Most thrilling last lap battle

What has been the SINGLE most thrilling last lap battle in motor racing you have seen? All motorsport series and genres included, for any reason.

Mine is sort of obvious but that Risi vs Lizards bullrun... it cannot ever be forgotten

Massa vs Kubica, Fuji 2007.

But on a personal note, the most thrilling for me was Wurz vs Webber for 3rd in Nurburgring 2007, just because I was a Wurz' fan. And it was not really battle, just Wurz caught Webber in the last corner.

Brazil 2008.

BSB 2011 - Brands Hatch - Phenomenal last lap, 0.006s

Good one. Even I who cannot stand bikes and know nothing of BSB thought that was exciting.

Wonder if anyone picks that Lights race @ Indy this year. Yeah it was sort of out of place with all the drafting but that 4 car photo finish was pretty damn spectacular.

Laguna Seca has been pretty awesome for last lap heroics.

Edited by SonnyViceR, 30 December 2013 - 19:43.

Nice one, OP.
 
Actually, I can't pick one.
 
Massa vs Kubica for me too, I guess. But the famous Villeneuve vs Arnoux is a very good candidate as well.
 
Motorcycle racing is in a different league though. You'll get a great last lap battle in about half of the races (more if you only count the lower categories). The Moto3 title desicer was great this year, for example.
 
 
(unfortunately with "extra commentary")

Seriously, a direct battle for the championship through all race. Three riders, in the first half of the race.
 
 

Brazil 2008.

The OP wrote "last lap battle"

Edited by DrProzac, 30 December 2013 - 19:56.

 

 

 

 

The OP wrote "last lap battle"

 

I know.

Massa vs Kubica, Fuji 2007.

 

But on a personal note, the most thrilling for me was Wurz vs Webber for 3rd in Nurburgring 2007, just because I was a Wurz' fan. And it was not really battle, just Wurz caught Webber in the last corner.

Caught, but not passed  

 

Motorcycle racing is in a different league though. You'll get a great last lap battle in about half of the races (more if you only count the lower categories). The Moto3 title desicer was great this year, for example.

 

Caught, but not passed  

Yes, which is why it's hard to consider it as a battle, there was not really an overtaking attempt from Wurz. But still it was more thrilling for me than any other battle I've seen so far.

Edited by Anderis, 30 December 2013 - 19:52.

Wonder if anyone picks that Lights race @ Indy this year. Yeah it was sort of out of place with all the drafting but that 4 car photo finish was pretty damn spectacular.

Didn't take long

Edited by SonnyViceR, 30 December 2013 - 20:10.

Márquez vs Lorenzo this year at Silverstone was a good one.

Turkington vs Giovanardi, Donington 2006

Edited by midgrid, 30 December 2013 - 20:13.

Some candidates in F1 that just come to my mind:

- Monza 1967 / 1969 / 1971

- Depailler/Peterson, Kyalami 1978

- Arnoux/Villeneuve, Dijon 1979

- de Angelis/Rosberg, O'ring 1982

- Senna/Mansell, Jerez 1986

- Kubica/Massa, Fuji 2008

- Massa/Kobayashi, Montreal 2011 (lead battle was fun as well)

For me this will always be one of the best battles, usually overlooked by pretty much everyone!

Edit: forgot about this one too!
 

On the similar note: there was a bike race at Donington some years ago (probably in the last 15 years), when there was an epic rain at the end and one guy was 40+ seconds behind the leader with three laps to go and caught him. Does anyone know which race was that? I will be very thankful for help!

Edited by dweller23, 30 December 2013 - 20:20.

https://www.youtube....T3hgwSfU8#t=690

If the link is weird, advance to 11:30

Edited by Ross Stonefeld, 30 December 2013 - 20:20.

On the similar note: there was a bike race at Donington some years ago (probably in the last 15 years), when there was an epic rain at the end and one guy was 40+ seconds behind the leader with three laps to go and caught him. Does anyone know which race was that? I will be very thankful for help!

Great call. Here you go.

Edited by Disgrace, 30 December 2013 - 20:27.

For me this will always be one of the best battles, usually overlooked by pretty much everyone!

 

I didn't  

What has been the SINGLE most thrilling last lap battle in motor racing you have seen? All motorsport series and genres included, for any reason

SonnyVR- i see what you tried to do, but some people just refuse to comprehend your question by either giving 4 or 5 examples, or giving  2 answers that they saw on tape.Some forumers just slay me sometimes.

Anyway, my single most thrilling last lap battle that I've seen had to be the '89 Indy 500. Emmo coming back to beat Al Unser Jr.after they touched wheels sendin little Al spinning into the wall giving EF the victory. I was there.

I didn't  

Glad I'm not the only one.

Great call. Here you go.

Thanks for that! I've been looking for this for ages!

Edited by dweller23, 30 December 2013 - 20:51.

Mine is sort of obvious but that Risi vs Lizards bullrun... it cannot ever be forgotten

Something very similar to that came to mind when I saw the thread title. It must be the same moment, but it's hard to believe that took place 2007. Wow!

Massa vs Kubica, Fuji 2007.

It was just a bit of a shame they spent about as much time off the track as on it.

Great call. Here you go.

Great stuff! No, Amazing stuff!

I have one strong childhood memory of a motor race. I've no idea at which circuit, or what year, probably somewhere 1995 - 1998. It was probably the 500CC.

The whole race, two bikes were fighting with a third bike staying just behind them. The third bike had #4. I'll never forget that. It was probably Alex Barros (I learned that later).

