159 replies to this topic

[Essexsize]

The BBC are saying that Lewis had one of the greatest ever laps yesterday. A little OTT but I was wondering what is everyone's greatest ever laps in F1?

[Marklar]

Senna Donington 1993

Alonso Hungary 2006

[maverick69]

Senna. 1st lap. Donnington 1993.

Mansell's qualy at the British Grand Prix in 92 was pretty insane. He was quite happy to die to get pole...... And he absolutely flogged his team mate.

But Hamilton had a real corker.

[johnmhinds]

Senna's quali lap in Monaco 1988


The effortless way he catches the slide coming out of the hairpin is just stunning to watch.

[Spillage]

How about Keke Rosberg averaging 160mph around Silverstone? That must have taken balls of steel.

[scheivlak]

Jackie Stewart, first lap German GP 1968

[piket]

How about Keke putting a Williams Cosworth on pole in Brazil 1983 against the turbos.

Brazil was a pure turbo track. Would love to see that but I don't think there is any footage of that.

[Ellios]

This is a lot of fun to watch :

 

 

[maverick69]

How about Keke Rosberg averaging 160mph around Silverstone? That must have taken balls of steel.

I love the fact that he casually smoked a ciggie and said "Let's do this......."

Balls of steel.

[ensign14]

Stirling Moss, Mille Miglia 1955.

[Jovanotti]

Greatest ever laps: Fangio's last win, Nürburgring 1957. Lost heaps of time in the pits and had to chase down the leading Ferrari's of Collins and Hawthorn. Broke the lap record for 9 consecutive laps, bettering it by 23 (!) seconds, ultimately winning the race.

"That day I made such demands on myself that I couldn't sleep for two nights afterwards. I was in such a state that whenever I shut my eyes, it was as if I were in the race again, making those leaps in the dark on those curves where I had never before had the courage to push things so far.”

"For two days I experienced delayed-action apprehension at what I had done, a feeling that had never come over me after any other race, a feeling that still returns to me this day when I think about that time. I had never driven as I drove then, but I also knew I'd never be able to go so fast again – ever.”

[1Devil1]

My biased view: Schumacher Monaco 1996, pole lap

[7WDC]

Monaco Pole 1996 - Schumacher

Suzuka Pole 2001 - Schumacher

Monaco Pole 1988 - Senna

Silverstone Pole 1992 - Mansell

[dweller23]

Senna's quali lap in Monaco 1988


The effortless way he catches the slide coming out of the hairpin is just stunning to watch.

This is not 1988 though, 1988 car had no onboard camera, and the TV director cut off Senna's lap after his 2 attempts were destroyed by people going slowly (and he nailed it on the 3rd attempt). It's even subtitled as 1989 in the movie. But yeah, 1988 lap had to be something great.

Edited by dweller23, 11 July 2016 - 09:01.

[jals99]

Pole lap of Jarno-Monaco 2004

[asdf24]

Alonso 2007 Silverstone P3 lap

[Brod]

Alonso 2011 Barcelona P4 Lap was quite impressive (so was his start).

[ensign14]

Greatest ever laps: Fangio's last win, Nürburgring 1957. Lost heaps of time in the pits and had to chase down the leading Ferrari's of Collins and Hawthorn. Broke the lap record for 9 consecutive laps, bettering it by 23 (!) seconds, ultimately winning the race.

 

To be fair, the Ring had been resurfaced and I think everyone broke the lap record.  Edgar Barth's practice time in a Formula 2 car would have had him on the front row in 1956.  

 

I did some maths once and worked out Fangio's rate of gain on Hawthorn/Collins was similar to Mansell's on Piquet at Silverstone 1987.  Mansell gained just over a second a lap; Fangio's gain averaged out at 4.5 seconds per lap - on a lap that was 4.5 times longer.    

[chunder27]

Blundell Le Mans in the Nissan for pole

 

Marquez at COTA in 2015 for pole again.

 

Doohan at Assen in 98, taking pole from Crafar on a track that was wet in places.

 

 

the 70 odd laps that Villeneuve held of the field at Jarama in 81.

[Dicun]

How about Keke Rosberg averaging 160mph around Silverstone? That must have taken balls of steel.

 

 

I love the fact that he casually smoked a ciggie and said "Let's do this......."

Balls of steel.

