Kamui Kobayashi was so caught up in the moment that he didn't know he was on the final lap when he overtook Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi in Valencia.
The Sauber driver was third for most of the afternoon after opting to delay his pit stop until the 53 lap. When he returned to the track after his solitary visit to the pits, he was down in eighth, but two brilliant passing moves helped him to claim a career-best seventh place.
"It was a great race," Kobayashi told Autosport. "With the prime tyre I had really constant pace, which was good.
"I knew if I over drove I would kill the tyres, but when I changed I was only ninth - and knew I had better grip. I tried to overtake as many people as possible and got Fernando and Buemi.
"But I was concentrating so hard on overtaking people that I didn't know how many laps were left. Then suddenly I understood, when I saw lots of guys waving at me, that that was the end of the race."
The 23-year-old Japanese also "thanked" Alonso for not closing the door.
"It was very risky for me, but I had no accident," he added. "He is a very good driver so he knows everything that happens around his car.
"At the beginning of my move, in one moment, he tried to close the door but he recognised that we would crash if he closed the door. So he just gave it away. It was a great move for him and I really have to say thanks for him."
