What happened on this day, July 24 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1906
Franco Comotti was born on 24 July 1906. He participated in two World Championship F1 races, debuting on 3 September at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix, where he drove for Scuderia Milano in a Maserati 4CLT/50. He scored no championship points at that Grand Prix or the 1952 French Grand Prix in a Ferrari 166 for Scuderia Marzotto.
Gianfranco Comotti
F1 Debut 1950 Italian Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Privateer
1938
A young British aristocrat racer named Dick Seaman won the 1938 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, driving a Mercedes-Benz, with Adolf Hitler watching. Seaman, who had received a country estate for his 20th birthday, became the first Englishman to win a major grand prix since Major Henry Segrave in 1923. On the podium, he gave a Nazi salute but later remarked, “I only wish it had been a British car.” The following year, Seaman was killed while pushing too hard at Spa. Hitler sent an enormous wreath, and Mercedes still tends to his grave to this day.
1966
Jack Brabham won the 1966 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, extending his lead in the 1966 Drivers’ Championship over Graham Hill. Despite newspaper speculation that the 40-year-old was too old to be a serious contender for the world championship, Jack Brabham amused the paddock by limping to his car with the aid of a stick and sporting a false beard. He had the last laugh when he won the race and, ultimately, the championship.
1966 Dutch Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Jack Brabham | Brabham Repco | 90 | 2:20:32.500 | 9 |
| 2 | 12 | Graham Hill | BRM | 89 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 3 | 6 | Jim Clark | Lotus Climax | 88 | +2 laps | 4 |
| 4 | 14 | Jackie Stewart | BRM | 88 | +2 laps | 3 |
| 5 | 32 | Mike Spence | Lotus BRM | 87 | +3 laps | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Lorenzo Bandini | Ferrari | 87 | +3 laps | 1 |
| 7 | 30 | Jo Bonnier | Cooper Maserati | 84 | +6 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 38 | John Taylor | Brabham BRM | 84 | +6 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 36 | Guy Ligier | Cooper Maserati | 84 | +6 laps | 0 |
| NC | 28 | Jo Siffert | Cooper Maserati | 79 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 34 | Bob Anderson | Brabham Climax | 73 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | John Surtees | Cooper Maserati | 44 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Denny Hulme | Brabham Repco | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Peter Arundell | Lotus BRM | 28 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Dan Gurney | Eagle Climax | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Mike Parkes | Ferrari | 10 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Jochen Rindt | Cooper Maserati | 2 | DNF | 0 |
1976
Tiago Monteiro was born on this day, 24 July 1976. He competed in Formula One from 2005 to 2006 for Jordan Grand Prix, Midland, and Spyker MF1—successive iterations of the same team under different owners. Monteiro is the only Portuguese driver to have achieved a Formula One podium finish, at the controversial 2005 United States Grand Prix.
Tiago Monteiro
F1 Debut 2005 Australian Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Midland
During that race, concerns over tyre safety led to the withdrawal of all Michelin-equipped teams, leaving only the three Bridgestone-equipped teams to compete. Monteiro secured third place out of the six drivers who raced.
At the podium ceremony, which was notably absent of scheduled dignitaries, Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello quietly accepted their results and quickly departed. Monteiro, however, remained to celebrate his first podium finish alone. Despite the boos throughout most of the ceremony, the fans gave the Portuguese driver a round of applause.
1988
Ayrton Senna won the 1988 German Grand Prix, beating his teammate Alain Prost, as McLaren continued its dominant march towards the 1988 Constructors’ Championship. This win was the team’s eighth successive victory in a season where they would only fail to win one race, the 1988 Italian Grand Prix (won by Gerhard Berger for Ferrari).
The win, Senna’s fifth of the season, moved him to within three points of Prost at the top of the 1988 Drivers’ Championship. Gerhard Berger took third in a Ferrari.
The race also celebrated defending champion Nelson Piquet‘s 150th Grand Prix start. He would end his career on 204 starts from 207 entries and three World Championships.
