What happened on this day, November 23 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1919
Andre Boillot, driving a 2.5-litre Peugeot, clinched victory in Europe’s first major post-war race, the Targa Florio. The race was a brutal 268-mile course through snow and fog on the winding roads of Sicily. Boillot’s finish was one of the most memorable in racing history. As he approached the final corner, he lost control and spun into the grandstand, stopping just 30 yards from the finish line. Spectators rushed to his aid, pushing his damaged car out of the wreckage. Bloodied and dazed, he managed to reverse his Peugeot across the line. Fearing disqualification, Ernest Ballot, owner of the car in second place, urged Boillot to return to the point of the accident and cross the finish line again going forward. Boillot complied, securing a clear victory before collapsing from exhaustion. The race was also notable for the presence of a young Enzo Ferrari, racing a Lancia, and for Antonio Ascari’s dramatic crash off the course and into a ravine.
1954
Born on 23 November 1954, Ross Brawn is a British motorsport mastermind who has spent his life turning Formula One teams into championship-winning machines.
Ross Brawn isn’t just any former engineer or team principal — he’s the guy whose fingerprints are on eight constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ championships. As technical director for both Benetton and Ferrari, he became the brilliant strategist behind Michael Schumacher and his seven world titles, earning him the well-deserved reputation as the sport’s ultimate “mastermind.”
After taking a breather in 2007 (yes, even geniuses need naps), he returned in 2008 as team principal of Honda. Then came one of the most iconic plot twists in F1 history: in early 2009, Brawn bought the team, transformed it into Brawn GP, and promptly won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in its debut season.
Mercedes joined the party in late 2009, with Brawn becoming team principal and co-owner alongside Nick Fry. By 2011, the pair sold their remaining shares to Mercedes-Benz, where Brawn stayed on as team principal until stepping down in late 2013 to make way for Paddy Lowe and Toto Wolff.
After rumours swirled about where he’d land next, Brawn put the speculation to rest in February 2014, announcing his retirement from Formula One. Here’s to Ross Brawn — the architect of legends, the quiet genius behind dynasties, and a birthday worth celebrating every year.
1969
Olivier Beretta, born in Monte Carlo, was introduced to the F1 world as a protege of Nelson Piquet. He raced in ten Grands Prix for Larrousse in 1994, though his tenure was cut short when his sponsorship funds ran out. Beretta continued to test with Williams in 2003 and 2004 but was not offered another drive. Instead, he found greater success in sports car racing.
2005
Guildford native Katherine Legge was among several drivers to test with Minardi in Italy, earning praise from team boss Paul Stoddart despite a mishap where she drove into a brick wall on her first outing. “Katherine proved she’s definitely got what it takes to be an F1 driver,” Stoddart commented. Legge called the experience “fantastic,” expressing her eagerness to return to an F1 car someday. Though the test didn’t lead to an F1 career, she continued her racing journey, later competing in the A1 Grand Prix series.
2009
Nico Rosberg’s unveiling as a Mercedes driver was, as the Daily Mail put it, “like Hamlet without the prince.” Though Mercedes denied it, speculation about Michael Schumacher’s possible return overshadowed Rosberg’s moment. A vague comment from team boss Norbert Haug fueled the rumours: “When would you ever say anything categorically in Formula One? I have nothing to add.” This speculation was an unwelcome distraction for Rosberg, who expressed surprise at not being paired with Jenson Button, whose move to McLaren had left an opening that seemed tailor-made for Schumacher.
2011
American racer Jim Rathmann died on this day. He competed in ten Indianapolis 500s between 1950 and 1960, when they were a part of the F1 Championship (of drivers), winning in 1960 and finishing second three times.
Jim Rathmann
F1 Debut 1950 Indianapolis 500
Current/Last Team Privateer
He also won the 1958 Race of Two Worlds at Monza and had six more race wins in his career.
2014
The 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was notable for several unprecedented events and final farewells in Formula 1. For the first time, double points were awarded at this race, a controversial change to the points system that was poorly received by fans and teams alike. This one-off system was quickly abandoned, with Formula 1 reverting to the traditional 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 points structure starting with the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.
The race was the decisive battle for the 2014 World Drivers’ Championship between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Hamilton won both the race and his second world title, crossing the finish line 2.5 seconds ahead of Felipe Massa, while Valtteri Bottas finished third, marking Williams‘ first double podium since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix. Rosberg, who struggled with ERS issues, ultimately finished in 14th, eliminating his chance for the championship.
This Grand Prix also marked the final appearances for drivers Jean-Eric Vergne, Adrian Sutil, and Kamui Kobayashi and the last race for the Caterham team, which would collapse before the 2015 season. In an additional twist, Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, both starting from the pit lane due to qualifying disqualifications for front wing irregularities, managed to fight back to finish fourth and eighth, respectively.
Mercedes capped off the season by setting two new records: a total of 701 points, and a 296-point lead over second-placed Red Bull, underscoring their dominance in the 2014 season.
2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 55 | 1:39:02.619 | 50 |
| 2 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams Mercedes | 55 | +2.576s | 36 |
| 3 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams Mercedes | 55 | +28.880s | 30 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing Renault | 55 | +37.237s | 24 |
| 5 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 55 | +60.334s | 20 |
| 6 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India Mercedes | 55 | +62.148s | 16 |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India Mercedes | 55 | +71.060s | 12 |
| 8 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault | 55 | +72.045s | 8 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 55 | +85.813s | 4 |
| 10 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 55 | +87.820s | 2 |
| 11 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren Mercedes | 55 | +90.376s | 0 |
| 12 | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR Renault | 55 | +91.947s | 0 |
| 13 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus Renault | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber Ferrari | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 99 | Adrian Sutil | Sauber Ferrari | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 46 | Will Stevens | Caterham Renault | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham Renault | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus Renault | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | STR Renault | 14 | DNF | 0 |
2024
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The race was won by Mercedes’ George Russell, who fended off a strong challenge from teammate Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion climbed from 10th on the grid to secure second place.
Verstappen’s finish, behind the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, comfortably sealed his championship. His closest rival, McLaren’s Lando Norris, managed only sixth, leaving a 63-point gap to Verstappen with just 60 points remaining in the season. This title elevated Verstappen into elite company as a four-time champion, joining legends Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Juan Manuel Fangio now stood ahead of him in the all-time rankings.
2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 50 | 1:22:05.969 | 25 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 50 | +7.313s | 18 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 50 | +11.906s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 50 | +14.283s | 12 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 50 | +16.582s | 10 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris1 | McLaren Mercedes | 50 | +43.385s | 9 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 50 | +51.365s | 6 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 50 | +59.808s | 4 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 50 | +62.808s | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 50 | +63.114s | 1 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 50 | +69.195s | 0 |
| 12 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 50 | +69.803s | 0 |
| 13 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 50 | +74.085s | 0 |
| 14 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 50 | +75.172s | 0 |
| 15 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 50 | +84.102s | 0 |
| 16 | 30 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT | 50 | +91.005s | 0 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 15 | DNF | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 23 November
| Birthday | F1 Mentions |
|---|---|
| 23 November 1954 | Ross Brawn Served as Managing Director, Motor Sport for Formula One Group, Ferrari Technical Director and Team Principal for Honda F1, Brawn GP and Mercedes |
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 23 November 1903 | Juan Jover |
| 23 November 1969 | Olivier Beretta |
F1 Driver Deaths 23 November
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 23 November 2011 | Jim Rathmann |
F1 Champion 23 November
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 23 November 2014 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 23 November 2024 | Max Verstappen |
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