The Definitive "Best F1 Race Ever" Thread (26 out of 25 entries)

Racing events, drivers, cars or anything else from the past.
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Everso Biggyballies
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#31

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Bottom post of the previous page:

XcraigX wrote: 2 years ago It's so difficult to pick only 3 from this list.
For example, I saw the 1979 French GP on TV as a kid and barely remember it. The last lap battle is about the only thing I remember and I played that out with my toy cars (and later my electric race track) for many years after. But because it was so, so long ago (and I was very young), I can't say it was a better race than something more recent that I remember.
Therefore I want to give my top 5 and you can score only the top 3 (per "da rules").

1. 2011 Canadian Grand Prix (action all race and a great come from behind victory for Button)
2. 2008 Brazil Grand Prix (the entire last few laps are some of the greatest swings in emotion I can remember at a sporting event)
3. 1995 European Grand Prix (it was Alesi's race right up until the last lap)
4. 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (it was way more eventfull than anyone could have predicted)
5. 1979 French Grand Prix (the famous battle between Villeneuve and Arnoux is still talked about today)
Re the '79 French race yes it was maybe one of the most memorable races of all time, but it was memorable only for the last 3 laps dice for 2nd and 3rd. Although we had a pass for the lead earlier when Jabouille did so to overtake Villeneuve, he then cruised off to an untroubled win by a margin. Behind the dice was another long gap to a lonely Jones, himself 30 seconds ahead of Jarier and Regga, the rest all lapped by 1,2,3,4,5 and up to 7 laps down for Lammers. A memorable race indeed, but only for a brief but brilliant duel do we remember it.....

Unless you are a Frenchman who will remember it more for being he first Frenchman to win the French round in modern (1950>) F1. That he did it in a French car, with French engine tyres and fuel no doubt made it even better. Especially as Renault also had pole (indeed a front row lockout) and fastest lap. :smiley:

Oh, and it was also the first ever win in F1 for a turbo car, a cause championed and developed by Renault. In fact they were the only two turbocharged cars on the grid. (as they were until 1981)

So, memorable yes, but a great race beyond 'that' dice, certainly not. :wink:

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#32

Post by XcraigX »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 2 years ago Unless you are a Frenchman who will remember it more for being he first Frenchman to win the French round in modern (1950>) F1. That he did it in a French car, with French engine tyres and fuel no doubt made it even better. Especially as Renault also had pole (indeed a front row lockout) and fastest lap. :smiley:

Oh, and it was also the first ever win in F1 for a turbo car, a cause championed and developed by Renault. In fact they were the only two turbocharged cars on the grid. (as they were until 1981)

So, memorable yes, but a great race beyond 'that' dice, certainly not. :wink:
So it's about in the right spot at 5th.

Still, a better remembered event for actual racing between cars rather than weather induced crashing (there are several to choose from on the list). ;) ;)
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#33

Post by Arthur-vL »

1. Brazil 2008 A more dramatic ending to a wonderful season could not be written!
2. Canada 2011 The longest race and one that kept on going after again a red flag.
3. Monaco 1996 The period of time that cars certainly could not make it to the checkered flag!

As I am from The Netherlands not even a victory from Max in the top 3, but for certain it is somewhere the top 10. When he won I was stunned for quite some days, like I saw water burning. But the top 3 are races that completely stunned everyone.
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#34

Post by PTRACER »

Thanks for the latest series of posts guys!

We are up to 15 entries. There is only one point separating the top 2 races at the moment, so there's lots to play for. I will keep this thread open until we reach 25, no matter how long it takes.
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#35

Post by EB »

I'm slightly struggling with the limitations imposed by rule 1, especially if the end result is meant to find the definitive best ever race.

I've never seen footage of (eg) the 1956 Monaco GP, but I know far more details of that race than I do of the 1988 British GP - which I watched from the end of the Hangar Straight.
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#36

Post by Sketch1982 »

Spa '98
Monaco '82
Monza '71
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#37

Post by Vassago »

EB wrote: 2 years ago I'm slightly struggling with the limitations imposed by rule 1, especially if the end result is meant to find the definitive best ever race.

