F1: 5 Most Unlikely Race Winners 

Maldonado secured a famous win in 2012
Maldonado secured a famous win in 2012

#2 Giancarlo Fisichella (Brazil 2003)

Giancarlo Fisichella and Jordan took full advantage of the chaotic conditions in Brazil
Giancarlo Fisichella and Jordan took full advantage of the chaotic conditions in Brazil

Jordan Grand Prix had four race wins during their 15 years in Formula 1, and this was by far the most surprising.

By 2003, Eddie Jordan's team were struggling under huge financial pressure and looked like making a quick exit from the sport every other month.

The EJ13 was one of the slowest cars on the grid, but Giancarlo Fisichella qualified an impressive eighth for the race, which started behind the Safety Car in wet conditions.

Nobody knew when the race would get underway, the field was unable to go full speed nor overtake under the Safety Car, so Jordan took a gamble.

Despite their high starting position, Fisichella dived into the pits to fill his yellow car to the brim in an effort to complete the Grand Prix without stopping again.

When the race eventually got going, accidents would dominate the action, with six cars spinning out at the bottom of the Senna "S" and retiring with damage. The Safety Car came out repeatedly, allowing Fisichella to keep within a pit-stops deficit of the leaders.

On Lap 54, Kimi Raikkonen was leading the race, but ran wide on his cold tyres and allowed Fisi, who still hadn't stopped again to pass down the inside.

The subsequent hazard posed by both Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso's accident would bring out the red flags and cause a halt to proceedings for the day.

Raikkonen was declared the winner, but a timing error had given the Finn the win on false grounds and Fisichella was correctly awarded the winner's trophy before the next race at Imola.

Even more surprising was that this was Giancarlo's first win in the sport after seven long years of trying.

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To show how much of a shock this was, Fisi wouldn't score another point until the penultimate round at Indianapolis, a run of 12 scoreless races.

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Edited by Alan John
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