48 replies to this topic

[Newbrray]

The 2014 season just concluded and we have 19 more races to choose from for our Top F1 races.

 

There were so many to choose from and and I have limited the choices to 2011 - 2014 and also enabled you to be able to pick 3 of your best races.

 

Please bear with me as the list only contains races I personally think were of a great spectacle and provided an entertainment factor to the general public. I understand that some people best races might not be on the list but I think this list is more than fair enough and will most probably tally with others opinion.

 

The rationale for picking a race from my perspective is based on the following

 

Spectacle created either through Tyre strategy, safety car, weather conditions

Astonishing drives that showcased a drivers skill

did the whole field contribute to the race to ensure a spectacle or was it just a drive between the leaders or a particular group of drivers

Also consider the occasion and importance of that particular race, title decider, was it a battle for the WDC or WCC lead between drivers of respective teams or was it a home race for a team or driver that put added pressure on them 

 

I would like you to consider it from a neutral perspective and not from that of a favorite team or driver, a very good example I can make is that I am a Lewis / Mercedes fan and it would have been so easy to pick Bahrain 2014 as one of my choices but I considered a few other things e.g. Though the race was spectacular and a show case for Formula 1, how much of this spectacle was really witnessed prior to the last 12 Laps of that race, this made me re-assess my choices and look at it from a neutral perspective and lean towards races where overtakes were occurring all over the field at every single point of the race and no one could predict till the last 2 Laps what the podium might have looked like.

 

To give a bit more background to the races in case some of you have forgotten them, I have provided a summary below

 

 

 

2011 Chinese Grand Prix - 1st time in a race where teams discovered lottery or the Pirelli  tyres, Webber starts 18th  & battle between Hamilton & Vettel  

 

2011 Canadian Grand Prix - Changing weather conditions, safety cars, tyre strategies, crashes, and yeah of course Jenson Buttons drive

 

2012 Valencia Grand Prix – Safety Cars, Alonso drags a ****-box in his home race, Pits-stop mishaps, and reliability issues

 

2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Safety cars, Vettel starts from the Pitlane, Kimi’s ascendancy, Hamilton woes

 

2012 Brazilian Grand Prix – Title decider, weather conditions, McLarens battle, Vettel 1^st lap crash, Schumachers last race

 

2013 British Grand Prix -  Pirelli blow-outs make for chaotic race, safety cars, numerous overtakes

 

2014 Bahrain Grand Prix – Safety car, the battle of the Mercs, the Battle of the Bulls, tyre strategy (Remember Ldm taxi cab comments)

 

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix  - Weather conditions, safety cars, Hamilton starts from pit-lane, crashes and more crashes

Edited by Newbrray, 28 November 2014 - 12:10.

[Kristian]

I put Bahrain as 3rd choice, but personally I preferred Canada this year. 

[Newbrray]

I put Bahrain as 3rd choice, but personally I preferred Canada this year. 

 

Personally I think 2014 Canada was okay but not of the same caliber as the others. only notable thing was really the Mercs battery problems and Ricciardo getting his first F1 win.

 

I would rank it on the same level as 2014 Canadian Grand Prix.

[Exb]

Some great races there!!!!

1 and 2 are quite easy for me to pick - Canada 2011 and Brazil 2012. 3rd choice gets tricky and I've already changed my mind twice, between China 2011 and Bahrain 2014. Then I realised if I picked China that would make it 3 McLaren wins and that looks horribly biased as I'm trying to go for an entertaining race, regardless of who won (also I have a feeling I may be mixing parts of China 2012 in with it which also had some fun moments...). I think I may settle on Bahrain 2014 although I don't neccessarily think that was even the best race this year (Canada) so maybe not...(it had a great final few laps but apart from that was similar to a lot of other races this year - good but maybe not great???) (What am I missing with Hungary 2014, I seem to have blanked it out of my mind? Riccardo won, an early safety car ruined the race for the original leaders but apart from that I don't really remember much, maybe I will have to revisit it).

Abu Dhabi and Valencia 2012 were also fantastic races with lots of action throughout the entire field and race, always exciting but both also have a shadow over them that the best car retired from the lead and in my books thats a negative, even if the racing elsewhere was great.

