What happened on this day, July 31 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1954
Remembering Onofre Marimon, who died on this day, 31 July, 1954. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he raced in Formula 1 between 1951 and 1954, but tragically became the first driver to die during a World Championship race weekend (other than the Indianapolis 500).
Onofre Marimon
F1 Debut 1951 French Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Maserati
Marimon was killed in a practice session for the 1954 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. His Maserati veered off the track at the Breidscheid curve near the Adenauer Bridge as he pushed to improve his qualifying time. Tragically, he lost his life at the base of a steep and hazardous incline. He was just 30 years old.
1977
One year after his horrific accident at the Nurburgring, Niki Lauda made a triumphant return by winning the 1977 German Grand Prix ahead of Jody Scheckter (P2) and Hans-Joachim Stuck (P3), who earned his first podium finish.
Following Lauda’s near-fatal crash in 1976, Formula One moved the German Grand Prix to Hockenheim, a track infamous for Jim Clark‘s fatal crash in an F2 race in 1968. Lauda took the lead from pole-sitter Scheckter on lap 13 and never looked back, securing a popular victory.
1977 German Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Niki Lauda | Ferrari | 47 | 1:31:48.620 | 9 |
| 2 | 20 | Jody Scheckter | Wolf Ford | 47 | +14.330s | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 47 | +20.900s | 4 |
| 4 | 12 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 47 | +60.270s | 3 |
| 5 | 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | Surtees Ford | 47 | +87.370s | 2 |
| 6 | 23 | Patrick Tambay | Ensign Ford | 47 | +89.810s | 1 |
| 7 | 18 | Vern Schuppan | Surtees Ford | 46 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 9 | Alex Ribeiro | March Ford | 46 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 3 | Ronnie Peterson | Tyrrell Ford | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| 10 | 16 | Riccardo Patrese | Shadow Ford | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Rupert Keegan | Hesketh Ford | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Mario Andretti | Lotus Ford | 34 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | James Hunt | McLaren Ford | 32 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus Ford | 31 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Jochen Mass | McLaren Ford | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell Ford | 22 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier Matra | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Hector Rebaque | Hesketh Ford | 20 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Brett Lunger | McLaren Ford | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Ian Scheckter | March Ford | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 35 | Hans Heyer | Penske Ford | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 34 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Penske Ford | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Alan Jones | Shadow Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Clay Regazzoni | Ensign Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1978
Remembering Justin Wilson, who was born on this day, 31 July 1978—a gentle giant of motorsport whose talent and humility left a lasting impression far beyond the podium.
Justin Wilson
F1 Debut 2003 Australian Grand Prix
Current/Last Team Jaguar
From his brief stint in Formula 1 with Minardi and Jaguar to his victories in Champ Car and IndyCar. His tragic passing in 2015 shook the racing world, but his legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the racers he continues to inspire.
Gone far too soon, but never forgotten.
1994
During the 1994 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, a frightening moment happened for Jos Verstappen and Formula One fans. As the Benetton driver made a routine pit stop, fuel sprayed onto the car and ignited when the crew struggled to attach the refuelling rig. In an instant, the car was engulfed in flames, but marshals quickly extinguished the blaze. Fortunately, Verstappen and the pit crew only suffered minor burns.
Gerhard Berger went on to win the race for Ferrari. Only eight cars finished, with French drivers Olivier Panis and Éric Bernard second and third, respectively, for Ligier.
1994 German Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 45 | 1:22:37.272 | 10 |
| 2 | 26 | Olivier Panis | Ligier Renault | 45 | +54.779s | 6 |
| 3 | 25 | Eric Bernard | Ligier Renault | 45 | +65.042s | 4 |
| 4 | 9 | Christian Fittipaldi | Footwork Ford | 45 | +81.609s | 3 |
| 5 | 10 | Gianni Morbidelli | Footwork Ford | 45 | +90.544s | 2 |
| 6 | 20 | Erik Comas | Larrousse Ford | 45 | +105.445s | 1 |
| 7 | 19 | Olivier Beretta | Larrousse Ford | 44 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 0 | Damon Hill | Williams Renault | 44 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 32 | Jean-Marc Gounon | Simtek Ford | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | David Brabham | Simtek Ford | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton Ford | 20 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Martin Brundle | McLaren Peugeot | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | David Coulthard | Williams Renault | 17 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Jos Verstappen | Benetton Ford | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Ukyo Katayama | Tyrrell Yamaha | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Mark Blundell | Tyrrell Yamaha | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren Peugeot | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Alex Zanardi | Lotus Mugen Honda | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus Mugen Honda | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Rubens Barrichello | Jordan Hart | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Eddie Irvine | Jordan Hart | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Michele Alboreto | Minardi Ford | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Andrea de Cesaris | Sauber Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Sauber Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2005
Kimi Raikkonen won the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of brothers Michael and Ralf Schumacher.
