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Best F1 season openers


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#1 HistoryFan

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 15:34

What was your best season opener F1 race and why?

 

For me it was Austalia 2002. I was just 12 years old and remember it very well.

 

Some stats:

countries with most season openers:

1. Australia 22

2. Argentinia 15

3. Brazil 10

4. South Africa 9

5. Monaco 5

6. USA 3

7. Switzerland 2

7. Bahrain 2

9. Great Britain 1

9. Netherland 1

 

Circuits

1. Melbourne 22

2. Buenos Aires 15

3. Kyalami 8

4. Rio de Janeiro 7

5. Monte Carlo 5

6. Sao Paulo 3

7. Bremgarten 2

7. Phoenix 2

7. Bahrain 2

10. Silverstone 1

10. Zandvoort 1

10. East London 1

10. Long Beach 1



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#2 E1pix

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 17:04

Straight away, 1989 for me.

Part of that was Bob Varsha's tremendous show-opening style of announcing the sound of the new 3.5-liter formula, using a three-second video flash of the return of V12s with a Ferrari shredding past at full song.

My world hasn't been the same since 1996. I need a hankie just thinking about it.

#3 Collombin

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 17:35

Surprisingly few season openers have been classics, although some have been welcome if only for demonstrating a changing of the guard from the previous season.

In my time, only Alesi in the Tyrrell passing Senna at Phoenix sticks out as memorable. Before my time, the two Moss miracles from 1958 and 1961 would probably get my vote.

#4 john winfield

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 18:11

Andretti's 1971 win for Ferrari at Kyalami was a bit of a surprise, but it's hard to beat the 1967 South African GP, at the same track. Local John Love very nearly beat all the stars, before a late pit-stop for fuel handed an unlikely victory to Rodriguez and the Cooper-Maserati. I doubt if poor Pedro saw the irony three years later when he lost the US GP at Watkins Glen in just the same way.


Edited by john winfield, 04 May 2020 - 18:12.


#5 MCS

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 18:30

I am going for the 1970 South African Grand Prix. 

 

The extraordinary arrival of March, Jack Brabham's first victory in years and because I was getting Motoring News every week (Autosport followed by the time of the British Grand Prix) and I was able to listen to the race commentary on BBC Radio.

 

Happy Days.

 

https://www.bing.com...etail&FORM=VIRE



#6 Cirrus

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 18:36

1970 was the one which sprang to mind for me as well. The paper boy used to dread coming to our house on a Thursday - the paper and Autosport would be dragged from his hand through the letterbox.

#7 Mallory Dan

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 18:57

1979? The Ligiers coming from relative nowhere in 78 to utterly dominate. 



#8 Charlieman

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 19:15

1979? The Ligiers coming from relative nowhere in 78 to utterly dominate. 

I agree. I was an admirer (not a fan) of the drivers and the team so I was chuffed.

 

Jody Scheckter's win in the Wolf, Argentina 1977, was a pleasant surprise. And Clay scored a point for Ensign too. 



#9 D-Type

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 19:15

1958  Stirling Moss unexpectedly winning the Argentine GP in the undersized 2-litre Cooper-Climax.
The first season opener I remember being aware of.


Edited by D-Type, 04 May 2020 - 19:18.


#10 Michael Ferner

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 19:25

I always liked season openers, no matter what happened on track. There would always be something new and interesting.

 

And there was one more thing: THEY'RE BACK!!!  :D  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:



#11 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 04 May 2020 - 22:53

Shortest was the AGP in March :evil:



#12 Izzyeviel

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Posted 05 May 2020 - 01:10

Phoenix 1990. (the car race, not the ostrich race)

 

Tons of action, that overtake, tremendous fun.



#13 Tim Murray

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Posted 05 May 2020 - 02:02

For me there’s only one candidate - Monaco 1961.

#14 john aston

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Posted 05 May 2020 - 06:50

It's a testing question , because until mass TV coverage of the sport , you had to wait several days (perhaps weeks for our friends in the colonies ) to find out what had happened  from Motoring News or  Autosport,- or indeed Autocar and Motor , both of which covered the sport well then .

 

So- for me it would have been on 31 January( or maybe even  1 February?)  1973 , when I was trudging up to my first law lecture of the day and skimming the front page of  Motoring News. Wow -  Clay Regazzoni had been on pole in the BRM in Argentina !  I loved the BRMs , not for any  patriotic reasons, but because they looked so fabulous and sounded so wonderful. And no driver( despite competing claims from S. Moss et al)  ever looked  more like a Grand Prix driver than Regazzoni did    So who cares if  he finished 3 laps down ?


Edited by john aston, 05 May 2020 - 06:53.


#15 Eric Dunsdon

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Posted 05 May 2020 - 11:14

1954  Argentina. Debut win for the Maserati 250F, Always pleasing when they ' whupped' Ferrari. The 1950 British Grand Prix wasn't bad either. A clean sweep for Alfa Romeo.


Edited by Eric Dunsdon, 05 May 2020 - 11:16.


#16 chrisj

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Posted 05 May 2020 - 19:51

1979 for me, too. It was the first year there were televised same day highlights, and the image of those beautiful Ligiers through the heat haze is imprinted in my memory.



#17 Charlieman

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Posted 05 May 2020 - 20:21

1979 for me, too. It was the first year there were televised same day highlights, and the image of those beautiful Ligiers through the heat haze is imprinted in my memory.

As much as I enjoyed it I'm not sure how much Bernie organised TV that day.



#18 HistoryFan

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Posted 08 May 2020 - 09:56

Andretti's 1971 win for Ferrari at Kyalami was a bit of a surprise, but it's hard to beat the 1967 South African GP, at the same track. Local John Love very nearly beat all the stars, before a late pit-stop for fuel handed an unlikely victory to Rodriguez and the Cooper-Maserati. I doubt if poor Pedro saw the irony three years later when he lost the US GP at Watkins Glen in just the same way.

 

yes guest drivers being able to run at the very front of the field is great. Unfortunately there aren't any guest drivers today. Die FIA turned down the possibility of Loeb racing in a Toro Rosso at the 2009 Abu Dhabi GP what is very sad I think. Would had been a great story.