[Kristian]

Personally I think 2014 Canada was okay but not of the same caliber as the others. only notable thing was really the Mercs battery problems and Ricciardo getting his first F1 win.

 

 

True but I just enjoyed the drama of the whole race-  I was standing up for most of it, and I really enjoyed seeing Rosberg's mastery of what was a very sick car. Overall i found the experience a tad more satisfying than other races this year. 

 

That's the thing about 'favourite' races - its very subjective, so a poll with a user's top picks will likely exclude races that a lot of others might vote for. 

 

Hell, some people voted Abu Dhabi 10/10 last week....... 

[BullHead]

2011 monaco should be a choice too

[Exb]

2011 monaco should be a choice too

Fantastic race but the late safety car ruined it as it totally changed the dynamic - it would have been fascinating to see what would have happened without it.

[Disgrace]

One of my favourite races isn't here either, which is the 2011 German GP.

 

Allow me to get into the bah humbug spirit by saying that Canada 2011 is one of the all-time most overrated races. It was started behind the safety car and left out for ages before Charlie dawdled on red-flagging the race and wasted more racing laps behind it. Then he left it out yet again after the race restarted. Button's brilliant recovery, and of course that final lap which is all everyone remembers, was tempered by watching Schumacher's comeback podium being robbed from him by DRS. Don't forget that at the time, we didn't know whether Button would keep his victory pending a stewards inquiry. The race was mainly a farce.

[Newbrray]

One of my favourite races isn't here either, which is the 2011 German GP.

 

Allow me to get into the bah humbug spirit by saying that Canada 2011 is one of the all-time most overrated races. It was started behind the safety car and left out for ages before Charlie dawdled on red-flagging the race and wasted more racing laps behind it. Then he left it out yet again after the race restarted. Button's brilliant recovery, and of course that final lap which is all everyone remembers, was tempered by watching Schumacher's comeback podium being robbed from him by DRS. The race was mainly a farce.

 

If we apply that same logic (safety car & DRS) it will render a lot of races on that list to normal races, Safety cars are a lottery which I accept but I think they create more of a spectacle when they occur than diminish the race.

 

Canada 2011 with regards to safety, I don't think we can blame Charlie for starting the race behind a safety car (I do admit my opinion is influenced with the hindsight of Japan 2014 Jules incident)

 

I don't mind DRS and to be honest it has been a feature since 2011 in all races, I know this particular one was tough on Schumacher but its the same for everyone else. What I can agree with is I think they had 2 DRS zones that year one after the other and maybe this was an overkill on a power track like Canada but am not a critic of  DRS in itself 

Edited by Newbrray, 28 November 2014 - 12:50.

[Anderis]

2012 Chinese GP.- The biggest amount of epic wheel-to-wheel fights I've ever seen in a single F1 race.

 

2011 Chinese GP comes second, because with something like a third of a race to go, there were still 5 drivers with realistic chance of winning a race. It was everything on the edge with various strategies from front-running drivers.

[Newbrray]

2011 monaco should be a choice too

 

This is one race where I think the safety car reduced the spectacle

[Tourgott]

From this list definitely 2012 Brazil.

 

Action, excitement (Vettel) + emotion (Schumacher)

[Disgrace]

If we apply that same logic (safety car & DRS) it will render a lot of races on that list to normal races, Safety cars are a lottery which I accept but I think they create more of a spectacle when they occur than diminish the race.

 

There is no spectacle to watching the cars drive around behind the safety car when they could otherwise be racing, or simply parked in order to preserve the remaining amount of racing laps. In fact there are three races on this list I outright disliked, and the inclusion of the 2013 British GP is extremely misguided, so I cannot unfortunately cast any vote.

[Dan333SP]

Voted for Canada 2011. Helps that I was there and got to cheer against Vettel/for Schumacher. The rain delay wasn't fun, and I considered heading back to the hotel, but I'm glad I stayed!

[Newbrray]

There is no spectacle to watching the cars drive around behind the safety car when they could otherwise be racing, or simply parked in order to preserve the remaining amount of racing laps. In fact there are three races on this list I outright disliked, and the inclusion of the 2013 British GP is extremely misguided, so I cannot unfortunately cast any vote.

