So - here's a bit of fun. What are your own personal best and worst moments in F1 history?
Well I have only been watching F1 since '98, so I will give the best and worst from then on.
Obviously the Worst of all are the deaths in F1 be it from drivers to mechanics to marshalls.
Best:
1. As a Schumacher fan, I thought I wouldn't find myself saying this, but in 2005 two top drivers other than Schumacher emerged and challenged for the title, and therefore ending Schumacher's dominance, great for the sport.
2. 2007, just what F1 needed after Schumacher's departure, a double world champion fighting for the championship against a driver who was regarded as the "fastest man in the world", and who could forget the first black driver in F1, a rookie, fighting among these guys for the title, a 4 way title battle became 3, and what a season it was, amazing for F1, a new fresh talent in F1, drama, and finallly one of the best drivers of the 00s finally won that title he was after in dramatic fashion.
3. Hakkinen vs Schumacher, again it was what F1 needed after a badtime in the 90s after great driver losing his life, the FIA being a bit unreasonable, Schumacher's antics in '97. These two guys showed that a rivalry on track doesn't have to involve anger, and it can be civilised, these two guys pushed each other to the limit, and gave us one of the best overtakes in F1 history (Spa 2000), if it wasn't for Hakkinen the '98-01 period would have been just as boring as 2002 and 2004.
4. The 2008 championship, One of the best seasons in F1, my favourite along with 2007, the last race brought a lot of excitement and emotions, Lews Hamilton already lost a 7 point lead in the championship to a Ferrari driver, and it looked as if until the last corner he was going to do the same. 2 underdogs emerged, Massa and Kubica, any of those 3 deserved the title that year, it's a shame BMW stopped developing their car mid-season, if they didn't I would have put my money on an even better season and Kubica to have snatched the title.
5. The safety in F1
6. Felipe Massa coming back from a very bad accident to get a podium in his first race ever since the accident.
7. Vettel winning the championship in 2010, he thoroughly deserved and finally luck came his way that season, which gave us 5 world champions on the grid this year. Along with this, the 2010 season, it is was what we needed after a boring championship in 2009, a 4 way title battle, great season, good on track action, most races where exciting, drivers outperforming in the car (Kubica, Rosberg)
Worst
1. Ehm...Kubica's accident I would have to say, if he was on the grid today, I am sure this season would have been better with this great talent.
2. Massa's accident, a driver that was getting better race by race ever since 2007 to have such an unfortunate accident was a shame, ever since the accident has he been the same? It's a big question mark, it wouldn't have done his confidence good at all...
3. 2009 season, what can I say? It was a farce, I wasn't happy with it, it I am sure put many people off of F1, from the double diffuser controversy to the split, to the boring season, totally disrupting the sport.
4. DRS, why not keep the F-duct? It was "innovative" which F1 was about, plus it wasn't "mandatory" and it could have been further developed plus both drivers can use it anytime anywhere during the race. DRS is just a horrible artificial tool...as if F1 isn't as confusing as it is this season, bringing in DRS is just going to confuse new fans. Plus you don't require skill at all to overtake, some say it's to make a faster car pass another, why? That's not F1, a driver in one specific on the track vulnerable to attack and is always going to get passed. What happened to defending? It seems as if this aspect is vanishing, a slower car can't keep a faster one behind.
For example, Hamilton and Massa in Singapore? Just came through the field because of this tool, just going past people in DRS zones...not exciting at all, what's worse is Hamilton's move on Sutil, Sutil knew he couldn't keep Hamilton behind him, so he slowed down at a corner and just let Hamilton past.
5. The Pirelli tyres in qualifying and the amount of sets you have, qualifying P18 has is a mega advantage than qualifying 11th-17th since you have at least 2 extra set of soft tyres, for instance look at Alguersuari, qualifying P18 most of the time, and because of this gets into the points, and his team-mate who out-qualifies him constantly is disadvantaged being faster than him in qualifying. The same could have been said with Petrov and Heidfeld, Maldonado and Barrichello. Webber coming from 18th on the grid to finish 3rd in China because he had extra set of fresh tyres. It's a farce, if the Pirelli tyres where in 2010 I doubt Liuzzi would have got fired since he kept qualifying 18th.
I could list many, many more - but these are stand out for me.