The first two kept fighting the whole race, but the final lap, the #4 bike charged passed and won the race.

I always remembered that. With bike races (as a child), I always wanted to be like that number 4.

Best I saw in person was an amazing FF battle at Castle Combe in the early to mid 80s, won by a chap called Ringo Hine.

The 1953 Hoosier Hundred was pretty legendary, but I don't own a DeLorean so will never see it live.

In F1, it has to be one of the Monza slipstreamers, though it's a shame Aron v Stoddard wasn't real as that would have topped the lot.
 

SonnyVR- i see what you tried to do, but some people just refuse to comprehend your question by either giving 4 or 5 examples, or giving  2 answers that they saw on tape.Some forumers just slay me sometimes.
 
Anyway, my single most thrilling last lap battle that I've seen had to be the '89 Indy 500. Emmo coming back to beat Al Unser Jr.after they touched wheels sendin little Al spinning into the wall giving EF the victory. I was there.

Before berating others you should maybe read the requirements more closely yourself??
 

Can't find a suitable YouTube video, but at the Turkish GP of 2006 Schumacher ended up behind Alonso when he had to wait in the pitlane for Ferrari to service Massa first. From then on Schumacher pushed incredibly hard (running off the track at T8 and damaging the floor) but at the end he was catching Alonso again like crazy and they had a mad dash through the final lap, especially in the final sector where Schumacher tried to set Alonso up by taking an extremely wide line. Difference at the flag: 0.08 seconds.

For me it has to be Sheene vs Roberts, British GP '79.

Followed by Button's pass of Vettell Canada '11 after coming from so far back, I know it was an easy pass, but what an end to a 4 hour  race!

Edited by kevins, 30 December 2013 - 21:26.

CART Portland 1997

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=nxkgcegWoWg

And 2 weeks before that the 2 Pacwest cars ran out of fuel in the last 4 corners at Detroit but I can't find a video. 

Don't know why my video isn't displayed like the others 

Edited by GSiebert, 30 December 2013 - 21:42.

Don't know why my video isn't displayed like the others 

Put it in [ youtube ] tags (without the spaces).

Edited by midgrid, 30 December 2013 - 21:52.

Can't find a suitable YouTube video, but at the Turkish GP of 2006 Schumacher ended up behind Alonso when he had to wait in the pitlane for Ferrari to service Massa first. From then on Schumacher pushed incredibly hard (running off the track at T8 and damaging the floor) but at the end he was catching Alonso again like crazy and they had a mad dash through the final lap, especially in the final sector where Schumacher tried to set Alonso up by taking an extremely wide line. Difference at the flag: 0.08 seconds.

Fever pitch from James Allen IIRC

I remember Liuzzi doing what Luizzi seemed to do best and losing the car into T1 ,I think it was, which forced the safety car and Ferrari, who I think were 1-2 at the time with Massa the lead car, ending up 1-3, allowing Alonso to take 2nd. Ferrari had a brilliant car that weekend. 

1971 Italian Grand Prix - first five finishers covered by 0.61 second:

I'm with JP. The Indy Lights race at IMS had a bonkers-ly close finish.

https://www.youtube....T3hgwSfU8#t=690

 

If the link is weird, advance to 11:30

Replace the #.... with &t=11m30s and you'll get the link you are looking for.

Weird, because that's a YouTube created link.

https://www.youtube....T3hgwSfU8&t=690

I have one strong childhood memory of a motor race. I've no idea at which circuit, or what year, probably somewhere 1995 - 1998. It was probably the 500CC.

 

The whole race, two bikes were fighting with a third bike staying just behind them. The third bike had #4. I'll never forget that. It was probably Alex Barros (I learned that later).

 

The first two kept fighting the whole race, but the final lap, the #4 bike charged passed and won the race.

 

I always remembered that. With bike races (as a child), I always wanted to be like that number 4.

I think the #4 is more likely to be Alex Criville during that time period.

Great call. Here you go.

Ralf Waldmann, what a race, he changed his tires, and gambled on rainy track, and it paid off in the last corner   German bike legend

If I remember correctly, at 2004 France GP, Barichello overtook Trulli in the last or penultimate corner. Perhaps that doesn't fall into thrilling last lap battle category, but still.

It certainly had consequences for the rest of the year.

I have one strong childhood memory of a motor race. I've no idea at which circuit, or what year, probably somewhere 1995 - 1998. It was probably the 500CC.

 

The whole race, two bikes were fighting with a third bike staying just behind them. The third bike had #4. I'll never forget that. It was probably Alex Barros (I learned that later).

 

The first two kept fighting the whole race, but the final lap, the #4 bike charged passed and won the race.

 

I always remembered that. With bike races (as a child), I always wanted to be like that number 4.

Does the bike in question look like either of the two below?

I still think this last lap will end in tears and broken bones.

Edited by ANF, 31 December 2013 - 11:57.

Does the bike in question look like either of the two below?

 

 

Not the top one for sure. Probably the bottom one

Thanks.

Great call. Here you go.

Geez, what a finish

 

Before berating others you should maybe read the requirements more closely yourself??
 

It was the last lap of green flag racing(lap 199 of 200). so in that you are correct.

See, I'm not afraid to admit a mistake.

You did give 3 answers though.

Watkins Glen 2012 - Ambrose over Brad K. and Kyle.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=h2935lVdNEg

Edited by clown, 31 December 2013 - 02:50.