Video: The Greatest Pass in F1 History?

Many Formula 1 fans will tell you that Nelson Piquet’s stunning outside move on Ayrton Senna at the Hungaroring in 1986 was the greatest pass in the sport’s history. Watch the incredible video and you decide.

 

 

There’s an old saying in the news biz: If the headline is in the form of a question, the answer is usually no. There’s a lot of wisdom in that adage, for if the assertion wasn’t open to debate, no question mark would be required. Personally, McG would never try to claim that one particular passing maneuver in Formula 1 history was the greatest. The question itself is impossible. But among people who like to make such declarations, here is one of the leading candidates: Nelson Piquet vs. Ayrton Senna at the 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Senna had qualified his Lotus-Renault on the pole at the brand-new Hungaroring, besting the Williams-Honda of fellow Brazilian Nelson Piquet, who by then was already a two-time world champion. (Senna would claim his first crown in 1988.) In the race, Piquet overtook Senna on two previous occasions on laps 12 and 55, but was unable to make it stick. Then on lap 57, Piquet held his braking into Turn 1 until the last, seemingly impossible moment, darting past Senna on the outside. Then, rotating the car through the corner with yards of opposite lock, Piquet somehow held off Senna and raced off into the distance, collecting another of his 23 Grand Prix victories. View one of the most stunning moments in F1 history below.

 

3 thoughts on “Video: The Greatest Pass in F1 History?

  1. Back it in,, you cannot do that now as the aero would get confused. And you can hear the engines.

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