Introduction for New Readers
============================

2007 is the tenth season that I have posted these amateur overtaking
analyses. My intention was to allow easier comparisons between Grands
Prix, seasons, circuits, drivers, etc.

In order to make any meaningful and/or useful observations it is essential
to produce the stats in as consistent a way as possible. To do this I have
devised several "rules" that I try to follow for each event. Please note
before posting to complain that I missed an obvious passing manoeuvre that
it has probably been excluded because of one of my "rules". The rules are
outlined in the "Disclaimer" below - please read it.


This analysis was mainly derived from the official FIA lap chart, which is
usually available from www.fia.com, http://forix.autosport.com or
www.autosport.com/f1/ on race day or the following day. The original charts
remain copyright of the FIA.

Other excellent Formula One websites are available. This analysis is
completely and totally unofficial.


Disclaimer
==========

For the purposes of this analysis, I only count what I will term "genuine"
passing manoeuvres, which means that I always exclude:

a) any place changes made during pit stops
b) all lapping or unlapping manoeuvres
c) any place changes made during the first lap

Hopefully, a) & b) are obvious. c) is because although lap one is often the
best opportunity to make up places, it is also not typical of the rest of
the race, and so, for the purpose of comparing races with other races and
seasons with other seasons, it is simpler to exclude lap one completely. I
do summarise the changes on lap one later in the post.

For the purposes of this analysis a "pit stop" encompasses the slowing down
lap and the out lap, since any passes during those laps MIGHT be due to the
driver slowing down or speeding up.

Passes are not counted in these stats UNLESS the gained position is held
until the start/finish line is next crossed and so gets recorded onto the
lap chart. I try to ignore anything that isn't recorded in the lap chart,
even if it was seen on TV.


These are the passes I read for the 2007 Malaysian GP:

Lap Place Passer (Passed)
==========================================
2 18 Barrichello (Sato)
4 16 Wurz (Button)
6 3 Räikkönen (Massa) [team-mates]
6 4 Heidfeld (Massa)
6 15 Wurz (Davidson)
6 17 Barrichello (Button) [team-mates]
7 14 Wurz (Speed)
8 13 Wurz (Schumacher)
10 18 Sato (Button)
13 11 Wurz (Coulthard)
21 16 Schumacher (Speed)
34 19 Kubica (Schumacher)

Kubica was overtaken by Schumacher, Davidson and Liuzzi on lap 46.
They were running at the back of the field and I'm almost sure that
Kubica had some sort of problem at that time. Therefore I'm not
counting those passes.

That's 12 passes in total, compared to 16 last season.

Most: Wurz 5


The Last 10 Seasons
===================

For reasons of space I have removed the data for 1997 from this table. In
1997 there were 318 passes in 16 races, a race average of 20.

Grand Prix 2007 '06 '05 '04 '03 '02 '01 '00 '99 '98 Total Avg.
================================================== ===========================
1. Australia 11 23 5 9 38 19 18 13 41 7 184 18.4
2. Malaysia 12 16 7 20 16 27 47 31 11 -- 187 20.8
3. Bahrain -- 39 14 15 -- -- -- -- -- -- 68 22.7
4. Spain -- 7 3 7 19 10 10 4 4 12 76 8.4
5. Monaco -- 19 10 5 0 9 6 2 5 4 60 6.7
6. Canada -- 9 12 19 8 15 13 14 14 10 114 12.7
7. USA -- 5 0 16 36 21 21 51 - - 150 21.4
8. France -- 5 5 14 12 3 8 17 43 17 124 13.8
9. Britain -- 6 8 11 49 47 7 8 13 44 193 21.4
10. Germany -- 21 9 29 14 25 15 42 16 10 181 20.1
11. Hungary -- 32 12 6 25 1 5 10 7 11 109 12.1
12. Turkey -- 25 30 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 55 27.5
13. Italy -- 12 14 38 5 20 19 18 14 28 168 18.7
14. Belgium -- -- 28 22 -- 5 8 16 15 11 105 15.0
15. Japan -- 13 12 21 20 2 17 8 4 19 116 12.9
16. China -- 51 20 17 -- -- -- -- -- -- 88 29.3
17. Brazil -- 18 6 41 48 30 26 22 27 13 231 25.7
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Argentina -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 11 11 11.0
-- Austria -- -- -- -- 20 18 17 20 30 29 134 22.3
-- San Marino -- 4 7 6 4 6 13 7 11 8 66 7.3
-- Europe/LUX -- 13 24 11 8 27 7 28 33 6 157 17.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 23 318 226 307 322 285 257 311 288 240 2577 16.5
No. GP 2 18 19 18 16 17 17 17 16 16 156
Race Avg. 12 18 12 17 20 17 15 18 18 15 16

Note: In 1997-98 the Luxembourg GP [LUX] was held at the Nürburgring, and is
considered as equivalent to the European GP.


