Top 10 F1 results changed by backmarkers – the passes

Formula 1 backmarkers are usually well-behaved and stay out of the way of the leaders, especially in the modern era with extensive blue flags, radio communication and penalties for impeding. But sometimes lapped traffic can still influence a race.

We’ve already looked at the times grand prix results have been decided by clashes between frontrunners and lapped cars. Now it’s the turn of ‘the passes’: those moments where the presence of slower runners gave crucial opportunities in wheel-to-wheel fights at the front of the field.

We’ve ranked these based on the quality of the moves themselves, plus the significance in terms of the race result. Who is being overtaken and the quality of the respective drivers’ machinery has also been considered. How much the backmarker was crucial was another factor.

10. 1972 British GP

Emerson Fittipaldi had a helping hand of sorts from his brother Wilson

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Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart and Wilson Fittipaldi 

Brotherly love or just a coincidence?

Jacky Ickx’s Ferrari, Emerson Fittipaldi’s Lotus and the Tyrrell of Stewart were putting on a fine show at Brands Hatch. Ickx had led from pole, initially from Fittipaldi, before reigning world champion Stewart took second when the Lotus ace made a small error.

Ickx, Stewart and Fittipaldi were running gloriously close together when they came up to lap Chris Amon’s Matra and the Brabham of Wilson Fittipaldi, Emerson’s older brother. Amon moved out the way quickly, letting all three by, but Wilson did not and dawdled at Druids on lap 36 of 76.

Ickx backed off before making it through, but Stewart was slowed avoiding the Ferrari and Emerson thrust the Lotus by on the run to Bottom Bend, now known as Graham Hill Bend.

Ickx led until his oil pressure sagged thanks to a leak. Stewart kept Fittipaldi in sight but could never quite get back on terms with the Lotus, which took the flag 4.1 seconds ahead. The move involving the brothers had been crucial, even if the move itself was tame.

9. 2012 United States GP

Hamilton took full advantage of Vettel being held up by Karthikeyan

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Narain Karthikeyan 

After four seasons off the calendar, the United States GP returned to the F1 schedule with a new venue, the Circuit of The Americas. And the Austin circuit soon proved its worth.

Poleman Vettel led from the off but was chased relentlessly by Hamilton, once the McLaren had overcome the second Red Bull of Mark Webber. Vettel held the lead after the pitstops and, though able to follow closely, Hamilton didn’t seem to have quite enough to make a bid for the lead.

Then, on lap 42 of 56, the duo caught the last-placed HRT of Narain Karthikeyan. Vettel had to follow the tardy backmarker through the flowing but narrow early corners, allowing Hamilton to stay close.

“So interlinked are these fast turns that there’s nowhere to get out of the way,” said Autosport’s report. “The FIA’s Charlie Whiting had told drivers earlier that they would not be penalised for ignoring blue flags between Turns 3 and 7, meaning this was disastrous timing for Vettel.”

Hamilton got into Vettel’s slipstream down the back straight and, though the reigning world champion covered the inside, made a DRS-assisted pass on the run to Turn 12.

An irritated Vettel stayed close thereafter but never found a way back past and was 0.7s down at the flag.

“The backmarkers really came into play today,” said Hamilton. “When Seb was delayed, I knew I had to grab my chance, so I turned the engine up to maximum revs and pushed like crazy.”

It was Hamilton’s 21st GP victory for McLaren – and would be his last before switching to Mercedes.

8. 1978 British GP

Lauda was furious at Giacomelli who holding him up which allowed Reutemann to strike

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Carlos Reutemann, Niki Lauda and Bruno Giacomelli

Lauda’s Brabham had started fourth at Brands Hatch but things seemed to be falling his way. The quicker Lotus 79s of Ronnie Peterson and Mario Andretti, which had locked out the front row, both hit trouble before half-distance. The rapid Williams of Alan Jones suffered a driveshaft failure and Lauda overtook Jody Scheckter’s Wolf, which had gearbox issues, to take the lead on lap 34 of 76.

But Reutemann’s Ferrari, which had qualified down in eighth, was a problem and closed on Lauda. At the end of lap 60, Lauda went to pass Giacomelli around the outside of Clearways but found the McLaren on the bit of track he wanted as he turned in – the Brabham drifted wide.

Reutemann got a better run and powered past his rival – the two were distinctly not friends – on the inside as they went through Clark Curve. Both then got by Giacomelli and Lauda even had a little look to the inside of the Ferrari into Paddock Hill Bend, but Reutemann held firm.

Lauda kept the pressure up but was never able to find a way back into the lead, losing out by 1.23s.

Reutemann described it as “the best drive if my life”, while Lauda was furious with Giacomelli for costing him the lead, but it’s hard to see what the Italian could have done. Should Lauda have waited and zapped the McLaren on corner exit?

7. 1985 European GP

Rosberg aided team-mate Mansell by holding up Senna after an earlier incident between the pair

Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna and Keke Rosberg

Senna’s robust driving when he arrived in F1 did not endear him to rivals and 1982 champion Rosberg was one of his more vocal critics. That was the context for the shenanigans that helped Mansell take his first world championship GP victory at Brands Hatch.

