Indeed. I think the 2013 British Grand Prix was also important in this regard as it seemed to draw the line under the mad tyre experimentation that had characterized Pirelli's stint as sole supplier up to that point.
If that race had been in the poll I would've picked it! Malaysia 2012 is probably the only other really great race missing from the list.
It's interesting to me to look back through these races and see why some stand out for me while some don't. In most of the ones I remember, total chaos was involved.
Most of the 2010 races were rather stale and predictable, which is funny because I have memories of 2010 as a great season. Canada and Korea that year stand out for being utter pandemonium, though. I was awake until 5:40 AM US time to see Korea reach its conclusion... one wonders what happened to the Sebastian Vettel who climbed from his car smiling at the cameras that race in spite of knowing he'd probably just lost the championship.
You can't really recount 2011 without recounting Canada, which is probably the ultimate as far as races you expect to see featured in 'best ever' compilations decades from now. I don't remember many other races for being notable that year except Hungary, when it seemed like anyone in a top car was going to win, and then Button did. I also liked China that year, which I remember for everyone pitting what felt like every ten laps and some unfortunate Lotus driver leading a DRS train of like nine cars down the front straight, only to be overtaken left right and center once the tyres hit the infamous 'cliff'.
2012 had loads of good races. I mentioned Malaysia above (the day a Sauber almost won!), but others missing from the poll are China (Mercedes scores the first of its 3,000 impending victories) and Spain (wtf). I must also confess that I didn't pick Valencia 2012 for Alonso winning (more on this later) as much as I did for the memory of Schumacher holding off a train of DRS-enabled cars for several laps to hang onto third. Abu Dhabi was surprisingly entertaining that year as well, as was the USGP and the finale in Brazil, which is probably only equalled by the 2008 race there as far as thrilling conclusions go.
From here on out it sort of becomes a haze. 2013 was dire as far as good races went, but it did have Silverstone, which sticks out in my memory for Steve Matchett repeatedly shouting, "ANOTHER LEFT REAR!!" every time a tyre went down. I miss your enthusiasm, Steve. Please come back. Maybe to Indycar (European Nigerian Indycar viewers may know him as C'MON SON guy).
The only good race I remember from 2014 was Hungary, which I also remember as being similar to its 2011 edition. I also remember it because even though I was president of the Anti-Alonso Club at the time I was hardcore cheering him on. While I have since warmed to him and come to respect his abilities, I've never agreed that the Ferraris Alonso drove were sh!tboxes and I'm still skeptical of the mythology surrounding his performances in them (the Valencia 2012 race in particular being peak Nandomania). That being said, their 2014 car was certifiably one of the most sh!t Ferraris in a long time (in terms of looks and performance), and that bastard damn near won a race in it, in the damp, holding off a Red Bull and two freakin' world-conquering 2014-edition Mercedes while on 300-lap old tyres. How that doesn't rate higher than inheriting a win from a failed Renault and safety car help is beyond me. Take a bow, Fernando.
After that it gets REALLY hazy for me... I confess the only real standouts on the list for me are Max Verstappen winning on his Red Bull debut after Hamilton and Rosberg have a disagreement over where on the track the other's car should be in Spain, 2016, and then Germany and Brazil this year for being absolutely entropic–Germany for the Mercedes pitlane clusterf*** and Lance Stroll of all people leading a few laps, and Brazil for Vettel and Leclerc doing their best Hamilton/Rosberg impersonation and Pierre Gasly out-dragging a Mercedes in a Toro Rosso.
F1 has changed a lot over the years. Maybe it's just because I've been watching for so long, but while I can still tell you everything that happened in nearly every race from 2003 to 2013, I can barely remember a damn race from 2014 onwards. Something about the V6T change just made it less... memorable for me. Weirdly enough the ugly-ass cars they had from 2009-2013 produced some of the most memorable races since I've been watching. Never ever would've thought then that I'd say this, but even though the mid-90's to late-00's are my favorite era of F1 it would be nice to have more races from that 2009-2013 formula.
It's been an interesting mix. Let's hope that the next ten years are more consistently good, at least. Hopefully I'll be around to see them all.
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