Perhaps it is the rarity of it or the subscription to peak-end theory, but last-lap overtakes for the race victory in F1 are often the most fondly remembered.
Some of the most iconic and consequential races in grand prix history have been decided on the final lap, including the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix that set in store the events that would lead to the death of Gilles Villeneuve two weeks later, or the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix when Kimi Raikkonen roared around the outside of Giancarlo Fisichella at Suzuka's Turn 1.
But for all the 1,115 world championship grands prix to date, up to the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, a bona fide overtake for the win on the final tour has happened just 28 times.
That is a 2.51% hit-rate, with it happening just three times in the 18-and-a-half years since the start of the 2006 season.
These races are the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix (Jenson Button vs Sebastian Vettel), Austria 2016 (Lewis Hamilton vs Nico Rosberg) and Abu Dhabi 2021 (Max Verstappen vs Hamilton).
In the six seasons prior to that, on average, it occurred once per season, including twice in 2005, including that Raikkonen win - the other being when his suspension was ripped apart at the Nurburgring.
One reason the event is so scarce is that usually by the final lap of the race, drivers have settled for the lead and P2 and there is nothing to be gained by trying to close the gap, but every so often, a driver might be mounting a thrilling comeback charge or there could be a championship on the line.
Drivers are not going to go for a banzai last lap to maybe close the two-second gap to the leader when there is the risk of damaging the car or chucking it at the barrier and losing the 18 points in the bag.
Some memorable examples of last-lap passes for the win are in the table below.
Famous last lap passes for the win in F1
| Race | Year | Winning driver | P2 finisher | Why famous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1961 | Giancarlo Baghetti | Dan Gurney | First and only driver to win on F1 debut |
| Belgium | 1968 | Bruce McLaren | Pedro Rodriguez | First McLaren F1 win |
| Spain | 1975 | Jochen Mass | Jacky Ickx | Only race in which a woman has scored (half) a championship point |
| San Marino | 1982 | Didier Pironi | Gilles Villeneuve | Pironi broke expected team orders to win, in part leading to Villeneuve's death in Belgium qualifying at next race |
| Canada | 1991 | Nelson Piquet | Stefano Modena | Nigel Mansell turned the engine off on the last lap by going too slowly |
| Hungary | 1997 | Jacques Villeneuve | Damon Hill | Throttle of Hill's Arrows broke in closing laps |
| Europe | 1997 | Mika Hakkinen | David Coulthard | Hakkinen was waved through for a maiden win after famous Villeneuve-Schumacher collision |
| Austria | 2002 | Michael Schumacher | Rubens Barrichello | Barrichello ordered to let Schumacher past, doing so out of the final corner |
| Europe | 2005 | Fernando Alonso | Nick Heidfeld | A severe tyre vibration ripped Kimi Raikkonen's suspension apart under braking for Turn 1 |
| Japan | 2005 | Kimi Raikkonen | Giancarlo Fisichella | Fisichella defends clean air at the chicane to allow Raikkonen momentum past on final lap into Turn 1 |
| Canada | 2011 | Jenson Button | Sebastian Vettel | Button passed Vettel after the longest F1 race ever in damp conditions after a mistake |
| Austria | 2016 | Lewis Hamilton | Max Verstappen | Nico Rosberg hit Hamilton at Turn 3, finishing fourth as Hamilton won |
| Abu Dhabi | 2021 | Max Verstappen | Lewis Hamilton | Final lap title decider after controversial safety car restart |
Also interesting:
In the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, Nick, Sam and Ian look back on the first half of the 2024 F1 season. Their favourite moments are discussed, as is Lewis Hamilton's recent return to form. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris' title fight is also assessed.
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