Despite Fernando Alonso only managing to finish a distant 11th after damaging his front wing during an attempted pass on Ralf into the first corner, the Spaniard maintained a 26-point lead over Raikkonen in the championship after the race.
2005 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren Mercedes | 70 | 1:37:25.552 | 10 |
| 2 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 70 | +35.581s | 8 |
| 3 | 17 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 70 | +36.129s | 6 |
| 4 | 16 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 70 | +54.221s | 5 |
| 5 | 3 | Jenson Button | BAR Honda | 70 | +58.832s | 4 |
| 6 | 8 | Nick Heidfeld | Williams BMW | 70 | +68.375s | 3 |
| 7 | 7 | Mark Webber | Williams BMW | 69 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 8 | 4 | Takuma Sato | BAR Honda | 69 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 9 | 6 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 10 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 11 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 19 | Narain Karthikeyan | Jordan Toyota | 67 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Jordan Toyota | 66 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 12 | Felipe Massa | Sauber Petronas | 63 | +7 laps | 0 |
| NC | 21 | Christijan Albers | Minardi Cosworth | 59 | +11 laps | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Jacques Villeneuve | Sauber Petronas | 56 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren Mercedes | 41 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 20 | Robert Doornbos | Minardi Cosworth | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Christian Klien | RBR Cosworth | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | David Coulthard | RBR Cosworth | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2007
Three-time world champion Nelson Piquet was ordered to attend a driving awareness school after losing his licence for repeated speeding and parking offences. His wife, Viviane, was also ordered to attend.
2011
Jenson Button celebrated his 200th F1 start at the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing with a memorable victory for the McLaren team.
Starting third on the grid, Button navigated the race’s challenging, changeable weather conditions. As the track went from wet to dry and back again, Button’s tyre choices and pace allowed him to overtake early leaders and maintain control of the race. He ultimately crossed the finish line 3.5 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel, with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso securing third place.
In the race, Lewis Hamilton, Button’s teammate, led for significant portions but was hampered by a spin in slippery conditions and a subsequent drive-through penalty for forcing another driver off the track, resulting in a fourth-place finish. Mark Webber completed the top five, while Felipe Massa, who had out-qualified Alonso, finished sixth.
Toro Rosso‘s Sebastien Buemi delivered an impressive performance, climbing from 23rd on the grid to finish eighth. The race set a new record in F1 History (at the time) for the most pit stops in a single Grand Prix, totalling 88.
