The majority of overtaking moves in Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 this year can be summarised as follows: A driver gets within a second of a rival, opens their DRS and breezes past.
In the second season since F1 overhauled its aerodynamic regulations to aid overtaking, many drivers complained passing had become more difficult, and the FIA’s move to reduce the length of DRS zones by even a small amount was resisted.
As a result, proper wheel-to-wheel racing in F1 and its feeder series was restricted to areas of circuits DRS does not reach, or days when rain fell. And, of course, championships which have not resorted to DRS to increase passing.
Happily, that still provided a wealth of great overtaking moves for us to enjoy throughout 2023. We chose 10 of the best, but could easily have added another 10 on top of these. Enjoy them all via the links below and share your favourite passes of 2023 in the comments.
IndyCar: Grosjean and McLaughlin battle at Barber
Romain Grosjean and Scott McLaughlin got too close for comfort at times in IndyCar this year but they diced superbly at Barber Motorsports Park. This one occurred while the pair were running in fourth and fifth but was a de facto victory battle as those ahead still needed to pit.
Grosjean ran right behind McLaughlin through the fast turn 9/10 chicane, and continued to do so through the next three corners as he tried to force his rival into a mistake. At turn 14 he backed out of that approach and drifted wide, which as the corner tightened into turn 14a enabled him to carry more speed on the outside and get a wheel alongside McLaughlin. He gave Grosjean just enough room to stay on what would become his inside for turn 15, and the move was made. Unfortunately for Grosjean, he threw away what could have been his first IndyCar win with a mistake shortly afterwards.
Rossi reverses Rosenqvist’s podium pass
Another case of drivers having multiple on-track battles with each other over a race. This time it was McLaren SP team mates Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi.
Rosenqvist made a great darting move on Rossi for third place into turn one with four laps to go of the Detroit Grand Prix, then going up the hill to turn two both drivers spun their rear wheels and narrowly avoided contact as the rear of their cars swung out. Rossi managed to get on the inside of Rosenqvist as they went over the…
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