Driver's best races in F1

What were the best drives by F1 drivers you have seen? I'll name just from the period when I started to watch F1, from 1998:

Mika Hakkinen - Luxembourg GP 1998 - amazing drives by him and Schumacher, they destroyed the rest of the field, very intense battle with Mika finally winning the race, in my opinion that race decided the championship. He also drove a great race in Britain in 2001

Michael Schumacher - I haven't seen Spain 1996, so I'd say his final Ferrari race, Brazil 2006, but also Suzuka 2000 was incredible

Sebastian Vettel - Abu Dhabi last year was impressive. From 24th place to 3rd isn't something we are often going to see. Honorable mentions are Italy 2008 and 2011

Kimi Raikkonen - Suzuka 2005. Fantastic. Honorable mentions: Bahrain 2006, Belgium 2004 and China 2007

Lewis Hamilton: British GP 2008, Hungary 2009 were great, but for me his best race wast USA GP 2012, last year in Austin

Fernando Alonso: European GP last year for sure. Also Fuji 2008, really well done

Massa - his, for now, final win - Brazilian GP 2008. Flawless, but it wasn't enough for the title.

Two of my favourite races are:

Jenson Button - Canada 2011 and Nico Hulkenberg - Brazil 2012 (upto his collision)

TBH can't remember many races off top of my head, been watching since 2000 but can't remember most of the races , I think I was impressed as a kid by Irvine especially his drives at Monza and Monaco dragging the Jag upto the podium

Edited by Paul084, 31 August 2013 - 22:55.

Villeneuve Spain 1981

Prost Spain 1990

Senna Estoril 1985

Pironi Belgium 1980

Hill Japan 1994

Vettel china 2009

Button - Canada 2011 , Hungary 2006

Alonso - Valencia 2012 , Japan 2008

Schumacher - Imola 2005

Vettel - Italy 2008

Raikkonen - Japan 2005

Sebs best race was Abu Dhabi 2012 from those I have seen...

Hülks best race was Brazil 2012

Alonsos best race of the ones I have seen imo was last week Spa

I forgot about Button. Canada 2011, Brazil 2006 and Australia 2010

Michael Schumacher: N'ring 1995, Spa 1995, Spain 1996, Monaco 1997, Spa 1997, Hungary 1998, British GP 1998 Italy 1998, Monaco 1999, Canadian GP 2000, European GP 2000, Japan 2000. I'll think of more later...

I truly started watching F1 in 1998, but I saw highlights of the classics and rewatched them all, but 1998 is when I truly got into F1.

Edited by George Costanza, 01 September 2013 - 01:01.

Button - Canada 2011 , Hungary 2006

Alonso - Valencia 2012 , Japan 2008

Schumacher - Imola 2005

Vettel - Italy 2008

Raikkonen - Japan 2005

No way Imola 2005 is Schumacher best....

Alonso- Singapore 2010

Hamilton- Britain 2008

Vettel- Spa 2012

Webber- Monaco 2010

Button- Germany 2004

Raikkonen- Japan 2005

Massa- Brazil 2008

Rosberg- China 2012

Perez- Italy 2012

Grosjean- Germany 2013

di Resta- Singapore 2012

Sutil- Monaco 2008

Hulkenberg- Korea 2012

Gutierrez- Spain 2013

Maldonado- Spain 2012

Bottas- Monaco 2013

Ricciardo- China 2013

Vergne- Canada 2013

Pic- Hungary 2012

VDG- Belgium 2013

Bianchi- Malaysia 2013

Chilton- (whatever race he was closest to Bianchi!)

Harder from, say, Hulkenberg down. I can't say Brazil 2012 for Hulk as there were 2 major errors there as much of a giantkilling it was for a while.

Sebastian Vettel - Abu Dhabi last year was impressive. From 24th place to 3rd isn't something we are often going to see. Honorable mentions are Italy 2008 and 2011

What was so impressive about that one in Abu Dhabi? HRT, Marussia and Caterham are hardly competition, that's six cars. Neither are the Toro Rosso's for a Red Bull, so that makes eight. You could say he came from 16th to 3rd then and I believe he was also helped greatly by the safety car, so not that impressive really.

