What Happened On This Day August 4 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, August 4 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1957

The 1957 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring is forever etched in F1 history as one of Juan Manuel Fangio‘s most remarkable drives. After a poor pit stop left him over a minute behind race leader Mike Hawthorn, Fangio responded with a series of astonishing laps, some six seconds faster than his own lap record and eight seconds quicker than his pole lap. He ultimately claimed victory for Maserati, later reflecting, “I’d never driven like that before, and I knew I never would again.”

Mike Hawthorn took second for Ferrari, and teammate Peter Collins came home in thrid,

Thanks to the 34 points he had accumulated during the season, compared to Luigi Musso’s 16, Fangio’s victory at the Nürburgring mathematically secured his fifth World Championship title with two races remaining. This race was also significant as it marked Fangio’s 24th and final victory in Formula 1.

1957 German Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	22	3:30:38.300	9
2	8	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	22	+3.600s	6
3	7	Peter Collins	Ferrari	22	+35.600s	4
4	6	Luigi Musso	Ferrari	22	+217.600s	3
5	10	Stirling Moss	Vanwall	22	+277.500s	2
6	2	Jean Behra	Maserati	22	+278.500s	0
7	3	Harry Schell	Maserati	22	+407.500s	0
8	16	Masten Gregory	Maserati	21	+1 lap	0
9	11	Tony Brooks	Vanwall	21	+1 lap	0
10	4	Giorgio  Scarlatti	Maserati	21	+1 lap	0
11	15	Bruce  Halford	Maserati	21	+1 lap	0
12	21	Edgar Barth	Porsche (F2)	21	+1 lap	0
13	28	Brian  Naylor	Cooper Climax	20	+2 laps	0
14	27	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Porsche (F2)	20	+2 laps	0
15	25	Tony  Marsh	Cooper Climax	17	+5 laps	0
NC	17	Hans  Herrmann	Maserati	14	DNF	0
NC	20	Umberto  Maglioli	Porsche (F2)	13	DNF	0
NC	18	Paco  Godia	Maserati	11	DNF	0
NC	23	Roy Salvadori	Cooper Climax	11	DNF	0
NC	12	Stuart  Lewis-Evans	Vanwall	10	DNF	0
NC	24	Jack Brabham	Cooper Climax	6	DNF	0
NC	26	Paul England	Cooper Climax	4	DNF	0
NC	29	Dick  Gibson	Cooper Climax	3	DNF	0
NC	19	Horace  Gould	Maserati	1	DNF	0

1963

John Surtees secured his first Formula One race victory at the 1963 German Grand Prix while driving for Ferrari. Although Jim Clark in a Lotus started from pole, engine trouble allowed Surtees to take the lead and ultimately the win. Despite this victory, Clark remained 20 points ahead of Surtees in the driver’s championship standings and went on to clinch the title that year. American Richie Ginther took thrid in a BRM.

1963 German Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	7	John Surtees	Ferrari	15	2:13:06.800	9
2	3	Jim Clark	Lotus Climax	15	+77.500s	6
3	2	Richie Ginther	BRM	15	+164.900s	4
4	26	Gerhard Mitter	Porsche	15	+491.500s	3
5	20	Jim  Hall	Lotus BRM	14	+1 lap	2
6	16	Jo Bonnier	Cooper Climax	14	+1 lap	1
7	9	Jack Brabham	Brabham Climax	14	+1 lap	0
8	4	Trevor  Taylor	Lotus Climax	14	+1 lap	0
9	18	Jo Siffert	Lotus BRM	10	DNF	0
10	28	Bernard  Collomb	Lotus Climax	10	+5 laps	0
NC	17	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Porsche	9	DNF	0
NC	6	Tony Maggs	Cooper Climax	7	DNF	0
NC	10	Dan Gurney	Brabham Climax	6	DNF	0
NC	22	Mario  de Araujo Cabral	Cooper Climax	6	DNF	0
NC	24	Ian Burgess	Scirocco BRM	5	DNF	0
NC	23	Tony  Settember	Scirocco BRM	5	DNF	0
NC	5	Bruce McLaren	Cooper Climax	3	DNF	0
NC	21	Chris Amon	Lola Climax	2	DNF	0
NC	1	Graham Hill	BRM	2	DNF	0
NC	8	Willy Mairesse	Ferrari	1	DNF	0
NC	14	Innes Ireland	Lotus BRM	1	DNF	0
NC	15	Lorenzo Bandini	BRM	0	DNF	0

1968

Jackie Stewart‘s victory at the 1968 German Grand Prix is widely regarded as the finest drive of his career. Despite the extremely wet and foggy weather conditions that nearly cancelled the race, Stewart delivered a phenomenal performance, winning for Matra International and finishing a full four minutes ahead of second-place Team Lotus driver Graham Hill. What made the win more remarkable was Stewart racing with a broken wrist. Jochen Rindt in a Brabham finished third.

