Top 10 F1 overtakes of all-time

There have been almost 1,000 Grand Prixs in Formula 1’s 69-year history and thousands of overtaking manoeuvres in that time. Overtaking is always a controversial issue whenever the regulations change, and most fans are hoping that the alterations to the front wings this year have the desired effect of making passing easier. However, if overtaking is made too easy, then the art is somewhat lost, especially with the introduction of DRS in 2011, straight-line manoeuvres rarely thrill the audience with good reason.

There have admittedly been some dull races in 2018, but some great moves as well, so do any of those make it onto our list? We’ve all got a favourite to overtake or two, so with that in mind, here’s our top 10 F1 overtakes of all-time!

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#10 Alan Jones on Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux (Germany 1981)

The old layout of Germany's Hockenheimring was not too dissimilar to what Monza is like today, with long straights separated by chicanes for the majority of the lap. Normally, this would mean that overtaking would be aplenty, however, that's not the case, thanks to the low downforce levels that were required to be quick in qualifying.

Halfway through the race, Alan Jones was attempting to pass Alain Prost for the lead, but Renault’s turbocharged engine made this a nearly impossible task on the Hockenheimring’s long straights. The only way for Jones to get past in his normally-aspirated and underpowered Williams would be in the slower “stadium” section of the circuit, which makes up most of the modern circuit today.

On Lap 21 of 45, Prost attempted to lap his team-mate, Rene Arnoux, but his compatriot wasn't making it easy and was giving Jones a chance he couldn't turn down. Going into the Sachs-kurve, Jones took his opportunity, Prost was lackadaisical in his move on Arnoux and ran wide, believing that Jones wouldn’t be brave enough to dive in between the Renault’s but, he was wrong. Jones flung his Williams into a gap just wide enough to fit his FW7C through and made it stick to give him a very unlikely race lead.

That, though, was as good as it got in that race for Jones, as the Australian would later drop back thanks to a misfiring engine and would finish a lap down in 11th.

#9 Fernando Alonso on Mark Webber and Felipe Massa (Brazil 2012)

Fernando Alonso's move on Massa and Webber was vital to keep his championship hopes alive.

Another double overtake, but this time, both passes were for position.

Fernando Alonso needed to finish on the podium for the final race of 2012 to have any chance of winning the driver’s title that year and becoming a triple world champion in the process. In all honesty, this seemed unlikely as Sebastian Vettel only needed to finish 4th to make it a third title in a row for the German, no matter what Alonso did.

However, Vettel got caught up in a first-lap incident and dropped to the back of the grid, sustaining damage to his Red Bull, although he was able to continue. The Ferrari man now had a great chance to win an unlikely title.

Going into Turn 1 on the second lap, Alonso had to get by his team-mate Felipe Massa and Mark Webber to move into the top 3 and a championship position. It was vital to get by Webber, as he was Vettel's teammate and would, therefore, do everything he could to hold up Fernando and back him into Vettel.

The pressure was on; this was a make or break moment and Alonso delivered.

He stunningly out-braked both Massa and Webber to slip down the inside and begin chasing after the leading McLarens.

Like most of his career, though, this was a case of "what could've been" as Alonso would go on to finish second, which would've been enough for the title, had it not been for Vettel producing an incredible comeback drive to cross the line in sixth.

#8 Ayrton Senna on Schumacher, Wendlinger, Hill and Prost (Europe 1993)

Senna's opening lap in Donnington was the best tour in Formula 1's history.

Donnington Park was soaking wet after a deluge had hit earlier in the morning, and this was Ayrton Senna’s time to shine. Senna was incredible in the dry, but in the wet, nobody was a match for him. In the words of his Formula 3 rival, Martin Brundle, Senna had "the unique ability to know how much grip there was in a corner before he turned in", something that vastly helped the Brazilian in inclement conditions.

After being crowded out by Michael Schumacher at the start, Senna had dropped to fifth place by the first corner. Schumacher, though, ran slightly wide and Senna powered by the German before sweeping around Karl Wendlinger at Turn 3.

Senna then chased after Damon Hill and made quick work of him, passing at Turn 7. Only Alain Prost now stood between Senna and the lead but not even a three-time world champion could resist Senna in this form. He closed up to Prost through the Esses and sent his McLaren down the inside at the Melbourne Hairpin.

