Video: Top 50 F1 Passes – Part III

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FIA President Max Mosley famously said a few years ago that we should think of Formula One as a strategic event – “like a game of chess”, was his analogy.

Poppycock. Drivel. Gobbledegook. Balderdash.

We watch Formula One to see racing – to watch two drivers wringing every millisecond of performance from their machines, dicing for position and performing overtaking feats of breathtaking audacity.

By way of proof, here are ten more such scintillating racing moves, from Martin Brundle to Jenson Button.

30. Jenson Button vs Fernando Alonso, Hockenheimring, 2004

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other keeping a loose strap from tightening around his neck, Jenson Button coolly pointed his BAR-Honda alongside Fernando Alonso’s Renault at the Hockenheimring hairpin. It didn’t work, but he clung on tenaciously at the outside of the following bend and, just when Alonso felt his rival wasn’t going to try another pass, Button dived for the inside and seized the place.

Job done, he resumed tugging at the loose strap.

29. Nigel Mansell vs Ayrton Senna, Barcelona, 1991

At the height of the 1991 title battle, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna arrived at the Circuit de Catalunya for a showdown. On a damp but steadily drying circuit Mansell pounced as they drew onto the long main straight and, incredibly, the two began staring each other down, the cars edging to within millimetres of each other as sparks flew from the chassis.

Mansell seized the corner and won the day.

Clip @ 2m 25s

28. Martin Brundle vs Gerhard Berger, Monte-Carlo, 1994

Martin Brundle capitalised on a mistake by Gerhard Berger to drive around the outside of the Ferrari at Mirabeau. A classic opportunistic move.

Clip @ 6m 00s

27. Michael Schumacher vs Kimi Raikkonen, Interlagos, 2006

Michael Schumacher’s final act as a Grand Prix driver was to dive up the inside of the man who would replace him. Although it later transpired that Kimi Raikkonen had asked his race managed if he shouldn’t just let Schumacher by, it didn’t take much away from the magnificent finale to Schumacher’s career.

26. Michele Alboreto vs Alain Prost, Monte-Carlo, 1985

Michele Alboreto lost the lead of the 1985 Monaco Grand Prix when Riccardo Patrese and Nelson Piquet collided, and Alboreto slithered off on their oil. Undeterred, he hunted down Alain Prost and passed him in a fine move on the outside of Ste Devote.

Unfortunately, car trouble later in the race conspired to drop him back behind Prost at the flag.

Clip @ 3m 22s

25. Juan Pablo Montoya vs Michael Schumacher, Nurburgring, 2003

“Unclassy” was how Ross Brawn branded this move by Juan Pablo Montoya on Brawn’s charge Schumacher. The remarks did Brawn no favours, for even Schumacher disagreed with him, because Montoya had pulled off an exceptional manouevre.

This salvo in the ongoing war between the two drivers left Schumacher’s Ferrari briefly beached in the dirt while Montoya motored on to finish second.

Clip @ 1m 12s

Derek Warwick vs Didier Pironi, Brands Hatch, 1982

(No video available – please post a comment if you find one)

Giant-killing was defined on the 18th of July, 1982, when Derek Warwick hurled his overweight Toleman past Didier Pironi’s Ferrari, which won that year’s constructors’ championship. It didn’t last for poor Warwick, the car failed him before the flag, but not before he had established himself in second position and left Pironi standing.

23. Mark Webber vs Jarno Trulli, Hockenheimring, 2004

As Takuma Sato clung to the inside line to pass Jarno Trulli’s Renault, Mark Webber in the far less competitive Jaguar poised to seize any advantage that could fall into his lap. Braking ferociously late into the Spitzkerve, he poached another position from Trulli who enver even saw him coming.

22. Alain Prost vs Ayrton Senna, Paul Ricard, 1988

(No video available – please post a comment if you find one)

In front of his home crowd in 1988, Alain Prost scored a critical victory against Ayrton Senna in a straight fight, capped with a perfect pass through a sweeping right-hander as Senna was delayed by traffic.

Unfortunately for Prost, Senna would turn exactly that kind of trick against him later in the season, and with it, won the world championship.

21. Martin Brundle vs Alain Prost, Detroit 1985

Cynics dismissed sportspeople-turned-commentators with the words, “those who can’t do it, talk about it.” This footage underlines how seriously talented ITV-F1 commentator Martin Brundle was as a racing driver, with a gem of a pass on Prost from a huge distance back at the bumpy, twisty Detroit street circuit.

(Clip @ 2m 54s)

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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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3 comments on “Video: Top 50 F1 Passes – Part III”

  1. Once again, terrible commentary from James Allen on 25

  2. Most of james allens commentary is terrible, especially Schumachers last race the was unbearable to listen to.

  3. Only 1 Video out of 8 working…….

    You should consider pulling the page or updating to new url links with working and up to date video references.

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