The race is also notable for Eagle driver Dan Gurney‘s pioneering use of a full-face helmet, making him the first driver in Grand Prix racing to do so.

1968 German Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	6	Jackie Stewart	Matra Ford	14	2:19:03.200	9
2	3	Graham Hill	Lotus Ford	14	+243.200s	6
3	5	Jochen Rindt	Brabham Repco	14	+249.400s	4
4	9	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	14	+355.200s	3
5	4	Jack Brabham	Brabham Repco	14	+381.100s	2
6	10	Pedro Rodriguez	BRM	14	+385.000s	1
7	1	Denny Hulme	McLaren Ford	14	+391.000s	0
8	22	Piers  Courage	BRM	14	+476.400s	0
9	14	Dan Gurney	Eagle Weslake	14	+493.700s	0
10	18	Hubert  Hahne	Lola BMW	14	+611.400s	0
11	21	Jackie Oliver	Lotus Ford	13	+1 lap	0
12	17	Kurt  Ahrens	Brabham Repco	13	+1 lap	0
13	2	Bruce McLaren	McLaren Ford	13	+1 lap	0
14	11	Richard Attwood	BRM	13	+1 lap	0
NC	8	Chris Amon	Ferrari	11	DNF	0
NC	12	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra	8	DNF	0
NC	19	Lucien Bianchi	Cooper BRM	6	DNF	0
NC	16	Jo Siffert	Lotus Ford	6	DNF	0
NC	7	John Surtees	Honda	3	DNF	0
NC	20	Vic  Elford	Cooper BRM	0	DNF	0

1974

The 1974 German Grand Prix, held on August 4 at the Nürburgring, was won by Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari 312B3. Starting from second on the grid, Regazzoni took the lead at the start and maintained it throughout the 14-lap race, securing his second career Grand Prix victory. South African Jody Scheckter finished second in a Tyrrell, just over 50 seconds behind, while Argentine Carlos Reutemann claimed third place driving for Brabham. The race saw early incidents, including a first-lap collision between pole-sitter Niki Lauda and Scheckter, which led to Lauda’s retirement. Emerson Fittipaldi also retired early after a collision with teammate Denny Hulme, who was subsequently disqualified for switching to a spare car.

The challenging conditions of the Nürburgring, combined with intermittent showers, contributed to a high retirement rate, with only 14 of the 26 starters classified as finishers. Notable retirements included Mike Hailwood, who suffered a career-ending leg injury in a crash at Pflanzgarten, and Patrick Depailler, Jacques Laffite, and John Watson, all of whom crashed out. The race also saw the Formula One debuts of Larry Perkins, Ian Ashley, and retiree Laffite. Regazzoni’s win propelled him to the top of the 1974 Drivers’ Championship standings, three points ahead of Scheckter, while Ferrari extended its lead over McLaren in the 1974 Constructors’ Championship.

1974 German Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	11	Clay Regazzoni	Ferrari	14	1:41:35.000	9
2	3	Jody Scheckter	Tyrrell Ford	14	+50.700s	6
3	7	Carlos Reutemann	Brabham Ford	14	+83.300s	4
4	1	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus Ford	14	+84.200s	3
5	2	Jacky Ickx	Lotus Ford	14	+85.000s	2
6	16	Tom Pryce	Shadow Ford	14	+138.100s	1
7	9	Hans-Joachim Stuck	March Ford	14	+178.700s	0
8	17	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Shadow Ford	14	+205.900s	0
9	26	Graham Hill	Lola Ford	14	+206.400s	0
10	15	Henri Pescarolo	BRM	14	+257.700s	0
11	18	Derek Bell	Surtees Ford	14	+317.700s	0
12	8	Carlos Pace	Brabham Ford	14	+386.300s	0
13	10	Vittorio Brambilla	March Ford	14	+523.100s	0
14	32	Ian Ashley	Token Ford	13	+1 lap	0
15	33	Mike Hailwood	McLaren Ford	12	DNF	0
NC	24	James Hunt	Hesketh Ford	11	DNF	0
NC	19	Jochen Mass	Surtees Ford	10	DNF	0
NC	4	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell Ford	5	DNF	0
NC	20	Arturo Merzario	Iso Marlboro Ford	5	DNF	0
NC	14	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	BRM	4	DNF	0
NC	22	Vern Schuppan	Ensign Ford	4	DNF	0
NC	5	Emerson Fittipaldi	McLaren Ford	2	DNF	0
NC	21	Jacques Laffite	Iso Marlboro Ford	2	DNF	0
NC	28	John Watson	Brabham Ford	1	DNF	0
NC	12	Niki Lauda	Ferrari	0	DNF	0
DQ	6	Denny Hulme	McLaren Ford	0	DSQ	0

1985

The 1985 German Grand Prix, held on August 4 at the newly constructed Nürburgring GP-Strecke, saw a return to the circuit after a nine-year break. Michele Alboreto, driving for Ferrari, secured victory—his fifth and final win in Formula One—by finishing 11.661 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Alain Prost. Jacques Laffite completed the podium in third place for Ligier. The race was the first in F1 history to feature live onboard camera footage, captured from François Hesnault’s Renault, although he retired after eight laps due to clutch failure.

