrese. However, as Patrese reached the Loews hairpin, he spun and had to give up positions to Didier Pironi and Andrea de Cesaris. A few corners later, Pironi’s Ferrari stopped due to fuel issues, followed by de Cesaris’s Alfa Romeo on the final lap; they were classed as second and third, respectively. Patrese regained the lead, but the drama continued as Derek Daly, running in second, crashed at the Swimming Pool complex. Patrese navigated through the debris and cautiously crossed the finish line to claim his first Formula 1 win.

1982 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	2	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham Ford	76	1:54:11.259	9
2	28	Didier Pironi	Ferrari	75	DNF	6
3	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	75	DNF	4
4	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus Ford	75	+1 lap	3
5	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus Ford	75	+1 lap	2
6	5	Derek Daly	Williams Ford	74	DNF	1
7	15	Alain Prost	Renault	73	DNF	0
8	4	Brian Henton	Tyrrell Ford	72	+4 laps	0
9	29	Marc Surer	Arrows Ford	70	+6 laps	0
10	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell Ford	69	DNF	0
NC	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams Ford	64	DNF	0
NC	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren Ford	56	DNF	0
NC	1	Nelson Piquet	Brabham BMW	49	DNF	0
NC	7	John Watson	McLaren Ford	35	DNF	0
NC	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS Ford	31	DNF	0
NC	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier Matra	29	DNF	0
NC	25	Eddie  Cheever	Ligier Matra	27	DNF	0
NC	10	Eliseo Salazar	ATS Ford	22	DNF	0
NC	16	Rene Arnoux	Renault	14	DNF	0
NC	23	Bruno Giacomelli	Alfa Romeo	4	DNF	0

1993

Ayrton Senna won his sixth and final Monaco Grand Prix on May 23, 1993, setting a new record for victories at the iconic race. Incredibly, it was also his fifth consecutive win at the principality, breaking the record of the legendary Graham Hill.

The weekend began poorly with a heavy crash at Saint Devote during practice, leaving Senna with a bruised thumb. Admitting he couldn’t drive at 100%, he still qualified third behind Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost. Prost’s jump-start led to a stop-go penalty, removing him from contention. Schumacher then took the lead but suffered a hydraulic failure on lap 32, ending his race. Senna took over and won, later expressing his astonishment: “I simply don’t have words,” he said. “It is not just the six victories, but the results achieved here, throughout the years, with different cars and different engines, under different conditions.”

Damon Hill finished second in a Williams-Renault, with Frenchman Jean Alesi third in a Ferrari.

1993 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren Ford	78	1:52:10.947	10
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams Renault	78	+52.118s	6
3	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	78	+63.362s	4
4	2	Alain Prost	Williams Renault	77	+1 lap	3
5	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi Ford	76	+2 laps	2
6	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier Renault	76	+2 laps	1
7	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus Ford	76	+2 laps	0
8	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren Ford	76	+2 laps	0
9	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan Hart	76	+2 laps	0
10	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell Yamaha	76	+2 laps	0
11	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi Ford	75	+3 laps	0
12	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse Lamborghini	75	+3 laps	0
13	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	74	+4 laps	0
14	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	70	DNF	0
NC	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus Ford	61	DNF	0
NC	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton Ford	53	DNF	0
NC	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse Lamborghini	51	DNF	0
NC	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork Mugen Honda	46	DNF	0
NC	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork Mugen Honda	43	DNF	0
NC	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton Ford	32	DNF	0
NC	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell Yamaha	31	DNF	0
NC	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola Ferrari	28	DNF	0
NC	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	23	DNF	0
NC	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan Hart	12	DNF	0
NC	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier Renault	3	DNF	0

2004

Jarno Trulli ended Michael Schumacher’s dominant season start by winning the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix with Renault. Trulli excelled all weekend, securing pole position and leading the race from start to finish. His teammate Fernando Alonso was his closest rival early on but crashed while attempting to lap Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel. During the subsequent safety car period, Michael Schumacher collided with the barriers at the same spot, later accusing Juan Pablo Montoya of brake testing him. The race concluded with Jenson Button in the BAR closing in on Trulli but being unable to overtake and settle for P2. Rubens Barrichello finished third for Ferrari. This victory was Trulli’s only F1 win.