Edited by DutchQuicksilver, 01 September 2013 - 09:34.

Salo - Monaco 1997, Hockenheim 1999

Raikkonen - Suzuka 2005, Abu Dhabi 2012, Spa 2004

Hakinnen - Nurburgring 1998

Jim Clark. Italian Grand Prix 1967.

Coulthard, Monaco 2002.

Jackie Stewart, German Grand Prix 1968

Takuma Sato - Canada 2007.

A plucky Super Aguri overtakes a reigning 2-time World Champion. A highlight of the season for me.

No way Imola 2005 is Schumacher best....

From the races I have seen , it is. 

Spain 96' is probably his best though , imo.

Edited by P0inters, 01 September 2013 - 16:06.

Takuma Sato - Canada 2007.

A plucky Super Aguri overtakes a reigning 2-time World Champion. A highlight of the season for me.

Easily his finest moment--I think this was the only time I've ever jumped up and down cheering at my TV set while watching an F1 race.

I'll only focus on current drivers or drivers whose careers I've witnessed in full, because if I attempted to judge the career of every driver I've ever read about, I'd be here forever.

Vettel's best race, in my opinion, was either Italy 2008 or Suzuka 2012. The former for the miracle of it all, the latter because it was total domination at an absolutely critical point in the championship. Honourable mentions to Belgium and Abu Dhabi 2012 and Germany 2013.

It's hard to look past Suzuka 2005 for Raikkonen; it's his version of 'that one race' that every driver has where there's nothing that can defeat them. Brazil 2007 and Spa 2009 are honourable mentions.

Hamilton's is easily Silverstone 2008. Nothing comes close for him--just absolutely spectacular on a day where everyone else was losing their heads. Honourable mentions to Hungary 2009, Indy 2007, and Austin 2012.

Alonso's best race is probably either Hungary 2006 or Valencia 2012. The former because he was totally unstoppable, the latter for the same factors that made Vettel's first win remarkable. Honourable mentions to Fuji 2008 and Imola 2005.

Button's best race was Canada 2011, by far--another one of 'those' races. He just would not be denied the win that day, and I don't think anyone realised this until the last lap. Honourable mentions to Spa 2012 and Hungary 2006.

Webber's best race was probably Silverstone 2012--beat Alonso and Vettel at a track where I daresay Red Bull and Ferrari were roughly equal, and Mark was the victor. Germany 2009, Silverstone 2010, and Monaco 2012 are honourable mentions.

Massa's best race was Brazil 2008, I think, and it makes me sad to think that it very well may have been his last win. What might have been if it weren't for that fateful weekend in Hungary.

That's probably it for now; maybe I'll show up with more later. My criteria in defining these is generally a little more casual, meaning that races which are spectacular from an emotional stand-point are weighted more for me than a clinical analysis of talent displayed. Hopefully this comes across as obvious in my choices.

I'll only focus on wins, since listing all the good drives would take way too long.

Fernando Alonso

1. Singapore 2010

2. Malaysia 2012

3. Germany 2007

4. Hungary 2003

5. Europe 2012

Sebastian Vettel

1. Germany 2013

2. Italy 2008

3. China 2009

4. Italy 2011

5. Spain 2011

Jenson Button

1. Hungary 2006

2. Canada 2011

3. Monaco 2009

4. Belgium 2012

5. Japan 2011

Kimi Raikkonen

1. Japan 2005

2. Belgium 2009

3. Belgium 2004

4. Monaco 2005

5. Malaysia 2003

Lewis Hamilton

1. Great Britain 2008

2. Germany 2011

3. Germany 2008

4. Canada 2007

5. United States 2012

G. Villeneueve

1981 - Spain

Mansel

1989 - Hungary

Berger

1989 - Portugal

Senna

1993 - Japan

Prost

1990 - Mexico

1990 - Spain

Schumacher

1995 - Belgium

1996 - Spain

1997 - Belgium

Kimi

2005 - Japan

2007 - Australia

Alonso

2010 - Singapore

2013 - Spain

Senna - Brazil 1991. I don't think anyone else would managed to win that race presented the same conditions.

