What Happened On This Day July 31 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, July 31 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1977

One year after his horrific accident at the Nurburgring, Niki Lauda made a triumphant return by winning the 1977 German Grand Prix. He outpaced Jody Scheckter (P2) and Hans-Joachim Stuck (P3), who achieved 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

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	Alessandro 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 license due to 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 and finished 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 transitioned from wet to dry and back again, Button’s tyre choices and consistent 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 Sébastien 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	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	4	Jenson Button	McLaren Mercedes	70	1:46:42.337	25
2	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing Renault	70	+3.588s	18
3	5	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	70	+19.819s	15
4	3	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren Mercedes	70	+48.338s	12
5	2	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing Renault	70	+49.742s	10
6	6	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	70	+83.176s	8
7	15	Paul di Resta	Force India Mercedes	69	+1 lap	6
8	18	Sebastien Buemi	STR Ferrari	69	+1 lap	4
9	8	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	69	+1 lap	2
10	19	Jaime Alguersuari	STR Ferrari	69	+1 lap	1
11	16	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
12	10	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	69	+1 lap	0
13	11	Rubens Barrichello	Williams Cosworth	68	+2 laps	0
14	14	Adrian Sutil	Force India Mercedes	68	+2 laps	0
15	17	Sergio Perez	Sauber Ferrari	68	+2 laps	0
16	12	Pastor Maldonado	Williams Cosworth	68	+2 laps	0
17	24	Timo Glock	Virgin Cosworth	66	+4 laps	0
18	22	Daniel Ricciardo	HRT Cosworth	66	+4 laps	0
19	25	Jerome d’Ambrosio	Virgin Cosworth	65	+5 laps	0
20	23	Vitantonio Liuzzi	HRT Cosworth	65	+5 laps	0
NC	20	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus Renault	55	DNF	0
NC	7	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	26	DNF	0
NC	9	Nick Heidfeld	Renault	23	DNF	0
NC	21	Jarno Trulli	Lotus Renault	17	DNF	0

2016

Lewis Hamilton of 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. Starting from second on the grid, Hamilton overtook pole-sitter Rosberg at the start and maintained his lead throughout the race. Red Bull Racing achieved 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	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	70	1:40:30.115	25
2	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	70	+1.977s	18
3	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	70	+27.539s	15
4	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	70	+28.213s	12
5	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	70	+48.659s	10
6	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	70	+49.044s	8
7	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren Honda	69	+1 lap	6
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso Ferrari	69	+1 lap	4
9	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams Mercedes	69	+1 lap	2
10	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India Mercedes	69	+1 lap	1
11	11	Sergio Perez	Force India Mercedes	69	+1 lap	0
12	30	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	69	+1 lap	0
13	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Haas Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
14	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
15	20	Kevin Magnussen	Renault	69	+1 lap	0
16	26	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
17	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
18	19	Felipe Massa	Williams Mercedes	68	+2 laps	0
19	94	Pascal Wehrlein	MRT Mercedes	68	+2 laps	0
20	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber Ferrari	68	+2 laps	0
21	88	Rio Haryanto	MRT Mercedes	68	+2 laps	0
NC	22	Jenson Button	McLaren Honda	60	DNF	0
Note – Gutierrez had 5 seconds added to his race time for ignoring blue flags.

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.

2022 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing RBPT	70	1:39:35.912	25
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	70	+7.834s	19
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	70	+12.337s	15
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	70	+14.579s	12
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing RBPT	70	+15.688s	10
6	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	70	+16.047s	8
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren Mercedes	70	+78.300s	6
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine Renault	69	+1 lap	4
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine Renault	69	+1 lap	2
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes	69	+1 lap	1
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes	69	+1 lap	0
12	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri RBPT	69	+1 lap	0
13	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
14	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren Mercedes	69	+1 lap	0
16	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas Ferrari	69	+1 lap	0
17	23	Alexander Albon	Williams Mercedes	69	+1 lap	0
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Mercedes	69	+1 lap	0
19	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri RBPT	68	+2 laps	0
20	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo Ferrari	65	DNF	0
Note – Hamilton scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Ricciardo received a five-second time penalty for causing a collision.

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)