124 replies to this topic

[Kristian]

After the bizarre sight of none of the drivers on Sunday's podium looking particularly happy, I was thinking about some of the other strange podiums that I can remember.

e.g.

Jerez 1997 - Apart from the completely crazy race, and JV letting the McLarens through to win, we then had the local mayor gatecrashing the ceremony.
Austria 2002 - A chorus of boos (very unknown in F1!) and then an embarassed Schumacher putting Barrichello on the top step.
Brazil 2003 - Nobody could decide for ages whether to put Fisi or Raikkonen up as the winner, eventually deciding on the wrong one. On top of that, the 3rd place driver (Alonso) was in an ambulance.
Indy 2005 - Yet again two very awkward looking Ferrari drivers, but Tiago Montiero going completely crazy with the champagne.

Any others that stick in your minds?

[mnmracer]

mourning podiums
1994 San Marino Grand Prix: not so much strange, as the sadness was very understandable, with both Ratzenberger and Senna dying.
2002 San Marino Grand Prix: not so much strange, as the sadness was very understandable, but both Schumi's mother had died the night before.

losing winners podiums
2008 Brazilian Grand Prix: Felipe Massa had won the race, but lost the championship. Very emotional moment for the little Brazilian.
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso had finished second, but lost the championship. At least he stopped glaring. Felipe Massa was very emotional to be on the podium for his home crowd again.

[noikeee]

Monza 89, Prost won the race for McLaren, whilst having already announced he's driving for Ferrari next year. The tiffosi cheer him like he's already one of theirs, and in the emotion he throws the winning trophy into the crowd - the trophy all McLaren drivers are contractually obliged to give to the team. Ron Dennis is livid and takes ages to forgive Prost.

[Gareth]

2008 Brazilian Grand Prix: Felipe Massa had won the race, but lost the championship. Very emotional moment for the little Brazilian.

Felipe was awesome on that podium and in the post race interview. Pure class.

[Rob]

1977 Japanese Grand Prix. James Hunt won the race, Carlos Reutemann came second and Patrick Depailler was third. Hunt and Reutemann didn't join in the podium celebration leaving Depailler to celebrate with the Magneti Marelli representative. To give this some context, a local marshal and photographer had been killed earlier in the day after Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari had flipped over a guard rail, so you can understand why Hunt and Reutemann might not have wanted to celebrate.

[mnmracer]

Monza 89, Prost won the race for McLaren, whilst having already announced he's driving for Ferrari next year. The tiffosi cheer him like he's already one of theirs, and in the emotion he throws the winning trophy into the crowd - the trophy all McLaren drivers are contractually obliged to give to the team. Ron Dennis is livid and takes ages to forgive Prost.

Hamilton should have done that if he had won Brazil

[Wander]

Brazil 1982 - Nelson Piquet passes out on the top step of the podium due to dehydration. Then later both him and the 2nd placed Keke Rosberg were disqualified, making the official podium 1. Prost 2. Watson 3. Mansell.

Edited by Wander, 28 March 2013 - 10:47.

[TheWilliamzer]

Saddest podium when Schumacher won after the death of his mother. Imola 2003 IIRC.

[noikeee]

Hamilton should have done that if he had won Brazil

Would be funny, but not quite the same thing, Interlagos wasn't packed with fanatical Mercedes supporters.

[Ravenak]

Brazil 2003: wrong winner, one driver at the hospital, apocalyptic atmosphere.

Edited by Ravenak, 28 March 2013 - 11:20.

[Claudius]

Monza 89, Prost won the race for McLaren, whilst having already announced he's driving for Ferrari next year. The tiffosi cheer him like he's already one of theirs, and in the emotion he throws the winning trophy into the crowd - the trophy all McLaren drivers are contractually obliged to give to the team. Ron Dennis is livid and takes ages to forgive Prost.

Didn't know that.
Knowing what a controll freak Ron is, that was probably one of the worst things to do to him.
The thought of a tifosi having one of his trophies must have been hard...