 

Am not referring to the safety car itself going around the track but rather the options it fosters with regards to strategies, early/late pit-calls etc

[Kobasmashi]

While Canada 2011 was incredibly entertaining, Button's drive is overrated. He was fortunate to get a safety car to lessen the blow of his crash with Alonso, which was his fault. Yes his recovery afterwards was extraordinary but I do take it with a pinch of salt, particularly since Hamilton in the sister McLaren was clearly faster but had one of his typically unhinged 2011 races. I was also hoping Kobayashi could steal a podium place most of the way through the race too. 

 

I agree with Disgrace about Nurburgring 2011. A race with a genuine sustained battle for the lead, particularly between multiple constructors, is surely worth including on this list. For that same reason I voted Bahrain 2014 top, because not only was there a battle royale for the lead, the battle was between two neck-and-neck Championship contenders.

 

My choices were: 1st Bahrain 2014, 2nd China 2011, 3rd Canada 2011.

[WitnessX]

One of my favourite races isn't here either, which is the 2011 German GP.

 

Allow me to get into the bah humbug spirit by saying that Canada 2011 is one of the all-time most overrated races. It was started behind the safety car and left out for ages before Charlie dawdled on red-flagging the race and wasted more racing laps behind it. Then he left it out yet again after the race restarted. Button's brilliant recovery, and of course that final lap which is all everyone remembers, was tempered by watching Schumacher's comeback podium being robbed from him by DRS. Don't forget that at the time, we didn't know whether Button would keep his victory pending a stewards inquiry. The race was mainly a farce.

details...details..!

 

The poll does ask for "favourite" race which is a bit like asking for your favourite colour, it's a gut feeling and doesn't have to make sense.

 

Irrelevant of "what happened to your favourite driver" it was pure entertainment - drama, action, goodies and baddies (interchangeable between fans), Ben Hur meets Star Wars. Don't forget that at the time people were getting tired of "the finger".

[TomNokoe]

Spain 2011 was also decent.

[Nonesuch]

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix is the only one on this list of which I can vividly recall what transpired. Even if the outcome wasn't to my liking, it was still a gripping race.

 

Some of the others are unfortunately marred by the influence of the safety car, which some seem to like but I most certainly do not.

[MotorsportFerrari]

2012 Valencia: Alonso showed how to race in Formula 1. A textbook performance.

 

2012 Hockenheim: Alonso fended off Vettel and Button who had a much faster cars. Alonso's technique was brilliant. 

[robefc]

Couple of posters mentioning that all the excitement of the Bahrain GP was in the last few laps...perhaps worth paying attention to laps 18&19 ;-)

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/26906728

[OO7]

Couple of posters mentioning that all the excitement of the Bahrain GP was in the last few laps...perhaps worth paying attention to laps 18&19 ;-)

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/26906728

When was the last time we witnessed such an intense and sustained battle for the lead as we saw in that race?

[paulogman]

2012 Spanish grand prix


Williams win

[SophieB]

One of my favourite races isn't here either, which is the 2011 German GP.

 

 

Excellent choice.

 

[TomNokoe]

When was the last time we witnessed such an intense and sustained battle for the lead as we saw in that race?

In terms of on track action, I believe this has to surely be the race of the century, or just about up there.


USA 2012 also reflects a sustained battle in terms of proximity on track.

[JonnyJ]

Going to be mostly biased here and go for 

 

Bahrain 14

Brazil 12

Britain 13

 

Agree with others that Germany 11 should be there. I also really enjoyed USA 12 as it was one of the races where it was so evenly matched upfront and Lewis looked destined never to quite get into that DRS zone. Jenson's drive in Canada was decent, but i had a power cut midway through and missed it live! I was still sulking from him taking Lewis out anyway...

 

Bahrain wins it because, as a Lewis fan, it was incredibly tense, to the point i was on my knees in the final laps. I couldnt believe he held on.

[MikeV1987]

Favorite has to Brazil 12' 

 

Initially, I was pissed to see Senna dive bomb Vettel and nearly end his race, but watching the latter drive through the field with a huge hole on the rear-side of his car was exciting and a nail biter

Edited by MikeV1987, 28 November 2014 - 18:46.

