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Most impressive first victory by a driver


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#251 PayasYouRace

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 18:18

Maybe not most impressive, but James Hunt's first must be up there too. Dry race in the Hesketh beating Lauda in the Ferrari under pressure at the end.

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#252 byrkus

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 18:47

How about Jean-Pierre Beltoise... He scored his first and only win in very wet 1972 Monaco GP, when he led from start to finish, and in gruelling almost 2 and half hours lapped everybody except Jacky ickx, who was also excellent in the rain. And this in a BRM, for their last ever win. Excellent drive by a completely underrated driver.


#253 jj2728

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 19:07

Peter Gethin at Monza 1971 was probably the best first victory for the quality of the actual race - and not a bad shout for an impressive victory anyway, considering he lost the slipstream to the leaders fairly early on and had to claw his way back to the front.

The climax involved 5 cars all together in a mad fight, all piloted by men who had never won a WDC race, and ended up as one of the closest finishes of all time, setting a record for the fastest GP of all time (I don't think that AVUS 1937 race was a GP) that stood for 32 years.


Yes, that was a fantastic race. I remember it well. And if course it was another case of Chris Amon's incredible bad luck, if not for that tear off visor.......

#254 SR388

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 19:12

Not sure if already posted, but Kevin Harvick in 2001 at Atlanta.

Just a handful of races after Dale's death, Kevin goes and wins in his car! Beats THE Jeff Gordon to do it.




#255 bourbon

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 19:22

That car was not a Minardi. I suppose we should give Fernando Alonso the title of TDG for winning his titles in a Toleman, and slate Jacques Villeneuve for not winning in a Brawn?


I did not say it was. Read more carefully. I said that many of the on/off site crew had been with the team since the Minardi days and were experiencing their first win, so it was great for them and fans of Minardi and others that could relate to that.

---

In general, people are different ages and started (or continued) watching F1 at different times, so to think all will agree on a particular win is rather vainly hopeful.

#256 Nycco

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 20:39

Senna's is unequaled. He almost lapped everyone else.

#257 Henri Greuter

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 21:02

Can't see that it's been mentioned, but the most impressive first victory, and indeed one of the greatest drives in Grand Prix history, was Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Monaco in 1972.

He was driving a BRM P160 that, in two years of racing, and with three drivers at pretty much all races, drivers of the calibre of Lauda and Regazzoni, scored 0 other podia. He himself had the pressure of having been in F1 for over half a decade without a win, as well as the psychological trauma of being wrongly blamed for his part in Giunti's fatal accident. Plus he had an almost useless left arm after a sportscar crash in the sixties. Not the sort of set-up that would be ideal for Monte Carlo.

He also had to drive for 3 hours - no cut-off rule in those days - in the absolute teeming rain at Monaco, worse conditions than those which 12 years later would cause the race to be flagged off. One mistake on that surface could have ended in disaster.

Yet he led every single lap, and monstered the field to such an extent that he was a lap clear of the World Champion-elect, two clear of the reigning champion, four and six laps clear of two other champions in the field. There was only one man on the same lap come the end, and even that was Jacky Ickx, a renowned rainmaster, 40s back.

I've never understood why this drive is not more famous, unless it's because it was Beltoise, not one of the legends of the track.


Definitely an impressive first victory and victory in general.
Perhaps that it is downgraded because beltoise's reputation went into a nose dive after his share in the death of Ignazio Giunti at Buenos Aires?

Henri

#258 Henri Greuter

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 21:10

Has anyone noticed how often rain has been a factor in a first time victory?

Henri

#259 Kingshark

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 21:23

I'm disappointed by the lack of Canada 1978 and Hungary 2003. :p

Edited by Kingshark, 30 June 2013 - 04:44.


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#260 PayasYouRace

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 21:34

Canada 1987


:confused:

#261 Henri Greuter

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 21:39

I'm disappointed by the lack of Canada 1987 and Hungary 2003. :p



Canada '87?

Do you perhaps mean Canada '78 ??

Henri

#262 aditya-now

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 22:26

Spa 1992
Monaco 1996
Hungary 2003
Monaco 2004
Germany 2009
Spain 2012


Zolder 1980 - the gap!



...



that would be Pironi, 46 + secs ahead of the mighty Williams duo of Jones/Reutemann. Those were the days!

Celebrating 10 years posting on the BB, and 15 years reading Atlas F1

Edited by aditya-now, 29 June 2013 - 23:05.


#263 aditya-now

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Posted 29 June 2013 - 22:30

Jimmy Murphy winning the 1921 French GP.


:up:

Right! Sorry I forgot that one...

#264 Kingshark

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 04:44

Canada '87?

Do you perhaps mean Canada '78 ??

Henri

Of course, my mistake. :up:

#265 OfficeLinebacker

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 05:51

Of course the greatest ever first win by a driver was the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix.

Meh. I agree that it was impressive, and historic. But it's a little misleading to say he lapped all other competitors but one car when only nine of 30 competitors were still lapping by the end of the race.

#266 OfficeLinebacker

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 06:03

Spa 1992

A rookie beating all of them, including Senna, in changeble conditions.

Is this also the track where he'd never raced before, but rode a bicycle around it to familiarize himself with it?

#267 Sin

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 06:21

First win.... in new team.... (I am not sure if he won before in Williams)

Frentzen Magny Cours 1999 with Jordan

please understand that as what personally impressed me most.... I didnt watch all too many races either, but I was most impressed with that one...

didn't see Vettels Monza win @ Toro Rosso, but it seems quite impressive as well

Edited by Sin, 30 June 2013 - 06:22.


