Max Verstappen chased George Russell all the best way to the road on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, coming simply 0.196s shy of snatching the win away from the Mercedes driver.
It was a niche greater than 4 instances smaller than Russell’s pole place benefit, and among the many closest successful margins within the historical past of Method 1 – nevertheless it falls 0.014s and one place shy of squeaking into the highest 10 closest F1 finishes ever.
So which races have been received by even lower than that? Our in-house knowledge staff have gotten the highest 10…
10. 2002 Austrian Grand Prix – 0.182s
Ferrari dominated the 2002 season however on the sixth spherical of the 12 months invoked staff orders that have been among the many most controversial in historical past.
Rubens Barrichello headed Michael Schumacher, and for a second successive 12 months was instructed to permit the staff chief via. However whereas in 2001 it was for second place, in 2002 it was for the win.
Barrichello did so exiting the ultimate nook, and a hesitant Schumacher additionally slowed in response, the pair crawling over the road break up by 0.182s in Schumacher’s favour. A farcical podium ceremony happened, with Schumacher insisting Barrichello stand on the highest step, with the Brazilian being handed the winner’s trophy. Fines adopted.
9. 2023 Australian Grand Prix – 0.179s
Australia’s race in 2023 was a messy encounter, amid a file variety of purple flags, and several other standing begins.
The final of these triggered extra carnage, and proceedings have been suspended as soon as extra; with no extra racing laps remaining when the sign was given for the rolling restart drivers have been greeted with the chequered flag.
Lengthy-time race chief Max Verstappen thus crossed the road, adopted by Lewis Hamilton, with no overtaking permitted. The hole between the pair was a notional 0.179s nevertheless it was not remotely indicative of a closely-fought Grand Prix, as Verstappen was 10 seconds up the highway till the late melees.
8. 2000 Canadian Grand Prix – 0.174s
A second look already on this listing for Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello (and, spoiler alert: it received’t be their final).
Schumacher led Barrichello in a dry/moist race in Canada, however throughout the closing levels in more and more treacherous circumstances his Ferrari developed a brake downside, and having retired from the earlier spherical in Monaco reaching the flag was a precedence.
With respiratory room to the rest of the sector, Schumacher was in a position to again off barely throughout the final laps – going nearly 4 seconds slower on the final lap – to nurse the automotive to the end.
Barrichello, who was then nonetheless chasing his maiden win, dutifully adopted him house in second.
7. 1961 French Grand Prix – 0.1s
Within the early Sixties timing knowledge solely went down to at least one decimal place, in order that was what break up Giancarlo Baghetti and Dan Gurney after 52 laps of racing round Reims’ high-speed roads, the course having solely 5 corners of notice.
Different challengers fell by the wayside, and so Baghetti and Gurney duelled, with the previous out-dragging the latter to the end line.
Baghetti additionally turned the one driver other than Nino Farina, who received the inaugural Grand Prix (excluding the anomalous Indianapolis 500 when it was a part of the championship), to take a debut win.
6. 1954 French Grand Prix – 0.1s
Mercedes’ first foray into Method 1 lasted solely 12 Grands Prix within the Fifties nevertheless it was a supremely profitable spell all the identical, as they received 9 of them.
The primary of these wins got here on their debut at Reims, coming into the championship mid-season as soon as the W196 was lastly prepared for motion.
The streamlined bodywork was fitted to the brand new automotive for Reims’ high-speed straights, and Mercedes dominated. Staff orders have been imposed, and the good Juan Manuel Fangio led Karl Kling for a 1-2. They have been the one drivers to complete the race on the lead lap.
5. 1969 Italian Grand Prix – 0.08s
The primary of two appearances for Monza on the listing, which is probably unsurprising given the high-speed observe is famend for its slipstream battles.
The 1969 encounter was an all-time traditional, as 4 drivers battled for the lead, and Jean-Pierre Beltoise grabbed the within line into Parabolica on the final of the 68 laps.
However Jackie Stewart received the cutback and overhauled Beltoise, whereas Jochen Rindt shadowed Stewart and completed simply 0.08s behind the Matra.
Beltoise needed to make do with third, and Bruce McLaren ensured the highest 4 flashed previous the spectators separated by simply 0.019s.
4. 1982 Austrian Grand Prix – 0.05s
Alain Prost held a bonus of just about half a minute on the Osterreichring however with 5 of the 52 laps left to run his Renault met a fiery and smoky demise.
That left Elio de Angelis and Keke Rosberg up entrance, as each pursued their first wins. De Angelis’ benefit as they started the ultimate lap was a cushty 1.6 seconds, however Rosberg put in a monster final lap to shut in as they raced across the hills.
De Angelis hugged the within line via the ultimate two right-hand sweeps however Rosberg’s higher velocity enabled him to attract alongside as they hurtled alongside the beginning/end straight. De Angelis finally held on, however solely by half a automotive’s size.
3. 1986 Spanish Grand Prix – 0.014s
Spain returned to the Method 1 calendar after a five-year absence and it was a primary look at Jerez.
Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna battled for honours and placed on a traditional, with Senna shifting into the lead after Mansell pitted for contemporary tyres.
Throughout the ultimate laps Mansell surged as much as the rear of Senna’s Lotus however the Brazilian naturally made his automotive as vast as doable. Mansell received an awesome exit from the ultimate hairpin on the final lap and ducked out from behind the slipstream, however Senna managed to carry on by a margin of simply 0.014s.
2. 2002 United States Grand Prix – 0.011s
By the point Method 1 arrived on the Brickyard in 2002, Michael Schumacher had lengthy since wrapped up his fifth Drivers’ title and Ferrari one other Constructors’ crown, and unsurprisingly the F2002s have been once more the category of the sector.
Schumacher managed the race, however slowed on the final lap to stage a side-by-side end, and after temporary uncertainty – whereas the drivers pointed to one another and tried to determine it out – it was judged that Rubens Barrichello had nosed forward by 0.011s.
There was hypothesis that it was payback for the saga in Austria earlier within the 12 months, although Schumacher solely went so far as claiming he was attempting to engineer a lifeless warmth.
1. 1971 Italian Grand Prix – 0.01s
Monza’s 1971 race was the final earlier than two chicanes have been launched to the observe in a bid to cut back speeds barely, and its outdated structure definitely signed off with a humdinger.
A number of of the pre-race favourites retired within the early levels, and subsequently the race developed right into a slipstream battle involving a number of drivers.
5 automobiles ran line astern throughout the ultimate lap, scrapping fiercely as they raced to Parabolica, and it was Peter Gethin who emerged in entrance.
Ronnie Peterson challenged Gethin to the road they usually crossed side-by-side, however by a hair’s breadth it was Gethin who triumphed. Francois Cevert was third at 0.09s, Mike Hailwood fourth at 0.18s, and Howard Ganley a relatively whopping 0.61s behind in fifth.