Senna had taken a brilliant pole, ahead of Nelson Piquet’s Brabham and Williams duo Mansell and Rosberg. The Lotus led from the off, with a slip by Mansell at Druids allowing Rosberg into second and a slow-starting Piquet to third.

Rosberg harassed Senna and, on lap seven, got a great run through Graham Hill Bend. The Williams got alongside but Senna held firm as they turned into the Surtees left-hander. Rosberg spun avoiding the Lotus and was collected by Piquet.

The Brabham retired on the spot but Rosberg made it back to the pits with a puncture. He rejoined just ahead of Senna, who now had Mansell not far behind. Rosberg held up the Lotus through Druids and Graham Hill Bend, allowing Mansell to get a run on Senna.

Mansell went to the left on the blast to Surtees and made it into the lead. Rosberg then allowed his team-mate through between Hawthorn and Westfield but stayed ahead of Senna for the rest of the lap. In a single tour, Senna had gone from 0.7s ahead of Mansell to 1.8s behind.

Rosberg would later claim that it wasn’t fury with Senna that had led him to assist Mansell. “I’d ruined my own race, so I thought I’d give my team-mate a hand,” he said, though he did express a general displeasure at Senna’s blocking.

Rosberg soon repassed Mansell on his way to third place, while Senna finished 21.4s behind the home victor. The Williams-Hondas had proved to have the race pace, but Rosberg had helped ensure Senna, who reckoned Mansell would have won anyway, could not keep track position.

6. 2001 Brazilian GP

Schumacher conceded Coulthard was on course to win regardless of losing time trying to lap Marques

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Tarso Marques

Overtaking Schumacher in the wet to win a GP was a rare feat but Coulthard managed it at Interlagos in 2001. It’s just a shame few remember it thanks to the explosive arrival of Juan Pablo Montoya into F1.

In just his third GP start, Montoya had thrust his Williams past Schumacher’s Ferrari at a restart and, in the dry, looked a likely winner. That was until he was rear-ended by Jos Verstappen’s Arrows, which Montoya had just lapped.

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The incident gave Coulthard the lead, which he narrowly held from Schumacher after the McLaren’s next pitstop. But when rain arrived, the Ferrari dived in for wets a lap earlier, giving Schumacher the advantage.

But the German was not happy with his car on a wet track. A Schuey mistake allowed Coulthard to close and, at the end of lap 49 of 71, they came up to lap the Minardi of Tarso Marques, with the McLaren carrying more momentum. Schumacher went to the outside approaching the Senna S and Coulthard dived down the inside of both. DC then pulled clear to win by 16.2s.

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“I wasn’t sure which way the Minardi was going to move,” said Schumacher, who reckoned the McLaren would have beaten him anyway. “I was hoping he would stay there and I would dive for the outside but he started going right. I had to slow more than I needed to and David took the better choice.”

5. 1996 Portuguese GP

Villeneuve used his oval racing background to set up a move on Schumacher

Photo by: LAT Images via Getty Images

Jacques Villeneueve, Michael Schumacher and Giovanni Lavaggi

Villeneuve arrived at the penultimate round of the 1996 season needing to beat Williams team-mate Damon Hill to keep his championship hopes alive. And things didn’t look good when first Hill took pole at Estoril and then Villeneuve got too much wheelspin at the start, falling to fourth.

Up ahead was Schumacher’s Ferrari, Villeneuve pressuring him while Hill pulled away. On lap 16 of 70 Schumacher seemed to hesitate slightly entering the long Parabolica right-hander that leads onto the start/finish straight.

There was a hint of his oval background as Villeneuve moved to the left and went right around the outside of Schumacher. It was a bold move Villeneuve had even discussed with his engineer. The Canadian got into Lavaggi’s slipstream down the straight and then covered the inside to prevent a Schumacher counterattack.

“It was fun overtaking on the outside of the last turn,” said Villeneuve. “They said they would come and pick me out of the guard rail if I tried it. But I had nothing to lose.”

Villeneuve went on to overcome both Jean Alesi’s Benetton and Hill, his slicing through the traffic proving decisive, to score what was perhaps his finest victory.

This was undoubtedly a great overtake and is only kept from being higher on this list by two factors. The first is that it is unclear how important Lavaggi really was to the move – and this is a backmarker-led list rather than a straight great passes one. And the other is that the Williams FW18 really was quite a lot better than the Ferrari F310 – there was probably a bigger gap between the two than is present in the moves higher up this list.

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4. 1988 Japanese GP

Senna used Prost being held up by de Cesaris to launch his attack for the lead - sealing the title in the process

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Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Andrea de Cesaris

This Suzuka race is famous for Senna’s brilliant comeback after a terrible start that clinched victory and his first F1 title over McLaren team-mate Alain Prost.

After his stall, Senna charged from 14th to second. Some light drizzle and gearbox maladies for the leader then gave Senna the opportunity to close the gap.

