What Happened On This Day July 23 In F1 History?

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

1935

Jim Hall, a former Formula One driver and automotive pioneer, was born on this day in Abilene, Texas. Hall competed in F1 from 1960 to 1963, participating in 12 World Championship Grand Prix and numerous non-championship races. However, his major contribution to motorsport history lies with Chaparral Cars of Midland, Texas, renowned for being the most innovative racing cars of their time. Hall was an early adopter and leading advocate of aerodynamics in race cars, championing this technology for an entire decade. He regained prominence in the Championship Auto Racing Teams series, achieving victories in the Indianapolis 500 in 1978 and 1980; the latter win was with the first ground effect car to race in the event.

2002

Jenson Button announced his decision to join the BAR team after an unsuccessful stint at Renault. “BAR provided me with an excellent opportunity to progress and ultimately, I hope, to achieve my ambition to be world champion,” Button stated. While his prediction of success was accurate, it materialised with Brawn GP in 2009, a year after his Honda team, which had acquired BAR in 2006, folded.

2005

Flamboyant Renault team boss Flavio Briatore signed up to play himself in an Italian movie set around his Billionaire nightclub in Sardinia. Commenting on his role in Costa Smeralda, Briatore said, “I will play a part I already know: that of Flavio Briatore, aiming for the excesses, obviously. I’m laughing already.”

2023

The 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, held at the Hungaroring on July 23, saw Max Verstappen deliver a dominant performance, clinching his seventh consecutive victory of the 2023 season. Starting from second on the grid, Verstappen overtook pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton at the first corner and maintained the lead throughout the 70-lap race. His win not only extended his personal winning streak it also gave Red Bull Racing its 12th consecutive victory, beating McLaren’s 1988 record for the most consecutive wins by a constructor. Lando Norris secured second place for McLaren, while Sergio Pérez completed the podium in third, having started from ninth on the grid. Hamilton, after a strong qualifying performance, finished fourth for Mercedes, followed by Oscar Piastri in fifth.

At the start of the race, Zhou Guanyu suffered a slow getaway that led to a chain reaction, causing both Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, to retire due to collisions. Charles Leclerc faced challenges due to a prolonged pit stop and a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, ultimately finishing seventh behind George Russell. Daniel Ricciardo made his return to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri, finishing 13th and outperforming his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. In the championship standings, Verstappen extended his lead to 110 points over Pérez, while Red Bull’s dominance in the Constructors’ Championship continued, with a substantial lead over Mercedes.

2023 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results

F1 Driver Birthdays 23 July

F1 Driver Deaths 23 July