Legendary Races

[coops]

Looking back, I remember really enjoying the 1995 Aussie GP. MSC had wrapped up the title by late summer and there was a real end-of-term feel to that race which was boosted by the BBC getting Alan Jones in to commentate. Jonesy took the p**s out of plenty of drivers, including DC for his Rejectful pit-stop attempt. When Frentzen gave the finger to Mega Blundell I thought Murray Walker was about to go apoplectic, hilarious.

[DemocalypseNow]

Looking back, I remember really enjoying the 1995 Aussie GP. MSC had wrapped up the title by late summer and there was a real end-of-term feel to that race which was boosted by the BBC getting Alan Jones in to commentate. Jonesy took the p**s out of plenty of drivers, including DC for his Rejectful pit-stop attempt. When Frentzen gave the finger to Mega Blundell I thought Murray Walker was about to go apoplectic, hilarious.

He called Schumacher a cheating kraut.

Epic win.

[Londoner]

1997 Monaco Grand Prix.
Williams making an amateur mistake with tyres at the start, running on dries instead of intermediates.
Both Mclarens and Arrows out after two laps
Gerhard Berger finishing 9th out of 10 finishers
Both Stewarts actually finishing the race, extremely unusual in 1997!
Last points for Tyrrell team.
Ukyo Katayama not crashing! (I'll probably get hell for this!)

[good_Ralf]

Thread bump required

Abu Dhabi 2012

Vettel starts from pit lane
Schwere unfall between Rosberg and Karthikeyan
Front wing damage for Vettel
Uncharacteristic incidents for Yas Marina and 2 SCs
Jacques Schulz - "The Iceman, is back!"
Lotus win after so many near misses in 2012
Pastor on for a podium before hitting KERS problems

Brazil 2012

The title decider between Vettel and Alonso
Vettel spun to last on lap 1
Hulk leads in a Force India and is a contender for the win!
Hamilton is taken out of his McLaren finale by Hulk
Button wins behind the SC
Last win for McLaren for some time...
Schumi P7 in last race after puncture and letting Vettel by
Last race for Kovy and Kobayashi as well
Kimi: Where are you going?!
Massa podium on home soil
Caterham overtake Marussia for 10th
Vettel triple champ at 25

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

I forgot about the 1999 European Grand Prix. I can't watch the last laps of it because I feel so sorry for poor Badoer.

One of the best races I remember.
Sorry for Badoer me too.

[Yannick]

I'm trying to decide what the craziest, rejectful race is.

Must be the tragic final race at the Montjuich Park track in the then-dictatorship of Spain in 1975 which was led by Rolf Stommelen in the 2nd Embassy Hill Lola before he sadly crashed into the crowd because all the barriers were just hanging by threads.

It's a race that never should have been started, much like the IndyCar Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011, because in both cases, the car/track combination could not have worked safely.

However, if you are looking for a race that's fun to watch because of its relevance to this website, look no further than the 1991 San Marino GP. I won't name any spoilers here but if you have made it as far as this thread, you probably know the main talking points of that event anyway.

[Wallio]

Brazil 2003 is still my favorite. I had to come into work on Monday (my normal day off) a few weeks ago to let some plumbers into the office. While I quietly caught up on paperwork, I put the race on on Youtube (the whole race minus 15 minutes or so are up in 8 parts) as background. Every ten minutes or so someone went off, all on turn 3! How can one corner take out 1/3rd of the field?

Also, Indy 2005. Here in America we were not privy to most of the negotiations in the morning etc. All we knew was that there was a tyre issue, Ralph was hurt, and Jarno qualified on pole with less than 5 laps of fuel. I was at my buddies pool party. He being a fellow F1 fan, he asked me if I wanted the race on. I was more interested in a girl I fancied (and later dated for 2 years) being in a string bikini by the pool and said "No, there's some issue with the tyres, half the field will peel off after one lap". I didn't mean it, I was being overly dramatic. However, 10 minutes later he comes running out screaming "You were bathplugging right!". I honestly couldn't believe it.