2004 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	77	1:45:46.601	10
2	9	Jenson Button	BAR Honda	77	+0.497s	8
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	77	+75.766s	6
4	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams BMW	76	+1 lap	5
5	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber Petronas	76	+1 lap	4
6	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	76	+1 lap	3
7	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan Ford	75	+2 laps	2
8	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	74	+3 laps	1
9	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi Cosworth	71	+6 laps	0
10	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams BMW	69	DNF	0
NC	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	45	DNF	0
NC	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	41	DNF	0
NC	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren Mercedes	27	DNF	0
NC	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi Cosworth	15	DNF	0
NC	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan Ford	12	DNF	0
NC	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar Cosworth	11	DNF	0
NC	10	Takuma Sato	BAR Honda	2	DNF	0
NC	5	David Coulthard	McLaren Mercedes	2	DNF	0
NC	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber Petronas	2	DNF	0
NC	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar Cosworth	0	DNF	0

2021

Max Mosley, born in 1940, played a key role in shaping modern Formula 1 and global motorsport regulation. As co-founder of March Engineering in the late 1960s, he gained a respect in F1 before moving into governance. In 1991, he was elected president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), a role he held until 2009. Mosley was instrumental in implementing safety reforms following Ayrton Senna’s tragic death in 1994, working closely with Professor Sid Watkins to enhance car and circuit safety standards. His time also saw the introduction of cost-cutting measures and regulatory changes aimed at improving competitiveness and sustainability.

Despite his time at the FIA, Mosley’s presidency was often controversial. He clashed with teams over rule changes, budget caps, and governance issues, particularly with the formation of the breakaway Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association. His later years at the FIA were overshadowed by a 2008 tabloid scandal, but he survived a vote of confidence and continued advocating for privacy rights and safety initiatives beyond motorsport. Mosley’s legacy remains complex—characterised by both safety reforms, divisive leadership and his storied private life.

Mosley died on this day, 23 May 2021, at the age of 81 after battling cancer, with the news being confirmed by Bernie Ecclestone. On March 29 2022, an official inquest into his death confirmed he had been found with a fatal gunshot wound to his head. His death was ruled a suicide, likely prompted by negative news about his cancer prognosis.

2021

The 2021 Monaco Grand Prix took place on the iconic streets of Monte Carlo, serving as the fifth round of the Formula One World Championship. It marked the 78th running of the prestigious event and the first since 2019, as the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Verstappen secured victory for Red Bull Racing, leading the 78-lap race after pole-sitter Charles Leclerc was unable to start due to a driveshaft failure discovered before the race. The win propelled Verstappen to the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings for the first time in his career. Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, finished second, followed by the McLaren of Lando Norris in third.

The race was the Williams team’s 750th Grand Prix start. To commemorate the occasion, the team featured the names of 100 fans on the halo of their car, the FW43B. McLaren also ran a one-off Gulf Racing-inspired livery, paying tribute to their historic partnership with Gulf Oil, which dates back to the 1960s.

2021 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing Honda	78	1:38:56.820	25
2	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	78	+8.968s	18
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren Mercedes	78	+19.427s	15
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing Honda	78	+20.490s	12
5	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Mercedes	78	+52.591s	10
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri Honda	78	+53.896s	8
7	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	78	+68.231s	7
8	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Mercedes	77	+1 lap	4
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine Renault	77	+1 lap	2
10	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari	77	+1 lap	1
11	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari	77	+1 lap	0
12	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren Mercedes	77	+1 lap	0
13	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine Renault	77	+1 lap	0
14	63	George Russell	Williams Mercedes	77	+1 lap	0
15	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Mercedes	77	+1 lap	0
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri Honda	77	+1 lap	0
17	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas Ferrari	75	+3 laps	0
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas Ferrari	75	+3 laps	0
NC	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	29	DNF	0
NC	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	0	DNS	0
Note – Hamilton scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

F1 Driver Birthdays 23 May

Birthday	F1 Driver
23 May 1903	Ernst Klodwig (d. 1973)
23 May 1925	Joe James (d. 1952)
23 May 1940	Gerard Larrousse
23 May 1972	Rubens Barrichello
23 May 2000	Felipe Drugovich

F1 Driver Deaths 23 May

Death	F1 Driver
23 May	None

Death	F1 Mention
23 May 2021	Max Mosley (b. 1940) Co-founder of the March F1 team and President of the FIA.