1988 German Grand Prix Race Results
2005
Fernando Alonso won the 2005 German Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button, extending his championship lead to 36 points over Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen seemed poised to win the race until a hydraulics problem forced his retirement on lap 35, leaving Alonso to coast to victory and solidify his lead towards the 2005 Drivers’ Championship title.
It was Button’s first ‘official’ podium finish of the season, because the BAR team had been disqualified from the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix for underweight cars.
2005 German Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 67 | 1:26:28.599 | 10 |
| 2 | 10 | Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren Mercedes | 67 | +22.569s | 8 |
| 3 | 3 | Jenson Button | BAR Honda | 67 | +24.422s | 6 |
| 4 | 6 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 67 | +50.587s | 5 |
| 5 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 67 | +51.690s | 4 |
| 6 | 17 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 67 | +52.242s | 3 |
| 7 | 14 | David Coulthard | RBR Cosworth | 67 | +52.700s | 2 |
| 8 | 12 | Felipe Massa | Sauber Petronas | 67 | +56.570s | 1 |
| 9 | 15 | Christian Klien | RBR Cosworth | 67 | +69.818s | 0 |
| 10 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 66 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 11 | 8 | Nick Heidfeld | Williams BMW | 66 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 4 | Takuma Sato | BAR Honda | 66 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 21 | Christijan Albers | Minardi Cosworth | 65 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 16 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 64 | DNF | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | Jacques Villeneuve | Sauber Petronas | 64 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 16 | 19 | Narain Karthikeyan | Jordan Toyota | 64 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 17 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Jordan Toyota | 64 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 18 | 20 | Robert Doornbos | Minardi Cosworth | 63 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Mark Webber | Williams BMW | 55 | +12 laps | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren Mercedes | 35 | DNF | 0 |
2011
The 2011 German Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring on July 24, became a thrilling contest among Formula One’s top drivers. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton grabbed victory after starting from second on the grid, overtaking pole-sitter Mark Webber at the start. Hamilton engaged in spirited battles with Webber and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, particularly during the pit stop phases. Strategic decisions and tyre management played critical roles throughout, with Hamilton ultimately regaining the lead from Alonso after the final round of pit stops. He secured the win with a time of 1:37:30.334, his second win of the season and the 16th of his career.
Fernando Alonso finished second, approximately four seconds behind Hamilton, while Mark Webber completed the podium in third place. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who had been on a streak of eleven consecutive podium finishes, ended up fourth after a spin, and a late-race pit stop allowed him to overtake Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. The race also featured notable performances from Force India’s Adrian Sutil, who finished sixth, and Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, who secured seventh and eighth places, respectively. This win propelled Hamilton to third in the 2011 Drivers’ Championship standings, narrowing the gap to leader Vettel, who maintained a 77-point advantage.
2011 German Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 60 | 1:37:30.334 | 25 |
| 2 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 60 | +3.980 | 18 |
| 3 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | 60 | +9.788 | 15 |
| 4 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 60 | +47.921 | 12 |
| 5 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 60 | +52.252 | 10 |
| 6 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | 60 | +1:26.208 | 8 |
| 7 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 59 | +1 Lap | 6 |
| 8 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 59 | +1 Lap | 4 |
| 9 | 16 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | 59 | +1 Lap | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 59 | +1 Lap | 1 |
| 11 | 17 | Sergio Pérez | Sauber | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 12 | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 14 | 12 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 15 | 18 | Sébastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | 59 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Team Lotus | 58 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 17 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | 57 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| 18 | 25 | Jérôme d’Ambrosio | Virgin Racing | 57 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| 19 | 22 | Daniel Ricciardo | HRT | 57 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| 20 | 21 | Karun Chandhok | Team Lotus | 56 | +4 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 23 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | HRT | 37 | Electrical | 0 |
| Ret | 4 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 35 | Hydraulics | 0 |
| Ret | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | 16 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Renault | 9 | Collision | 0 |
2016
Lewis Hamilton took the win at the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix, after overtaking his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, at the start. Hamilton maintained the lead throughout the 70-lap race, finishing 1.977 seconds ahead of Rosberg for a Mercedes 1-2 finish. This win was Hamilton’s fifth career victory at the Hungaroring and his fifth win of the 2016 season, propelling him to the top of the 2016 Drivers’ Championship standings with a six-point lead over Rosberg. Daniel Ricciardo secured third place for Red Bull Racing, finishing over 27 seconds behind the Mercedes duo. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the top five, with Kimi Räikkönen setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 52.