[Scuderia312]

1. 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix - in my opinion the best f1 race of 2000s, it had everything, starting from Vettel being spun on the first lap to the final laps in which title outcome was still in doubt, Alonso's double overtake, two McLarens battling for the lead, Hulkenberg's stellar performance, a lot of overtaking, many lead changes, some collisions, some dramatic moments (such as Alonso nearly losing it on slicks on the damp track late on) and that yellow-flag controversy afterwards, it will be extremely, extremely hard to beat that race.

 

2. 2012 European Grand Prix - the starting positions of the top four finishers: 11th, 5th, 13th, 19th. It says a lot, Alonso winning having failed to qualify to Q3, making good moves along the way, a lot of drama like Vettel retiring from the lead after the safety car or Hamilton/Maldonado collision. A great amount of fantastic overtakes, drama from start to finish and a lot of unexpected results.

 

3. 2012 United States Grand Prix - that race should be watched by the young drivers as the blockbuster to how fight and overtake. Countless on-the-edge moves (for example Raikkonen on Hulkenberg or Button on Raikkonen), lead fight throughout the race between a championship leader and soon-to-be-former McLaren driver that ended with an overtaking manouvre.

[George Costanza]

Brazil 2012 on that list, IMO. One of the top races ever.

 

German GP 2012 was a good one.

[sv401]

particularly since Hamilton in the sister McLaren was clearly faster but had one of his typically unhinged 2011 races.

 

Hamilton's race was mostly fine until the incident with Button (who was behind at that point). I do not remember for sure whose fault it was, though.

[Button4life]

Canada 2011 was 1 of the best races ever in my opinion. So it's 1st for me

1. Canada 2011

2. Valancia 2012

3. Silverstone 2013(I really enjoyed that race)

[Risil]

2013 British Grand Prix? You're kidding right?

Other 7 were magnificent races. Have fond memories of Germany 2011, Malaysia and United States 2012 and Canada 2014 as well.

[SpartanChas]

Voted Canada 11 as top but it was close between that and Brazil 12. Germany 11 should be there though... 

[Button4life]

2013 British Grand Prix? You're kidding right?

Other 7 were magnificent races. Have fond memories of Germany 2011, Malaysia and United States 2012 and Canada 2014 as well.

I really enjoyed the race. More than other races. Maybe because I watched it with a few friends.

[Risil]

I really enjoyed the race. More than other races. Maybe because I watched it with a few friends.

 

I can see how that would help! I really enjoyed the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix but that was mostly down to the fact that there was sunny weather outside and I ate a nice lunch while it was going on.

 

I was more talking about the thread owner suggesting a lot of users might have it in their top seven.

Edited by Risil, 28 November 2014 - 22:13.

[Nonesuch]

There is no spectacle to watching the cars drive around behind the safety car when they could otherwise be racing, or simply parked in order to preserve the remaining amount of racing laps.

 
I knew from reading that list that I had either become too negative about F1, or that something else was up. Turns out that all but one of these races featured - for lack of a better word - the safety car:

• 2011 Chinese Grand Prix (No safety car)
• 2011 Canadian Grand Prix (Six safety car phases, for a total of 32 of 70 laps behind the safety car).
• 2012 European Grand Prix (One safety car phase, for a total of 5 of 57 laps)
• 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Two safety car phases, for a total of 10 of 55 laps).
• 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix (Two safety car phases, for a total of 9 of 71 laps).
• 2013 British Grand Prix (Two safety car phases, for a total of 10 of 52 laps)
• 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix (One safety car phase, for a total of 6 of 57 laps).
• 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix (Two safety car phases, for a total of 10 of 70 laps).

To each his own, of course, but more often than not I think the safety car detracts from, and sometimes even ruins, the race - especially if it makes an appearance at a moment where the different strategies would be most notable.

[smr]

Canada

Canada

Canada

2011

So good it needed 3 votes

[smr]

One of my favourite races isn't here either, which is the 2011 German GP.

