Formula 1 has seen some impressive overtakes in its 75-year history, as drivers have battled it out on the same piece of tarmac.
Overtaking used to be a rare sight in the early stages of the championship’s history, but as track design has evolved and safety has become better it has led to some daring moments on track between the drivers.
As much as there is an incentive to exchange position because of the number of points on offer, it also enables drivers to come out on top against their rivals on the track.
Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher have all pulled off great overtakes in their time.
As Formula 1 enters its 75th season, there has been many memorable overtakes but fans have discussed some of their favourites in response to a social media post on F1’s X page (formerly Twitter).
F1 fans discuss what they think was the greatest overtake of all time
A couple of fans immediately pointed to Ayrton Senna’s legendary opening lap of the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donnington, when the Brazilian overtook five cars on the opening lap after losing places in the wet conditions.
It was a truly masterful display from the three-time world champion, given the sodden conditions at the time. Senna was utilising the outside lines of the track to find grip where others were struggling.
One fan commented: “Senna’s legendary first lap in the rain at Donington passing four cars, including Alain Prost, to take the lead. A masterclass in wet-weather driving.”
Another fan said “Webber on Alonso at eau rouge” which refers to the overtake Mark Webber made on Fernando Alonso while going through the fast Eau Rouge corner during the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix.
One fan recalled one of Kimi Raikkonen’s stunning overtakes during the 2005 Japanese GP on Giancarlo Fisichella, while another said Alonso’s overtake on Schumacher in Japan 2006 was one their favourites.
Mika Hakkinen’s overtake on Schumacher during the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix was also mentioned, with one fan saying: “Hakkinen used a backmarker (Ricardo Zonta) to his advantage, pulling off a double slipstream to overtake Schumacher. The move is praised for its precision at one of F1’s most challenging circuits.”
Another recalled Nelson Piquet’s overtake on Senna during the 1986 Hungarian GP, which was also one of the most daring given the safety standards in F1 at the time.
Charles Leclerc hailed for ‘epic’ opening lap in 2024
There were a few overtakes that took place in 2024 that caught the eye of some, but Charles Leclerc’s opening lap of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was talked about the most.
The Monogasque driver managed to overtake 11 cars on the first lap, after getting a good start off the line and avoiding a collision between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
Anthony Davidson was impressed with how Leclerc managed to keep his composure given Ferrari were battling for a Constructors’ Championship with McLaren at the time.
Leclerc had started the race in P19 and ended the first lap in P11, effectively enabling him to climb up the order for the rest of the race and seal third place.
Leave feedback about this