Fernando Alonso delivered a strong performance for McLaren, finishing seventh, while Carlos Sainz in the Toro Rosso and Valtteri Bottas of Williams secured eighth and ninth places, respectively. Nico Hülkenberg rounded out the top ten for Force India.
The weekend also saw the ongoing debate about pit-to-car radio communications continue, as the FIA had recently revised regulations to limit driver coaching, allowing only essential safety-related messages. These changes were met with criticism from several drivers, including Vettel, who expressed concerns over the restrictions.
2016 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 70 | 1:40:30.115 | 25 |
| 2 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 70 | +1.977 | 18 |
| 3 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing | 70 | +27.539 | 15 |
| 4 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 70 | +28.213 | 12 |
| 5 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 70 | +48.659 | 10 |
| 6 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 70 | +49.044 | 8 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 69 | +1 Lap | 6 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso | 69 | +1 Lap | 4 |
| 9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | 69 | +1 Lap | 2 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India | 69 | +1 Lap | 1 |
| 11 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Force India | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 12 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 21 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Haas | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 14 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Renault | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 16 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 17 | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 18 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 19 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Manor Racing | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 20 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 21 | 88 | Rio Haryanto | Manor Racing | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 60 | Oil leak | 0 |
2022
The 2022 French Grand Prix, held at Circuit Paul Ricard, became a pivotal race in the 2022 Formula One season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured pole and led the early stages, but on lap 18, he crashed out at Turn 11, relinquishing the lead to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Verstappen capitalised on Leclerc’s retirement, maintaining control to win the race by over 10 seconds, his seventh win of the season and extending his championship lead to 63 points. Mercedes achieved their best result of the season, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second and George Russell third, after Russell overtook Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez following a virtual safety car period.
Carlos Sainz, starting from the back due to engine penalties, delivered an impressive drive to finish fifth, also setting the fastest lap of the race. Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon secured sixth and eighth places respectively for Alpine, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished seventh and ninth. Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten for Aston Martin.
This race was the last French Grand Prix to date, with the event not included in subsequent F1 calendars.
2022 French Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Status | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-RBPT | 53 | 1hr 30m 02.112s | 25 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 53 | +10.587s | 18 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 53 | +16.495s | 16 FL |
| 4 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-RBPT | 53 | +17.310s | 12 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 53 | +26.703s | 10 |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine-Renault | 53 | +42.127s | 8 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 53 | +52.304s | 6 |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 53 | +56.564s | 4 |
| 9 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren-Mercedes | 53 | +57.545s | 2 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 53 | +1m 00.645s | 1 |
| 11 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 53 | +1m 04.992s | |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-RBPT | 53 | +1m 05.904s | |
| 13 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 53 | +1m 08.382s | |
| 14 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 53 | +1m 25.163s | |
| 15 | Mick Schumacher | Haas-Ferrari | 53 | +1m 28.974s | |
| 16 | Guanyu Zhou | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-RBPT | 52 | +1 lap | |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | 52 | +1 lap | |
| R | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 38 | DNF | |
| R | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 18 | DNF |
F1 Driver Birthdays 24 July
| Births | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 24 July 1906 | Franco Comotti (d. 1963) |
| 24 July 1976 | Tiago Monteiro |
F1 Driver Deaths 24 July
| Deaths | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 24 July 1972 | Lance Reventlow (b. 1936) |
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