Key Highlights:
- Max Verstappen finished 0.196 seconds behind George Russell at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
- The result was 0.014 seconds short of entering Formula 1’s 10 closest finishes.
- Peter Gethin’s 1971 Italian Grand Prix victory remains the narrowest, decided by just 0.01 seconds.
Where Max Verstappen’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix finish ranks
Max Verstappen chased George Russell to the finish line at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but fell just 0.196 seconds short of taking the victory from the Mercedes driver. The margin was more than four times smaller than Russell’s advantage in qualifying for pole position.
Although it was among the closest winning margins in Formula 1 history, the result missed the top 10 by 0.014 seconds and one position. The closest finishes in F1 have often come from slipstream battles, unusual race circumstances, team orders and late-race charges.
The 10 closest finishes in Formula 1 history
10. 2002 Austrian Grand Prix — 0.182 seconds
Ferrari dominated the 2002 Formula 1 season, but its sixth-round victory in Austria became one of the most controversial examples of team orders in the sport’s history.
Rubens Barrichello led Michael Schumacher before being instructed to allow Ferrari’s team leader through for the win. The previous year, Barrichello had been asked to move aside for second place; in 2002, the order concerned the victory.
Barrichello complied while exiting the final corner. Schumacher also slowed hesitantly, and the Ferrari teammates crossed the line with 0.182 seconds between them in Schumacher’s favour. The podium ceremony was farcical, with Schumacher insisting that Barrichello stand on the top step and the Brazilian being handed the winner’s trophy. Fines followed.
9. 2023 Australian Grand Prix — 0.179 seconds
The 2023 Australian Grand Prix was a chaotic race featuring a record number of red flags and several standing starts. The final restart created further disruption, and the race was suspended again.
With no racing laps remaining when the signal was given for the rolling restart, the drivers were greeted by the chequered flag. Long-time leader Max Verstappen crossed the line ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with overtaking prohibited. Their official gap was 0.179 seconds, although it did not reflect a close battle: Verstappen had been 10 seconds ahead before the late-race incidents.
8. 2000 Canadian Grand Prix — 0.174 seconds
Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello appear on the list again after Schumacher led Ferrari teammate Barrichello in a dry-and-wet Canadian Grand Prix.
During the closing stages, conditions became increasingly difficult and Schumacher developed a brake problem. Having retired from the previous race in Monaco, reaching the finish became a priority.
With a substantial gap to the rest of the field, Schumacher could ease off during the final laps. He was almost four seconds slower on the last lap as he managed the car to the chequered flag. Barrichello, who was still pursuing his first Formula 1 victory, followed Schumacher home in second.
7. 1961 French Grand Prix — 0.1 seconds
Timing data in the early 1960s was recorded only to one decimal place, which left Giancarlo Baghetti and Dan Gurney separated by 0.1 seconds after 52 laps around the high-speed Reims circuit.
Reims featured only five significant corners, and several challengers retired during the race. Baghetti and Gurney then fought for the win, with Baghetti out-dragging Gurney to the finish.
Baghetti also became only the second driver to win on his Formula 1 debut, after Nino Farina, who won the inaugural Grand Prix. That comparison excludes the anomalous Indianapolis 500 when it formed part of the championship.
6. 1954 French Grand Prix — 0.1 seconds
Mercedes competed in only 12 Grands Prix during its first Formula 1 spell in the 1950s, but won nine of them. The first came on the manufacturer’s debut at Reims, where Mercedes entered the championship mid-season after the W196 was ready for competition.
The car used streamlined bodywork for Reims’ high-speed straights and Mercedes dominated the event. Team orders were imposed, with Juan Manuel Fangio leading Karl Kling to a 1-2 finish. They were the only drivers to complete the race on the lead lap.
5. 1969 Italian Grand Prix — 0.08 seconds
Monza appears twice in the 10 closest Formula 1 finishes, a reflection of the circuit’s long history of high-speed slipstream battles.
