Best Grand Prix of all time

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by coppice

I know the race has gone into legend , but it was unforgettable for some of the wrong reasons. I don't like mobs , but in the middle of the feverish crowd at Clearways baying for Hunt , it felt like being part of one, and the whole day, even at 8am , had felt a spit away from a riot. I guess the whole country had already gone slightly mad anyway in that baking summer .

I am maybe in the minority - I don't really care who wins , abhor the more xenophobic elements of fandom (Silverstone 92 ) and just want a good race.

I wouldn't say it was a spit away from a riot and I don't think xenophobia entered into it. However, there was a fair amount of nationalism on display, partly because it was the British GP and partly because of Hunt's recent reinstatement as winner of the Spanish GP. So when it was ruled, drivers had to have completed the first lap of the first race, in order to take part in the restart, there was a lot of annoyance from the crowd, with the finger being pointed at Ferrari, who had been instrumental in Hunt's disqualification from the Spanish GP.

[chavez]

Japan 1994.

With overtaking so difficult due to aero turbulence, a two part race with one driver having to pass the other on the timesheets but not the track made for exciting viewing.

[codename_47]

Brazil 2003 is quite an underrated one I fear (though it has picked up a nod or two in this thread already, natch)

It seemed to have conditions that suited every car at different times in the race. First the Michelin wets to the fore, then the Bridgestone intermediates, then it was pretty much dry but with that river over turn 3, no-one was going to risk that.

Ahhh the turn 3 river, the great randomiser. Somehow Micheal Schumacher managed to drop it under double waved yellows, nearly creaming into a tractor and a team of marshals rescuing the spate of cars already in the barrier, and yet somehow recieved no penalty.
The era of Ferrari being able to do no wrong in the FIAs eyes, of course.

Then aside from that you had a time when the fastest car on track was Mark Webber in a Jaguar. Then it was Rubens in the sole remaining Ferrari, but what's this? They surely hadn't forgot his fuel numbers had they? (Ferrari came up with some reason for his retirement but to this day no-one is 100% sure)

And out of nowhere comes a Jordan to win the race......only, not quite.
He had the temeritary to take the lead from an understeering Raikkonen only 2 laps before the eventual red flag. Or was it 1 lap? 2? 1? Erm, well we haven't got the time to work it out, we've already delayed Coronation street bar far too long, you know.

Mark Webber Destroys his Jaguar on the start finish straight (well, the curved bit, in the wet that's far from flat out) then Alonso thinks he can do a better job and pummels his car into the tyre barrier and adjacent wall at almost flat out speed.
Don't worry Fernando, the stewards aren't in the mood to penalise people ignoring yellow flags today, what kind of precedent would that set?
You have a lie down on a hospital bed and we'll keep your 3rd place trophy for you.

So with Fernando in the ambulance and Kimi and Fishy on the wrong step, we have the most incorrect podium in Formula 1 history.
That's enough drama for today. That's usually more than an entire F1 season to be honest.
But what's this as a sting in the tail? Oh of course, Fishy's car is burning down in parc ferme. Of course it is, the only place you could probably have a fire on such a wet day, it has a roof over it.
Oh well, good luck inspecting the remnants of those ashes for the legality checks, stewards!

What a day.

[2 litre Touring Car Star]

off the top of my head, 2000 French GP.

F1 has been neutered in since 1994 with the introduction of mandatory stop. If nothing else, they ruin the challenge of passing another car with a trailing driver ins a heavier car not having to bother til going for it til the lead car pits.

2000 French GP is one where we got a serious battle for the lead that was not affected by mandatory stop or conditions. A type of tension you typically see in motogp races.

[codename_47]

Originally Posted by 2 litre Touring Car Star

off the top of my head, 2000 French GP.

F1 has been neutered in since 1994 with the introduction of mandatory stop. If nothing else, they ruin the challenge of passing another car with a trailing driver ins a heavier car not having to bother til going for it til the lead car pits.

2000 French GP is one where we got a serious battle for the lead that was not affected by mandatory stop or conditions. A type of tension you typically see in motogp races.

2014 Bahrain was like this too, considering the pit stops were fairly equal (if not the strategy with softer tyres slightly balanced in Nico's favour meaning Lewis holding him off was even more impressive) and not a factor in the result, just a straight out scrap between Team mates for the win, overtaking and defending lap after lap

And it wasn't just the top two either, every position was fought for that day. One of the rare instances where you wish F1 could work out the circumstances of what made that race so good and bottle it up for use in the future, somehow

[S griffin]

The 2014 Bahrain GP was one of the best and I agree it was good for once to not have pitstops decide it. It would be much better if we just left it to teams and drivers to decide what tyres and strategy they use, rather than having to use two compounds per race. For me it should be left up to them instead of telling them what to do. Certainly it got close between Lewis and Nico at times and nearly ended in tears that day, but thankfully they kept going till the end and showed what great racing can happen.

I agree too there are good lessons to be learned from that kind of race and hopefully we’ll get good aero regs in 2022 to make it more possible. We don’t every race to be like that, but we need to make sure cars can race, without forced pitstops and using skill to overtake rather than a button

[2 litre Touring Car Star]

You'd then get the (not really) fans moaning that nothing's happening, and it also exposes (further) how lame the commentators are (Including Brundle).

[hoffman66]

For excitement, the 2007 Brazilian stands pretty close as being great.

87 British GP

the Canadian when Button won last lap.

