[Race] The GROAT - A bracket to determine (just for fun)

[chillibowl]

speaking of Alonso vs Schumacher...i'll say it again, 2004 French GP!

Schu v Alonso, Todt v Briatore, Brawn & Bryne v Symonds & Gascoyne etc etc.

two dream teams in what was as much a tactical battel as it was a battel between two drivers at or near their peak. granted 2004 was dominated by Ferrari, but on occasion that year the Renault was the faster car.

but the race doesnt feature much on these sorts of lists and i suspect even if you include it, it wouldn't make it far (just this era of fuel and tire stops?).

but in terms of unexpected results in a season that didnt offer up many surprises plus phenomenal coordination between a driver and their team, then is a Rumble in the Jungle type level race for me.

or maybe thats an oversell!

anyways, Mark Hughes' take on it.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...EyBC401ET.html

[Gerard C]

Thanks for the job, crmalcolm, and glad to see Dijon-Prenois 1979 on the list.

[chillibowl]

Whether you saw this race as famous or infamous, might need to make some more room on the list for this season's races!

[crmalcolm]

The final is now complete - and in the eyes of ten-tenths voters, the Greatest Race Of All Time in Formula 1 history (to date) is the 1957 Nürburgring GP.

In the final, it took a win by 8 to 3 over the 2008 Interlagos GP.

Has anything changed since that day? Strategy and tyre choice still seem to be as vital today as they were back then.

Another write up in recognition of that race's status from the official F1 site:

'He had never, he admitted, driven so hard in his career, and never would again.

When a driver of Juan Manuel Fangio’s calibre made such a statement, it was confirmation that his drive to victory in the 1957 German Grand Prix – the 24th and last success of his illustrious career, which clinched his record fifth World Championship title – you understood that this had indeed been his Day of Days.

Even in those formative years of the championship, strategy and tyres were crucially important. Ferrari, with fated young hotshoes Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in their 246 Dinos, ran on hard-compound Englebert rubber; Fangio, in his Maserati, used softer Pirellis. Thus Maserati decided on a ploy that would take all of the Argentine great’s talent to pull off. While the Ferraris would run non-stop, he would start with half a tank of fuel, drive like the wind to open a gap, then make a pit stop to top up and take on fresh tyres.

Hawthorn and Collins got away faster, but with his lighter car Fangio had powered into the lead by the third lap and proceeded to draw away.

He had opened an advantage of almost half a minute when he dived into the pits on the 12th lap. The Maserati mechanics refuelled the 250F and threw on new rubber, but whereas they had completed the work in 30s during practice, under pressure in the race – and delayed by the need to tighten the seat – the work took 52s. By the time Fangio had rejoined, with only eight laps to go, Hawthorn and Collins were 51s ahead of him.

For the first two laps he made no inroads at all, and the Ferrari pit signalled that to its drivers. But then Fangio moved into another dimension. In the cockpit, he drove like a man possessed, cutting corners, taking them a gear higher than he had ever tried to before, taking risks he had never previously considered.

Incredibly, he began slashing 10s a lap off the two friends as they pushed on ever harder. Of course, Ferrari gave them further pit signals, but with a 14-mile lap in between information, they were unaware for much of the time just how fast their rival was closing.

Eventually, they could see the red and yellow snout of the Maserati in their mirrors – and the moment he closed upon them, Fangio took no prisoners.

Going into the last lap, he slid past Collins, only to lose the place as he ran wide. But as they went side-by-side into a downhill bridged corner, which narrowed like a chicane on an old Scalextric track, Fangio outbraved his way back past the Englishman. Now only Hawthorn stood between him and victory, but he could offer no resistance either as Fangio beat them both to the chequered flag.

As proof of how just hard he drove that day, his fastest lap beat his pole position time – by eight seconds…

“I made such demands on myself that I couldn't sleep for two nights afterwards,” he’d say. “I had never driven as I drove then, but I also knew I'd never be able to go so fast again – ever.”'

[S griffin]

Glad that's being given the win. Nothing against the 2008 Brazilian GP, one of the greatest title deciders of all time, but Nurburgring 1957 was the mark of a true all time great

[chunterer]

The right winner overall but there was some interesting voting in previous rounds that's for sure.

[BTCC frog]

If you felt like doing another one of these, one that might be interesting would be greatest season of all time, something that could be answered with many different criteria, is entirely down to personal opinion and also allows a fair comparison of all seasons as there are only 72 full seasons to be compared and all could be included.

Just an idea, and don’t feel any obligation to do so as I know it must require a huge amount of work.