I've never seen footage of (eg) the 1956 Monaco GP, but I know far more details of that race than I do of the 1988 British GP - which I watched from the end of the Hangar Straight.
If you're not limited to English-only broadcasts you can find plenty of ORF broadcasts from 1970s. 1972 British GP is probably the earliest full Grand Prix I have seen. One must remember broadcasting full races back then wasn't exactly standard procedure. It probably helped the 1972 British GP was held on Saturday so ORF broadcasted the whole race.
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#38

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Vassago wrote: 2 years ago It probably helped the 1972 British GP was held on Saturday so ORF broadcasted the whole race.
Yes the Silverstone GP's were always held on a Saturday. ISTR it was to do with a local church and the local churchgoers did not want their Sunday service interrupted by noisy F1 cars. :haha: The original NIMBY's! :rofl: :suspicious:

There was also another archaic rule in the UK, or certainly in most parts, whereby Sporting clubs / venues were not allowed to charge an admission charge on a Sunday. Sure hold a football match whatever on a Sunday, but you cant charge admission. Gradually that petered out, possibly with the advent of one day professional cricket.

Again from memory the practice of being unable to charge admission on Sunday was blown apart by some smartarse who promoted free admission but by programme only. ie to get in to the event you did not have to pay for entry, but you had to buy an official programme, for which they charged well over the normal programme cost, :suspicious:

The programmes were not what we know a programme to be nowadays, ie full of info, articles and glossy pics.... more just a timetable and if lucky an entry list. Just an excuse and a way round the no admission charges on Sunday rule.

To the punters it made no difference.... paying a couple of quid to get in and buying a 2 shilling programme on a Saturday was no difference from free admission on a Sunday as long as you had an official programme that cost a couple of quid. Different words. Roundabouts and swings! The hit to your pocket was similar.

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#39

Post by Vassago »

1972 British GP was actually at Brands Hatch but that track also hosted F1 races on Saturday. Non-championship Goodwood spring race was always held on Easter Monday IIRC.

1982 British GP was the first to be held on Sunday but in 1983 Silverstone still hosted it on Saturday for the last time while Brands Hatch hosted the European GP on a Saturday too (maybe some football games had Sunday priority in September?). Since 1984 it was on Sunday until today. The last F1 championship race to not be held on a Sunday was 1985 South African GP.
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#40

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

1993 European Grand Prix, bit biased though, it was the first Grand Prix I ever watched.

1998 Belgian GP 2nd

2006 Hungarian Grand Prix 3rd
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#41

Post by PTRACER »

Nononsensecapeesh wrote: 2 years ago 1993 European Grand Prix, bit biased though, it was the first Grand Prix I ever watched.
As per the rules, 3 races need to be nominated for the vote to count :bye:
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#42

Post by Cheeveer »

Hm, seeing the race live is important to have an unbiased view of it. So here's my picks:

Brazil 2008. It was buttclenching from start to finish. Mostly because of the championship battle, but that is an important extra spice.

Suzuka 2005. There shouldn't have been so many passes in that race, and it was an inspired epic drive that decided the outcome. A race that came out of nowhere.

Spa 2000. This one does not get enough credit. This whole season does not get enough credit, as it was the last year for a long time where someone could challenge Ferrari on Schumacher on pure pace. Häkkinen may have done his best on throwing the win away in the damp early laps, but he made up for it. Flat out racing from the era's two fastest drivers.

Spa 1998. The big crash aside, it had a great storyline in the redemption of Damon Hill, Jordan's first win, and the Schumacher v. Coulthard drama.

Adelaide 1994. The controversial one, after a hellish and overall controversial season. After a year of "a changing of the guards", it was the last hurrah for the old, probably greatest, generation of F1.

Order:
Suzuka 2005,
Brazil 2008,
Adelaide 1994,
Spa 1998,
Spa 2000
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#43

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

PTRACER wrote: 2 years ago
Nononsensecapeesh wrote: 2 years ago 1993 European Grand Prix, bit biased though, it was the first Grand Prix I ever watched.
As per the rules, 3 races need to be nominated for the vote to count :bye:
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#44

Post by Jahn4920 »

1st: 2008 Brazil
2nd: 2011 Canada
3rd: 2005 Japan

Difficult to pick as there have been way more "classics", but chose these as I've actually seen these races. 2008 Brazil gets the edge because of the added tension as there was s WDC on the line. And as of course it was only decided in the last corner of the last lap.
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#45

Post by erwin greven »

Weird that most of you can remember races that were that long ago. I barely can remember races of this year. Even Monaco.
I know i watched the 1993 European GP, but i can't remember anything from it.
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#46

Post by Vassago »

erwin greven wrote: 2 years ago Weird that most of you can remember races that were that long ago. I barely can remember races of this year. Even Monaco.
I know i watched the 1993 European GP, but i can't remember anything from it.
It's called getting old. I remember 1990s races better than 2010s :tongue:
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