Well I have only been watching F1 since '98, so I will give the best and worst from then on.
Obviously the Worst of all are the deaths in F1 be it from drivers to mechanics to marshalls.
Best:
1. As a Schumacher fan, I thought I wouldn't find myself saying this, but in 2005 two top drivers other than Schumacher emerged and challenged for the title, and therefore ending Schumacher's dominance, great for the sport.
2. 2007, just what F1 needed after Schumacher's departure, a double world champion fighting for the championship against a driver who was regarded as the "fastest man in the world", and who could forget the first black driver in F1, a rookie, fighting among these guys for the title, a 4 way title battle became 3, and what a season it was, amazing for F1, a new fresh talent in F1, drama, and finallly one of the best drivers of the 00s finally won that title he was after in dramatic fashion.
3. Hakkinen vs Schumacher, again it was what F1 needed after a badtime in the 90s after great driver losing his life, the FIA being a bit unreasonable, Schumacher's antics in '97. These two guys showed that a rivalry on track doesn't have to involve anger, and it can be civilised, these two guys pushed each other to the limit, and gave us one of the best overtakes in F1 history (Spa 2000), if it wasn't for Hakkinen the '98-01 period would have been just as boring as 2002 and 2004.
4. The 2008 championship, One of the best seasons in F1, my favourite along with 2007, the last race brought a lot of excitement and emotions, Lews Hamilton already lost a 7 point lead in the championship to a Ferrari driver, and it looked as if until the last corner he was going to do the same. 2 underdogs emerged, Massa and Kubica, any of those 3 deserved the title that year, it's a shame BMW stopped developing their car mid-season, if they didn't I would have put my money on an even better season and Kubica to have snatched the title.
5. The safety in F1
6. Felipe Massa coming back from a very bad accident to get a podium in his first race ever since the accident.
7. Vettel winning the championship in 2010, he thoroughly deserved and finally luck came his way that season, which gave us 5 world champions on the grid this year. Along with this, the 2010 season, it is was what we needed after a boring championship in 2009, a 4 way title battle, great season, good on track action, most races where exciting, drivers outperforming in the car (Kubica, Rosberg)
Worst
1. Ehm...Kubica's accident I would have to say, if he was on the grid today, I am sure this season would have been better with this great talent.
2. Massa's accident, a driver that was getting better race by race ever since 2007 to have such an unfortunate accident was a shame, ever since the accident has he been the same? It's a big question mark, it wouldn't have done his confidence good at all...
3. 2009 season, what can I say? It was a farce, I wasn't happy with it, it I am sure put many people off of F1, from the double diffuser controversy to the split, to the boring season, totally disrupting the sport.
4. DRS, why not keep the F-duct? It was "innovative" which F1 was about, plus it wasn't "mandatory" and it could have been further developed plus both drivers can use it anytime anywhere during the race. DRS is just a horrible artificial tool...as if F1 isn't as confusing as it is this season, bringing in DRS is just going to confuse new fans. Plus you don't require skill at all to overtake, some say it's to make a faster car pass another, why? That's not F1, a driver in one specific on the track vulnerable to attack and is always going to get passed. What happened to defending? It seems as if this aspect is vanishing, a slower car can't keep a faster one behind.
For example, Hamilton and Massa in Singapore? Just came through the field because of this tool, just going past people in DRS zones...not exciting at all, what's worse is Hamilton's move on Sutil, Sutil knew he couldn't keep Hamilton behind him, so he slowed down at a corner and just let Hamilton past.
5. The Pirelli tyres in qualifying and the amount of sets you have, qualifying P18 has is a mega advantage than qualifying 11th-17th since you have at least 2 extra set of soft tyres, for instance look at Alguersuari, qualifying P18 most of the time, and because of this gets into the points, and his team-mate who out-qualifies him constantly is disadvantaged being faster than him in qualifying. The same could have been said with Petrov and Heidfeld, Maldonado and Barrichello. Webber coming from 18th on the grid to finish 3rd in China because he had extra set of fresh tyres. It's a farce, if the Pirelli tyres where in 2010 I doubt Liuzzi would have got fired since he kept qualifying 18th.
I could list many, many more - but these are stand out for me.
Mind you, the worst moment (barring deaths) has happened this season and will be in place next year. I am talking of course of the ludicrous Sky deal.