Top 30 Races for Overtaking (1997-2007)
=======================================

# Year GP Wet SC
===========================================
1. 51 1997 - Belgium Wet SC (1)
51 2000 - USA Wet
51 2006 - China Wet
4. 49 2003 - Britain SC (2)
5. 48 2003 - Brazil Wet SC (4) Race stopped
6. 47 1999 - Australia SC (2)
47 2001 - Malaysia Wet SC (1)
47 2002 - Britain Showers
9. 44 1998 - Britain Wet SC (1)
10. 43 1999 - France Wet SC (1)
11. 42 2000 - Germany Wet SC (2)

12. 41 2004 - Brazil Wet track
13. 39 1997 - Argentine SC (1)
39 2006 - Bahrain
15. 38 2003 - Australia SC (2)
38 2004 - Italy
17. 36 1997 - Spain
36 2003 - USA Wet
19. 33 1999 - Europe Wet
20. 32 1997 - Brazil
32 2006 - Hungary Wet SC (1)
22. 30 1999 - Austria
30 2002 - Brazil
30 2005 - Turkey

25. 29 1997 - Monaco Wet
29 2004 - Germany
29 1998 - Austria SC (1)
28. 28 2000 - Europe Wet
28 1997 - Hungary
28 1998 - Italy
28 2005 - Belgium


Dry Races (Not wet & no Safety Car)
===================================

1. 39 2006 - Bahrain
2. 38 2004 - Italy
3. 36 1997 - Spain
4. 32 1997 - Brazil
5. 30 1999 - Austria
30 2002 - Brazil
30 2005 - Turkey
8. 29 2004 - Germany
9. 28 1997 - Hungary
28 1998 - Italy
28 2005 - Belgium

12. 27 1999 - Brazil
27 2002 - Malaysia
27 2002 - Europe
15. 25 2002 - Germany
25 2003 - Hungary
17. 24 2005 - Europe
18. 22 2000 - Brazil
19. 21 2001 - USA
21 2002 - USA
21 2004 - Japan
21 1997 - Austria
21 2006 - Germany


Drivers' Season Total
=====================

AUS MAS BRN ESP MON
=====================================
5 Massa 5 0
5 Wurz 0 5
3 Barrichello 1 2
1 Trulli 1 0
1 Coulthard 1 0
1 Rosberg 1 0
1 Sutil 1 -
1 Davidson 1 0
1 Räikkönen 0 1
1 Heidfeld 0 1
1 Kubica 0 1
1 Schumacher 0 1
1 Sato 0 1

0 Alonso 0 0
0 Hamilton 0 0
0 Fisichella 0 0
0 Kovalainen 0 0
0 Button 0 0
0 Webber 0 0
0 Liuzzi 0 0
0 Speed 0 0
0 Albers 0 0
-------------------------------------
23 11 12


No. of Times Overtaken
======================

AUS MAS BRN ESP MON
=====================================
5 Button 2 3
3 Speed 1 2
3 Schumacher 1 2
2 Kovalainen 2 0
2 Wurz 2 0
2 Massa 0 2
2 Davidson 1 1
2 Coulthard 1 1
1 Webber 1 0
1 Sato 0 1

0 Alonso 0 0
0 Hamilton 0 0
0 Fisichella 0 0
0 Räikkönen 0 0
0 Barrichello 0 0
0 Heidfeld 0 0
0 Kubica 0 0
0 Trulli 0 0
0 Rosberg 0 0
0 Liuzzi 0 0
0 Sutil 0 -
0 Albers 0 0
-------------------------------------
23 11 12


Gains/Losses on Lap One
=======================

Plus 4: Fisichella
Plus 3: Speed, Davidson
Plus 2: Hamilton
Plus 1: Alonso, Kubica, Kovalainen, Coulthard, Wurz, Barrichello

No change: Heidfeld

Minus 1: Räikkönen, Rosberg, Trulli, Webber, Button, Liuzzi, Albers
Minus 2: Massa
Minus 4: Schumacher
Minus 5: Sato

Note: Barrichello started the race from the pit lane. Sutil failed to
complete lap one.


Gains/Losses on Lap One in 2007
===============================

Driver Total (ASP) AUS MAS BRN ESP MON
===========================================
Fisichella +4 (9.0) 0 +4
Davidson +3 (14.5) - +3
Speed +2 (17.0) -1 +3
Hamilton +3 (4.0) +1 +2
Kovalainen +2 (12.0) +1 +1
Coulthard +2 (15.5) +1 +1
Barrichello +2 (19.0) +1 +1
Massa +1 (11.5) +3 -2
Heidfeld +1 (4.0) +1 0
Kubica +1 (6.0) 0 +1

Wurz 0 (17.0) -1 +1

Albers -1 (20.5) 0 -1
Button -1 (14.5) 0 -1
Webber -1 (8.5) 0 -1
Rosberg -1 (9.0) 0 -1
Räikkönen -1 (2.0) 0 -1
Alonso -1 (2.0) -2 +1
Liuzzi -2 (17.5) -1 -1
Trulli -2 (8.0) -1 -1
Schumacher -3 (9.0) +1 -4
Sutil -3 (20.5) -3 -
Sato -5 (12.0) 0 -5


Note: The number in brackets (ASP) is the average starting position in 2007
(grid position after any penalties have been applied). Obviously, a driver
who frequently starts from pole position has very little chance to gain
places while one who usually starts at the back of the grid has a good
chance of gaining places.


Most Passes 1998-2007
=====================

Using the data from my statistics these are all drivers who have achieved
50 or more passes.

189 R Barrichello
154 M Schumacher

141 R Schumacher
134 D Coulthard
109 J Button
108 J Villeneuve
103 O Panis
103 G Fisichella

95 JP Montoya
89 J Alesi
85 J Trulli
79 F Massa
77 K Räikkönen
73 H-H Frentzen
67 E Irvine
64 M Webber
64 T Sato
64 N Heidfeld
62 F Alonso
54 J Verstappen
50 M Salo

One other driver who didn't quite make the cut - Mika Häkkinen (49).


It's not unusual for me to make an occasional mistake or to omit something in
the above. I do, of course, take full responsibility for any errors. I would
be grateful to anyone for pointing them out, and will incorporate any
corrections in later posts.

--

Brian Lawrence
Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK
Brian_W_Lawrence (AT) msn (DOT) com