F1 Driver's Best Drives Ever
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5th September 2015, 21:38 at 9:38 pm #304501AnonymousInactive
I just rewatched the Japanese GP of 2005 again, and hell, this must be Kimi’s best driver to date.
If not the best, surely one of the best.So i thought, why not making a thread to find out the best drives from F1 Drivers, both currently on the grid and
retired ones.I’m gonna start with some examples, please add any you want and remember, it is NOT necessary that the aforiomentioned driver won the race…
Michael Schumacher: Obviously too many to pick from, but i’ll mention Hungary 1998 (famous 3rd stint), Spain 1996 (rain masterclass) and Japan 2000 (Under immense pressure from title rival Mika Hakkinen, he held onto P1 to break Ferrari’s WDC drought since 1979).
Kimi Raikkonen: Japan 2005 (Starting no higher than 17th, he made a very solid race, good strategy helped him and overtaking Fisichella on final lap was the tip of the iceberg).
Lewis Hamilton: Japan 2007 (Masterclass whilst many drivers, including main title rival Alonso crashed out), Great Britain 2008 (same with Japan 2007), Great Britain 2015 (kept his nerve throughout and made a race winning pit call). Saying why he is considered by many the “Rain Master”.
Fernando Alonso: Valencia 2012(Starting 15th on home soil, traditional Alonso race, fighting his way to the top and achieving glory, Monza 2007(beating the Ferraris on home soil plus Lewis to reduce pts. gap to the top), China 2006(mixed conditions, had a faulty pit stop but fought his way to the top, almost overtaking Michael but running out of laps before making a move).
Mika Hakkinen: Luxembourg 1998 (MSC was level on pts. with him with 2 rounds to go AND had the momentum, but Mika put a Champ-winning drive together and edged ahead on the WDC), Japan 1999 (After Malaysian Ferrari DSQ he should have been champ, but the FIA reinstalled them into positions and the WDC went down to the wire. Always calm under pressure, Mika sailed into the afternoon and became a 2 times Champ).
Jenson Button: Canada 2011 (Yes, it was Vettel’s mistake on the last lap, but it showed the pressure JBB out on him, plus it was a truly royal drive. Can’t describe it otherwise)
As you see, i have picked many drives which were done under Championship pressure. Not saying that irrelevant from WDC, WCC results are not as good, but a championship ALWAYS adds pressure, and those who manage it better get a big round of appluse from me ;)
Links:
Michael’s 3rd stind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkylHkFjeys
1999 Malaysia Controversy: http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/nigel-newsletter/double-points-better-than-ferrari-internal-affairs/6th September 2015, 0:37 at 12:37 am #304546AtticusParticipantI agree with many of your picks.
As a massive Fernando Alonso fan, I can recall a few others when I felt like he had to ‘do a Valencia 2012’, in other words, outperform his machinery aside from outperforming others. Monza 2010 comes to mind when he and Button ran the whole race basically just 1 second apart. Or Hockenheim 2012, it’s the same practically, but with Vettel also in the picture. Either of of these (I’d say Hockenheim), or Valencia 2012.
And yes, there’s just too much races to pick from for Schumacher. Spa 1995 is another one, or Spa 1997.
For Sebastian Vettel, I’d suggest… Abu Dhabi 2012 perhaps? Or Monza 2008.
For Jim Clark, I’d say it was definitely Monza 1967, although he also had a lot of memorable drives.
Ayrton… a lot would immediately say Donington Park 1993, but I would also throw in the mix a race where he actually DNFed (strange, I know), because what he had done before his spin in Interlagos 1994 was out of this world. Keeping up with Schumacher and annihilating everyone else, including championship contender-to-be teammate Damon Hill – except Schumacher had an awesome car to drive and Senna had a dog. Other than that, a lot of his later drives in 1993 in particular was absolutely magnificent as well, when he did not crash that is. Kyalami 1993 was another fine drive.
6th September 2015, 1:19 at 1:19 am #304547InSilico_ParticipantObviously Jenson’s race in Canada 2011 was unbelievably good, but I’d say his first ever victory in Hungary 2006 was better. I don’t remember anything at all from the German Grand Prix of 2013 (except Webber’s tyre hitting the cameraman), but I do remember thinking afterwards that it was Vettel’s best drive of his career. I could be massively wrong on that though. Monaco 2011 is also a good shout for Vettel as well. His long stint on worn tyres was pretty crazy.
For Webber, I’d say Monaco 2012 was up there for him. He had a train of cars right behind him the whole way through the race and it was sprinkling with rain near the end. Enormous pressure must have been on him and overall I remember thinking afterwards that it was the most impressive victory of his I’d seen.
