On This Day in Formula One - 21 August

1988

Future F1 driver Johnny Herbert's career was thrown in doubt after he was caught up in a huge accident at Brands Hatch in an F3000 race. Herbert's legs took the brunt of the impact and he was lucky not to lose one of his feet. He astonished doctors with his determination to recover and despite still struggling to walk properly, he finished a heroic fourth on his F1 debut for Benetton in Brazil in 1989.

2000

A biography of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone was pulled from publication after legal wrangles and allegations against the author by Ecclestone, according to a report in London's Times newspaper. Among several claims made in the book, is that the donation of one million pounds to the British Labour Party before the last election was an attempt to ensure Formula One was exempted from the banning of tobacco advertising, a claim which Ecclestone denies: "I gave the money because I was asked to by a third party," said Ecclestone. "I've always been Tory, though I actually think now that all Blair has been as prime minister is watered-down old Conservatism."

2005

Bernie Ecclestone continued his expansion of his Formula One Empire as Istanbul played host to the first ever Turkish Grand Prix. The new circuit proved an instant hit and Kimi Raikkonen went on to take victory from Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya. McLaren had looked set for a certain 1-2 but Montoya ran wide on the final lap and let Alonso through after damaging his undertray a lap earlier.

2007

BMW Sauber ended months of speculation by confirming Nick Heidfeld would remain alongside Robert Kubica at the team for 2008. "Both Nick and Robert have delivered very strong performances in the course of this season. They have played a decisive role in enabling the BMW Sauber F1 Team to firmly establish itself as the third best team in Formula One," said BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen.

[INFORMATION BY - ESPNF1.com]

On This Day in Formula One - 20 August

1939
The last major grand prix before the war was staged at Bremgarten in Switzerland, and in a bid to lure the Italians into taking part and challenge the all-conquering Germans, the organisers ran the race in two heats, one for Voiturettes and one for GP cars, with the best from each going to a combined final. On a slippery track, Mercedes dominated with Hermann Lang, that year's European champion, winning the race, three seconds ahead of Rudolf Caracciola, and German entries occupied the top six places. But the performance of Nino Farina, whose Alfa Romeo came seventh but ahead of several of the more powerful Mercedes and Auto Union entries, took the plaudits for a courageous drive.

1999
It was Michael Schumacher's turn to step up his rehabilitation when he got behind the wheel of his Ferrari for the first time since his crash at Silverstone resulted in a broken leg. Schumacher tested alongside Mika Salo and Eddie Irvine at the team's Mugello circuit. He limped a little when he got out of his Ferrari after he completed one lap, but after a pause he drove four more laps.

2003
Renault announced that its driver line-up of Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso would remain unchanged for the following season. "This driver line-up provides us with the perfect balance," said team boss Flavio Briatore. "Next year will be Jarno's eighth season in Formula One, and everybody knows he is an extremely fast, competitive racing driver. Fernando has more than justified the faith we showed in him last year, and is maturing with the team as he acquires experience at the highest level."

2009
It had been a decade since Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer had entered an F1 grand prix, but he got his chance when Felipe Massa suffered a serious injury at the Hungarian Grand Prix. A planned comeback by Michael Schumacher stalled when the former champion was sidelined by a neck injury, and so on this day the team announced Badoer - whose record between 1993 and 1999 was no points from 48 starts - would be in the No. 2 car for the European Grand Prix . Eyebrows were raised, and doubts were justified when he was more than two seconds behind team-mate Kimi Räikkönen in practice at Valencia, also incurring four fines for speeding in the pit lane. In the race itself he came 17th out of 18 finishers, and in Belgium he was 14th out of 14 finishers. Enough was enough and Ferrari brought in Giancarlo Fisichella for the Italian Grand Prix.Badoer blamed the negative media coverage of his driving for Ferrari's decision to replace him. The reality was he was simply far too ring rusty.

[INFORMATION BY - ESPNF1.com]

[Part 3] The Belgian Grand Prix - DID YOU KNOW (FACTS)

'There's a storm brewing' - By Jake Davis

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TRACK PROFILE - 2014 FORMULA 1 SHELL BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

On This Day In Formula One - 19 August

1882
 in Italy but was raised in England who competed on British circuits before heading to the USA in 1915 where he won that year's US Grand Prix and then the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup as well as finishing second at the Indianapolis 500. In 1916 he won the Indy 500 as well as the Vanderbilt Cup for the second time and a series of other top races. The cessation of racing caused by World War One curtailed his success, but he made a comeback in 1923 with mixed success. He died in 1924 at Brooklands, where his career had started, when a security belt broke, puncturing a tyre and sending him spinning out of control.

                                                                 1973

Ronnie Peterson on his way to win the 1973 Austrian Grand Prix.

Ronnie Peterson won the Austrian Grand Prix from Jackie Stewart and Carlos Pace as Emerson Fittipaldi's title hopes all but ended. Needing a good result to close the gap to Stewart, Fittipaldi looked in good shape with five laps to go after team-mate Peterson waved him through into the lead. But his Lotus then suffered a split fuel pipe and the Brazilian had to stop, moving Stewart up to second. Stewart's six points left Fittipaldi with a deficit of 24 points with three races remaining, a virtually impossible task.

1984
Home fans left the Osterreichring happy after Niki Lauda won the Austrian Grand Prix . Having qualified fourth, Lauda made a poor start and dropped a place but was soon up to third by lap 9. And when Alain Prost spun on oil, Lauda was up to second and chasing race leader Nelson Piquet. And he scrambled ahead on lap 40 when the pair came up to lap Michele Alboreto's Ferrari, who finished third.

