The 8 biggest recovery drives to win in Formula 1 history

Kimi Antonelli added his name to the list of Formula 1 race winners who have surged from a lowly grid position to claim victory, doing so in stunning style on home turf at the Italian Grand Prix.

We take a look back at the other drivers who have found themselves staring at a swathe of rear wings on the starting grid only to wind up greeting the chequered flag before anyone else...

8. Michael Schumacher (1995 Belgian Grand Prix, 16th)

Michael Schumacher won 91 Grands Prix during his distinguished career, but none from lower than 16th on the grid. Schumacher made progress through the pack at Spa-Francorchamps in 1995, during which phase early leader David Coulthard retired, and a slick tyre gamble when it rained proved influential.

Schumacher moved into the lead, which he brilliantly defended against an increasingly frustrated wet-shod rival Damon Hill, despite his inferior tyre situation. The Williams eventually got through – only to make a mistake, before returning to the pit lane for slicks on a drying track.

However, it proved ill-timed, as the rain returned and intensified. Both Schumacher and Hill took on wet tyres, but any challenge from Hill dissipated due to a penalty for pit lane speeding, giving Schumacher a clear run to victory.

7. Kimi Raikkonen (2005 Japanese Grand Prix, 17th)

Qualifying took part in changeable weather at Suzuka, and in an era of one-shot qualifying drivers encountered varying track conditions. It left most of the usual front-runners at the back of the grid, including newly-crowned champion Fernando Alonso in 16th, and Kimi Raikkonen in 17th.

In a frenetic race, featuring some spectacular wheel-to-wheel racing, Raikkonen and Alonso carved their way through the pack, and it was the McLaren ace who fronted the challenge. A late stop to refuel put Raikkonen on the coattails of Alonso’s Renault team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, and he caught the Italian in the closing laps.

As the pair began the final lap Raikkonen seized the outside line and brilliantly swept around Fisichella to take the lead, and with it, pull off a remarkable comeback victory.

6. Max Verstappen (2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, 17th)

Having won seven of the opening 10 rounds in 2024, Max Verstappen then went on a 10-race winless spell, during which phase his title advantage was gradually reduced by Lando Norris.

Qualifying in Sao Paulo was postponed from Saturday to early Sunday morning on account of weather, and in a disrupted session Verstappen was caught out, qualifying 12th, and he started 17th on the grid due to a power unit penalty – though this was a net 15th due to two cars ahead not starting.

From there, Verstappen put on a masterclass in tricky conditions, moving through the pack, before making further gains when the red flag was shown mid-race – allowing him to change wet tyres. Verstappen still trailed Esteban Ocon, but after a handful of laps overhauled the Alpine driver, and went on to triumph by almost 20 seconds. It was a drive that all but sealed a fourth straight crown for the imperious Verstappen.

5. John Watson, (1982 Detroit Grand Prix, 17th)

John Watson qualified only 17th on the grid for Formula 1’s first visit to the streets of Detroit, during a weekend that was laced by organisational issues and tricky conditions.

Watson opted for the harder tyres for the race and it proved to be a tactical masterstroke, as he passed rivals with aplomb, including a stunning trio of passes on a single lap – including on team mate Niki Lauda.

Watson quickly reeled in and passed an ailing Keke Rosberg, before pulling away and taking a relatively comfortable win. Remarkably, of his five Grand Prix victories, Watson claimed another win from even further down the starting grid…

4. Rubens Barrichello (2000 German Grand Prix, 18th)

A messy qualifying session left Rubens Barrichello down in 18th position and out-of-place, and he quickly made amends by undertaking a sequence of overtakes in the early laps, blasting his Ferrari past rivals along the hefty full-throttle sections of the old Hockenheim.

A Safety Car for a man entering the circuit bunched the field, and a communication mix-up cost McLaren, elevating Barrichello to second behind only Mika Hakkinen. When rain swept across the circuit Hakkinen stopped for wets, but Barrichello stuck it out on slicks, and with the large venue only partially dampened there were sufficient dry parts to ensure Barrichello was not threatened.

Not only did Barrichello complete a remarkable comeback win, but it was also his maiden victory after seven years in the sport.

3. Bill Vukovich (1954 Indianapolis 500, 19th)

Back in the 1950s the Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Championship, but very few Formula 1 drivers or teams ever ventured to the Speedway, nor did the oval racers contest other Grands Prix – meaning that forever a smattering of Indy 500s remain something of an anomalous outlier.

Bill Vukovich was one such example, and he contested the Indy 500 on five occasions in the 1950s, winning the prestigious event in 1953 and 1954. For the second of those successes Vukovich started only 19th but worked his way forwards to triumph, though that remains shy of the Brickyard’s record, with the event having twice been won from 28th.

Vukovich died at the following year’s race after being involved in an accident while leading.

2. Kimi Antonelli (2026 Italian Grand Prix, 19th)

Reliability problems earlier in 2026 meant Kimi Antonelli was on the trajectory towards receiving a grid penalty for taking on fresh power unit components, and Mercedes duly removed emotion from the equation by taking the hit at Monza.

Antonelli started 19th, after Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso opted for pit lane starts, and was 12th when the race was suspended for Charles Leclerc’s accident. Antonelli vaulted to eighth at the restart and swiftly picked off rivals, going on to exchange top spot with team-mate George Russell.

A pit stop mid-race left Antonelli playing catch-up once more, but with strong pace and fresher tyres he worked his way up back to the top, surviving a late scare courtesy of a mistake exiting the first chicane to take the lead and the win.

1. John Watson (1983 US Grand Prix West, 22nd)

McLaren was a contender in 1983 but on one-lap pace the team struggled to find a balance at bumpy Long Beach, leaving John Watson and Niki Lauda 22nd and 23rd respectively on the grid, four seconds off pole position.

They were also hampered by the poor ability of their qualifying tyres, but in race trim, the two cars flew. In an attritional race both Watson and Lauda sliced their way through the pack, making moves while gaining from their opponents encountering setbacks.

Such was the speed of the McLaren in race trim that Watson won from Lauda by almost half a minute, with only Ferrari’s Rene Arnoux – over a minute behind – still on the lead lap.