What Happened On This Day June 20 In F1 History?

From the formation of The Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Recconus in 1904 to Michael Schumacher's win at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.

Mark Phelan

By Mark Phelan
Updated on February 10, 2025

Michael Schumacher Ferrari 2004 United States Grand Prix
Michael Schumacher wins the 2004 United States Grand Prix for Ferrari. The teams 175th F1 victory.

What happened on this day, June 20 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1904

The Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Recconus (AIACR), the precursor to today’s FIA, was established in Paris. The organisation took on a role similar to the modern FIA, overseeing global motorsport activities and representing the interests of motorists worldwide.

1920

Paul Pietsch, known for his pre-World War Two racing, competed primarily as a privateer and briefly with the Auto Union team. Although his career briefly overlapped with the FIA World Championship era, he primarily focused on his thriving publishing business during this time.

1952

Italian racer Luigi Fagioli passed away on 20 June 1952. After World War II, the 52-year-old joined the Alfa Romeo team for the inaugural 1950 Formula One season, claiming five podium finishes in six races and placing third overall in the first FIA World Championship. His final Grand Prix, in 1951, was also a victorious one, where he won the 1951 French Grand Prix alongside Juan Manuel Fangio. Fagioli remains the oldest driver to win an F1 race, having competed in seven Grand Prix races, winning one.

1954

Stirling Moss achieved his first podium at the 1954 Belgian Grand Prix. This race also featured Juan Manuel Fangio’s final appearance for Maserati in 1954, before he switched to Mercedes. Fangio secured the win, followed by Maurice Trintignant in a Ferrari and the promising young Moss.

2004

During the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, Michael Schumacher clinched victory, a triumph shadowed by his near withdrawal from the race. This hesitation followed his brother Ralf Schumacher‘s severe accident caused by a tyre failure that hurled his car into the wall at high speed. Ralf suffered a concussion from the crash and subsequently missed six races. This victory marked Ferrari’s 175th win in Formula 1 history.

2021

The 2021 French Grand Prix marked the 61st time the race had been included in the Formula One World Championship since the series began in 1950.

Max Verstappen secured pole position for Red Bull Racing, ahead of the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. However, a mistake at the start saw Verstappen run wide, allowing Hamilton to take the early lead. The Dutchman regained control of the race after the first round of pit stops, but Red Bull opted for an aggressive two-stop strategy, bringing Verstappen in for a second pit stop, which dropped him 18 seconds behind Hamilton.

With the advantage of fresher tyres, Verstappen began closing the gap and eventually overtook Hamilton on the penultimate lap to secure victory, also claiming the bonus point for the fastest lap. His teammate Sergio Perez passed Bottas late in the race to secure third place, giving Red Bull a double podium finish.

2021 French Grand Prix Race Results
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
133Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda531:27:25.77026
244Lewis HamiltonMercedes53+2.904s18
311Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda53+8.811s15
477Valtteri BottasMercedes53+14.618s12
54Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes53+64.032s10
63Daniel RicciardoMcLaren Mercedes53+75.857s8
710Pierre GaslyAlphaTauri Honda53+76.596s6
814Fernando AlonsoAlpine Renault53+77.695s4
95Sebastian VettelAston Martin Mercedes53+79.666s2
1018Lance StrollAston Martin Mercedes53+91.946s1
1155Carlos SainzFerrari53+99.337s0
1263George RussellWilliams Mercedes52+1 lap0
1322Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri Honda52+1 lap0
1431Esteban OconAlpine Renault52+1 lap0
1599Antonio GiovinazziAlfa Romeo Racing Ferrari52+1 lap0
1616Charles LeclercFerrari52+1 lap0
177Kimi RäikkönenAlfa Romeo Racing Ferrari52+1 lap0
186Nicholas LatifiWilliams Mercedes52+1 lap0
1947Mick SchumacherHaas Ferrari52+1 lap0
209Nikita MazepinHaas Ferrari52+1 lap0
Note – Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

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About The Author

Staff Writer

Mark Phelan
Mark Phelan

Mark is a staff writer specialising in the history of Formula 1 races. Mark researches most of our historic content from teams to drivers and races. He has followed Formula 1 since 1988, and admits to having a soft spot for British drivers from James Hunt and Nigel Mansell to Lando Norris. He loves a great F1 podcast and has read pretty much every drivers biography.

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