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

[JBT]

Bottom post of the previous page:

1. Australia 1986. The first race I watched all of on TV (pretty sure it was the BBC's lunchtime re-showing though). Pure drama, ultra powerful cars that needed to be manhandled, colour and spectacle. Probably all downhill since then!

2. Monaco 1992. Yes it was fairly standard Monaco fare until the end and in hindsight Nigel was never going to pass Ayrton, but with Red 5 there was always the chance. Always. Also up there for me because it was the last race I watched with my dad (in fact at the hospital with him).

3. Mexico 1990. Prost masterclass, Berger patents what the kids these days call 'a send' and the 'tache keeps his foot in and send Murray Walkers voice into the stratosphere.

I've just realised all the above races feature Mansell, for which I make no apologies! Also that the newest race is nearly 30 years old... Shout out to Canada 2011 as well though. It even allowed me to go to the chip shop and back before the race restarted

[PTRACER]

Thanks for your contributions so far guys, nice to see a varied list of races above! 10 entries received now, 15 to go!

[Michael Ferner]

1 - 1988 Hungary
2 - 1983 Long Beach
3 - 1982 Monaco

[Everso Biggyballies]

1 - 1988 Hungary
2 - 1983 Long Beach
3 - 1982 Monaco

At least I threw one race in that was later than the 80's.... even if I was trying to be kind to the more modern times.

[Michael Ferner]

Yeah, looks a bit one-sided. but the premise was that you had to have seen the race in period, and proper coverage didn't start in germany before the eighties. So, this is a pretty skewed enterprise to start with, and tbh I didn't try very hard as I didn#t take it very seriously.

[erwin greven]

I can't even remember most of this season, so i decline to make a top 3.

[PTRACER]

Yeah, looks a bit one-sided. but the premise was that you had to have seen the race in period, and proper coverage didn't start in germany before the eighties. So, this is a pretty skewed enterprise to start with, and tbh I didn't try very hard as I didn#t take it very seriously.

Well, would you have voted differently if you had taken it more seriously?

[Everso Biggyballies]

Yeah, looks a bit one-sided. but the premise was that you had to have seen the race in period, and proper coverage didn't start in germany before the eighties. So, this is a pretty skewed enterprise to start with, and tbh I didn't try very hard as I didn#t take it very seriously.

Well, would you have voted differently if you had taken it more seriously?

Hehehehe knowing Michael's less than favourable references for anything much after the eighties, and in particular his disdain of anything F1 related to this millennium, and his admission not or only rarely watching later stuff, under the question 'rules' of you must have watched it / attended I guess he would not be allowed to have listed races he had not watched and only read heresay comments from the facebook/twitter generation.....

Just sayin'..... (tongue very much in cheek)

[PTRACER]

Yeah, looks a bit one-sided. but the premise was that you had to have seen the race in period, and proper coverage didn't start in germany before the eighties. So, this is a pretty skewed enterprise to start with, and tbh I didn't try very hard as I didn#t take it very seriously.

Well, would you have voted differently if you had taken it more seriously?

Hehehehe knowing Michael's less than favourable references for anything much after the eighties, and in particular his disdain of anything F1 related to this millennium, and his admission not or only rarely watching later stuff, under the question 'rules' of you must have watched it / attended I guess he would not be allowed to have listed races he had not watched and only read heresay comments from the facebook/twitter generation.....

Just sayin'..... (tongue very much in cheek)

If it is a race you watched on the internet years later, without knowing the result, I guess that would be okay. However what would be the point in voting for races you never watched? Surely your entire 'opinion' would be based on something that someone else wrote and you're conveying their opinion, not your own.

[Everso Biggyballies]

@PTRACER I wasnt having a go at the rules, I agree totally with them. I was more referring to those of us that prefer the older last millenium races, (yes I know I had one from 2005!) and knowing Michael is not a fan of races from any year that starts with a 20, or even a 199.

[Michael Ferner]

Yeah, looks a bit one-sided. but the premise was that you had to have seen the race in period, and proper coverage didn't start in germany before the eighties. So, this is a pretty skewed enterprise to start with, and tbh I didn't try very hard as I didn#t take it very seriously.

Well, would you have voted differently if you had taken it more seriously?

Hehehehe knowing Michael's less than favourable references for anything much after the eighties, and in particular his disdain of anything F1 related to this millennium, and his admission not or only rarely watching later stuff, under the question 'rules' of you must have watched it / attended I guess he would not be allowed to have listed races he had not watched and only read heresay comments from the facebook/twitter generation.....

Just sayin'..... (tongue very much in cheek)

If it is a race you watched on the internet years later, without knowing the result, I guess that would be okay. However what would be the point in voting for races you never watched? Surely your entire 'opinion' would be based on something that someone else wrote and you're conveying their opinion, not your own.

Well, what is the point in voting for races that you have merely watched on TV? Surely your entire 'opinion' would be based on something that someone else decided to point a camera at, so you're conveying their opinion, not your's.

As for your earlier question, I don't know, because if I would take it seriously I would spend time thinking of an answer, but I don't so I didn't.

[Metzo]

1. Nürburgring 1999
2. Hockenheim 2000
3. Suzuka 2005

[Andy]

Monaco, 1984
End of.

[XcraigX]

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)

Would the best way to rank these be to use the "best race of the decade" results and tally the votes to rank each of them? Just currious on why you went this route.

Lastly, maybe the 2014 Bahrain GP comes in 6th. Great duel between Hamilton and Rosberg, but the same car dueling way out front is not the same as different teams taking each other to task. And 2012 Valencia was fantastic also (7th?), but I just hated that track so much.

[manny]

Nürburgring 1999
Nürburgring 2007
Interlagos 2008

[Everso Biggyballies]

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.

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.