With the growing popularity of Formula 1 showing no signs of abating, there are an increasing number of countries across the globe who are keen to host their own round of the World Championship. This is putting extra pressure on the existing race promoters to ensure that their circuits are not only challenging for drivers and spectacular for the spectators, but also provide a thrill for the millions of viewers watching back home.
New F1 circuits added to the calendar in recent years have all made overtaking opportunities a high priority item when it came to deciding on their chosen layout. Even the narrow street tracks in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas have made this a prime consideration.
So how do the current venues really stack up when it comes to providing a spectacle? We challenged our in-house motorsport aficionados to come up with the ultimate list of the best F1 tracks for overtaking based solely on races that are currently on the 2026 F1 calendar.
1. Silverstone, United Kingdom
Since hosting the first ever round of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950, Silverstone has had multiple facelifts transforming it from a slightly modified airfield, to a high speed thrill ride in the 1980s before becoming the all round entertainment venue that it is today.
For whatever reason, Silverstone has almost always produced a fantastic race in any era. Think back to the dramatic overtake of Nigel Mansell on arch nemesis Nelson Piquet for the lead in 1987, Rubens Barrichello's spectacular move on Kimi Raikkonen into the old Bridge corner in 2003 or Lewis Hamilton making up two positions whilst simultaneously battling Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc in 2022.
The modern day Silverstone almost always produces an overtaking fest for a multitude of reasons. Its long straights and unusually wide circuit both contribute to this and are a byproduct of intelligent design. However, the support of the hugely knowledgeable British fans must also be considered to be a factor. Home heroes such as Mansell, Hamilton and Damon Hill have enjoyed the home fans' full support of the years, with Mansell even going so far as to claim that the cheers bought him an extra half a second per lap. This no doubt was near the top of Mansell's mind as he chased Piquet down during the 1987 race.
2. Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
Uncertainty surrounded the Bahrain International Circuit when the F1 circus arrived for its first race at the venue in 2004 as it marked the first time that the series had staged a race in the middle of the desert. Teams worried about the impact of sand on the reliability of their cars and the potential for it to make overtaking challenging if it were to litter parts of the track off the racing line. Thankfully, both of these fears proved to be unfounded and the circuit has subsequently gone on to host some incredible races.
Overtaking was initially a challenge with the V10 and V8 cars but the introduction of the hybrids in 2014 along with a shift in philosophy by making the Bahrain Grand Prix a night race seemed to unlock the full potential of the circuit. That 2014 race was one of the most exciting races in years as the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg overtook each other multiple times in the battle for the win with Lewis Hamilton ending up on top. Behind them there was even more action as the Force India, Williams and Red Bull drivers battled for best of the rest behind the Silver Arrows.
This race seemed to be a turning point with countless wheel to wheel battles in subsequent years having thrilled spectators at the circuit and fans back home. Who can forget Nico Rosberg's incredible dive down the inside of Kimi Raikkonen for P2 in 2015 or Lewis Hamilton overtaking three cars into one corner as he battled back from a 5 place grid penalty in 2018.
Both of these overtaking maneuvers took place heading into the first corner which is unquestionably one of the best opportunities to slip past competitors. This is one of the four long straights which form part of the circuit configuration. All of these straights ends with heavy braking zones which unquestionably contributed towards the traditionally high overtake count which is recorded each year at the venue.
3. Circuit of the Americas, Texas, USA
Formula 1 has witnessed an explosion in popularity in recent years, with many attributing this to the Netflix series Drive to Survive which has caught the attention of the more casual viewer. However, it was actually the creation of the Circuit of the America's circuit in 2012 which really started to create a fanbase for the sport in this part of the world.
The original plan was to essentially re-created some of the great corners from famous circuits across the world. Over the 3.4 mile configuration you can make out the Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel section from Silverstone, notorious Turn 8 from Istanbul Park, Senna Esses from Interlagos, Brazil, and Stadium Section from Hockenheim in Germany. This combined with the significant elevation changes create somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for drivers as well as showcasing the remarkable direction changes these cars are capable of to spectators at the track.
