Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

Oliver Solberg explains crash that ended WRC Canary Islands fight with Sebastien Ogier

WRC
Rally Islas Canarias
Oliver Solberg explains crash that ended WRC Canary Islands fight with Sebastien Ogier

Bezzecchi details how Ducati ended Aprilia's winning run at the Spanish MotoGP

MotoGP
Spanish GP
Bezzecchi details how Ducati ended Aprilia's winning run at the Spanish MotoGP

DTM Red Bull Ring: Engel ends Mercedes' win drought with dominant charge

DTM
Red Bull Ring
DTM Red Bull Ring: Engel ends Mercedes' win drought with dominant charge

Marquez admits he 'doesn't have the pace to fight for MotoGP title' after Spanish GP crash

MotoGP
Spanish GP
Marquez admits he 'doesn't have the pace to fight for MotoGP title' after Spanish GP crash

WRC Canary Islands: Ogier claims first win of 2026 after Solberg crashes out

WRC
Rally Islas Canarias
WRC Canary Islands: Ogier claims first win of 2026 after Solberg crashes out

MotoGP Spanish GP: Alex Marquez ends Aprilia's dominance with victory as Marc Marquez crashes out

MotoGP
Spanish GP
MotoGP Spanish GP: Alex Marquez ends Aprilia's dominance with victory as Marc Marquez crashes out

WRC Canary Islands: Solberg crashes out of victory fight on penultimate stage

WRC
Rally Islas Canarias
WRC Canary Islands: Solberg crashes out of victory fight on penultimate stage

What links a scribe's rudimentary '70s transport with an inspiring education initiative?

Feature
Formula 1
What links a scribe's rudimentary '70s transport with an inspiring education initiative?

Number of F1 overtakes in 2017 fell by almost 50% compared to '16

The 2017 Formula 1 season represented the worst year for overtaking in the DRS era, as the number of completed passes was almost half that recorded the previous year

Pirelli released analysis data from the 2017 campaign - the first season for the new generation of wider, faster cars - on Monday that revealed the number of overtakes it registered over the 20-race season was down to 435.

That represented a 49% drop from the 866 passes that were recorded in 2016 when there was one more race.

The 2016 figure was the highest since records began in the early 1980s, while this season's 435 is the lowest since the 211 passes that took place in '09 - which was before DRS was introduced to help overtaking.

This year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku accounted for the most overtaking moves in one race, with 42 in total.

At the other end of the spectrum was the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi (above) in which just one pass was recorded.

Daniel Ricciardo ended the year as F1's top overtaker, pulling off a total of 43 passes during the campaign.

An impressive 13 of these came at the British Grand Prix, when he charged his way through the field after taking a grid penalty for a new gearbox and power unit components.

Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen pulled off 22 moves himself, which meant Red Bull cars completed the most overtakes over the course of the season.

Lance Stroll's strong recovery from poor qualifying efforts was reflected as he was the driver who pulled off the most passes on the first lap of races - with 36 over the course of the season.

Previous article Michael Schumacher doubted himself, reveals ex-Ferrari F1 boss Todt
Next article Autosport F1 driver ratings - Ben Anderson answers reader questions

Top Comments