27th June is the day on which the Stewart team started from pole for the only time, the day three British drivers shared the podium in 1965 and the day on which Mark Webber went airborne in Valencia.
27th June Races in Stats:
- The 2021 Styrian Grand Prix will be the first race held in Austria on this day. Of the three previous races held on this date, two were held in France while the 2010 European Grand Prix was held in Spain, at Valencia Street Circuit.
- Two of the previous races on this day have been won from pole position. The one that wasn’t – the 1999 French Grand Prix – was won from fifth on the grid. The polesitter has never failed to finish on the podium on 27th June.
- No driver has recorded two podium finishes on this date – something which Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel could change at the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix.
- McLaren are the only team to record multiple podium finishes on this date, having finished in the top three at each of the last two 27th June races. They also became the first team to finish with both cars on the podium on this day at the 2010 European Grand Prix.
- Five of the nine podium finishes on this day have been taken by British drivers. A British driver has also set the fastest lap in every race so far on this date.
- The last two races on this day have been won by German drivers.
1965 French Grand Prix
Jim Clark recorded a Grand Slam at Circuit de Charade in the French Grand Prix on this day in 1965. This was F1’s first of four visits to the Charade track, near Clermont-Ferrand. Clark had started from pole position for the twentieth time in his career and went on to lead every lap and set the Fastest Lap of the race on his way to victory. It was an all British podium, with Clark finishing 26 seconds ahead of fellow Scotsman Jackie Stewart and John Surtees finishing in third place a further two minutes behind. Just four other cars finished the race, all of which had been lapped by Clark.
1999 French Grand Prix
On this day in 1999, Rubens Barrichello started from pole position at the French Grand Prix. This would be the only time that the Stewart team would take pole position in F1. It was also the 139th and final pole position for a Ford Cosworth-powered car (though Cosworth would power Nico Hulkenberg to pole for Williams at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix).
Though Barrichello led more laps than any other driver in the race, it would be Jordan’s Heinz-Harald Frentzen who would be the victor. The race was a dry to wet affair, with the Safety Car having to be called out due to the weather conditions before half-distance. Frentzen was running behind Barrichello and Mika Hakkinen until the closing stages, but both drivers needed to pit for more fuel, allowing the Jordan driver into the lead. Hakkinen finished as runner-up, eleven seconds behind Frentzen, on Mercedes’ 100th appearance as an engine supplier.
2010 European Grand Prix
Mark Webber took an unexpected flight on this day in 2010 at the European Grand Prix, held at Valencia Street Circuit. In a scary moment for the Red Bull driver, Webber misjudged the braking point of the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen ahead of him and flew over the top of the Finnish driver, flipping in the air before crashing back down to the ground. Luckily, the Australian was unharmed in the spectacular incident.
Webber’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel took victory; the tenth for the Red Bull team. Vettel’s charge to victory was aided by a penalty for Lewis Hamilton. After the Safety Car was called out following Webber’s accident, it emerged alongside Hamilton on track. Hamilton had the opportunity to legitimately pass it, but hesitated and did so after the Safety Car had crossed the pit exit. That resulted in the McLaren driver being handed a drive-through penalty. Nevertheless, Hamilton finished in second place with team-mate Jenson Button completing the podium.