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
Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 53 | 1:27:25.770 | 26 |
2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 53 | +2.904s | 18 |
3 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 53 | +8.811s | 15 |
4 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 53 | +14.618s | 12 |
5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 53 | +64.032s | 10 |
6 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 53 | +75.857s | 8 |
7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 53 | +76.596s | 6 |
8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 53 | +77.695s | 4 |
9 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 53 | +79.666s | 2 |
10 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 53 | +91.946s | 1 |
11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 53 | +99.337s | 0 |
12 | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
13 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri Honda | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
15 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
16 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
17 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
18 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
19 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
20 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
Note – Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. |
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