[Barbazza]

For hilarious running out of fuel moments, there's always the San Marino GP of 1985 where everybody who survives crawls across the line at various low speed. Germany 86 is nearly as hilarious (plus that includes the legendary three-wheeling Swede!)

[Alextrax52]

2007 European Grand Prix: That race had it all

Hamilton having to face adversity
Webber on the Podium
BMW virtually nowhere
Alonso and Massa's battle on and off the track
Michael Schumacher presenting the Constructors trophy
5 cars out after 3 laps
Coulthard going from 20th to 5th
A Red Flag
Scott Speed being fired after the race
A Monsoon that could put Malaysia to shame
and of course....

Markus Winklehock leading his one and only GP IN A SPYKER!!

[good_Ralf]

Germany 86 is nearly as hilarious (plus that includes the legendary three-wheeling Swede!)

Johansson crossed the line at Hockenheim with a puncture in 1987. As for 1986, that had the front-row McLarens running out of fuel on the final lap! One of those races (IIRC 1986) had an F1 Taxi moment.

[TomWazzleshaw]

Brazil 2003 is still my favorite. I had to come into work on Monday (my normal day off) a few weeks ago to let some plumbers into the office. While I quietly caught up on paperwork, I put the race on on Youtube (the whole race minus 15 minutes or so are up in 8 parts) as background. Every ten minutes or so someone went off, all on turn 3! How can one corner take out 1/3rd of the field?

Simple: Build a drainage system which floods the track at that specific point

[WaffleCat]

In my short time watching F1,two races take the cake:

Monaco 2004: I've watched F1 races in the past,but this race was the one that made me love F1. Incident filled,including that odd incident in the tunnel,remembering supporting Button in his chase of Jarno Trulli,only to come up just short. I found my new favorite sport.

Europe 2007:This race was awesome. Rain. Completely unexpected Winklehock. Incidents. A tight battle for the lead. This race was amazing.

[Dj_bereta]

My favorite is Interlagos 2003. Oh god, Rubens almost won that race, bathplug ferrari!

Also, my non-f1 favorite legendary race is Portland race from 2001 cart season. A lot of cars getting going off and crashing because of rain. The championship leaders with a bad lucky and an amazing race of Max Papis.

full race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fure2dhDqQs

[pasta_maldonado]

My favourite race I've ever seen has to be the 2009 Australian Grand Prix. I woke up at 5 o clock in the morning to see the race live with my dad, and with it being the first race of a new season with new rules, with Button in his Brawn on pole, and F1 being back on the BBC (no adverts!!) I was more excited than I'd ever been!

Luckily, I was rewarded with Button taking the chequered flag in a really enjoyable, action-packed race. Highlights for me had to be correctly predicting that Kubica and Vettel would take each other out, and thinking to myself 'Button's going to win the world championship!'

[Barbazza]

Germany 86 is nearly as hilarious (plus that includes the legendary three-wheeling Swede!)

Johansson crossed the line at Hockenheim with a puncture in 1987. As for 1986, that had the front-row McLarens running out of fuel on the final lap! One of those races (IIRC 1986) had an F1 Taxi moment.

Of course it was 1987! I have been ill this week, that's my excuse.

[ibsey]

No love for France 1999 or Spa / San Marino / Nurburgring 1995?

Edit; my personal favorite is Suzuka 1995. What a drive by Alesi!