The 1969 Italian Grand Prix became a classic as four drivers contested the lead. Jean-Pierre Beltoise took the inside line into Parabolica on the final lap, but Jackie Stewart used the cutback to pass him. Jochen Rindt followed closely behind Stewart and finished only 0.08 seconds behind the Matra driver.
Beltoise had to settle for third, while Bruce McLaren completed the top four. The leading quartet crossed the line separated by just 0.019 seconds.
4. 1982 Austrian Grand Prix — 0.05 seconds
Alain Prost had built an advantage of almost 30 seconds at the Osterreichring, but his Renault suffered a fiery and smoky failure with five of the 52 laps remaining.
Elio de Angelis and Keke Rosberg were left to fight for their first victories. De Angelis held a 1.6-second lead at the start of the final lap, but Rosberg produced a major late charge around the circuit’s hills.
De Angelis kept to the inside through the final two right-hand corners. Rosberg’s greater speed allowed him to draw alongside on the start-finish straight, but De Angelis held on by approximately half a car’s length.
3. 1986 Spanish Grand Prix — 0.014 seconds
Spain returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 1986 after a five-year absence, with the race held for the first time at Jerez.
Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna fought for victory in a tightly contested race. Senna moved into the lead after Mansell stopped for fresh tyres, and Mansell gradually closed on the Lotus driver during the final laps.
On the final lap, Mansell exited the last hairpin strongly and moved out of Senna’s slipstream. Senna managed to hold the position and won by just 0.014 seconds.
2. 2002 United States Grand Prix — 0.011 seconds
By the time Formula 1 reached Indianapolis in 2002, Michael Schumacher had already secured his fifth Drivers’ Championship and Ferrari had clinched another Constructors’ title. The Ferrari F2002 cars were again the strongest in the field.
Schumacher controlled the race but slowed on the final lap to create a side-by-side finish. After a brief period of uncertainty, during which the drivers pointed toward each other while trying to establish the result, Rubens Barrichello was judged to have crossed the line first by 0.011 seconds.
There was speculation that the result represented payback for the earlier team-order controversy in Austria. Schumacher said only that he had been trying to engineer a dead heat.
1. 1971 Italian Grand Prix — 0.01 seconds
The 1971 Italian Grand Prix was the final race at Monza before two chicanes were added to reduce speeds. The old layout ended with one of the most dramatic finishes in Formula 1 history.
Several pre-race favourites retired early, leaving the race to develop into a large slipstream battle. Five cars remained in contention across the final lap as they fought toward Parabolica, with Peter Gethin emerging at the front.
Ronnie Peterson challenged Gethin all the way to the finish and the pair crossed the line side by side. Gethin won by the narrowest of margins, recorded as 0.01 seconds. Francois Cevert finished third at 0.09 seconds, Mike Hailwood was fourth at 0.18 seconds, and Howard Ganley took fifth, 0.61 seconds behind the winner.
Why This Matters
Max Verstappen’s 0.196-second deficit to George Russell shows how narrowly the Azerbaijan Grand Prix missed Formula 1’s historic top 10, but the list also demonstrates that not every tiny time gap represents the same type of race. Some were produced by genuine wheel-to-wheel battles, while others followed team orders, late-race incidents, mechanical problems or deliberate attempts to create a dramatic finish.
The record margins also reflect changes in Formula 1 timing. The 1961 French Grand Prix was recorded to only one decimal place, while later races were measured with far greater precision. The 1971 Italian Grand Prix remains the benchmark for a genuinely close finish, with Peter Gethin beating Ronnie Peterson by 0.01 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close was Max Verstappen to winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen finished 0.196 seconds behind George Russell, the Mercedes driver, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Did Verstappen’s result make the top 10 closest F1 finishes?
No. The 0.196-second margin was 0.014 seconds larger than the 10th-closest finish, the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, which was decided by 0.182 seconds.
What is the closest finish in Formula 1 history?
The 1971 Italian Grand Prix is listed as the closest finish. Peter Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson by 0.01 seconds at Monza.