However, it is the long straights, hard braking zones in between these sections where the majority of the overtaking really takes place. The corner re-creations often prove to set up these opportunities though. Who can forget Sebastian Vettel getting stuck behind backmarker Narain Karthikeyan at the 2012 race going through the Silverstone section? This provided Lewis Hamilton with the chance to sweep past his rival for the win onto the next straight.
The excitement the drivers feel taking on this fast, flowing circuit in addition to its wide configuration no doubt provide an extra incentive to attempt overtaking moves which ordinarily would be shied away from. Sebastian Vettel for instance won the overtake of the year award in 2022 for his incredible around the outside of Kevin Magnussen into fast turns 16,17 and 18 section at the end of the circuit, which was in no way designed to be a prime overtaking opportunity.
4. Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Back to one of the more historic circuits now in the shape of Interlagos in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which first hosted an F1 race in 1972. A major overhaul for 1990, where more corners were added to the circuit, changed the character somewhat but failed to take away from the football stadium style atmosphere which greets the F1 circus every season. This no doubt gives drivers an extra incentive to perform heroics on the race track, particular those representing the host nation with the name of the legendary Ayrton Senna still being chanted by the home fans to this day; something which make the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up as memories from the great Brazilian's famous victories at the circuit flood back.
Interlagos is one of the shorter F1 tracks measuring just 2.7 miles in length. Again, a combination of long straights, hard braking zones and elevation changes serves to create overtaking opportunities here. Drivers often slipstream their rivals along the back straight before diving up the inside into the downhill Senna Esses at the start of the next lap. The downhill factor can result in the overambitions out braking themselves, which creates opportunities for their competitors to fight back before heading onto a shorter straight heading into turn 4.
Another factor which often adds to the spectacle at Interlago's is changeable weather conditions. The region is prone to sudden, heavy downpours which have created the ingredients for some of the most exciting races in the sports history. Who can forget Lewis Hamilton dramatically taking that vital 5th place he needed to steal the World Championship from his rival Felipe Massa into the very final corner on the last lap in 2008? The British driver had pitted for wet tyres some laps prior to this in the expectation of showers, with the strategy just about working out as he caught up to the dry tyred Toyota of Timo Glock with seconds to spare.
5. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada
What was originally called the Ile Notre-Dame Circuit hosted its first F1 race in 1978. It was built on a man-made island which had first served to host the Expo 67 World's Fair and the 1976 Olympics. It became an immediate fan favourite with home favourite Gilles Villeneuve taking his first F1 victory at the circuit after a dramatic race held in bitterly cold conditions in October 1978. The track would later go on to be named in honour of Villeneuve following his tragic death in 1982.
Again, that magic combination of long straight and hard braking zones have served to throw up some incredible overtakes over the years. These circuit characteristics have also served to make it a notorious car breaker, with brake failures and engine issues often creating unusual results. Jean Alesi and Robert Kubica for instance both won their one and only Grand Prix's at the venue having benefitted from the retirements of faster cars.
The fact that so much time can be made up in the braking zones here also contributes towards a higher chance of driver errors. The wall on the outside of the turns 13/14 chicane at the end of the lap for instance has become known as 'The Wall of Champions' after World Champions Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed out here in 1999.
Every race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve seems to have an aura of menace about it. Who can forget Lewis Hamilton crashing into the back of Kimi Raikkonen in the pitlane in 2008 or Jenson Button overtaking Sebastian Vettel for the lead on the 70th and final lap in 2011 having recovered from being in 21st and last place on lap 40. This came after he suffered collisions with both Fernando Alonso and team-mate Hamilton.
Visit These Circuits For Yourself
Any race at one of these 5 fantastic circuits is worth watching on TV, but nothing quite equals the excitement of seeing them live and in person. Elegant Sports can help you create tailor made F1 tours taking in races at these fantastic venues where you can see the next memorable sporting moments created right before your eyes.
We'll take care of everything. From arranging Paddock Club access and behind the scenes F1 experiences, to stays in the best hotels and transport to and from the circuit. The experts of Elegant Resorts will take account of your hopes and aspirations, using their experience and contacts to create an F1 holiday package that is simply out of this world.