Really tough F1 question

[mattikake]

Does anyone know, or even have an idea, which season in F1 had the most overtakes?

I'm not expecting an official stat because I doubt there is one, but maybe a fan out there has seen enough to have a good idea.

I wonder if it could be the days before aero effects. '50's - '70's because of the advantage in following another car? But difference in competition was so far apart, that the races mostly strung out apart from the drafting circuits.

I seem to remember a lot of overtaking in the later ground effect days, when the power went up. '80 - '82 had a lot?

Obviously not post '94! lol

[chevronb37]

I'd throw my hat in the ring with the early 3.0L period. Let's say 1966 - 1972. Wouldn't like to give a specific year, though. Good question.

[rude-boy]

Without getting an anorak out we'd also need to establish if we were talking per mile raced or just total number in the season as there will be differences. Also if for position or in general.

1966 is fairly sure to be high up there if it is per mile raced as both Reims and Monza featured, both noted for slipstreaming battles.

[mattikake]

You could do it overtakes / distance and total number of overtakes, probably easiest! Or anal and add in the number of competitors too.

[belleair302]

Look for a season with large grids and some long races. Late 60's early 70's maybe or even the early 1990's.

[Mr_Thyroid]

you could compare grid positions to finishing positions. Obviously this wouldn't include all passes and would include places made up during pit stops and through other people retiring.

[rude-boy]

And never get an exact agreed answer. Does the whole car have to have passed? Seriously I haven't got the time to look it up but if we are talking since 1950 I'd nail my guess to '66

[Derek Smith]

There was the Italian GP at Monza in, I seem to remember, 1971, which was Peter Gethin's only GP win. It was the highest average speed ever and the lead swopped four or five times in the last two laps. The days of the tow. I would suggest that the whole race had more overtakes for position than a complete season nowadays.

I think one should not mistake quality for quantity. Remember the British at Silverstone in '87? One overtake made the race. From Mansell's tyre change at midpoint the race was excrutiatingly exciting. Every projection - at least mine - in the early stages showed that Mansell hadn't a hope. But we hoped. And then once he got going it was clear that he'd be within a few seconds at the end. And then there was a distinct possibility that he'd be able to challenge until finally it was a forgone conclusion. One overtake, one hell of a race.

[chevronb37]

What about Silverstone 1969 when Rindt and Stewart overtook each other every lap until Rindt's 49 broke? Weren't there an estimated 30 passes for the lead that race? If so, that'd be more than an entire season of F1 in the 2000's. I think the 1950s were more reliability dependant, the 1.5L cars not powerful enough for slipstreaming like the DFV era and everything after about 1973 had aero. 1982 featured a lot of different winners and Monaco and Austria that year were classic battles so might be worth a punt too...

[anonymous-user]

i would say mid seventies, lots of cars on the grid, comparative performance (almost everyone had a DFV so there were battle throughout the field) and a good mix of drivers willing to give it a go!

[SamHH]

At a guess, I'd say it must be some year since re-fuelling has been re-allowed.

[anonymous-user]

SamHH said:

At a guess, I'd say it must be some year since re-fuelling has been re-allowed.

surely we are talking about "proper" overtaking involving two cars vying for the same piece of tarmac at the same time rather than a "who has the fastest pit crew competition"

[SamHH]

pablo said:

surely we are talking about "proper" overtaking involving two cars vying for the same piece of tarmac at the same time rather than a "who has the fastest pit crew competition"

I don't know. I assumed "overtaking" meant passing another car for position. Maybe I'm wrong.

[dpbird90]

That's a tough one, I would also say the old days, perhaps the days of Senna & Mansell?

Lewis provided some great overtaking in 2008 despite the FIA's best efforts.

[anonymous-user]

SamHH said:

pablo said:

surely we are talking about "proper" overtaking involving two cars vying for the same piece of tarmac at the same time rather than a "who has the fastest pit crew competition"

I don't know. I assumed "overtaking" meant passing another car for position. Maybe I'm wrong.

sorry it was tongue firmly in cheek, i was just lamenting the state of f1 as it is.... no offence intended! of course it means passing another car for position, i just dont think it should count if its in the pits!

[mattikake]

pablo said:

SamHH said:

pablo said:

surely we are talking about "proper" overtaking involving two cars vying for the same piece of tarmac at the same time rather than a "who has the fastest pit crew competition"

I don't know. I assumed "overtaking" meant passing another car for position. Maybe I'm wrong.

sorry it was tongue firmly in cheek, i was just lamenting the state of f1 as it is.... no offence intended! of course it means passing another car for position, i just dont think it should count if its in the pits!

It most definitely does not count if it's done in the pits!

[stuttgartmetal]

The years stefan Johannson drove for McLaren, and the fuel limit was introduced on turbocharged engines.
Boost meant many overtakes, and lots n lots of cars ran out at the end of GP's