[noikeee]

I'm getting the story from memory from what I read recently in Jo Ramirez's book, apparently the trophy was shredded to pieces by the mad crowd, so not in the hands of a single tiffosi..

[jrg19]

Stetson hats on the podium, first time or has it been done before in other series?

[Jackmancer]

[Massafan]

mourning podiums
1994 San Marino Grand Prix: not so much strange, as the sadness was very understandable, with both Ratzenberger and Senna dying.
2002 San Marino Grand Prix: not so much strange, as the sadness was very understandable, but both Schumi's mother had died the night before.

losing winners podiums
2008 Brazilian Grand Prix: Felipe Massa had won the race, but lost the championship. Very emotional moment for the little Brazilian.
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso had finished second, but lost the championship. At least he stopped glaring. Felipe Massa was very emotional to be on the podium for his home crowd again.

Don't remind...

It was really touching for me, and of course for all Felipe fans... I deplored him very, very much.

[Massafan]

Felipe was awesome on that podium and in the post race interview. Pure class.

Agree!

Unforgettable moments...

[Massafan]

Stetson hats on the podium, first time or has it been done before in other series?

Those hats were really cool. I liked that idea very much. I think, it would have been so hilarious if Chuck Norris alias Cordell Walker appeared on the podium and made the interviews...

[mnmracer]

Don't remind...

It was really touching for me, and of course for all Felipe fans... I deplored him very, very much.

Although I was rooting for Hamilton that year, I did feel very bad for Felipe.
At least I am more a fan of Felipe than of Hamilton. At least that's something for Felipe, isn't it?

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

Not 100% certain if this counts, but wasn't there a race back in......the 80's (I think) where they ended up waiting a while before going upto the podium because of the race winner actually being DQ'd?

[fdspd]

Stetson hats on the podium, first time or has it been done before in other series?

This should go under strongest podiums.

[John Player]

Stetson hats on the podium, first time or has it been done before in other series?

Probably Nascar.

[Massafan]

Although I was rooting for Hamilton that year, I did feel very bad for Felipe.
At least I am more a fan of Felipe than of Hamilton. At least that's something for Felipe, isn't it?

Absolutely, indeed... Felipe deserves to have so many fans.

[Massafan]

By the way, I think it was a so strange podium too, after an incredible race. Hamilton, Kimi, Rosberg, Massa went out of the way... What a race.

[midgrid]

Not 100% certain if this counts, but wasn't there a race back in......the 80's (I think) where they ended up waiting a while before going upto the podium because of the race winner actually being DQ'd?

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix (Senna disqualified, Nannini inheriting the win)?

[AJFIN]

Sepang 1999, Hakkinen had to sit on the podium for the most of the ceremony IIRC.

[ToXiCiTy]

Was it last year in silverstone, when some old asshole blocked the podium during national anthems?

[William Hunt]

people are forgetting Imola 1982: Didier Pironi won that race after doing a 'Vettel' on Gilles Villeneuve at the end of the race. Villeneuve had to be pushed on the podium and he was visually very angry and upset with Pironi. Michele Alboreto, driving a Tyrrell, was the 3rd man on the podium.

[DampMongoose]

Not strange as such, but I always liked the one where Piquet was mucking about behind Balestre's back and winding him up, then Senna pretending to slap Balestre when he gave him the winners trophy!

As a strange sight for a winning driver, Beltoise on the winners step at Hockenheim in 1968 for the F2 race but in floods of tears takes some watching...

[R Soul]

Was it last year in silverstone, when some old asshole blocked the podium during national anthems?

Kenneth Clarke, a politician and a daft sod.

[Jackmancer]

people are forgetting Imola 1982: Didier Pironi won that race after doing a 'Vettel' on Gilles Villeneuve at the end of the race. Villeneuve had to be pushed on the podium and he was visually very angry and upset with Pironi. Michele Alboreto, driving a Tyrrell, was the 3rd man on the podium.

Actually the Malaysian grand prix of last week reminded me a lot of Imola 1982. Not per se because of the podium but ignoring of 'hold station' between teammembers.

