Video: Top 50 F1 Passes – Part IV

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Ten more passes that made us blink is disbelief: including two moves on Alan Jones by Gilles Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher’s greatest overtaking move.

The final top ten will be revealed tomorrow – don’t miss it!

20. Vitantonio Liuzzi vs Michael Schumacher, Melbourne, 2006

Michael Schumacher struggled on the wrong choice of tyre compound in the early stages of the 2006 Australian Grand Prix. But even so, seeing a Ferrari being overtaken by a Toro Rosso (which the previous season had been known as ‘Minardi’) is a rare thing.

Vitantonio Liuzzi’s pass heading into turn three was headstrong and bold, rebuffing a tight squeeze from the seven-time champion with no compunction whatsoever.

19. Stefan Johansson vs Elio de Angelis, Imola, 1985

Before its emasculation, Imola was uncompromisingly fast, particularly so the opening flat-out sweeps through Tamburello and Villeneuve, into Tosa.

Stefan Johansson might have won the Grand Prix there in 1985 but for a problem with the turbo inlet on his Ferrari. But his pass on eventual winner Elio de Angelis was cunning, drafting up behind him through the fast bends and darting past on the exit of Tosa as de Angelis hesitated in traffic.

Clip @ 2m 04s

Michael Schumacher vs Jean Alesi, Nurburgring, 1995

By late 1995 Michael Schumacher was starting to turn out the kind of performances that marked him out as a true great. At a damp Nurburgring he effortlessly dispensed with Damon Hill before fixing his sights on race leader Jean Alesi.

He drew alongside at the chicane and muscled past forcefully, the square-edged Benetton thumping the side of the Ferrari as he went. There was never any doubt the move would stick.

17. Juan Pablo Montoya vs Jarno Trulli, Imola, 2001

Post-emasculation, Imola has become almost impossible to overtake at, if you’re driving an F1 car at least (low-downforce GP2 cars don’t struggle half as much).

But apparently no-one told Juan Pablo Montoya, who in his rookie F1 season put one of his characteristic get-the-hell-outta-my-way-I’m-coming-through moves on Jarno Trulli, on the outside of the Tamburello chicane.

16. Fernando Alonso vs Michael Schumacher, Suzuka, Japan, 2005

Fernando Alonso was in a hurry. He’d already been delayed unnecessarily early on in the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, when the stewards had mistakenly ordered him to let Christian Klien past. Now free of the Red Bull, and with Kimi Raikkonen bearing down on him, he faced arch-rival Schumacher.

As Schumacher held his line coming out of the Spoon curve Alonso moved to the outside approaching the ultra-fast 130R, and slammed around the outside of the Ferrari.

15. Nigel Mansell vs Alain Prost, Monte-Carlo 1991

Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost had more than a bit of history between them as the 1991 season rolled around. Mansell had stormed out of Ferrari in protest at the Frenchman’s Machiavellian machinations.

So when the chance came to put one over his former team mate at the ultra-tight Monte-Carlo circuit presented itself, Mansell grabbed it with glee. Up ahead leader Ayrton Senna, also a member of the We Hate Alain club, caught sight of the move on a video wall, and smiled.

Clip @ 0m 39s

14. Michael Schumacher vs Damon Hill, Estoril, 1995

Confidence, intelligence and other-worldly driving skill. This passing move embodied all of Michael Schumacher’s finest qualities. Seeking to pass title rival Damon Hill he made a series of preparatory runs up the inside of the ultra-tight hairpin at Estoril.

Hill must have known Schumacher was doing this, and Schumacher must have expected that. Nonetheless he made the move stick, and it proved the undoing of Hill as Schumacher later clinched the championship.

13. Gilles Villeneuve vs Alan Jones, Monte-Carlo, 1981

Passes at Monte-Carlo are always special – particularly so if they’re achieved without the equalising factor of wet weather. But when a driver of Gilles Villeneuve’s skill forces a truck of a car like the Ferrari 126CK past a nimble Williams-Cosworth FW07C, that is something even more special.

Clip @ 1m 43s

12. Rubens Barrichello vs Juan Pablo Montoya, Suzuka, 2001

Suzuka – a magnificent circuit, one that surely deserves to continue holding the Japanese Grand Prix. Fast, flowing and unforgiving, a driver can only make a pass stick if they really mean it.

Rubens Barrichello had the twin advantages of a lightly-fuelled Ferrari F2001 when he stalked up behind Montoya during the 2001 race. But the manner in which he passed the Columbian – half-off the circuit heading into the chicane – was exceptional.

Never mind that Montoya quickly re-passed him into the first corner, which was not a bad move in itself!

Clip @ 1m 34s

11. Gilles Villeneuve vs Alan Jones, Zandvoort, 1979

Villeneuve Mk. 1 at work again – and once again his victim is Alan Jones. Two years earlier James Hunt had fumed at Mario Andretti that it wasn’t acceptable to try to pass someone on the outside of Tarzan and Zandvoort.

That didn’t stop Villeneuve. Nor did the puncture several laps after this pass – he simply dragged the car back to the pits on three wheels.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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