Formula One Overtaking Database

Season

• 1,152 : most overtakes in a season - 2011
•    945 : most overtakes in a season (dry races only) - 2011
•    186 : fewest overtakes in a season - 1996
•    137 : fewest overtakes in a season (dry races only) - 2008, 2000

Grand Prix

• 126 : most overtakes in a dry race - 2011 Turkish GP [Istanbul Park]
• 125 : most overtakes in a wet race - 2011 Canadian GP [Gilles Villeneuve]
•     1 : fewest overtakes in a dry race - 2006 San Marino GP [Imola], 2002 Hungarian GP [Hungaroring], 2002 Japanese GP [Suzuka], 1998 Monaco GP [Monaco]
•     4 : fewest overtakes in a wet race - 1996 Spanish GP [Catalunya]
•     0 : zero overtakes in a race - 2009 European GP [Valencia], 2005 United States GP [Indianapolis], 2003 Monaco GP [Monaco]

The data for 1981 and 1982 has been compiled by KekeTheKing using lap charts and video footage.

The data for the years 1983 to 2003 are as published in Michele Merlino’s 2007 Autosport.com article Passing Thoughts: F1 Overtaking Analysis, using Brian Lawrence’s methodology of recording passes (as listed below) made from lap charts of those races. We are grateful to Michele and Brian for their permission to include this data.

Data since 2004 has been compiled by Galahad and includes overtaking moves shown on TV coverage as well as from lap charts.
From 2010 onwards, KekeTheKing has also contributed with additional video footage and analysis.

As such, it is not possible to draw anything other than the broadest conclusions from analysing across all data sets since the methodologies used to collect the data are different.

The overtaking figures for each race (across all data sets) do not include:

• Position changes on the first lap of the race
• Position changes due to drivers lapping backmarkers
• Positions gained in the pits
• Positions gained due to drivers yielding
• Positions gained when a car has a serious technical problem; e.g. puncture, accident damage, etc.

The final criteria involves subjective judgements and consequently figures can never be regarded as ‘definitive’. Gaps in the available data, such as moves missed by TV cameras or obscured on lap charts by pit stops or retirements, mean that the data do not lend themselves to detailed analysis at the micro level, but are indicative of general trends.