What happened on this day, May 25 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1975
Niki Lauda guided his Ferrari to victory at the 1975 Belgian Grand Prix despite a rocky start. Starting from pole, he initially lost position to the Brabham of Carlos Pace and then dropped to third behind the March of Vittorio Brambillia. However, Lauda quickly overtook Pace and pursued Brambillia, passing him by lap six. From that point, he remained unchallenged for the lead. Jody Scheckter worked his way up to third, and when Brambillia pitted for fresh tyres, Scheckter moved into second place. Carlos Reutemann in the second Brabham eventually finished third.
1975 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Niki Lauda | Ferrari | 70 | 1:43:53.980 | 9 |
| 2 | 3 | Jody Scheckter | Tyrrell Ford | 70 | +19.220s | 6 |
| 3 | 7 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham Ford | 70 | +41.820s | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell Ford | 70 | +60.080s | 3 |
| 5 | 11 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 70 | +63.860s | 2 |
| 6 | 16 | Tom Pryce | Shadow Ford | 70 | +88.450s | 1 |
| 7 | 1 | Emerson Fittipaldi | McLaren Ford | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 8 | Carlos Pace | Brabham Ford | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 14 | Bob Evans | BRM | 68 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 18 | John Watson | Surtees Ford | 68 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 28 | Mark Donohue | Penske Ford | 67 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 30 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi Ford | 67 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Francois Migault | Hill Ford | 57 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Vittorio Brambilla | March Ford | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Jacky Ickx | Lotus Ford | 52 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus Ford | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Lella Lombardi | March Ford | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Jacques Laffite | Frank Williams Racing Cars/Williams | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Tony Brise | Hill Ford | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | James Hunt | Hesketh Ford | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Shadow Ford | 13 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Arturo Merzario | Frank Williams Racing Cars/Williams | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Alan Jones | Hesketh Ford | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Jochen Mass | McLaren Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1986
Nigel Mansell recovered from an early spin in his Williams to win the 1986 Belgian Grand Prix, finishing just under 20 seconds ahead of Ayrton Senna who took second in a Lotus. A chaotic start saw Alain Prost and Gerhard Berger collide and shuffle the order, with Williams’ Nelson Piquet avoiding the accident to lead the pack ahead of Senna and Mansell. Mansell overtook Senna to trail his teammate, only for Piquet’s turbo to blow on lap 16. Although a spin on lap five dropped Mansell behind both Senna and Stefan Johansson in a Ferrari, he re-passed Senna during mid-race pit stops and maintained a comfortable lead to the finish. Johansson finished in third.
1986 Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams Honda | 43 | 1:27:57.925 | 9 |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus Renault | 43 | +19.827s | 6 |
| 3 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 43 | +26.592s | 4 |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 43 | +29.634s | 3 |
| 5 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Renault | 43 | +70.690s | 2 |
| 6 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren TAG | 43 | +137.772s | 1 |
| 7 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton BMW | 42 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham BMW | 42 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows BMW | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| 10 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton BMW | 41 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola Ford | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| 12 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell Renault | 40 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi Motori Moderni | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell Renault | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi Motori Moderni | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier Renault | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams Honda | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows BMW | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus Renault | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren TAG | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella Alfa Romeo | 3 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella Alfa Romeo | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1997
Jacques Villeneuve won the 1997 Spanish Grand Prix from start to finish but almost came under threat from a charging Olivier Panis in a Prost. The high tyre wear at the Circuit de Catalunya meant Panis’s Bridgestone-shod Prost outperformed the Goodyear runners around him. His lap times were fast enough that he could have challenged Villeneuve if not for the lapped Eddie Irvine holding him up. Despite the blue flags, Irvine, who was trying to back Panis into the clutches of Jean Alesi and his Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher, later received a stop-go penalty for his actions. Panis finished third, and Alesi for Benetton in third.