[leywso]

1989 Canadian GP has to be there

- Johnny Herbert did not qualify in a Benetton
- Cars from 18 teams qualified for the race (McLaren, Williams, Ferrari, Dallara, Minardi, Arrows, Tyrrell and March got two cars in)
- Variable weather
- Nigel Mansell and Alessandro Nannini pit for slicks following warm-up lap, then continue to the track straight away, theoretically being two leaders at that point, they were disqualified.
- Stefan Johansson left the pits with airgun still attached, he took the whole thing with him to the track.
- Derek Warwick in Arrows leading the race
- Nicola Larini in Osella being in 3rd at one point
- Roberto Moreno loosing wheel
- Ayrton Senna retiring from the lead with few laps to go
- Andrea de Cesaris scoring podium for Dallara
- Jonathan Palmer setting fastest lap

I just found highlights of this race on Youtube with ESPN commentary. It does a much better job of telling the story of the race than the season review video, which seemed to miss key elements of the narrative. Indeed a great race- I never even realised about the 18 different teams on the grid, what a statistic that is!

[ibsey]

Australia 2010 was pretty decent.

[good_Ralf]

Australia 2010 was pretty decent.

Fixed.

Who would have imagined before the race that Kubica would have scored a podium for Renault?!

- Hamilton misses Q3
- Alonso spun in first corner collision
- Big crash on the 1st lap
- Change for slicks putting Button into P2
- Loads of overtaking behind the podium
- Vettel retires with a mechanical problem
- Simultaneously Hamilton makes an epic move on Rosberg
- Webber nowhere after his change for slicks
- Collision between Hamilton and Webber at the end
- Button's first McLaren win

This race is underrated in my opinion

[good_Ralf]

Australia 2008

- 6 cars left at the finish
- Pile-up at the start knocking out 5 cars
- Massa/Nakajima both involved in multiple incidents
- Raikkonen making endless mistakes as well
- Glock has a massive shunt
- Barrichello and Rosberg in the top 3
- Rubens disqualified
- Bourdais P4 before mechanical problem

[James1978]

Despite it being a fairly normal podium for that particular season (2 McLarens and a Ferrari), I nominate the 2000 Austrian GP. It's even touched upon in the review on here!

I really hope Sky show it as a Classic Race next year when Austria is back on the calendar!

[pi314159]

Having watched Formula 1 since 2000, these are my personal favourites:
-Hockenheim 2000
-Brazil 2003
-Monaco 2004
-Nürburgring 2007
-Australia 2008
-Brazil 2008
-Brazil 2012

[good_Ralf]

Despite it being a fairly normal podium for that particular season (2 McLarens and a Ferrari), I nominate the 2000 Austrian GP. It's even touched upon in the review on here!

I really hope Sky show it as a Classic Race next year when Austria is back on the calendar!

Looking back all of the modern A1-Ring races had some famous moments

1997

- Trulli leads after Hakkinen blows up on lap 1 while in P1 himself
- The Stewarts are on the 3rd row and Barrichello runs P2 early on
- Berger = Epic fail
- Trulli might have won but for an engine problem
- Correction watka, Nakano was nowhere when the engine blew
- Alesi punted into the air by Irvine
- Hill almost scores a point

1998

- Fisichella on pole for Benetton
- Barrichello and Salo on row 3 in their awful cars
- First lap incident involving Coulthard
- Trulli runs P5 in the Prost
- Coulthard recovers to P2
- Schumi makes a mistake and loses his front wing
- Alesi and Fisichella collide
- Verstappen blows up in a funny way
- Ferrari team orders(?) at the end

1999

- The McLarens collide on lap 1
- Barrichello almost leads the race
- The Saubers and Villeneuve run in the points
- Hakkinen finishes P3
- Wurz scores points in his home race


2000

- Zonta P6 on the grid
- Major crash at the first corner knocking out Schuey
- Salo and PDLR run 3rd after the chaos
- Gene runs in the top 10 all race

2001

- 4 cars all stall at the start including both Jordans and Hakkinen (again)
- Trulli black-flagged for ignoring pit-lane red light
- Montoya leads and takes Schumi off with him
- Verstappen runs P2 in the Arrows and eventually scores a point
- Raikkonen P4 after being 3rd at one time

2002

- Heidfeld P3 at the start
- Panis spins out in the middle of the pit straight
- Heidfeld and Sato have a massive collision at the restart
- McNish up to 2nd before he pits
- Ferrarigate (Check out the podium photo here )

2003

- 2 aborted starts because of Toyota's stupid LC systems
- Heidfeld P4 on the grid
- Fire at Schumi's stop
- Schumi passes Kimi the moment Montoya blows up
- Button P4 by the finish

[Londoner]

Good word, did I really post like that in 2010? I feel embarrassed looking at my then 15 year old self.