On lap 27, Prost came up to lap the Rial of the notorious de Cesaris, who was battling Mauricio Gugelmin’s March. Prost didn’t make it by into the high-speed 130R left-hander and de Cesaris further delayed the McLaren through the final chicane.

Prost got right up onto the exit kerb and slithered behind the Rial, while Senna managed a clean exit and a run on his rival. Prost moved to cover the inside line but there was enough room and Senna had the momentum to take the lead approaching the first corner, as both finally made it past de Cesaris.

“I made a special effort to be close to Alain when the backmarkers came up because I knew that was when I might have the opportunity to pass,” said Senna.

He edged away before Prost closed again with a late charge. But when rain returned Senna pulled clear to take a famous victory.

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3. 1988 French GP

Prost also used the aid of a backmarker to make a move on Senna in 1988

Photo by: Sutton Images

Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Pierluigi Martini

One of Prost’s self-avowed weaknesses against arch-rival Senna was his speed through traffic. There were days when Senna made the difference by being bolder with backmarkers (see entry number four!) but Prost was able to turn the tables on home ground in 1988.

Prost had taken his first pole of the season and led the early stages. He looked in control until the tyre stops; there was a delay with his front-left and Senna had a lead of 3s by the time Prost got back on track.

He chipped away at the gap and was where he needed to be as the McLarens came up to lap a gaggle of cars at three-quarters distance. They lapped Piquet’s Lotus down the long Mistral Straight but Senna was delayed as Alex Caffi’s Dallara overtook the Minardi of Martini.

Prost got a great run through the fast Signes right-hander and dived down the inside of Senna into the tighter right at Beausset, just squeezing through. “One of the great passing manoeuvres,” reckoned Autosport’s Nigel Roebuck.

Senna tried to fight back but Prost edged away and gearbox issues for the second MP4/4 meant the Frenchman was more than half a minute clear come the chequered flag.

2. 2000 Belgium GP

Hakkinen showing Schumacher how he used Zonta to take the lead

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta

This is probably the most famous pass on this list.

From a dominant pole, Hakkinen had looked in control at Spa while title rival Schumacher rose from fourth to second in the early damp stages. After 12 laps – and a switch to dry rubber – the McLaren led the Ferrari by 4.6s. But Hakkinen then spun at Stavelot, handing Schumacher a 5.6s advantage.

After the second round of pitstops, with 16 laps to go, Schumacher led by 5.9s. But the McLaren, on fresher tyres, was now in the ascendancy and closed the gap. Just nine laps later, Hakkinen was within a second of the Ferrari.

Schumacher was struggling for rear grip through Eau Rouge/Raidillon and Hakkinen got a run on lap 40, only to be rudely chopped, adding extra frisson to the move that came on the following tour.

This time Zonta’s BAR was in play. As the leaders swept down the Kemmel Straight, Schumacher went to the left of Zonta. Hakkinen had more momentum and went right, putting his faith in Zonta to stay where he was, and claimed the inside into the Les Combes right-hander to secure a superb win.

“Mika made an outstanding move, it was unexpected,” said Schumacher, before adding: “If he had not passed me there, he would have done it later.”

And that helps to explain why the dramatic moment doesn’t quite take our number one spot. Hakkinen’s pace advantage over a struggling Schumacher meant the McLaren was probably favourite for victory. But it was a helluva dramatic way to do it.

1. 1989 Hungarian GP

Mansell's Ferrari lacked the straightline speed of Senna's McLaren-Honda, so had to find another way to attack

Photo by: Sutton Images

Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna and Stefan Johansson

Mansell is probably F1’s greatest overtaker and his move on Senna at the Hungaroring was the icing on the cake of what was arguably the Briton’s best drive.

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Mansell famously started the 1989 Hungarian GP 12th, having demanded significant changes to his Ferrari following understeer issues in qualifying. After 41 of the 77 laps, he was up to third, behind leader and poleman Riccardo Patrese’s Williams-Renault and the McLaren-Honda of reigning world champion Senna.

Patrese had held off Senna since the start but a holed radiator put him out, leaving Senna ahead with Mansell tied to his gearbox and 25 laps to go. Mansell was quicker but even in the tow the Ferrari lost several car lengths on the run to the first corner, the main overtaking point. Mansell needed something out of the ordinary.

His moment came on lap 58 of 77 as the duo came up to lap Johansson’s Onyx, struggling with gearbox problems. Senna found the slow backmarker in his way through the downhill Turn 3 right-hander and had to lift. Mansell pounced instantly, the cars briefly going three-wide as the Ferrari took the lead before heading off to victory.

“For the first time since no one knew or cared when, a McLaren-Honda had been overtaken,” said Maurice Hamilton in Autocourse.

“You can’t plan things like that,” said Mansell. “You’ve got to be ready and I was there to take full advantage of it.”

The fact it was Senna around the Hungaroring, along with the fact that the Ferrari simply didn’t have the straightline speed to pass in normal circumstances, means this moment narrowly takes our top spot.

Do you agree with Mansell topping this list?

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