Adelaide 1990

Jerez 1997

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by hoffman66

For excitement, the 2007 Brazilian stands pretty close as being great.

87 British GP

the Canadian when Button won last lap.

Adelaide 1990

Jerez 1997

Good selection, any older choices?

[john ruston]

1971 Italian GP
1960 British GP

[coppice]

Despite suggesting a candidate already , it's a pretty fruitless exercise, if not a fools errand in deciding upon the bets GP . 'All time ' adds spurious gravitas - we've been around 200,000 years and something as trivial as Grand Prix racing has been in existence for the blink of an eye , since 1906 .

Add in the fact that very few will nominate a GP they didn't see in period ,and that excludes progressively more Grands Prix over the decades . Many people -most - who watch F1 don't have much idea about motorsport , watching nothing apart from F1 and never attending live events. But despite their ignorance and fickle affiliation with the sport they seem to punch above their feather weight when it comes to moaning about lack of overtaking . It is as if every race needs constant action to retain the ant like attention span of most of the viewing public .

Some races which might appear unremarkable to modern eyes were utterly compelling to see live - nobody talks about the British GP in 1972 now but I was mesmerised , standing by the fence at Clearways . Ultimately , it's about what you enjoyed, what you'll never forget . On that basis , the GP I most enjoyed on TV was the 1967 Italian- it helps that it was the first GP I'd ever watched and that Jim Clark never drove better than on that day . As a live experience the full three days of the 1986 British at Brands was unforgettable - the race was so-so but come on, 1000bhp plus F1cars , steel brakes and stick shifts at BRANDS ... Amazing , thrilling , astonishing . Best result - Lauda at Zandvoort 1985 - my first European GP and Lauda's last win . Great chips too ...

[john ruston]

The best races on GP days
All those FJ/ F3 races at Silverstone in 60’s and early seventies
Dozens of overtaking moves

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by john ruston

The best races on GP days
All those FJ/ F3 races at Silverstone in 60’s and early seventies
Dozens of overtaking moves

Or almost any British senior FF1600 race during the mid 70s through to the late 80s! Admittedly these only festured as a GP support ocassionally.

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by coppice

Great chips too ...

The chips are always great at race tracks. I don't know how they do it, but it is just a fact that race track chips are the greatest chips there are.

[coppice]

God yes- even now Historic FF1600/FF2000 offers wonderful racing, and one of the very best races I have ever seen was the Formula Junior battle between Jon Milocevic and Sam Wilson at the Silverstone Classic in about 2016 .

OT , sorry, but I sometimes wonder if the promoters of new series , or the sports authorities ever even think of reflecting on what has worked in the past , and why . For fifty years , FF1600 has offered aero free, narrow tyres, a stick shift and low power stock(ish ) engines in a huge array of chassis at an affordable price.

Result - enthralling ,close , clean racing with slipstreaming and multi car dices the norm. So we get crap like F4 - spec formula , flappy paddles , slicks and wings - silly amount of grip and near total absence of overtaking , and by thin grids at obscene prices. Bonkers.

[S griffin]

I do enjoy some of the food stalls at the British circuits, especially the donuts. And although I don't drink hot drinks, the coffee is supposed to be nice too

[Greem]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

The chips are always great at race tracks. I don't know how they do it, but it is just a fact that race track chips are the greatest chips there are.

...the ones at Spa are the best frites of all. Especially from the stand in the middle of the yellow paddock, near the old control tower.

Wish I'd been able to go back last year, but _shrug_

[S griffin]

Oh yes and the frites are always served with mayo. Spa wouldn’t be Spa without things like Frites and the fickle weather. The track is an all time great, but that’s not the only thing to enjoy there. No wonder it’s a fan’s favourite

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by coppice

As a live experience the full three days of the 1986 British at Brands was unforgettable - the race was so-so but come on, 1000bhp plus F1cars , steel brakes and stick shifts at BRANDS ... Amazing , thrilling , astonishing.

Ah yes, I'm with you there. I went to the European GP at Brands the year before. My first GP since I was a 'nipper' and I was blown away. Standing up near Druids for the run down to Graham Hill Bend, I couldn't believe the noise, I think my first and only time at a race when it actually hurt my ears..... Fabulous......

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Oh yes and the frites are always served with mayo. Spa wouldn’t be Spa without things like Frites and the fickle weather. The track is an all time great, but that’s not the only thing to enjoy there. No wonder it’s a fan’s favourite

Sounds like you have been there. I've yet to go but it's on my list, Covid permitting.

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Sounds like you have been there. I've yet to go but it's on my list, Covid permitting.

Same here. Was looking to book for 2020 early last year before everything happened. Hopefully get there one day, it's a bucket list.

[coppice]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I think my first and only time at a race when it actually hurt my ears..... Fabulous......

Literally a sore point with me - after years of sonic abuse from racing cars my left earlobe was punctured by Pedro Diniz' Mugen V10 in 1997 at Silverstone . Hurt like hell for a time and my hearing, in that ear especially , is now pretty rubbish - thank God for TV subtitles ...

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by coppice

Literally a sore point with me - after years of sonic abuse from racing cars my left earlobe was punctured by Pedro Diniz' Mugen V10 in 1997 at Silverstone . Hurt like hell for a time and my hearing, in that ear especially , is now pretty rubbish - thank God for TV subtitles ...

I don't think it was motor racing for me, more likely Black Sabbath back in the day......