But yeah, I can remember watching Brazil 2003 live, and what a spectacle that was. Of course, we were denied the ultimate result, that of Jos the Boss winning...in a year old Minardi. Jamienoch would have creamed themselves in the review, considering he was running ahead of Fisico at the time...

Alas, it was not to be.

[Shizuka]

Looking back all of the modern A1-Ring races had some famous moments
2000
- Gene runs in the top 10 all race

And that alone shows that the chassis was brilliant.

[James1978]

2002

- Heidfeld P3 at the start
- Panis spins out in the middle of the pit straight
- Heidfeld and Sato have a massive collision at the restart
- McNish up to 2nd before he pits
- Ferrarigate (Check out the podium photo here )

God the big photo of Schumacher is NOT flattering at all.

But I'm really pleased it's back on for next year, it always causes chaos. It needed to be on this year's calendar.

[go_Rubens]

2011 Canadian Grand Prix

-Heavy rain causes safety car start
-Webber and Hamilton collide on the first racing lap
-Button and Hamilton collide; Hamilton out
-Button makes 2 pit stops (one a drive-through) before lap 14
-Most drivers on inters before the rain buckets down and causes another safety car
-2 hour 4 minute delay, plus radio communication from the HRT crew on air
-Kobayashi restarting 2nd
-Button and Alonso collide, Button makes a 4th pit stop after a puncture (or 5th pit stop)
-Schumacher runs 2nd brilliantly holding off Button and Webber
-Button makes a 6th stop and races through the field
-Button 2nd with 5 laps left
-20th aniversary of Mansell's last lap mistake, and Vettel makes a mistake, handing Jenson the lead
-Jenson Button wins and is most certainly IIDOTR for visiting the pits 6 times and racing from last to win

What else to say? It was an epic race. According to an F1 stats book I have that is up to date to the end of the 2011, this race was rated as a Top 100 race.

[good_Ralf]

According to an F1 stats book I have that is up to date to the end of the 2011, this race was rated as a Top 100 race.

Would that be Formula 1: All the Races by Roger Smith? If not, I'd be interested in what book you've been reading from.

[go_Rubens]

According to an F1 stats book I have that is up to date to the end of the 2011, this race was rated as a Top 100 race.

Would that be Formula 1: All the Races by Roger Smith? If not, I'd be interested in what book you've been reading from.

Yes, that is the book I'm refering to!

[Yannick]

As far as unique combinations of constructors on the same podium are concerned, my parents were trackside at the 1975 Austrian GP when a March, a Hesketh and a Shadow beat the cars from the big marques in the rain. Vittorio Brambilla's only GP victory.

[More_Blue_Flags]

Two races that made a great impression on me were John Watson's wins from down towards the back of the grid at Detroit in 1982 and Long Beach in 1983, even if I was too young at the time to really grasp how much of Watson's performance was down to how the Michelins performed in qualifying versus the race. Considered together with my normal sympathy for honest toilers rather than naturally gifted geniuses, these two races helped make Watson one of my childhood heroes even though I knew deep down that he wasn't really at the same level as, say, Prost or Piquet.

Along with the drama of Monaco 1982, Watson's two wins gave me some unrealistic expectations of how much passing you could reasonably expect to see on a street circuit.

A final nomination from the era would have to be the 1982 Austrian GP - Prost breaking down five laps from the end while miles in front, followed by Rosberg frantically chasing down de Angelis and just failing to catch him by .05 of a second at the finish line.

[FA1L]

Two races that made a great impression on me were John Watson's wins from down towards the back of the grid at Detroit in 1982 and Long Beach in 1983

+1