[Collombin]

Alan Jones was such a surprise winner of the 1977 Austrian GP that the organisers did not have a copy of the national anthem to hand. Only the true greats like Nuvolari have the foresight to carry a copy around with them.

Elio de Angelis got to meet the Rainiers on the Monaco podium in 1982 - despite finishing 5th in the race.......

[SpaMaster]

Brazil 2003 was a strange podium also because the driver who caused the red flag and had no chance of continuing got the podium due to that very action. That is wrong. The results should have discounted who first retired and awarded positions only to those who were actively running in the race at that time. Otherwise what's the penalty of committing a DNF-leading mistake? Instead, you happen to be running at P3 at that moment of time, so take this trophy?

[Sausage]

Kinda awkward always was Brazil '07 with Alonso in a Mclaren suit basicly celebrating McLaren's non-victory (well apart from himself not winning, but he looked pretty happy).

[Atreiu]

Singapore 2008, in hindsight.

And Aida 1994 for Barrichello's first of the ridiculous and goofy sambadinhas.

[razno]

Saddest podium when Schumacher won after the death of his mother. Imola 2003 IIRC.

Yeah, that was very emotional... From the moment he park to the podium hymns......

http://www.youtube.c...tailpage#t=265s

[JRizzle86]

The 2005 US Grand Prix podium was pretty strange and a little uncomfortable.

[Kop Alonso]

Stetson hats on the podium, first time or has it been done before in other series?

Keke Rosberg at Dallas in 84 wore a stetson ....

[ToXiCiTy]

Keke Rosberg at Dallas in 84 wore a stetson ....

Yes and he looked like a cowboy.

[Massafan]

Yes and he looked like a cowboy.

Like it!

[Massafan]

One more strange top3, after a fascinating, wet race. de la Rosa's first and only podium in his career.

Edited by Massafan, 28 March 2013 - 16:16.

[olliek88]

At the time this one felt a little strange, not so much with hindsight though! A Toro Rosso on the top step seemed all wrong (but brilliant) somehow!

Edited by olliek88, 28 March 2013 - 16:33.

[RealRacing]

HH 2010, embarassed Alonso and Domenicalli. Domenicalli trying to hug Felipe but he doesn't want any of it. And the post GP race conference was even worse. Priceless.

[chdphd]

At the time this one felt a little strange, not so much with hindsight though! A Toro Rosso on the top step seemed all wrong (but brilliant) somehow!

That was only Bob's third F1 race

[Zava]

That was only Bob's third F1 race

nope, that was his 36th.
his 3rd was this one:

could qualify as strange, iirc the press in the paddock already got the press release of the first retirement of Schumacher, while he was still up there.

[KnucklesAgain]

Not actually the podium yet, but it was funny when Mansell hit his head on a bridge while standing on the back of a truck that was carrying him to the podium ceremony, after winning Österreichring 1987. Video

[DampMongoose]

Not actually the podium yet, but it was funny when Mansell hit his head on a bridge while standing on the back of a truck that was carrying him to the podium ceremony, after winning Österreichring 1987. Video

Another one not actually on the podium would be Button parking the Brawn in the wrong place at Monaco and having to make his way back on Shanks' Pony...

[GiancarloF1]

Edited by GiancarloF1, 28 March 2013 - 17:23.

[ensign14]

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix (Senna disqualified, Nannini inheriting the win)?

Yes - I remember Nannini creeping out with an embarrassed smile. A shame for him, he deserved a win under better circumstances (Hungary 1990 for example).

Monza 1000km 1980. For some odd reason they only had one trophy per driving team, so when the dignitaries presented Alain de Cadenet with the 1st place trophy (as driver-constructor he deserved it), they had nothing for co-driver Desire Wilson. Fortuitously one of the winners of a sub-class had not turned up for the celebrations, so the head of the RAI said "OK, here's a trophy for you, Des..."

[chdphd]

nope, that was his 36th.
his 3rd was this one:

[Myrvold]

Stetson hats on the podium, first time or has it been done before in other series?

Every winner of NASCAR at Texas Motor Speedway. That and a shotgun, or rifle, or something like that. Yiiiihaaaa!