[Bradley Downton]

Ok, so the title may be a little misleading but i thought it was funny and may attract your attention. I saw a picture in a 2007 version of F1 racing which included the write-up about the European GP at the Nurburgring. And there was a picture of Winkelhock leading with the captions ‘Yes, Mum, that’s me leading my first-ever grand prix! So just enjoy it because it doesn’t last long’ and this got me thinking, what drivers in minnow teams have done something spectacular to catapult themselves into the limelight for their 60 seconds of fame?

Winkelhock leads 2007 European GP: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8205510.stm (Sorry guys, couldn’t find a decent video on youtube)

Sato’s Super Aguri passes Alonso’s McLaren: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4Qn5KrZYw&feature=related

Any more?

[Icthyes]

Tiago Monteiro on the podium of the 2005 United States Grand Prix

[Ell]

Yeah, but it was a race with 6 cars in it, 2 who were going to win anyway.

[Bradley Downton]

He has a point though, it was Monteiro’s 60 seconds of fame

[Bradley Downton]

EDIT: DOUBLE POST

[Dan Thorn]

Jean-Louis Schlesser taking out Senna at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix (his only race)

Regular South African GP privateer John Love almost won the 1967 event before a misfire forced him to make a precautionary pit stop which dropped him back to second (still an amazing feat!)

[Nic Morley]

I know he is doing alot better now. Though it was still a Jaguar taking provisional pole ahead of the top teams (then) that were Ferrari, Mclaren and Williams.

skip to 11:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9Qq0AR7pD4

[KaIIe]

Not sure how true this is, but it’s usually mentioned that Trulli got pole in the ’05 USGP because his car was very light (because they knew/guessed the race wouldn’t be on).

And of course, Jos Verstappen topping the timesheets in a Minardi in the first qualifying session for the 2003 French GP :)

[Ned Flanders]

Gaston Mazzacane was running 3rd for Minardi in the early stages of the 2000 American Grand Prix, holding off Mika Hakkinen for a few laps

Heinz Harald Frentzen qualified his Prost 4th for the 2001 Belgian GP… and then stalled on the grid!

Alessandro Zanardi never scored a single point in F1, but I believe he was running 2nd for a few laps in the 1999 Italian GP

Mika Salo’s career was the epitome of mediocrity with the exception of those few races he spent at Ferrari in the summer of 1999. Even at Ferrari, the only race where he truly shone was the German GP

[sbl on tour]

hold on there, think if you check zanardi in the us of a , youll find he,s been on t,telly plenty of times, racing aint all about F1.

[Oscar Becker]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Nico Hulkenberg’s pole at Brazil last year.

[David-A]

Enrique Bernoldi holding off David Coulthard for 35 laps at Monaco.

Mclaren’s sporting response was to claim Arrows were “short sighted”, “desperate” and “idiotic”.

[Bradley Downton]

Damn, how did i forget Hulkenberg :/, also..

Fisichella – Force India – Spa 2009. Nuff said

[Icthyes]

Yeh but Fisichella shined plenty of other times too.

Hulkenburg is a good one, as is Bernoldi – can’t believe I forgot about that one!

[ed24f1]

Badoer at Europe 1999 is another one, but with a sad ending.

Of course he shined many times during his F1 career, but this was one of the few times he was able to do it at the front end of the field.

[Author]

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