What was so impressive about that one in Abu Dhabi? HRT, Marussia and Caterham are hardly competition, that's six cars. Neither are the Toro Rosso's for a Red Bull, so that makes eight. You could say he came from 16th to 3rd then and I believe he was also helped greatly by the safety car, so not that impressive really.

It was pretty impressive the way he nearly ran up the back of Ricciardo then smashed through the DRS sign... 

how his front wing survived all his collisons i'll never know

Senna - Brazil 1991. I don't think anyone else would managed to win that race presented the same conditions.

I agree. Not even Michael Schumacher, I don't think.

Is it possible to watch Silverstone 2008 without this http://www.youtube.c...h?v=bKaJ4b0XYmI in the background?

Makes me proud to be of UK ancestry. 

Edited by SR388, 03 September 2013 - 03:01.

I agree. Not even Michael Schumacher, I don't think.

Nope, Schumacher did it better in Spain 96 and Belgium 98.

Sebastian Vettel - Abu Dhabi last year was impressive. From 24th place to 3rd isn't something we are often going to see. Honorable mentions are Italy 2008 and 2011

What was so impressive about that one in Abu Dhabi? HRT, Marussia and Caterham are hardly competition, that's six cars. Neither are the Toro Rosso's for a Red Bull, so that makes eight. You could say he came from 16th to 3rd then and I believe he was also helped greatly by the safety car, so not that impressive really.

Agree. Its actually kind of common when a top car is at the back, be it qualy stuff up, pre race penalties or a first lap incident.

A good drive, but Im sure theres dozens of others from him that are better.

Agree. Its actually kind of common when a top car is at the back, be it qualy stuff up, pre race penalties or a first lap incident.
A good drive, but Im sure theres dozens of others from him that are better.

Agree. Its actually kind of common when a top car is at the back, be it qualy stuff up, pre race penalties or a first lap incident.

A good drive, but Im sure theres dozens of others from him that are better.

Yet when Alonso comes from 9th to 2nd (5th after turn 1), he's hailed as the best driver ever.

Hmm....

Mine is a controversial one but my favourite Lewis Hamilton race was Spa 2008. A hard fought victory that was absolutely thrilling to watch. The FIA got involved and soured it a little, however it is a race that sticks in my mind as one of the most exciting. Silverstone and Monaco of the same year are also favourites where I would class them as some of his best.

I'm amazed some of you can remember so many races. I can barely remember what happened in the last one.

Some of Jenson's best races:

Hockenheim 2000

Austria 2003

Hockenheim 2004

Hungary 2006

Brazil 2006

China 2007

Suzuka 2011

Hamilton: Silverstone 2008 and Germany 2011 spring immediately to mind. And I agree with tifosiMac, Spa 2008 was incredible. Kimi and Lewis were in a class of their own that day. And while we're talking about controversial races, Australia 2009 wasn't bad either…

Alonso: Valencia 2012. Phenomenal drive, even if he did benefit from Vettel's alternator failure.

Kimi: Suzuka 2005. Epic.

Vettel: hard to say, as there are so many wins that they all blur into one. Possibly Italy 2008, although Germany 2013 was fairly impressive.

I'm amazed some of you can remember so many races. I can barely remember what happened in the last one.

Off topic but you gave me a nice Schlagwort :-)

I can still remember much more details about the 1980s races and can you give most if not all of the winners back then but if you ask me to tell you the winners of recent races, I can't. It's simply blended into an overall impression of a season (with rare exceptions, of course). I must be getting old :-)

Agree. Its actually kind of common when a top car is at the back, be it qualy stuff up, pre race penalties or a first lap incident.

A good drive, but Im sure theres dozens of others from him that are better.

Lewis Hamilton was 18th after his puncture in Silverstone 2013 when he went out of pits on lap 8, Alonso and Webber pitted 2 laps after him, Kimi 3, Rosberg 4, so he didn't really even had an advantage of fresher tyres. He finished 4th 0.8s behind podium and had Parc Ferme restricted setup. Both races had leaders retire, but in Abu Dhabi there were actually 3 more DNFs total. Both races had 2 safety cars. I guess overtaking possibilities can be similar on both tracks.

I believe only the title pressure can be an explanation to rate it that highly, but then again I think Brazil 2012 put Vettel under thousand times higher pressure and he didn't crack, so if anything that race should be one of his best.