In one lap Senna had gone from fifth to first in a car that was much slower than the Williams and, not to forget, in appalling conditions. Senna made a very difficult move look incredibly easy, something he so often did.

Of course, this was four overtakes, but how quick in succession they were and the talent required to pull it off has to mean that Ayrton makes an appearance on this list.

#7 Nigel Mansell on Nelson Piquet (Britain, 1987)

Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet were the worst of enemies at Williams.

In 1987, the Williams drivers were in a class of their own and were comfortably leading that year’s Grand Prix at Silverstone. Nelson Piquet led his teammate, Nigel Mansell, by a couple of seconds at the halfway stage when the latter decided to pit for new tyres.

With no threat from behind, Mansell drove the car like he stole it, breaking the lap record eight times while catching up to Piquet. The Brazilian wasn’t going to make it easy though and, with a few laps to go, Piquet still held the lead.

On Lap 62 of 65, Mansell got a great run down the Hangar Straight and was bearing down on his team-mate. Mansell blinked first and shifted to the left and Piquet covered that line off but, Mansell was banking on that. Mansell then dived over to the right to take the racing line and sweep past Piquet to eventually win the race.

This manoeuvre – known as “the dummy” – would go on to become Mansell’s signature move.

#6 Nigel Mansell on Gerhard Berger (Mexico, 1990)

Mansell was known as "Il Leone" by the Italians during his time at Ferrari because of his bravery and never say "die" attitude. What backed this up was the Brit's incredible overtaking abilities, with his best arguably coming at Mexico in 1990.

Nigel Mansell was right behind Gerhard Berger in the closing laps of the 1990 Mexican Grand Prix, but Berger had successfully held off Mansell for a number of laps so the Briton had to get creative.

Mansell stuck with Berger through the twisty S-section at Hermanos Rodriguez, however, the two were bearing down on the terrifying Peraltada, a heavily banked 180-degree right hander that only had one real line going through it. But nobody told ‘Il Leone’ that.

Mansell tried to throw a dummy, but Berger didn’t fall for it, so Mansell instead went around the outside of the McLaren driver to sweep into second place. A scarcely believable move due to the sheer bravery that was required.

It’s a shame that the new layout of Hermanos Rodriguez has butchered the final corner, we’ll never see a move like that in Mexico City again. Although, Turn 17 of the new layout is named “Mansell” in his honour, no doubt because of that manoeuvre.

Make sure to follow me and Sportskeeda to see the rest of our top 10, which will be posted tomorrow. Who do you think will top the list? Let us know in the comments below!

#5 - Nelson Piquet on Ayrton Senna (Hungary 1986)

The first GP behind the Iron Curtain also gave us one of Formula 1’s best ever overtakes. Budapest's Hungaroring is a mainstay on the calendar these days, but in 1986, the Hungarian Grand Prix was a brand new race.

Ayrton Senna, in his Lotus, led the race from pole position since the start, but Nelson Piquet passed him in the early stages. Senna took the position back from his fellow Brazilian in the pit-stop phase but Piquet would once again close the gap in his superior Williams. By Lap 53 of 76, Piquet was once again on Senna’s gearbox going onto the pit-straight.

The Hungaroring is a notoriously tricky circuit to overtake on and Senna was a hard man to pass, so the move had to be clinical. Senna positioned his black and gold Lotus in the middle of the road to make it as wide and, as difficult, to pass as possible. However, Piquet defied the odds to lunge his Williams down the inside, on the dirty and dusty line, with a full opposite lock on his steering to masterfully take the lead.

A move that you simply wouldn't see nowadays because of the way the cars are designed, it was a spectacular sight and one of the defining images of Formula 1 in the 1980s.

#4 - Gilles Villeneuve on Rene Arnoux (France 1979)

The 1979 French Grand Prix is one of F1’s finest races because of two men, Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux.

Their battle for second place in the closing stages had more overtakes and close racing than some Grand Prix have to show in their entirety these days. In fact, it's probably the most intense and action-packed duel ever in Formula 1.

The Renault cars had a huge advantage over the rest of the field down the long pit-straight at Dijon due to their turbocharged engines, but Villeneuve held off Arnoux’s advances for a number of laps.

