I noticed some spirited discussions on the 'Mathematical Model' thread regarding Schumacher's best race vs Senna's.
What about all time Best GP drives?
I've entitled it GP rather than F1 or WC to embrace pre-war races too.
Here are my thoughts on a top 10 in chronological order.
1935 Nuvolari Nurburgring
1957 Fangio Nurburgring
1961 Moss Monaco
1961 Moss Nurburgring
1963 Clark Spa
1967 Clark Monza
1968 Stewart Nurburgring
1981 Villeneuve Jarama
1985 Senna Estoril
2008 Vettel Monza
My thought process was to identify races where a driver had demolished the opposition. In the case of Nuvolari, Moss, Villeneuve and Vettel a driver beat the others whilst driving a notably inferior car. Clark (Spa) and Stewart both won in the wet by over 4 minutes Clark finishing around 14 km ahead of 2nd placed McClaren having lapped the entire field and then allowing McClaren to unlap himself just before the end. This in a car which was jumping out of 5th gear forcing him to steer one-handed around the 5th gear corners at 150mph + whilst holding the gear lever in. For Senna's first win in atrocious conditions he finished over a minute in front of Alboreto and at least a lap in front of everyone else.
Clark's Monza race and Fangio's were both incredible recovery drives after losing time in the pits. Fangio said "I have never driven that quickly before in my life and I don't think I will ever be able to do it again". Clark's was perhaps more remarkable recovering over a lap on the entire field at pre-chicane Monza where everyone slipstreamed each other and where, 5 years later, the gap from 1st to 4th was a massive 18/100 of a second with 5th a huge 43/100 further back.
I'm sure there will be plenty of other opinions and, hopefully, some good arguments!
Edited by ahw911, 23 July 2014 - 15:47.