Your top ten passes of 2015: Vote for the best

2015 F1 season review

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Over 500 overtaking moves were made during the course of the 2015 season and all year long you’ve been picking the best from each race.

The result is this finely-chosen selection of the ten best overtaking moves of the last 19 races. One question remains: which was the best of the lot?

Review the ten choices below and vote for your favourite. And if you’re wondering why a particular pass doesn’t appear on the list, check the nominations to see if it was close to making the final ten.

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Marcus Ericsson on Carlos Sainz Jnr, Australian Grand Prix

Sauber began the season with what turned out to be their best result of the year. With Felipe Nasr already secure in fifth place, Marcus Ericsson produced a neat out-braking move on Carlos Sainz Jnr to secure eighth with four laps to go.

Watch this pass

Valtteri Bottas on Felipe Massa, Malaysian Grand Prix

Twelve months earlier there had been furrowed brows on the Williams pit wall as Felipe Massa resisted an instruction to let Valtteri Bottas pass him. This time Bottas needed no such help – he took the place for himself with a daring move on the final lap of the race.

Watch this pass

Max Verstappen on Daniel Ricciardo, Malaysian Grand Prix

The first of four entries for Max Verstappen in this year’s top ten. What better way to impress the top names at Red Bull than by picking off their top driver from the year before in your second race start? But he was only just getting started.

Watch this pass

Nico Rosberg on Sebastian Vettel, Bahrain Grand Prix

There was far too little action at the front of the field in 2015: the Mercedes drivers only made three passes apiece all year long. But this effort by Nico Rosberg was one to savour, ducking past Sebastian Vettel with sparks flying as the reeled in his race-leading team mate.

Watch this pass

Max Verstappen on Valtteri Bottas, Monaco Grand Prix

Opportunistic stuff from Verstappen in Monaco. While tracking Kimi Raikkonen around the principality he bounced on a delay for Bottas to sneak past the Williams. This was the kind of move that is often attempted but seldom executed quite so well.

Watch this pass

Felipe Massa on Marcus Ericsson, Canadian Grand Prix

After a turbo failure in qualifying Massa had to make progress quickly in the Canadian Grand Prix to get the most out of his strategy. This well-worked pass on Ericsson allowed him to do just that, and it wasn’t just Massa who demonstrated considerable skill in this moment.

Watch this pass

Max Verstappen on Felipe Nasr, Belgian Grand Prix

This hair-raising, around-the-outside pass at the fearsomely quick Blanchimont curve won Verstappen the FIA’s Action of the Year award. He completed the move despite putting all four wheels beyond the white line, something many other drivers did during the course of the weekend at various points on the circuit without sanction.

Watch this pass

Daniel Ricciardo on Lewis Hamilton, United States Grand Prix

There haven’t been many examples of a healthy Mercedes being overtaken for the lead by a healthy rival over the last two years, but Ricciardo grabbed the opportunity when it was presented to him in the USA. The Red Bull driver was running lines Lewis Hamilton couldn’t touch as the track dried out and pounced, unusually, at the exit of turn 18.

Watch this pass

Max Verstappen on Sergio Perez, Brazilian Grand Prix

Despite the aggravation of not getting full power from his engine at times, Verstappen made it past Sergio Perez by going the long way around at turn one in Brazil, then hugging the inside line for the following corner despite putting two wheels off the asphalt. Another pass which made it hard to believe he was still in karts just two years ago.

Watch this pass

Carlos Sainz Jnr on three drivers, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

This effort from Sainz ensures half of the entries in this year’s top ten come from Toro Rosso’s drivers. Accelerating out of turn one on the first lap of the race in Abu Dhabi, Sainz positioned himself perfectly to sweep around both Williams drivers, then muscled his way past Daniil Kvyat at the chicane. A fine piece of first-lap jockeying for position.

Watch this pass

Vote for the best pass of 2015

Which of these do you think was the best pass of 2015? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.

What was the best pass of 2015?

  • Carlos Sainz Jnr on three drivers, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (10%)
  • Max Verstappen on Sergio Perez, Brazilian Grand Prix (18%)
  • Daniel Ricciardo on Lewis Hamilton, United States Grand Prix (9%)
  • Max Verstappen on Felipe Nasr, Belgian Grand Prix (31%)
  • Felipe Massa on Marcus Ericsson, Canadian Grand Prix (21%)
  • Max Verstappen on Valtteri Bottas, Monaco Grand Prix (5%)
  • Nico Rosberg on Sebastian Vettel, Bahrain Grand Prix (3%)
  • Max Verstappen on Daniel Ricciardo, Malaysian Grand Prix (1%)
  • Valtteri Bottas on Felipe Massa, Malaysian Grand Prix (2%)
  • Marcus Ericsson on Carlos Sainz Jnr, Australian Grand Prix (1%)

Total Voters: 438

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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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98 comments on “Your top ten passes of 2015: Vote for the best”

  1. Verstappen at Spa. Every day of the week.

    1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      14th December 2015, 15:48

      As Verstappen at Spa wasn’t technically legal, I went for Verstappen at Interlagos

      1. I don’t recall any penalty for it?

        @fullcoursecaution

      2. @fullcoursecaution Move was perfectly legal as Nasr pitted right afterwards, without that it would have certainly earned Max a penalty.

      3. Verstappens move in Blanchimont was perfectly legal.

        I have seen two obvious cases in which the stewards have penalized someone for not respecting the track limits.

        You get penalized for not respecting the track limits if you take a corner in such way that you effectively run purposely wide into a corner, which wasn’t the case here. He had to run wide to avoid a collision, which is fine.

        Next step would by if you ran wide to avoid a collision but then gained an advantage. Like his move on Button in Abu Dhabi. Wasn’t the case either.
        He stayed on the kerbs, which aren’t particularly grippy. And he didn’t shorten his distance in regards to Nasr to the busstop. So no advantage gained.

        1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
          15th December 2015, 16:58

          The advantage is that he remained on the inside for the busstop, which would not have been possible without running 4 wheels over the white line at Blanchimont

      4. @fullcoursecaution I appreciate a lot of people feel strongly about the inconsistent way the FIA applies track limits and I wish they would do a better job of it too. But the fact is they don’t, and if they didn’t prosecute Verstappen for it why should we hold him to a different standard?

        It’s not as if any driver would ever dream of voluntarily obeying a stricter set of rules than the ones the stewards enforce, and there was track limits abuse going on all over the track at Spa this year by drivers other than Verstappen.

        Unless anyone knows of an example of another driver putting all four wheels of Blanchimont that weekend who did get a penalty (which I don’t believe happened) or was told to relinquish a position?

        1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
          15th December 2015, 21:23

          Ach, it’s a bit of a weird one @keithcollantine

          My beef isn’t really with the stewards, as I mention later in the thread I think a penalty on the day would have been harsh (particularly considering Nasr boxed).

          Its just for me, ‘pass of the year’ should be a clean one, and this has so many questions hanging over it that I would leave it off my personal shortlist.

          I appreciate in your shoes ‘legal passes are legal passes’, it is what it is, but this years winner just sits badly with me. I appreciate I’m being pedantic (never :0) but my pass of the year remains Max’s ballsy, mm-perfect move on Checo.

    2. week in week out people complain about drivers exceeding track limits, then verstappen makes an admittedly good move which involves leaving the track and everyone acts like it is something all drivers should do

      1. All I can think of is Grosjeans overtake on Massa in Hungary 2013… Beautiful AF but he got penalised.

        1. exactly, its the first thing i thought when i saw it.

          Depends on who you are in F1(& moto gp when you consider Rossi basically got no race penalty for taking out another rider) if you get a penalty or not. & Currently max is the blue eyed boy of F1

    3. I’m not a fan of the Spa pass – yeah, it looks good but it was really done under braking into the Bus Stop chicane, where he was on fresh options and Nasr was on worn primes and was getting set to pit. Then there’s the all 4 wheels off at Blanchimont, which allowed him to keep pace with Nasr who had much less grip at the time.

      1. Yeah, it looks good, but, in perspective, eh. I can’t up vote a pass that requires going off the track to be pass of the year.

    4. Verstappen went wide at Blanchimont, therefore I cannot vote for this one. I’d love to vote for the one in Interlagos, but he had an easier job with the DRS. I cannot vote for his pass in Monaco as weel, as he was helped by Kimi.

      I have to go for Felippe Massa at Canada. I understand that he had some DRS help as well, but the final part of the overtaking was just brilliant. Great driving from the Brazilian.

    5. With proper track limits several years ago, Verstappen would have ended-up spinning his car and taking out Nasr.

      1. With proper track limits he would not even have tried. But since there aren’t, you can’t blame him for trying.

    6. Either Max is great at overtaking or other drivers have become too reliant on DRS. What would happen if It was taken away or given to the drivers to use in the zones on every lap?

  2. Although Verstappen was amazing in overtakes this year, I believe that Ricciardo should also get a shout-out for once again proving just how strong he is on the brake pedal. I mean, look at his lunge at Rosberg in Hungary (although it did end in tears). It was from such a long way back, as well as his overtake on Hulkenberg in Abu Dhabi, or Raikkonen in Monaco.

  3. I think I will just carefully analyse all ten moves based on skill, importance, bravery and relative long-term advantage (e. g. better tyres, DRS, technical issue), like I did last year, before I vote.

    1. Surprisingly, the analysis says it’s Bottas on Massa – but with Massa on Ericsson and Verstappen on Perez closely behind, I can basically agree with any of these three.

      The Massa and the Bottas moves were neck-and-neck in most categories, with Massa edging Bottas in skill (holding that tight line all around T2), but Bottas edging Massa in both bravery (with a bit higher risk involved in high-speed) and (the lack of) relative pace advantage. The latter might be surprising, but Massa had tyre disadvantage following a pretty trimmed out Sauber. Where Bottas won is importance – last-gasp move compared to Massa’s early manouver with the Brazilian already having lost a lot of opportunities to move further up by being stuck behind the Sauber for long.

      Unsurprisingly, Verstappen’s Blanchimont move is more hype and glamour than overall best – it only scored well (best) in bravery, but as @andae23 pointed out it was not at all important, the Dutchman had reasonable pace advantage and it took less skill than bravery to hold the car there (not to mention all 4 wheels were off-track). I can see why it practically already won at the masses (speed trumping everything else), but it is a bit unreasonable for me.

      Instead, it was Verstappen on Perez which shines. The rookie had absolutely no pace advantage there – but did have a minor technical issue – and scored excellently in the skill category for rounding the Force India. Where it lost out to Bottas was, once again, that it was a relatively early move.

  4. No idea why Verstappen’s move on Nasr at Spa is so highly praised. For one, he didn’t actually pass Nasr at Blanchimont – he positioned his car off track and made the overtake at the chicane. Yes, other drivers had all 4 wheels off the circuit at various points throughout the weekend without punishment, but that doesn’t make it any more right.
    I think his move on Perez was much more daring, as he had astounding judgement not to wipe into the side of Perez in the second phase of that overtake. A much more skilful overtake compared to Spa, and just as daring.

  5. Max Verstappen on Felipe Nasr, Belgian Grand Prix (50%)

    THIS PASS WAS ILLEGAL!!!

    For all who want to vote for it please look at how Vettel did it on Rosberg in 2011. That is how you overtake around the outside of Blanchimont.

    1. I missed that one @xtwl; I did not hear about any such statement, let alone reprimand, from the Stewards!
      I understand why you consider this illegal (capitalised or not), but that’s just an opinion and nothing more.

      PS – the rules regarding leaving the track are pretty grey, and TBH I understand why no action was taken in this case.

      1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
        14th December 2015, 16:26

        I agree @coldfly i think it’s borderline and a penalty would have been harsh on the day. However when considering ‘pass of the year’ one of the prerequisites should be that the pass was legal.

        I suppose there is the ‘they didn’t give a penalty, therefore it was legal’ argument, but I would like to see more stringent application of the rules when handing out these year-end gongs.

      2. @coldfly and @fullcoursecaution, Grosjean got a penalty for his move on Massa in Hungary two years ago did he not? This was exactly the same. Kvyat got a penalty for his move on Hamilton in Hungary too, exactly the same.

        1. @xtwl I have the same problem that the stewards decisions have been immensely random; which then again result in drivers testing the grey area.

          Personally I did not vote for this move either. Not because it wasn’t legal, but because it wasn’t the best. It was a smart move and he chose the inside at the busstop. But the move itself was not spectacular; just the ‘b@alls he had to stay at the outside in Blanchimont.

          For me the best move(s) was his utter genius – and great driving skills – to stay behind Vettel in Monaco and overtake Bottas (and Sainz I believe).

      3. Folks should realize that it’s not illegal to go off the track. It happens all the time, on all parts of all tracks.

        The issue is whether the driver gained an advantage by going off the track. In Spa, Whiting or the Stewards may have thought no advantage was gained – Verstappen was behind Nasr through Blanchimont.

        However, two points to consider – 1) while he didn’t gain on Nasr, going off track allowed him to carry more speed and stay with Nasr leading into the Bus Stop. So there was nothing particularly brave about that – all the drivers take Blanchimont full out nowadays.

        2) The pass was really done under braking into the chicane, and Max had fresh options and Nasr old primes and actually pitted. A massive tire advantage does not a great pass make.

        It just looks brilliant from the outside.

        1. while he didn’t gain on Nasr, going off track allowed him to carry more speed and stay with Nasr leading into the Bus Stop. So there was nothing particularly brave about that – all the drivers take Blanchimont full out nowadays.

          @uan I’ve explained that many times but it seems some are immune to logic. He did not so much gained an advantage right then and there in Blanchimont, it was exactly going wide that allowed to make the pass.

    2. Please, a link to this? Can’t find it anywhere-even a gif link of the move would do :P

  6. ILuvSoundtracks (@)
    14th December 2015, 16:12

    The Verstappen-Nasr overtake will always be the best.

  7. Everybody is freaking out over Verstappen going on the outside of Blanchimont, but the real genius of that move comes later. Just as they’re approaching the braking zone, Verstappen moves to the left briefly before turning into the corner. This prevents Nasr from turning in as usual and forces him wide, putting Verstappen in a winning position. It’s an aggressive yet very subtle and clean move.

    1. Wow, didn’t notice that before, good call. He did the same on Ericsson in China, just for a moment nudging his car left to get the other driver forced wide.

    2. To be fair, Nasr was entering the pits, so he would have given the place up anyway.

  8. This list just goes to show how dreadful this year was in regards to overtaking. This year we have the Verstappen-hype steamroller earning him Action of the Year (and very likely Overtake of the Year here) for a pass that Vettel executed much better in 2011, and the funny thing is that no one really cared for Vettel’s overtake then, and understandably so, as we had Webber vs Alonso into Eau Rouge and Vettel vs Alonso at Curva Grande the same year.

    Anyway, voted for Massa on Bottas – can’t watch the BBC videos to judge the others – and I disagree with the view that Verstappen’s move on Nasr was legal.

  9. I went for Verstappen on Bottas in Monaco.

    To me, that was the moment it became clear what lies ahead (fingers crossed).

    He followed the Ferrari very closely for a couple of laps. Driving very very close to the rear end of RAI.

    1. Oops: He was following VET, not RAI, as pointed out below. The text in the article mentions Raikonnen, but in the video you can clearly see the black top camera(?) of Vettel. It would have been yellow if it was RAI.

    2. I don’t fancy the Monaco pass. To me, following a leading car and trying to squeeze yourself while he makes a pass under blue flags is unsportsmanlike. And it can cost time to the car leading the way, as everyone informed will make is hard to pass.

      1. Why is it unsportsmanlike? Every driver will try to do the same if they have the chance.

      2. Opportunistic springs to mind, not unsportsmanlike.

      3. When you’re shown the blue flags, you are expected to immediately slow down and let the car behind you pass you. So it’s hard to defend correctly, unless you disregard this fact and cost the leading car some time by not easing on the throttle, which you could do if you are informed from the pits (as Grosjean did and defended and then led to that accident).

        So to me, it looks like you’re passing an opponent who is at a temporary disadvantage with no fault of his own. Like scoring a goal when a player is injured. So yes, I think it’s unsportsmanlike, but hey, that’s just my opinion. Even if it’s not, it is not a great overtaking maneuver.

  10. Verstappen followed Vettel in Monaco instead of Raikkonen, didn’t he?

  11. I’m pretty sure Verstappen on Nasr will take it, but I remember at the time thinking it was pretty silly of him to try that move: he was on options, Nasr on worn primes – he could have easily made the pass on the Kemmel straight with DRS (had Nasr decided not to pit). What he did was very risky and it probably took some life out of his tyres, too.

    I voted for Massa on Ericsson at Montreal, genuinely held my breath for that one.

  12. Having seen each one of them multiple times this is my best pass with 2 honorable mentions;

    Best – Carlos Sainz Jr. on three drivers in Abu Dhabi. It was a brilliant run from Sainz from T1 to T6 with overtakes round the outside and judging it to perfection, a bit like Alonso.

    Honorable mentions –
    a. Max Verstappen on Perez was absolutely brilliant which was again judged to perfection and no doubt, daring!

    b. Felipe Massa on Marcus Erricson was good but also that credit is shared by Marcus himself for being absolutely fair and left just about enough room while also kept fighting the superior car.

    1. Carlos Sainz Jnr on three drivers, Australian Grand Prix

      @keithcollantine Should be Abu Dhabi, not Australia :)

  13. Some folk seem to wag fingers at Max, no matter what he does.

    His pass on Nasr at Spa was not illegal. Fact. Hence the lack of penalty.

    Vettel did a pretty similar move on Button way back in Australia in 2011 and no one, apart from Button, seemed to care. If that had been Max, you can’t help but feel that people had have been upset.

    Strange, how loyalty works.

    1. @andybantam He went with four wheels outside the track to set up a move into the busstop. He therefore gained an advantage by going wide, which is illegal in racing. This has nothing to do with loyalty or anything else but inconsistent stewarding.

  14. @xtwl

    As inconsistent as the stewarding in 2011?

    Inconsistent stewarding is one thing, but Max won an FIA accolade for this move. So the FIA must have looked at it retrospectively and decided that it was legal, despite some vociferous protests.

    In an era where we are good overtakes are at a premium, it seems strange to me to be shouting down a driver that will at least try a daring manoeuvre.

    1. @andybantam The accolade in itself is a complete farce, especially if they are going to give it to overtakes for which other drivers at other tracks have been penalized. Especially if other contenders included the mighty fight between Porsche and Audi in Silverstone.

      In 2015 the stewarding has been more inconsistent than ever if you ask me. To begin with this very example, why did Kvyat deserve a penalty in Hungary for doing the exact same to Hamilton? Kvyat simply was a bit further off the track than Verstappen but both were four wheels off the black stuff.

      In an era where we have sensors that can go down to a mm to say a driver is out of position on the grid it shouldn’t be so hard to determine a driver went wide. Had Verstappen simply let Nasr go into the busstop I would not have cared but his overtake was ONLY possible by first going wide, otherwise he wouldn’t even be next to Nasr to outbrake him. What strikes me most is people rate the overtake higher than Verstappen his move on Perez in Brazil or his moves in Monaco which are beauties, and more important perhaps legal.

      As somebody who has done quite a lot of league racing and stewarding myself; if someone asks me what I think of the move I simply like it as a racing fan but I cannot vote for it as a good overtake simply because of the going wide.

      1. @xtwl

        I think that Nasr would have been beaten in to the bus stop anyway. I do see your point, but I can’t accept that was illegal because the FIA says it wasn’t. Despite our personal views, based on experience or opinion, that’s all that matters. Farce award or nay.

        1. @andybantam I don’t think so. Had Verstappen wanted to stay on the track he had to lift off going into Blanchimont and would not have carried enough speed to overtake into the busstop.

          1. @xtwl

            Nonsense.

            Nasr was ready to pit with shot tires.

          2. @andybantam You underestimate the speed Verstappen was able to carry through the corner by going wide. Even now he came on the ‘straight’ slightly behind, had he lifted to ‘make’ the corner he would have been a carlength behind. Yes, possibly he could’ve outbraked him into the busstop but I don’t think he would’ve risked a dive up the inside right then.

          3. @xtwl

            I’m beginning to think you are either a bitter, failed race driver or 4 years old. Every time I come on here, you’re trying to change people’s minds or telling people what to think.

            If Max gained a sufficient advantage, he’d have been penalised. Just deal with it and move on with your life because this is boring.

            Why can’t you accept that other people might see things differently from you, and that by no means degrades the importance or validity of their opinion?

            With this ‘knowledge’ you have, I fully expect to see you on the grid next year. Good luck!

            Seriously!

            You still can’t concede that Max would have taken Nasr, in his Sauber fitted with tyres made from pencil erasers, unless he cheated.

            OK then.

          4. @andybantam Thank you for your post, sadly it is lacking sensible content. You don’t have to be in a F1 car to know simple logic or have any idea about how the momentum would have changed depending on how you take the corner. I do not have a single problem with people seeing different things, or having different opinions. As you stated yours so I gave mine, only I’m decent enough to keep it polite and civilized.

            Sure, Verstappen would have overtaken Nasr had the latter not pitted, but I doubt right there in the busstop.

          5. @xtwl

            No. Your constant assumption that you are right and everyone else, including FOM, stewards, FIA are wrong is offensive.

            Now, please stop…

    2. @andybantam I don’t think it was a rubbish move at all. However putting all four wheels off the track to set-up an overtake surely cannot be overtake of the year can it? His move on Perez in Brazil was MUCH more daring, spectacular and skillful.

      1. @mads

        I was torn between Spa and that one. That was a great move too.

        I picked Spa because it’s only the second time a change of underpants has been required during the race at Spa. The first time being Webber and Alonso in to Eu Rouge.

      2. I dont get it. Was the move on Peres more daring Massa´s on Ericsson? I take as “daringness” the inverse of the distance between the cars, and in MassaxEricsson case, both drives gave a lesson of going just to the limit, with no space available given or asked, as someone comented during the race on one of the drivers radio (I don´t rememer which one).

  15. @xtwl

    Sorry, my post is on the wrong thread and is hindered by my own poor proof reading… I’m not on form today! Haha!

  16. Verstappen on Perez was the best. Verstappen on Nasr wasn’t illegal. Surprised Verstappen on Ericsson in China isn’t there, better move than most in here.

    1. Verstappen on Perez was the best.

      Agree. Verstappen on Perez was the best move. Massa on Ericsson was the most entertaining.

  17. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
    14th December 2015, 18:27

    @keithcollantine hey, the BBC links don’t have any video or GIF content. Or maybe just available in the UK. :(

    1. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
      14th December 2015, 18:29

      and the title of Carlos Sainz on 3 drivers should say “Abu Dhabi”, not Australian, right?

    2. Pssst – the BBC links are geo-fenced. But add ‘Hola’ to your browser and Bob’s your uncle!
      @omarr-pepper

    3. @omarr-pepper @keithcollantine Here are youtube videos (although not of the highest quality) to replace the BBC links:
      Verstappen on Ricciardo in Malaysia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvQ9BdmW3gE (1:24)
      Bottas on Massa in Malaysia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed8pR_P_d0k
      Ricciardo on Hamilton in Austin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W-3jyevGDw

      1. Sorry that last one isn’t what I wanted to post, but I can’t find the link I saw a few days ago with the full overtake :/ Here’s a Vine with the helicopter shot: https://vine.co/v/eVlIgtFgmmz

  18. Verstappen on Nasr. Was lucky enough to take a photo of it with a dutch flag fluttering in the foreground too!

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153262665709125&set=a.10153262655994125.1073741833.511029124&type=3&theater

  19. I love the fact that list Max V is on the list so many times! Well done Max!

  20. Verstappen on Nasr at Blanchimont was certainly the boldest, but the most iconic is the move of Rosberg on Vettel in Bahrain, with the sparks shining through the darkness and with Hamilton leaving the pits just in front of them both.

    1. We are looking for the best pass, not the best looking one. :)

  21. Ricciardo on Hamilton was a thing of utter beauty and the kind of move we could see a lot more of if only F1 would cut downforce.

    1. for me it was also Ricciardo VS Hamilton. Hamilton wasn’t overtaken too many times this year, and making a move on the overwhelmingly superior car with a slower one, and even for the lead of the race is really something. even in tricky conditions. even with wet setup. no tyre advantage, no drs, no fake artificial bullsh_t, only pure driving.

  22. That first lap from Sainz was just so much impressive, Alonso-style. No DRS, all fresh tyres, all batteries are full, no gimmicks, no position stolen thanks to blue flags, just big b…

  23. Can we please stop using the word ‘illegal’ for Verstappen’s move in Spa, makes him sound like a criminal ;). Voted for Massa on Ericsson though.

  24. I will continue to be surprised by the lengths people will go to not give credit where it’s due RE Verstappen.

  25. Am I the only one believing Verstappen’s overtake have not been done at Blanchimont but rather at the Bus Stop? He went side-by-side through that corner but have not overtook Nasr there. The proper Blanchimont overtake was Vettel’s on Rosberg in 2011 to me.

  26. Daniel Ricciardo on Lewis Hamilton, United States Grand Prix for me. Very opportunistic and nicely set up, exploiting the track conditions and the car’s abilities in a clever way.

    Verstappen has pulled some nice moves; but I am disappointed to see his pass at Spa garner such support from this website’s userbase. I’d like to have seen him try to go into the Bus-stop side by side with Ericsson without driving completely off the track through Blanchimont.

  27. Max Verstappen’s move at Spa was by no means illegal as some are claiming here.

    I’ll admit, yes, the move around Blanchimont was all wheels outside the lines, and as such warranted a penalty for overtaking by leaving the track and gaining an unfair advantage, or at least incenting him to hand the position back before the stewards stepped in.

    But the hard truth is that Nasr pitted right afterwards as Max passed him, and as such any advantage supposedly gained by Verstappen was lost. By pitting Nasr lost his right to retake that position.

    This overtakes stands, legal, and absolutely one of the most insane things I have seen all year long. It takes my vote by a long shot.

    1. Alonso got a penalty for failing to give a place back to Kubica even though Kubica had retired making it impossible. So that argument doesn’t wash I’m afraid.

      https://www.racefans.net/2010/07/11/alonsos-race-ruined-after-kubica-pass/

      1. One could argue that they might have had different stewards? Different rules? So many different factors. Including updated knowledge caused by an incident 5 years prior?

    2. Even setting aside the going off track angle, I don’t see what’s so impressive about a driver in a faster car and on brand new rubber overtaking a driver in a slower car and on shot tyres. The same objection could be made to many of the passes listed. Ricciardo on Hamilton was a better pass IMO.

  28. I can’t view BBC content either.

  29. Has anyone got a link to footage of Vettel’s overtake on the Toro Rosso (sorry not sure which, think it was Verstappen) in Abu Dhabi during the opening laps in the middle of the fast right hander before the hotel? The T.V. coverage was light and it never seems to get mentioned, but it looked stunning to me. I’d like to review that overtake.

  30. Verstappen on Perez was a classic, both drivers showing great awareness.

  31. My fav not here, can’t decided on what to vote for. Last year I wanted Ricciardo turn 1 texas but it wasn’t there either.

  32. Massa on Ericsson was brilliant, simply because they were both so close and it was a very well performed overtake. Very close, very difficult, very exciting to watch. Kudos to them both for it.

  33. I’m certain I’ll be in the minority here, but it was Massa on Ericsson for me. Great bit of driving from the veteran and also a good example of tough but fair defending from Ericsson.

    Verstappen’s pass at Spa wasn’t legal (the fact that others abused track limits doesn’t make it right either) and he had a tyre advantage. I’m not a huge fan of the pass at Interlagos either, not entirely sure why.

  34. Hmmmm, I liked Carlos in Abu Dhabi the best. The driver made the difference.

    I don’t agree with the two front runners at all. Massa depended completely on Ericsson being such a sweetie and I thought Max at Spa was a bit of youthful recklessness even though it is 11/10 for drama. Max in Brazil was special. The others depended on a car advantage it seems to me, or on the other guy not resisting too much.

  35. Verstappen should have realized he ran off the track vs Nasr, and should have atleast held off passing until the first turn of the next lap, he went off track and lost no time, that is where a gentleman’s agreement should come into play, that you do not use any advantage you gained from running off track. running off track in a qualifying lap sees you lose time – but running off track in wheel to wheel sometimes gains you time, or atleast doesn’t lose you time. it reminded me of Hamilton passing Raikonnen in 08 after he went of track and shortcutted the corner, he then gave the place back, but didn’t give back enough, and repassed into turn 1 – that was dirty – thankfully he got penalized – if there was a wall there, Hamilton couldn’t have done that very limited return of positition to Raikonnen. same as Verstappen, to then use the momentum you haveto help you pass in the next turn is simply wrong. the drivers obviously don’t care but, they rely on the stewards to determine if it is right or wrong, so “innocent until proven guilty” – but just because your aren’t penalized doesn’t make it right. I think this pass should not be considered for best pass – the move looked spectacular wheel to wheel from a fast turn like that, but the move should have ended when Verstappen put all 4 wheels off track. same goes for the qualifying laps in spa of many drivers, too many were taking shortcuts at the top of eue rouge – ie Hamiltons pole lap. To me going offtrack is only OK if you lose time. I still remember the horrible off track overtakes Schumacher made at Hockenheim in 2002 I think it was at the hairpin – he simply used the runoff area to his advantage and wasn’t penalized. I think the track limits debate is coming to a head because of the type of runoffs used now, ie there is no gravel on the side of the roads to slow drivers down.

  36. Torn between Massa / Ericsson and Verstappen / Perez but because of all the whining about blanchimont I picked that one.

  37. Massa on Ericsson. The only one that made me excited to see two cars on similar pace go through two corners side by side. Great racing.

  38. Verstappen at Spa

  39. It amuses me Vettel is basically never nominated for best overtakes.

    Oh but he’s a ‘racer’ isn’t he Keith.

    1. basically never nominated for best overtakes

      On the contrary, he won the poll two years ago.

  40. Voted for Sainz. That sequence of corners he’d done in abu Dhabi was a true masterpiece and a lesson in controlled agression

  41. The Verstappen vs. Nasr pass is overrated:
    -Nasr was on 10L old Prime, Verstappen on new Option – this induces a delta in pace of ca. 1.5s,
    -Nasr struggled with his brakes during the entire race – at this moment, it was worse than ever as he was doing lapping above the 2 minutes (!) mark,
    -Something that wasn’t obvious to the audience is the fact that Nasr was pitting in this very lap. He couldn’t reasonably defend as it was deemed borderline to do so here (see Schumi vs. Vettel in Spa 2012). Note that there wasn’t any video showing this..

    Plus, several people already commented on the (il)legality of the pass. Hence my judgement over this pass.

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