However, Arnoux got by going into the first corner with just a few laps to go.

Most would've given up at that point, but not Villeneuve, the French-Canadian showing the determination that he has become synonymous with to stay with the Renault and throw his Ferrari down the inside into Turn 1 the following lap.

The Canadian locked all four wheels, smoke was pouring everywhere but, he made it, an incredible move. Arnoux probably never saw the move coming and who could blame him? That shouldn’t have been possible.

Arnoux utilised the slipstream once more on the final lap, going wheel-to-wheel with Villeneuve into the first corner, holding his ground until Turn 3 when the Renault man ran off the circuit, allowing his rival to nip through once more.

Arnoux got his elbows out, though, banging wheels with the Ferrari twice before squeezing Gilles off the circuit. One last-gasp dive by Villeneuve saw him seal second place, you have to see it to believe it.

In the end, they finished just a quarter of a second apart swapping positions an unbelievable six times on the last lap alone.

#3 - Fernando Alonso on Michael Schumacher (Japan 2005)

A wet qualifying session had shaken up the grid for the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix with the likes of Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso both starting well outside the top 10. Both made their way past the slower cars at an impressive rate but by Lap 19 of 53, Alonso was now attempting to pass Schumacher for fifth.

Alonso was faster but the seven-time world champion was placing his Ferrari perfectly to defend from the Spaniard. However, even the most prolific champion in F1 history could do nothing about what came next.

Alonso got a fantastic run out of Spoon corner, picked up the slipstream and swooped around the outside of 130R.

A 180mph move around the outside of one of F1’s most dangerous corners is nothing to be sniffed at; it was an incredible move and a classic example of why we'll all miss Nando in 2019.

#2 - Mark Webber on Fernando Alonso (Belgium 2011)

Mark Webber had made his typical poor start for the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix and had dropped several positions as a result. The Red Bull team called the Australian in for an early pit-stop in an attempt to make up a few positions and this undercut had the desired effect.

A few laps later, Fernando Alonso emerged from the pits just ahead of Webber, but the latter had the greater momentum on the run down to the terrifying Eau Rouge corner.

Alonso recognised the threat of Webber and moved left to block that side of the track, which was the preferred racing line. It appeared as if there wasn’t a Red-Bull-sized gap between Alonso’s Ferrari and the grass but Webber snuck through regardless.

They went into the lowest point of the circuit absolutely neck and neck, side-by-side, it was unbelievable how close they were at what was around 180mph.

Webber prevailed, though. Alonso had to let him by or there would’ve been a horrendous crash. The image of them going into one of F1’s most famous corners so close is one that fans will never forget. True Aussie Grit.

Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher repeated the move the following year, but it wasn't as close nor did it have as much at stake on it, similar to Bottas' move on Hartley this season.

#1 - Mika Hakkinen on Michael Schumacher (Belgium 2000)

Webber's overtake was sensational, but a move at the same venue 11 years earlier was even more stunning.

After a wet start at Spa-Francorchamps, the track later dried out and Mika Hakkinen was leading and looking comfortable out front. However, a spin on Lap 13 cost him valuable time and dropped him behind his great rival, Michael Schumacher.

The two of them were driving on their limits and Hakkinen had closed in on Schumacher in the closing laps.

Mika’s McLaren seemed faster in a straight line than Michael’s Ferrari and he got a great run on the German going up the long Kemmel Straight. Schumacher wasn’t having any of it though and closed off Hakkinen by squeezing him onto the grass.

That aggressive (and perhaps unfair) move did not deter Hakkinen. The Finn went flat up Eau Rogue (an extremely brave and dangerous feat at the time) and was once again flying up behind Schumacher.

Yet, a slow Ricardo Zonta threatened to put pay to his challenge.

Schumacher went to the left, Hakkinen instinctively dived to the right and amazingly it was the McLaren that went into Les Combes first.

Hakkinen and McLaren delighted, Schumacher and Ferrari stunned, and Zonta lucky to make it out of the manoeuvre unscathed.

Michael Schumacher has said in the past that Hakkinen is the only driver he used to fear racing against and this was a perfect example why.

The speed differential between the two leaders and the back-marker was incredible and that is why this move tops our list.

Did your favourite make our top 10? Would you have included any different moves? Let us know in the comments below!