Top 10 F1 overtakes of all-time

#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.