Edited by Zoetrope, 03 September 2013 - 11:03.

I believe only the title pressure can be an explanation to rate it that highly, but then again I think Brazil 2012 put Vettel under thousand times higher pressure and he didn't crack, so if anything that race should be one of his best.

I still feel that the first-lap collision with Senna was Seb's fault – he turned into the apex while Bruno was on the inside with nowhere to go. In my book, that goes down as cracking under the pressure, although admittedly his pace for the rest of the race was superb.

I still feel that the first-lap collision with Senna was Seb's fault – he turned into the apex while Bruno was on the inside with nowhere to go. In my book, that goes down as cracking under the pressure, although admittedly his pace for the rest of the race was superb.

Hamilton: Silverstone 2008 and Germany 2011 spring immediately to mind. And I agree with tifosiMac, Spa 2008 was incredible. Kimi and Lewis were in a class of their own that day. And while we're talking about controversial races, Australia 2009 wasn't bad either…

Alonso: Valencia 2012. Phenomenal drive, even if he did benefit from Vettel's alternator failure.

Kimi: Suzuka 2005. Epic.

Vettel: hard to say, as there are so many wins that they all blur into one. Possibly Italy 2008, although Germany 2013 was fairly impressive.

Vettel at Monaco 2011... amazing last few laps. Just a pity the crash came and changed everyone's perception of how good it was. I'm convinced he'd have seen it out on old tyres

Yet when Alonso comes from 9th to 2nd (5th after turn 1), he's hailed as the best driver ever.

Hmm....

We must also remember that Vettel was free to set up his car however he wanted in AD12, while everyone else had a compromised quali set-up. That helped him out a lot. Regardless, he delivered in spades, it was a great race from him.

I still feel that the first-lap collision with Senna was Seb's fault – he turned into the apex while Bruno was on the inside with nowhere to go. In my book, that goes down as cracking under the pressure, although admittedly his pace for the rest of the race was superb.

Simple question: where was Bruno Senna at the moment Sebastian Vettel started turning in?

Hint: it was not on the inside of the corner

Edited by mnmracer, 03 September 2013 - 16:27.

Some of Jenson's best races:

 

Hockenheim 2000

Austria 2003

Hockenheim 2004

Hungary 2006

Brazil 2006

China 2007

Suzuka 2011

I'd add in Hungary 2011 to that.

Nope, Schumacher did it better in Spain 96 and Belgium 98.

Indeed, managing those conditions on three wheels would have been masterful.

Depends, what we rate. Truly the best performance or just a memorable moment.

Case in point: Button. Surely Canada 2011 is perhaps his most memorable race and win of his career. But his best? Definitely not, considering he had several crashes and drive throughs during the race. He has had better races than that.

Jim Clark – Spa 1963 & Monza 1967

Graham Hill – Monaco 1965

Chris Amon – Charade 1972

Jackie Stewart – N’ring 1968

Pedro Rodriguez – BOAC 1000 1970 / Spa 1970 & Zandvoort 1971

Jacky Ickx – Spa 1000kms 1968 / N’ring 1969

Jochen Rindt – Zandvoort 1970

James Hunt – Zandvoort 1975

Niki Lauda – Monza 1976 & Long Beach 1982

Gilles Villeneuve – Monaco 1981 (even more amazing to me than Jarama)

Alain Prost – Kyalami 1982

Ayrton Senna – Estoril 1985

Nigel Mansell – Silverstone 1987

Michael  Schumacher – Barcelona 1994 & Shanghai 2006

Damon Hill – Suzuka 1994 & Hungaroring 1997

Rubens Barrichello – Hockenheim 2000 & Monza 2004

Mika Hakkinen – Suzuka 1999

JP Montoya – Monaco 2003

Kimi Raikkonen – Suzuka 2005

Fernando Alonso – Hungaroring 2003 & Singapore 2010

Felipe Massa – Interlagos 2008

Lewis Hamilton – Shanghai 2011

Sebastian Vettel – Monza 2008

Jenson Button – Montreal 2011

Nico Rosberg – Shanghai 2012

Mark Webber – Monaco 2010

Robert  Kubica – Monaco 2010