Signature Race

[mjo]

Massa: Hungary 2008 - absolutely fantastic drive
Hamilton: Silverstone 2008 - need I say more? (or Monaco 2011)
Montoya: USA 2003 - if he finished in good points in the USA, hee could have won the world championship. But he didn't.
Eddie Irvine: Nurburgring 1999 - let Hakkinen through and couldn't get past a Minardi.

 

[Il_leone]

Irvine
- Hockenheim 1999 his teammate had to let him through to win and he was a substitute driver as well
- Malaysia 1999 - "Michael Schumacher has had to drive slowly and still let Eddie Irvine through twice !"

Hakkinen
- Imola and Monza 1999 - Miles in front and then bang into the barriers both times. At Monza caught crying in the bushes !

Massa: Hungary 2008 - absolutely fantastic drive
Hamilton: Silverstone 2008 - need I say more? (or Monaco 2011)
Montoya: USA 2003 - if he finished in good points in the USA, hee could have won the world championship. But he didn't.
Eddie Irvine: Nurburgring 1999 - let Hakkinen through and couldn't get past a Minardi.

To be fair to Montoya 2003 - he was wrongfully penalised for an incident after Ferrari protested which eliminated him from the championship

G Villeneuve
- Dijon 1979
- Jarama 1981 both class wins
Correction

Jarama and Monaco 1981 class wins
Dijon 1979 classic Gilles racing spirit against seemingly the powerful Renault turbo in Arnoux's car

 

[cider_and_toast]

Luca Badoer - The 1999 European GP: If ever there was a race that sums up one mans time in F1 this is it. A journeyman at the back end of the grid who had never scored a point. On/Off spells with Minardi/Forti/Scuderia Italia etc punctuated by being the stalwart Ferrari test driver.

In this race he found himself by good fortune and the retirement of others, running in fourth place with just 13 laps to go. Then it all ended in tears (literally) when his gear box let go, leaving his team mate to make it home in sixth place and score Minardi's first point for 4 years.

And we all remember his other chance at scoring points.

Luca Badoer, chance was not on his side.

 

[Il_leone]

Coulthard
France 2000 - lost time on Friday practice and qualified 3rd . Outraced Hakkinen and then got past Rubens and then went after Schumacher who shoved him off the track and got a one finger salute. Got his revenge later on and scored a memorable victory

Once in a while he would put in a brilliant drive but never had the consistency to string it together for the championship and challenge both Schumacher and Hakkinen plus seemingly getting the worst of the ill fortune in the team

 

[Il_leone]

Andre De Cesaris
- US GP 1989
After a career of underachieving and junking a lot of chassis and survived so long because he has association with Marlboro.

In this race his teammate Alex Caffi was running 2nd and lapping him and De Cesaris somehow took him out !

Ralf Schumacher
- Argentina 1997 whilst the team were running 2nd and 3rd at the time. In only his 3rd race he tried an audacious move on his teammate Fisichella. It put them both off the track, Fisi was out and Ralf lost time and cost Jordan a potential victory. The team did not celebrate with excitement as he crossed the line

Jean ALesi
Argentina 1996

A race where Hill was under pressure from the Benettons, Schumacher and his teammate throughout. Benetton did the Schumacher strategy by staying out so Alesi could do fast laps. At his pitstop Jean stalls and the time lost cost him victory....it was said thats the difference between him and Schumacher

 

[Il_leone]

Nick Heidfeld

- Hungary 2006
- Spa 2008
- Malaysia 2009

all races he got podium due to mixed conditions and usually opting to stay out longer than others

This is when he best excelled but in pure dry races he was not as strong bar 2007

 

[Il_leone]

Kimi

Nurburgring 2005

Blisteringly fast..makes one mistake and flat spots his tyre and crashes before the start of the last lap costing him the win

He had speed but not application to nurture the car home

 

[teabagyokel]

Kimi

Nurburgring 2005

Blisteringly fast..makes one mistake and flat stops his tyre and crashes before the start of the last lap costing him the win

He had speed but not application to nurture the car home

I really think that sums up Kimi perfectly, but possibly also Belgium 2008.