The race saw a high retirement rate, with several top contenders exiting due to mechanical issues. Pole-sitter Teo Fabi, driving for Toleman, retired on lap 29 with clutch problems, while Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, and Elio de Angelis also failed to finish.

Alboreto’s victory extended his lead in the 1985 Drivers’ Championship to 46 points, ahead of Prost’s 41. In the Constructors’ standings, Ferrari led with 65 points, followed by McLaren with 46.

1985 German Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	67	1:35:31.337	9
2	2	Alain Prost	McLaren TAG	67	+11.661s	6
3	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier Renault	67	+51.154s	4
4	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows BMW	67	+55.279s	3
5	1	Niki Lauda	McLaren TAG	67	+73.972s	2
6	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams Honda	67	+76.820s	1
7	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows BMW	66	+1 lap	0
8	3	Stefan Bellof	Tyrrell Renault	66	+1 lap	0
9	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	66	+1 lap	0
10	4	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell Ford	63	+4 laps	0
11	29	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi Motori Moderni	62	DNF	0
12	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams Honda	61	DNF	0
NC	23	Eddie  Cheever	Alfa Romeo	45	DNF	0
NC	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus Renault	40	DNF	0
NC	24	Huub Rothengatter	Osella Alfa Romeo	32	DNF	0
NC	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman Hart	29	DNF	0
NC	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus Renault	27	DNF	0
NC	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	25	DNF	0
NC	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham BMW	23	DNF	0
NC	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	19	DNF	0
NC	8	Marc Surer	Brabham BMW	15	DNF	0
NC	9	Manfred Winkelhock	RAM Hart	8	DNF	0
NC	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	8	DNF	0
NC	14	Francois Hesnault	Renault	8	DNF	0
NC	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM Hart	8	DNF	0
NC	30	Jonathan  Palmer	Zakspeed	7	DNF	0
NC	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier Renault		DNS	0

2019

The 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, held on August 4 at the Hungaroring, featured a thrilling strategic duel between Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen. Verstappen secured his first career pole position and led the majority of the race. However, Hamilton’s team opted for a bold two-stop strategy, pitting him for fresh medium tyres with 20 laps remaining. This decision paid off as Hamilton closed a 20-second gap and overtook Verstappen with four laps to go, clinching his seventh victory at the circuit and the 81st of his career.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel completed the podium in third place, overtaking teammate Charles Leclerc late in the race. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz delivered a strong performance, finishing fifth, while Pierre Gasly in the second Red Bull took sixth. Kimi Räikkönen secured seventh for Alfa Romeo, and Valtteri Bottas, after early contact and a front wing change, recovered to finish eighth. Lando Norris and Alexander Albon rounded out the top ten.

Verstappen set the fastest lap of the race, earning an additional point.

2019 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	70	1:35:03.796	25
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing Honda	70	+17.796s	19
3	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	70	+61.433s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	70	+65.250s	12
5	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren Renault	69	+1 lap	10
6	10	Pierre Gasly	Red Bull Racing Honda	69	+1 lap	8
7	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari	69	+1 lap	6
8	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	69	+1 lap	4
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren Renault	69	+1 lap	2
10	23	Alexander Albon	Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda	69	+1 lap	1
11	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point BWT Mercedes	69	+1 lap	0
12	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Renault	69	+1 lap	0
13	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Renault	69	+1 lap	0
15	26	Daniil Kvyat	Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda	68	+2 laps	0
16	63	George Russell	Williams Mercedes	68	+2 laps	0
17	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point BWT Mercedes	68	+2 laps	0
18	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari	68	+2 laps	0
19	88	Robert Kubica	Williams Mercedes	67	+3 laps	0
NC	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas Ferrari	49	DNF	0
Note – Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

F1 Driver Birthdays 4 August

Births	F1 Driver
4 August 1917	John Fitch (d. 2012)
4 August 1928	Christian Goethals (d. 2003) F2 Driver to Increase F1 Grid.
4 August 1961	Claudio Langes

F1 Driver Deaths 4 August

Deaths	F1 Driver
4 August 2021	Graham McRae (b. 1940)

F1 Champion 4 August

Date	Driver/Team
4 August 1957	Juan Manuel Fangio