In Formula 1, there’s a strong chance that the best-prepared driver from the best-prepared team will win a grand prix. And yet, this sport has an endless capacity to surprise us. Today, we’re taking a look at some of the most surprising F1 winners of all time, from Richie Ginther all the way to Esteban Ocon.
Few wins were as shocking as Pastor Maldonado’s victory at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. The Venezuelan racer’s on-track behavior made him something of a menace, with fans avidly tracking his crashes — and at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, he managed to secure pole position after Lewis Hamilton, who had outqualified him, failed to supply a fuel sample to the FIA. Though he lost the lead at the start, Maldonado managed to return to the front of the charge after near-perfect pit stops — and held onto his front running position all the way to the checkered flag, even as Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari chased him down.
But...
that was about it as far as Maldonado’s F1 career went. He lingered on the grid for a while longer, but his single win was his magnum opus. Only four cars took the checkered flag at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix — but leading the charge was Olivier Panis.
As will become a common theme in this story, heavy rain started falling before the race, enough to warrant a wet-weather practice session before the start. Panis started 14th, but he found himself at the front of the grid thanks to some good luck, some exceptional passes, and plenty of attrition b.