He starts well, is really fast, but towards the end he bins it and ends up looking foolish.

 

[RasputinLives]

Hamilton: Silverstone 2008 - need I say more?

If I can't have Alonso Japan 2008 then Hamilton Silverstone 08 can't be in either.

How about Germany 08 for Lewis? Looks like he's going to walk it - big mess up that puts him back in the field - big fight back and wins it.

 

[teabagyokel]

If I can't have Alonso Japan 2008 then Hamilton Silverstone 08 can't be in either.

How about Germany 08 for Lewis? Looks like he's going to walk it - big mess up that puts him back in the field - big fight back and wins it.

I would say Germany 08 is more in the spirit of the thread. Its not you can't have a perfect weekend, unless you pick a driver for whom that's typical...

 

[Slyboogy]

Raikkonen Fuji 2007

Started 3rd, but had to pit due to them putting him on intermediates rather than wets, lost a lot of time, spun, was last or one position above it. Yet came through the field and finished 3rd keeping his championship hopes alive. Also found a wonderful line through one corner where just gained a lot of time. Don't really see much of that these days, drivers finding a new line in the wet.

 

[RasputinLives]

Thats a good one Sly but I'd go for I think Europe 05 sums up Kimi for me.

 

[FB]

Nelson Piquet snr - Australia 1990 - shear stubbornness and perseverance and going round and round very quickly.

Nelson Piquet jnr - Singapore 2008 - what a tit!

 

[Boyle]

Luca Badoer, chance was not on his side.

Nor was skill to be perfectly honest...

 

[Boyle]

Surely Jim Clark at Monza in 1967 is the epitome of this?

Starting from pole after a blitzing the field in qualifying, Clark lead easily until a tyre puncture. Losing an entire lap due to this, he rejoined 16th and proceeded to give the motoring world arguably its greatest drive, setting lap record after lap record, and steamrollering a field that included John Surtees, Graeme Hill and many other household names (six other world champions, either already or in waiting). Regaining the lead towards the end of the race, his Lotus car let him down having not been filled with enough fuel, presumably Lotus didn't expect such a magnificent drive. He coasted over the line to settle for third place.

Having been the best driver in the field, he managed some recorded success for his efforts, but not what he deserved. Many see him as underrepresented in the record books for what his talent should have merited - only third here, and only 2 championships. His car's reliability let him down on more than one occasion - in this race and in his career.

 

[FB]

A couple of others from me:

Jean-Pierre Jarier - Canada 1979 - Pole, blitzing the field, car breaks down. The guy never got an even break.

Nigel Mansell - Dallas 1984 - Trying to push the car across the line in an act of shear pointlessness and passing out. Oh how I laughed.

 

[cider_and_toast]

A couple of others from me:

Jean-Pierre Jarier - Canada 1979 - Pole, blitzing the field, car breaks down. The guy never got an even break.

Nigel Mansell - Dallas 1984 - Trying to push the car across the line in an act of shear pointlessness and passing out. Oh how I laughed.

Mansell, Canada 1991 would be another contender. Don't wave until you've crossed the line Nigel. And Monaco 84, mind those white lines, And Addelaide 1986 Kerblam !!! Nigel was one for grand gestures with hilarious outcomes

 

[Viscount]

Felipe Massa - Hockenheim 2010

Showed that in a good car he has the speed but just not quite fast enough to be the best. A team player rather than a team leader and a classic 'nearly man' of F1,

 

[Abnash24]

mark webber, china 2011
in a word relentless

 

[siffert_fan]

Chris Amon- 1972 French Grand Prix. Leading the race, gets a puncture from a stone chipping and has to pit, rejoining well in arrears. Drives like the world champion he should have been and winds up third. Typical of Chris's appalling luck throughout his entire career.