6th September 2015, 1:37 at 1:37 am #304548VMaxMuffinParticipantI’ll add for Webber his drive at the Nurburgring in 2009. The pressure of having his first pole and potential for his first win, followed by a comeback after taking a drive through was a great drive.
6th September 2015, 1:58 at 1:58 am #304549Fer no.65ParticipantMichael Schumacher: he had many. The ones I remember more vividly were Brazil 2006 and Hungary 1998. China 2006, tho, was just epic from him. I’ll never forget that night, watching it alone in my living room and cheering so hard I woke up my mother when he overtook Fisico on the inside at turn 2!
Mark Webber: probably Nurburgring 2009. A lot going on there.
Fernando Alonso: I think his best ever drive was Hungary 2006. He didn’t finish, but he could’ve well won. His first lap there, for me, ties with Senna’s magic lap at Donington. Valencia 2012 is a good one but everyone ahead either crashed or retired, so not the best. Malaysia 2012 was a good one too.
Lewis Hamilton: uhm… Silverstone 2008. Maybe also Nurburgring 2011, that was a great 3 way battle with Mark and Fernando.
Jenson Button: Canada 2011, no doubt.
Sebastian Vettel: could well be Belgium 2012! he fought from start to finish. Abu Dhabi 2012 was good too but the car was specifically set up to recover from the pitlane start and overtaking, and he was already the fastest there in qualy. At Spa in 2012 he was far from fastest, and he still made it work.
Felipe Massa: Brazil 2008, the pressure at home, and with the championship down to the wire must’ve been terribly tense for him. Sad it didn’t work out in the end.
6th September 2015, 2:45 at 2:45 am #304551David-AParticipantFor Vettel, perhaps Abu Dhabi 2010. Huge pressure all season long, fighting a strong teammate and 3 world champions for the title, he pulled out an excellent pole lap, snatching it from Hamilton, and won to take the championship. China 2007, Italy 2008, Spain 2011, Monaco 2011, Belgium 2012, Japan 2012, Singapore 2013 and Hungary 2015 being other ones.
Hamilton’s is probably Britain 2008, where he won by over a minute, and only 3 cars were on the lead lap. Massa had 5-6 spins that day. Otherwise there’s Japan 2007, Monaco 2008, Brazil 2009, Canada 2010, Germany 2011, Canada 2012, USA 2012.
Alonso was impressive at Singapore 2010, holding off Vettel all race and getting a grand-chelem. Also Hungary 2003/14/15, San Marino 2005, Japan 2005, Europe 2012.
Kimi- Japan 2005, Massa- Brazil 2008, Button- Canada 2011.
I suppose one for Rosberg could be Korea 2010, where he looked like he could have been a contender for the win (he passed Hamilton’s Mclaren I think), and was closing on Alonso & Webber before being caught in Mark’s crash. More obvious examples are China 2010/11/12, and Monaco 2013.
6th September 2015, 10:49 at 10:49 am #304554David Not CoulthardParticipant@david-a I think Monza 2008 was VET’s best race (winning in what would later be typical Vettel-style with a car from Faenza is a great feat, no matter how involved Adrian Newey was in designing it).
6th September 2015, 12:04 at 12:04 pm #304557RBAlonsoParticipantObviously, for many of the all time greats there are several races but I’ll try to limit it to one stand out race plus a reason.
Alonso – Valencia 2012, a brilliant drive. Made the moves perfectly and exactly when he needed to.
Vettel – Japan 2009, the race really awoke him from being a “could be champion one day” to “which record will he not break?”
Hamilton – Britain 2008, a wet weather masterclass. I think Nurburgring 2011 deserves recognition
Button – Canada 2011.
Raikkonen – Japan 2005, Fisi asleep but one of the great races. Spa 2004 good too
Fangio – Nurburgring 1957, scaring Fangio took some doing.
Clark – Monza 1967, about 1 litre of fuel would have made this one of the greatest wins ever.
Schumacher – Spa 1997, watch this race again and explain to me how he did this?!
Mansell – Britain 1987, set the lap record 10 times in 13 laps and overtake your double champion team-mate.
Senna – Japan 1988, with so much pressure on his shoulders falling to 16th must have been a hammer blow. To win overtaking another great in the same car was incredible.
Hakkinen – Spa 2000, yes he had the spin but the fight-back and move were unbelievable.
D. Hill – Japan 1994, torrential rain great drive.
Lauda – Monza 1976, given what he had been through that year 4th was a masterclass. Estoril 1984 great too. -
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