Just for fun, while we all get through our leftovers in the Crimbo Limbo, who are your favourite five drivers and why? Let's make two lists, one for all-time faves since you started watching F1 and one of the current grid. No judgement , just an honest expression of opinions.
All time
Damon Hill - He was the British driver who was winning everything in the first full season I watched (1993) and I really came to like his personality. I loved his battles with Schumi and got up at 4am to watch him win the WDC in 1996. My dad was a fan of Graham Hill in the 1960s so I guess there was some family bonding there too. I admire him even more since reading his autobiography and finding out about his mental health struggles and how he's overcome them.
Jean Alesi - I loved his aggressive driving and the fact he always put his heart before his head though it didn't really work out for him career-wise. One of F1's great 'what-ifs' is how he would have handled the FW14 had he opted for Williams in 1991, I think the history of 1990s F1 would have been very different.
Juan Pablo Montoya - Similar to Alesi, I loved his aggressive driving and how outspoken he was. He was such a character and I was really gutted when he didn't beat Schumi in 2003.
Kamui Kobayashi - Again, he was such a great character and had an entertaining, aggressive driving style. I was so pleased that he managed to get a podium in Japan in 2012 and was disappointed he couldn't continue his F1 career beyond then though he has had an amazing level of success in WEC.
Jenson Button - His 2009 season was the stuff of legends from almost being out of the sport to becoming WDC in a year. I loved how he matured from a playboy into a team leader and deserving champion. His subsequent time with McLaren - especially in 2011 - showed just how talented he was and it was such a shame he never had a car to showcase his abilities after 2012.
Current
Lewis Hamilton - He's just such a good driver! The man everyone else on the grid wants to beat. The last two seasons have been a bit dull but have demonstrated just how good he is. What I really admire is that his 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2018 titles were all won in the face of talented and determined opponents with some really exciting races. I also admire other aspects of his career like how he helped McLaren rebuild in 2009, rebounded from a poor 2011 in 2012 and then had the foresight to move to Mercedes in 2013. Some of his political posturing has become a bit annoying of late but it doesn't detract from how much I like watching him.
Sergio Perez - I love his driving style and how he has gotten so much out of so many poor cars. I was really pleased when he won his first race this year and even more pleased when he signed for Red Bull - it will be great to see what he can do with a competitive car.
Lando Norris - He's what F1 has needed for a long time. A breath of fresh air in a fairly stilted grid and clearly has the talent to do well in the sport, which I hope he delivers on.
Carlos Sainz - Seems to be a genuinely nice individual and someone who I think could be this era's Jenson Button, a really underrated driver who might take a long time to get the opportunity he clearly deserves.
George Russell - Also clearly incredibly talented and I love the way he wears his heart on his sleeve. Also someone who needs to get the kind of car to really show what he's capable of.
Edited by Dunc, 31 December 2020 - 11:33.