1987
Nico Hulkenberg was born in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany. Dubbed 'the baby Michael Schumacher', Hulkenberg's record prior to joining Williams underlined his talent. Juggling his commitments with his Williams testing duties, Hulkenberg took pole in his first race and finished sixth in the GP2 Asia series despite only competing in four races. The following season he progressed to the full GP2 series, where he wrapped up the championship at the penultimate round at Monza, the first time the series had been won before the final round. Like the seven-time world champion, Hulkenberg is also managed by Willi Weber.

                                                             2001

Michael Schumacher WINS his fourth drivers' title

Michael Schumacher led home team-mate Rubens Barrichello at the Hungaroring to cap off a record-breaking weekend for Ferrari. The victory sealed Schumacher's fourth drivers' title, tying him with Alain Prost, and he also equalled the Frenchman's record of 51 grand prix victories. The 1-2 finish also meant that Ferrari won the constructors' title for a record 11th time. It was not all Ferrari, however, as Mika Hakkinen recorded the 25th fastest lap of his career.

[INFORMATION BY - ESPNF1.com]

[Part 2] The Belgian Grand Prix - DID YOU KNOW (FACTS)

On This Day In Formula One - 18 August

1957

Stirling Moss won the first ever Pescara Grand Prix in Italy, on the calendar after the cancelations of the Belgian and Dutch GPs. Ferrari did not bother to send cars for Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, partly because Juan Manuel Fangio had already secured the title but also in protest against Italian government moves to ban road racing. So it became a battle between Moss' Vanwall and the Maserati of Fangio, Moss winning after Fangio spun on oil left by Luigi Musso's privateer Ferrari.

                                                                                          1974

Carlos Reutemann wins the 1974 Austrian Grand Prix.

Carlos Reutemann won the Austrian Grand Prix from Denny Hulme and James Hunt. Having qualified second, Reutemann took the lead at the start and never looked back. While Reutemann carried on serenely at the front, cars were dropping like flies behind him, Scheckter, Lauda, Peterson, Pace and Fittipaldi all falling by the wayside.

1985

Italian driver Andrea de Cesaris lived up to his nickname of 'Andrea de Crasheris' at the Austrian Grand Prix when he had another spectacular accident, his Ligier going off the circuit and somersaulting several times. Although he walked away mercifully unscathed, a shaken De Cesaris was promptly sacked by Guy Ligier on his arrival back at the pits. "I can no longer afford the services of this young man," Ligier is reported to have said. Alain Prost went on to win the race.

2002

Rubens Barrichello led home Michael Schumacher for an easy 1-2 as Ferrari secured another constructors' title. In an uneventful procession of a race, Ralf Schumacher finished third and the only excitement came when Mika Salo was given a 25-second post-race penalty for an unsafe pit stop while trying to stay ahead of Pedro de la Rosa.

[INFORMATION BY - ESPNF1.com]

[Part 1] The Belgian Grand Prix - DID YOU KNOW (FACTS)

On This Day In Formula One - 17 August

1896
The first British fatality as a result of a car came at Crystal Palace when 44-year-old Bridget Driscoll was run down by Arthur Edsall's imported Roger-Benz. "At the inquest, Florence Ashmore, a domestic servant, gave evidence that the car went at a 'tremendous pace', like a fire engine - 'as fast as a good horse could gallop'," the Times reported. "The driver, working for the Anglo-French Motor Co, said that he was doing 4mph when he killed Mrs Driscoll and that he had rung his bell and shouted."

                                                                                       1952

Nelson Piquet was born on this day.

Three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although he won the last of his titles for Williams in 1987, Piquet is always associated with his title wins at Brabham in 1981 and 1983. Interestingly, Piquet was a name invented to conceal his racing from his family as his birth name was Nelson Soutomaior.

1952
Ferrari secured a dominant 1-2-3 at the Dutch Grand Prix with Alberto Ascari leading home Giuseppe Farina and Luigi Villoresi. Having qualified third, Mike Hawthorn was up to second in the early stages but eventually finished fourth.

1975
Italian Vittorio Brambilla scored his first grand prix victory at the Austrian Grand Prix from the British duo of James Hunt and Tom Pryce, who secured his first ever podium. Having qualified eighth, Brambilla slithered his March through the field and into the lead past Hunt on lap 19. Conditions deteriorated to such an extent that eventually the organizers were petitioned to stop the race. The chequered flag was shown and Brambilla in his excitement lost control of his car and crashed. He was able to rejoin and completed his victory lap with the front end of the car in a state of considerable disrepair.

1980
Jean-Pierre Jabouille won the Austrian Grand Prix for Renault from the Williams duo of Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann. Jones jumped into an early lead but soon had the yellow Renaults swarming all over the back of him and by lap 4, both were through with Arnoux leading. A clutch problem dropped Arnoux back down the field and Jabouille was just able to fend off Jones on fading tyres by the finish.

                                                                 1986

Alain Prost on the Podium after winning the 1986 Austrian Grand Prix.

Alain Prost won the Austrian Grand Prix at the Osterreichring a week after Formula One's first visit to Hungary. The Benetton-BMWs of Teo Fabi and Gerhard Berger qualified on the front row and set off into the distance but soon both were out with mechanical problems. When Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet both also retired, Prost was left leading the Ferraris of Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson and that is how it stayed.

2000
Jenson Button's future was once again in the news when it was announced that he would be loaned by Frank Williams to the Benetton team for two seasons as Colombian Indycar sensation Juan Pablo Montoya stepped in. "I will always be eternally grateful to Frank Williams and Patrick Head for giving me my great opportunity in Formula One," said Button. "I have some unfinished business at Williams."

[INFORMATION BY -ESPNF1.com]