 

You guys have beaten me to it, I was just about to post the exact same thing 

 

What a shame there is no footage of the actual lap apparently 

[CountDooku]

It's not a lap but Seb's post-safety car stint in Singapore (2013?) was something to behold. It was in the dry and he was 2 seconds faster than everyone, even his team mate. Int he f-ing dry!

Edited by CountDooku, 11 July 2016 - 09:49.

[HopkinsonF1]

I believe the BBC article that the original poster is referring to was talking about the greatest opening racing laps, rather than qualifying laps. 

 

With that in mind, I'd probably suggest Alonso's first lap at the 2012 European Grand Prix. He made up five places in a single lap, on a track where passing was so difficult that an entire race (2009) once happened there with no overtakes at all. 

[RECKLESS]

Häkkinen Imola 2000 for sure!

[realracer200]

Jean Alesi at Monza in 1990, I remember he was overtaking Ferraris in a Tyrell.

[Youichi]

You guys have beaten me to it, I was just about to post the exact same thing 

 

What a shame there is no footage of the actual lap apparently 

 

Then we need mind reading, as I was stood at Club, and can still picture him comming past, visually quicker than anyone else that day.

[pUs]

No idea if it was the greatest ever lap, but I really liked Kimi's pole lap at Monza 2005. Considering the fuel load he had he was just a class of his own.

[Jovanotti]

To be fair, the Ring had been resurfaced and I think everyone broke the lap record. Edgar Barth's practice time in a Formula 2 car would have had him on the front row in 1956.

I did some maths once and worked out Fangio's rate of gain on Hawthorn/Collins was similar to Mansell's on Piquet at Silverstone 1987. Mansell gained just over a second a lap; Fangio's gain averaged out at 4.5 seconds per lap - on a lap that was 4.5 times longer.

Interesting insights, didn't know about that. Cheers !

[scheivlak]

I believe the BBC article that the original poster is referring to was talking about the greatest opening racing laps, rather than qualifying laps. 

 

 

That makes even a stronger case for Jackie Stewart opening lap at the 'Ring in 1968.

[ensign14]

Moving a little bit aside from F1 again...

 

...Indianapolis 500 1983.  The qualifying is unusual.  You have 4 days on which you can qualify.  Slight problem.  The first two days are rained off.  So there is only one weekend to qualify.  Saturday, the conditions are not brilliant, but 33 drivers set a time.  A couple at the bottom settle rubbish speeds of around 180, when pole is well north of 200.   Many fast drivers wait for the Sunday to give it a better go.

 

Only the weather is worse.  In fact, the track does not open till 3.  Gary Bettenhausen gives it a go.  Looks good for over 190 but waves off his run; after all, there are so many other drivers who will bump him out of the field.

 

Just after 4pm, an Aussie called Dennis Firestone gives it a go.  He's not an Indy neophyte, in fact he was 10th in 1981, but his Indycar record is distinctly second division.  

 

At Indy you do 4 laps to qualify.  You can wave off after 3 and have a second or third go and that's your lot.  Firestone is on his third attempt.  Three laps into his run, Firestone is fast enough to make the field.  

 

Then it starts to rain.

 

I say rain.  More monsoon.

 

So, you have Firestone, not the greatest driver around, handling a staggered Indycar, on slick tyres, in a thunderclap, with concrete walls all around him, knowing that he has to complete this lap to get in the biggest race in the world...

[scheivlak]

Blundell Le Mans in the Nissan for pole

 

Marquez at COTA in 2015 for pole again.

 

Doohan at Assen in 98, taking pole from Crafar on a track that was wet in places.

 

 

OP: "greatest ever lap in F1". 

 

Non F1 should be Jacky Ickx' opening lap at the Spa 1000km race, when he took more than half a minute on the rest of the field in the first lap alone (!) in his "old" Ford GT40 in the pouring rain.

[KTownDevil]

Schumacher 1996 Monaco pole

Vettel 2011 Melbourne pole

Senna Monaco 1988 pole

Rosberg Silverstone 1985 pole

[ANF]

This is not 1988 though, 1988 car had no onboard camera, and the TV director cut off Senna's lap after his 2 attempts were destroyed by people going slowly (and he nailed it on the 3rd attempt). It's even subtitled as 1989 in the movie. But yeah, 1988 lap had to be something great.

But it's actually from 1990 (...). Here's another lap on the official F1 channel:

Edited by ANF, 11 July 2016 - 11:26.