#268 OfficeLinebacker

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 06:41

Not sure if already posted, but Kevin Harvick in 2001 at Atlanta.

Just a handful of races after Dale's death, Kevin goes and wins in his car! Beats THE Jeff Gordon to do it.


Jamie Mac did something similar, didn't he?

#269 droiddamudi

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 07:41

Since i started watching F1 from 2000, I'd say

Monza 2008,
i was surprise vettel was able to convert pole into victory, during those time with Q3 running with fuel load, pole position was kind of irrelevant(like how ralf got pole for japan 2005), But vettel manage to increase the gap and maintain the lead, was kind of shocking to see considering it was torro rosso. That was the race i thought vettel is real deal.

Spain 2012,
If monza 2008 was surprise, then spain 2012 was downright shocking. Maldonado remind me of montoya, hot headed but really fast. Ironic considering both won for williams. That race i was waiting to see williams fall back in race(as we have seen so many times) and expected maldonado to finish outside podium and considering its Alonso's fav. track i expected Alonso to win the race with possible kimi fighting it out.

Other races worth mentioning is

Hungary 2003,
Alonso benefited by webber holding the pack till the first stop where alonso manage to create enough gap for pit stop. I consider it good race but not exceptional because circumstance allowed that particular scenario. First Alonso got pole on low fuel and webber front row running low fuel as well. The Williams and kimi were both faster than alonso and webber but carried lot more fuel during qualifying. And since its hungary you can't overtake normally.

Malaysia 2003,
Kimi started from 4th row on grid(IIRC), MS hit trulli who was in front row and thus both were down the field by the end of first lap.the ferrari was just as fast as mclaren. Kimi maintain his consistent pace throughout the race and i think he finish almost 40sec ahead by end of the race and lap upto 5th place. Mclaren was not fastest, MS set the fastest lap that race. Totally unexpected but dominant victory.

EDIT:
I forgot to add 2000 German Grand Prix
Thats was probably best win by Rubens Barrichello, what a race that was.

Edited by droiddamudi, 30 June 2013 - 07:44.


#270 Kelateboy

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 08:04

Spa 1992 and Monza 2008 would be my choices.

#271 Nonesuch

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 09:05

Yeah Barrichello in Germany 2000 was amazing.

Of the ones I've seen live, this one would probably be my choice as well. The race was of course disturbed by that clown running on the track, but Barrichello's perseverance in those tense last laps was impressive indeed.


#272 GSiebert

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 09:10

First win.... in new team.... (I am not sure if he won before in Williams)

Frentzen Magny Cours 1999 with Jordan

He had won with Williams before this (Imola '97 was his first).

#273 Music Lover

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 09:30

I'd have to go with Vettel's win. He did it in appalling conditions for a lower-echelon team in a car that wasn't supposed to be remotely competitive for a win.

+1

totally unexpected win, well done!

#274 Jackmancer

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 10:03

Kovalainen's first win must be the least impressive imo :p just benefited from Massa retirement.

#275 Collombin

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 10:15

Kovalainen's first win must be the least impressive imo :p just benefited from Massa retirement.


Yet when Gilles inherits a debut win from a far faster rival's retirement, it keeps getting nominated in the MOST impressive category!

Two yet to be mentioned, Mike Hawthorn's epic duel with Fangio at Reims, and Denny Hulme's spectacular car control display at Monaco.


#276 Mr2s

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 12:17

I have to say after having investigated what people wrote here, I find either ayrton´s first win or schumacher´s the most impressive. Ayrton because of the sheer dominance, schumacher because he beat senna in his favourite conditions, and the almighty williams of the time. None of them were gifted wins because of someone else dropping out, like gilles or massive car superiority, like barrichelo 2000.



Ahh the massively rose tinted glasses of the schumacher fan!
Mansell, Senna and Patrese got caught out with their tyre stops (Senna down to 12th), Mansell and Patrese also dropped back after their 'almighty' exhausts started to fail lol

So the usual gamble for schumacher paid off among the usual lottery that a wet race throws up.

#277 Mr2s

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 12:22

Spa 1992 and Monza 2008 would be my choices.


92 was a gamble for all concerned, and 2 faulty exhausts on Williams

#278 Outsider

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 15:05

Hungary 2003,
Alonso benefited by webber holding the pack till the first stop where alonso manage to create enough gap for pit stop. I consider it good race but not exceptional because circumstance allowed that particular scenario. First Alonso got pole on low fuel and webber front row running low fuel as well. The Williams and kimi were both faster than alonso and webber but carried lot more fuel during qualifying. And since its hungary you can't overtake normally.


since R. Schumacher passed on that same race 10+ cars, i'd say that overtaking in Hungary isn't that impossible. very good race by Alonso

#279 911

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 15:26

Meh. I agree that it was impressive, and historic. But it's a little misleading to say he lapped all other competitors but one car when only nine of 30 competitors were still lapping by the end of the race.


It still doesn't take away the fact the he lapped the 3rd place car - regardless of how many finishers there were.

It should also be noted that 7 out of the 26 drivers (not 30) - including the likes of Prost & Rosberg - actually spun off due to the wet conditions, and that the 5th (Nigel Mansell) & 6th place (Stefan Bellof) finishers were 2 laps down.