Formation finish
Team cars cross the finish line side-by-side to show dominance.
A formation finish in a motor race occurs when multiple vehicles of the same team cross the finish line in formation, usually side-by-side. It typically happens when a team's cars are running in the top positions at the end of the race with a clear advantage over competitors, and team directors often orchestrate it to demonstrate superiority. A formation finish should not be confused with a '1–2 finish'; not all formation finishes result from a team's cars finishing first and second, and not all 1–2 finishes are completed in formation.
- first_recorded_instance
- 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans (Ferrari 1-2-3)
- notable_events
- 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans (Ferrari 1-2-3), 1966 (Ford), 1967 (Ford), 1982 (Porsche), 2009 (Peugeot), 2013 (Audi attempted but Toyota finished between first and third)
Lore & Background
Formation finishes have occurred at several major endurance races. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari achieved a 1-2-3 formation finish in 1965, followed by Ford in 1966 and Ford again in 1967. Porsche had a three-car formation finish in 1982. In the 2000s, Audi and Bentley, part of the Volkswagen Group, performed several formation finishes at Le Mans. Peugeot won in 2009 with a three-car formation finish. In 2013, Audi was set for another three-car formation finish, but Toyota spoiled it by finishing between the first-place Audi and the third-place Audi.
Reader's Guide
In Formula One, Ayrton Senna slowed at the last corner of the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix to let teammate Gerhard Berger overtake him and finish in formation, celebrating Senna's title. At the 2002 United States Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher slowed on the final lap to set a formation finish with Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello, but Barrichello also slowed in the final metres and ended up winning by 0.011 seconds. The Bathurst 1000 has seen several formation finishes: the first in 1977 when Allan Moffat and Colin Bond spent most of the final lap side-by-side in Ford XC Falcons; the Holden Dealer Team repeated it in 1984 with Peter Brock slowing to allow teammate David Parsons to cross next to him; and Triple Eight Race Engineering performed the most recent in 2010 with Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup finishing side-by-side.
Did You Know?
- A formation finish is not the same as a 1–2 finish; not all formation finishes result from a team's cars finishing first and second.
- At the 2002 United States Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher slowed on the final lap to set a formation finish with teammate Rubens Barrichello, but Barrichello also slowed and won by 0.011 seconds.
- In 2013 at Le Mans, Audi's planned three-car formation finish was spoiled when Toyota crossed the line between the leading Audi and the third-place Audi.
- The first formation finish at the Bathurst 1000 occurred in 1977 when Allan Moffat and Colin Bond spent most of the final lap side-by-side in Ford XC Falcons.
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