2011 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 70 | 1:46:42.337 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 70 | +3.588 | 18 |
| 3 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 70 | +19.819 | 15 |
| 4 | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 70 | +48.338 | 12 |
| 5 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | 70 | +49.742 | 10 |
| 6 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 70 | +1:23.176 | 8 |
| 7 | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India | 69 | +1 Lap | 6 |
| 8 | 18 | Sébastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | 69 | +1 Lap | 4 |
| 9 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 69 | +1 Lap | 2 |
| 10 | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | 69 | +1 Lap | 1 |
| 11 | 16 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 12 | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 69 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 14 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 15 | 17 | Sergio Pérez | Sauber | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 16 | 12 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | 68 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 17 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | 66 | +4 Laps | 0 |
| 18 | 22 | Daniel Ricciardo | HRT | 66 | +4 Laps | 0 |
| 19 | 25 | Jérôme d’Ambrosio | Virgin Racing | 65 | +5 Laps | 0 |
| 20 | 23 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | HRT | 65 | +5 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Team Lotus | 55 | Water leak | 0 |
| Ret | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 26 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Renault | 23 | Fire/Explosion | 0 |
| Ret | 21 | Jarno Trulli | Team Lotus | 17 | Water leak | 0 |
2016
Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes secured his sixth win of the season at the 2016 German Grand Prix, extending his lead in the 2016 Drivers’ Championship to 19 points over teammate Nico Rosberg for a Mercedes 1-2 finish. Starting from second on the grid, Hamilton overtook pole-sitter Rosberg at the start and maintained his lead throughout the race. Red Bull Racing completed a double podium finish, with Daniel Ricciardo in second and Max Verstappen in third. Rosberg finished fourth after receiving a five-second penalty for forcing Verstappen off the track during an overtake.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen finished fifth and sixth, respectively, unable to challenge the leading trio. Force India‘s Nico Hülkenberg secured seventh place, while McLaren’s Jenson Button finished eighth. Williams‘ Valtteri Bottas and Force India’s Sergio Pérez rounded out the top ten. The race marked the return of the German Grand Prix after a one-year absence and was the final race before the summer break.
2016 German Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 67 | 1:30:44.200 | 25 |
| 2 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing | 67 | +6.996 | 18 |
| 3 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 67 | +13.413 | 15 |
| 4 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 67 | +15.845 | 12 |
| 5 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 67 | +32.570 | 10 |
| 6 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 67 | +37.023 | 8 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India | 67 | +1:10.049 | 6 |
| 8 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 66 | +1 Lap | 4 |
| 9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | 66 | +1 Lap | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Force India | 66 | +1 Lap | 1 |
| 11 | 21 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Haas | 66 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 66 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 66 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso | 66 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 15 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 66 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Renault | 66 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 17 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Manor Racing | 65 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 18 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 65 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 19 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 65 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 20 | 88 | Rio Haryanto | Manor Racing | 65 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber | 57 | Power unit | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams | 36 | Suspension | 0 |
2022
The 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix showcased a remarkable performance by Max Verstappen. Starting from 10th on the grid, the Red Bull driver executed a strategic two-stop race, overtaking title rivals—including Charles Leclerc, whom he passed twice due to a mid-race spin—to secure his eighth win of the season. Mercedes achieved a double podium finish, with Lewis Hamilton climbing from seventh to second place and setting the fastest lap, while George Russell, who had secured his maiden pole position, completed the podium in third. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and sixth, respectively, with Leclerc’s race impacted by a switch to hard tyres that proved ineffective. Sergio Pérez, in the sister Red Bull, secured fifth place.
In the race, Daniel Ricciardo received a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Lance Stroll, while Valtteri Bottas retired due to a power unit issue, prompting a late virtual safety car. Yuki Tsunoda‘s spin and a brief rain shower added to the challenges faced by drivers. Post-race, Ferrari faced criticism for their tyre strategy, particularly the decision to equip Leclerc with hard tyres despite prior evidence of their ineffectiveness, leading to a loss of positions. Max’s victory extended his lead in the 2022 Championship to 80 points over Leclerc, while Red Bull increased their advantage in the Constructors’ standings.
Full Race Report
2022 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Status | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-RBPT | 70 | 1hr 39m 35.912s | 25 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 70 | +7.834s | 19 FL |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 70 | +12.337s | 15 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 70 | +14.579s | 12 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-RBPT | 70 | +15.688s | 10 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 70 | +16.047s | 8 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 70 | +1m 18.300s | 6 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine-Renault | 69 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 69 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-RBPT | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 13 | Guanyu Zhou | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 14 | Mick Schumacher | Haas-Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 15 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren-Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap (5.000s) | |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap | |
| 19 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-RBPT | 68 | +2 laps | |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 65 | DNF |
F1 Driver Birthdays 31 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 31 July 1978 | Justin Wilson (d. 2015) |
F1 Driver Deaths 31 July
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 31 July 1954 | Onofre Marimon (b. 1923) |
| 31 July 2001 | John McNicol (b. 1942) Entered one Formula One championship race, the 1974 South African Grand Prix, driving a Lotus-Cosworth, but since his car was not available, he withdrew. |
Seen in:
