F1 Fanatic

Hello everyone.
I have a question here, as the title says, what driver have gained the most places from their grid position to their race finish in a single race?

If you’re talking about a single lap, Marcus Winklehock went from dead last to leading the race in a Spyker at the Nurburgring in 2007.

There was a feature on this in F1 Racing a few years back, although it only included drivers who finished first. I think the furthest anyone has come from behind to win was Rubens Barrichello at Hockenheim 2000, he started down in 18th. Although, who knows, maybe someone made up even more places without winning?

hmm

I definitely read about this topic or saw something similar recently. This is a bit abstract, but I seem to remember that the driver who gained the most places in a grand prix finished 3rd in that race.

hopefully it’ll come to me soon!

EDIT – have had a think, my thoughts came from a comment from Martin Brundle in the 1998 japanese grand prix when Schumacher retired from 3rd having started last. He mentioned how Schumacher was only the second person to do that before he retired. I’ll try to find the clip to remember who the first was

According to Wikipedia, John Watson holds the record. He started the 1983 USGP West in 22nd position for McLaren and won. Niki Lauda started in 23rd and finished second, also for McLaren.

After Watson is Bill Vukovich, who won the 1954 Indianapolis 500 from 19th place on the grid in the days when the Indy 500 was considered a part of the championship despite none of the regular drivers actually taking part.

Third place is Rubens Barrichello, who won the 2000 German Grand Prix from 18th place. Then you have Watson again, winning the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix from 17th on the grid; he’s tied with Kimi Raikkonen who won the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix from the same position.

Then there’s another tie for sixth: Jackie Stewart won the 1973 South African Grand Prix from 16th, with Michael Schumacher winning the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix under the same circumstances. Eighth place will be controversial; Fernando Alonso won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix from 15th place.

Finally, we have a five-way tie for tenth place, with all drivers winning from 14th on the grid: Bob Sweikert at the 1955 Indianapolis 500, Alan Jones at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix, Olivier Panis at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix, Johnny Herbert at the 1999 European Grand Prix, and Jenson Button at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

And it’s on Wikipedia, so it must be true.

Apparently – it was three years before I was born, so I wouldn’t know exactly – they’d really struggled in qualifying, but somehow managed to turn it around overnight.

The Grand Prix where Watson & Lauda did a 1-2, starting from positions 22 and 23 in the grid was in 1983. I had the DVD of that race, and watching the race it was not so impressive as it sounds “winning from the 22nd place”.
The McLarens passed some cars on the last positions of the grid, then with the retirements and tyre stops they moved away to 3rd and 4th place, just behind Laffite and Patrese. Patrese tyres where almost off, Laffite tryed to pass and spun, McLarens where 2nd and 3rd, and they easily pass Patrese who was struggling with his tyres.

If we are allowed to think outside of F1, the 2009 NASCAR race at Pocono (round 14) was won by Tony Stewart who started an impressive 43rd…stone dead last!