 

Allow me to get into the bah humbug spirit by saying that Canada 2011 is one of the all-time most overrated races. It was started behind the safety car and left out for ages before Charlie dawdled on red-flagging the race and wasted more racing laps behind it. Then he left it out yet again after the race restarted. Button's brilliant recovery, and of course that final lap which is all everyone remembers, was tempered by watching Schumacher's comeback podium being robbed from him by DRS. Don't forget that at the time, we didn't know whether Button would keep his victory pending a stewards inquiry. The race was mainly a farce.

 

It was thee most emotional race of all time for me, from complete down and out despair to absolute ecstacy which resulted me jumping off my sofa, about falling backwards and hitting the wall and then proceeding to jump around the living room going like I'd won the lottery.

I didn't even mind the red flag!

[Exb]

I can see how that would help! I really enjoyed the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix but that was mostly down to the fact that there was sunny weather outside and I ate a nice lunch while it was going on.

To be fair Hungary 2011 was also a great race!!! (and better than Silverstone 2013 in my opinion)

[RosannaG]

Brazil 2012... Vettel wins the championship and Schumi retires... It was such an emotional moment for me... 

 

 

[scheivlak]

To be fair Hungary 2011 was also a great race!!! (and better than Silverstone 2013 in my opinion)

Silverstone 2013 would not even be in my top 40 from those years. It was a failed GP.

Canada 2014 should have been included instead!

 

Voted 1. Brazil 2012; 2. Canada 2011 (though I have to say that's maybe because I can skip easily now through that far too long SC period after the restart) and 3. the 2014 Hungarian GP. Really liked most of the other nominated ones as well, as well as the 2013 Hungarian GP - easily the best one of that rather meagre year.

[Fastcake]

Canada 11

Bahrain 14

Brazil 12

 

Great races all.

[Exb]

Silverstone 2013 would not even be in my top 40 from those years. It was a failed GP.
Canada 2014 should have been included instead!
 
Voted 1. Brazil 2012; 2. Canada 2011 (though I have to say that's maybe because I can skip easily now through that far too long SC period after the restart) and 3. the 2014 Hungarian GP. Really liked most of the other nominated ones as well, as well as the 2013 Hungarian GP - easily the best one of that rather meagre year.

I don't disagree about Silverstone - it was a bit of a farce and probably should have been stopped on safety grounds. Maybe an extreme view but watching Alonso only just missing a huge accident and bits of tyre hitting Kimi was pretty scary and so close to a disaster (let alone the risk of an accident from a puncture in the first place). And from a sporting point of view it was a lottery of a race anyway. I was watching it at a family bbq (with people who dislike F1 and generally take the micky out of it - and me for watching it ) and I can't say I could defend it from them that day

Last year is pretty short on classics - although Bahrain was pretty good.

[BullHead]

Yeah, agree. Silverstone was tense and interesting, but really a debacle of a race and not a classic. Malaysia and Germany stand out that year for me. Korea was fun.

[superden]

Any of the above that did not take place in 2013.

[HoldenRT]

I wish there was an easy way to rewatch these races.  I'm sure I'd vote differently if I could remember them properly.  Most enjoyed in recent memory was Hungary this year.  But I know there's been plenty to choose from in the last 5 years, ust can't bloody remember them.

 

When I first started watching F1 I could remember every race but over the years they all sort of blend together into one foggy memory. 

[BullHead]

I wish there was an easy way to rewatch these races.  I'm sure I'd vote differently if I could remember them properly.  Most enjoyed in recent memory was Hungary this year.  But I know there's been plenty to choose from in the last 5 years, ust can't bloody remember them.

 

When I first started watching F1 I could remember every race but over the years they all sort of blend together into one foggy memory. 

 

Yeah, same here...

http://www.huwselby.com/f1/f1vids.htm

[SenorSjon]

I wish there was an easy way to rewatch these races. I'm sure I'd vote differently if I could remember them properly. Most enjoyed in recent memory was Hungary this year. But I know there's been plenty to choose from in the last 5 years, ust can't bloody remember them.

When I first started watching F1 I could remember every race but over the years they all sort of blend together into one foggy memory.

I have exactly the same. I can remember old races well, but the post '06 ones just doesn't stick. Guess the changed rules got to me.

[staycool2014]

2012 brazil for me, McLaren duo fighting a Force India for the win