[MCR]

https://m.youtube.co...h?v=Q9Pzt15eDEg


Schumacher Argentina 96

Alonso had a couple of poles in 2012 in the wet, silverstone and I think hockenheim which were spectacular

.

Edited by MCR, 11 July 2016 - 11:18.

[Kristian]

Greatest ever laps: Fangio's last win, Nürburgring 1957. Lost heaps of time in the pits and had to chase down the leading Ferrari's of Collins and Hawthorn. Broke the lap record for 9 consecutive laps, bettering it by 23 (!) seconds, ultimately winning the race.

 

Yep one of those for me. 

 

Nobody in the modern era will ever have such an achievement along those lines, especially as back then there were no computers to help you, and an error meant death.  

[PayasYouRace]

Greatest ever laps: Fangio's last win, Nürburgring 1957. Lost heaps of time in the pits and had to chase down the leading Ferrari's of Collins and Hawthorn. Broke the lap record for 9 consecutive laps, bettering it by 23 (!) seconds, ultimately winning the race.

Goes to show how under the limit drivers drove in those days and how brave you had to be to approach that limit. Especially at the Nurburgring!

[chunder27]

Barry Sheene at Spa in 76 lapping at an average of 136 odd mph!  Imagine a 2 stroke 500 on the old SPA!

 

Any of McGuinness, Dunlops or the modern TT riders record laps.

 

Steve Hislop lapping Donington Park on a year old Ducati superbike, quicker than Rossi did on an RCV211!

 

Dave Thorpe at Hawkstone years back on a 500 last on the first bend, about 5th after one lap!

 

Ryan Villopoto on a 250 in MX of Nations, about 3 seconds in front after the first lap beating guys on 250 AND 450 bikes from the rest of the world!  Astonishing!

[thefinalapex]

Schumacher at spa '97 more then 10 seconds a laps quicker then the rest.

 

Schumacher suzuka 2006 Q2 the only one to go under 90 seconds with a 1:28.9

 

Maldonado a lap without crashing

[BuddyHolly]

Senna, Monaco qualifying 1988.

 

/thread

[messy]

Hakkinen at Monza, 1999 I think? He said it was his best ever lap, and from such a fearsome qualifier that's quite something.

Inch perfect, carrying unbelievable speed through, pretty special. Shame he messed up the race the following day.

[sennafan24]

Senna Donington 1993

Alonso Hungary 2006

Barring qualifying performances.

 

I'll second this. 

 

Edit: Lewis's opening lap at Austria 2014 was pretty dope. 

Edited by sennafan24, 11 July 2016 - 15:11.

[chunder27]

Original thread title is greatest lap ever, so forgive the non F1 posts.

 

But they are still great laps!

[Laster]

I always find the suggestion of Senna's opening lap at Donnington in 93 being the best as odd. It was a great lap, but look down at Rubens starting in I think it was 12th that day in a Jordan and rising to 4th on that same lap, and I'm more inclined to say that was a better lap, and I'm sure there have been better.

[thefinalapex]

I always find the suggestion of Senna's opening lap at Donnington in 93 being the best as odd. It was a great lap, but look down at Rubens starting in I think it was 12th that day in a Jordan and rising to 4th on that same lap, and I'm more inclined to say that was a better lap, and I'm sure there have been better.

 

And not to forget that mclaren and williams where the only cars to run TC i believe.

[milestone 11]

Michael Dunlop Superbike TT lap record TT'16

[7MGTEsup]

First lap of 1989 Australian grand prix Senna lead by 9 seconds.

[Baddoer]

Thread officially sponsored by FOM.

[George Costanza]

No contest. Ayrton Senna 1988 Monaco. We won't set that again. Ever. For race laps.... Hmmm. I gotta think.

[Ramses1348]

No contest. Ayrton Senna 1988 Monaco. We won't set that again. Ever. For race laps.... Hmmm. I gotta think.

 

any lap schumacher did between lap 21 and the end of the race in Spain in 1994, while stuck in 5th gear and still taking the car home in 2nd place, is surely a decent candidate !

[Rhardrks]

Alonso 2007 Silverstone P3 lap

 

Fuel corrected it would have been pole on the harder tyre. Raikkonen would have been P2 too with his fuel load.

Edited by Rhardrks, 11 July 2016 - 16:43.

[screamingV16]

I'm another one for Keke Rosberg at Silverstone 1985 and Senna at Monaco in 1988.