1997 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams Renault | 64 | 1:30:35.896 | 10 |
| 2 | 14 | Olivier Panis | Prost Mugen Honda | 64 | +5.804s | 6 |
| 3 | 7 | Jean Alesi | Benetton Renault | 64 | +12.534s | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 64 | +17.979s | 3 |
| 5 | 16 | Johnny Herbert | Sauber Petronas | 64 | +27.986s | 2 |
| 6 | 10 | David Coulthard | McLaren Mercedes | 64 | +29.744s | 1 |
| 7 | 9 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren Mercedes | 64 | +48.785s | 0 |
| 8 | 4 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Williams Renault | 64 | +64.139s | 0 |
| 9 | 12 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Jordan Peugeot | 64 | +64.767s | 0 |
| 10 | 8 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton Renault | 64 | +65.670s | 0 |
| 11 | 18 | Jos Verstappen | Tyrrell Ford | 63 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 6 | Eddie Irvine | Ferrari | 63 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 23 | Jan Magnussen | Stewart Ford | 63 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 17 | Gianni Morbidelli | Sauber Petronas | 62 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 21 | Jarno Trulli | Minardi Hart | 62 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Pedro Diniz | Arrows Yamaha | 53 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Ralf Schumacher | Jordan Peugeot | 50 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Rubens Barrichello | Stewart Ford | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Mika Salo | Tyrrell Ford | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Shinji Nakano | Prost Mugen Honda | 34 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Damon Hill | Arrows Yamaha | 18 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Ukyo Katayama | Minardi Hart | 11 | DNF | 0 |
2001
Ferrari secured a lucrative three-year sponsorship deal with Vodafone worth £110 million. At the time, the mobile phone giant also sponsored Manchester United and the England cricket team as it aimed to boost its presence in sports. The Ferrari deal lasted until 2006 when Vodafone switched its sponsorship to McLaren.
2008
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton staged a remarkable comeback to win the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing ahead of BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica and the Ferrari of Felipe Massa. After hitting a barrier early on, Hamilton had to pit to replace a tyre, but he fought back impressively through the field. His efforts were aided significantly by a safety car, and a drive-through penalty for Kimi Raikkonen, and Felipe Massa running wide on an escape road. Despite these advantages, Hamilton’s exceptional skill in wet conditions was a decisive factor. He was the first British driver to win at Monaco since Graham Hill in 1969.
2008 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 76 | 2:00:42.742 | 10 |
| 2 | 4 | Robert Kubica | Sauber BMW | 76 | +3.064s | 8 |
| 3 | 2 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 76 | +4.811s | 6 |
| 4 | 10 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Renault | 76 | +19.295s | 5 |
| 5 | 15 | Sebastian Vettel | STR Ferrari | 76 | +24.657s | 4 |
| 6 | 17 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 76 | +28.408s | 3 |
| 7 | 8 | Kazuki Nakajima | Williams Toyota | 76 | +30.180s | 2 |
| 8 | 23 | Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren Mercedes | 76 | +33.191s | 1 |
| 9 | 1 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 76 | +33.792s | 0 |
| 10 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 75 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 11 | 16 | Jenson Button | Honda | 75 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 12 | Timo Glock | Toyota | 75 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 11 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 75 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 3 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber BMW | 72 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Ferrari | 67 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Nico Rosberg | Williams Toyota | 59 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Renault | 47 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Force India Ferrari | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Renault | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Sebastien Bourdais | STR Ferrari | 7 | DNF | 0 |
2014
Nico Rosberg secured victory from pole position at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium in third place for Red Bull Racing. The win was Rosberg’s second victory of the season and the fifth of his career.
Early on, the race was neutralised on the first lap following an incident between Sergio Perez and Jenson Button, which brought out the safety car. When the race restarted, Rosberg held onto his lead. Another major disruption came on lap 24, when Adrian Sutil crashed his Sauber, triggering a flurry of pit stops. Despite the interruptions, Rosberg maintained control at the front, keeping Hamilton at bay as the Mercedes duo pulled away from the rest of the field.
One of the race’s most memorable moments came when Jules Bianchi finished ninth, scoring the first-ever points for Marussia since the team’s Formula One debut as Virgin Racing in 2010. This triumph was widely celebrated, but tragically, it would also become Bianchi’s career highlight, as he later suffered fatal head injuries at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Following his passing, Will Dale of Fox Sports Australia reflected on the significance of Bianchi’s performance, writing:
“Monaco 2014 will be remembered as his day in the sun, the high watermark of a career — a life — ended far too soon.”
2014 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 78 | 1:49:27.661 | 25 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 78 | +9.210s | 18 |
| 3 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing Renault | 78 | +9.614s | 15 |
| 4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 78 | +32.452s | 12 |
| 5 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India Mercedes | 77 | +1 lap | 10 |
| 6 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 77 | +1 lap | 8 |
| 7 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams Mercedes | 77 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 8 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus Renault | 77 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 17 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia Ferrari | 77 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren Mercedes | 77 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham Renault | 77 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 77 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham Renault | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 4 | Max Chilton | Marussia Ferrari | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber Ferrari | 59 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams Mercedes | 55 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR Renault | 50 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 99 | Adrian Sutil | Sauber Ferrari | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | STR Renault | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus Renault | DNS | 0 | |
| Note – Ericsson qualified 22nd, but was required to start from the pit lane for causing a collision. Bianchi qualified 19th, but was dropped five grid spots for an unscheduled gearbox change; he finished eighth, but had five seconds added to his race time for serving a penalty under the safety car. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 25 May
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 May 1939 | Mike Harris |
F1 Driver Deaths 25 May
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 25 May 1995 | Elie Bayol |
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