These Are The Most Iconic F1 Races Of The Past Decade
F1 is arguably the most iconic motorsport event worldwide, and with 22 Grand Prix events throughout the year, it is […]
Monza Staff
F1 is arguably the most iconic motorsport event worldwide, and with 22 Grand Prix events throughout the year, it is pure adrenaline action.
Through the years, there have been many iconic races on the tracks of F1, and some historical rivalries have also been the talk of the town. There are some races, however, which happened to stand out in the entire season due to the sheer drama in them. The last lap overtakes to win the race, heart-stopping crashes, and unpredictable weather conditions are some of the key ingredients for a dramatic Formula One race. Pirelli introduced stiff compound tires in Formula 1 and became the exclusive tire maker. Overtaking became more complex, and tire management was a much more severe issue that could determine the race’s outcome. Here are some of the most iconic moments and races that fans were lucky enough to witness in the past decade.
2019 German Grand Prix
The 2019 German Grand Prix was an exciting and very chaotic race. Lewis Hamilton was the favorite to win this one as he wasn’t defeated in a rain-affected track in Germany since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen was also considered a contender for the top spot. The fast Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel started at a significantly lower position on the grid, making the race even more interesting. Hamilton dominated most of the race by being in the first position but was closely followed by Max Verstappen, who was breathing down his neck in third place. Bottas and Leclerc had a crash that ruled them both out of the race; eventually, Max Verstappen secured first place.
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix
The Brazilian Grand Prix that year was scheduled as the 20th race of the season, and it will rightly go down as one of the most bizarre races of the season. Sebastian Vettel started in fourth place and had a 13-point lead over Championship Contender Fernando Alonso, who was in 9th place. After a poor start, Vettel lost several positions and found himself in last place. Nico Hulkenburg and Hamilton collided in turn 1, putting both drivers out of contention. Jenson Button was the eventual winner as he went on to win his final Grand Prix and Vettel became Formula One’s youngest triple world champion.
2014 Hungarian Grand Prix
This race, in particular, will surely be remembered for years to come, especially for Lewis Hamilton since he had to start his race from the pit stop as his car had a fuel tank malfunction during qualifying. The safety car was pulled out on two occasions where Sergio Perez crashed, and so did Marcus Ericsson. Alonso took the lead with his worn-out soft tires while he was followed by Hamilton, who was on worn-out mediums.
2016 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix was a fairly exciting one to watch since Lewis Hamilton put out a great show in the wet weather conditions and became the eventual winner. Although Hamilton had a great race, there were many eyes on Red Bull’s young driver Max Verstappen who was just 19 years old back then and surprisingly managed to finish third behind Mercedes. Felipe Massa Crashed during the race, which was supposed to be his final Brazilian Grand Prix before retiring. He was given a guard of honor as he walked down the pit lane.
2019 Australian Grand Prix
This race was all about Max Verstappen, who had grown into a much more mature character in his Formula 1 career. Verstappen had a poor start in which he found himself in the ninth position competing with a rising talent named Charles Leclerc. Verstappen took only 9 laps to climb back into 6th position, and a lightning-fast pitstop allowed him to go above Hamilton in that race. Max Verstappen eventually went on to win the race, but Leclerc gave him a very tough fight and announced his arrival in Formula One World.
2018 German Grand Prix
The 2018 German Grand Prix was a very dramatic race in the V6 hybrid era. Sebastian Vettel began the race in pole position while Lewis Hamilton was back in 14th place due to a hydraulic malfunction in qualifying. Hamilton made some quick progressions and found himself in third place while driving on soft compound tires, which proved to be a masterstroke. Sebastian Vettel went off the track and into the barriers on lap 52, and Hamilton was the eventual winner of the race.
2021 Russian Grand Prix
Dalit rain shower during the race led to Hamilton’s 100 victories but also resulted in heartbreak for Norris. This was also the first time in 9 years that Mclaren had a position on the podium. The victory in the 2021 Russian Grand Prix moves Lewis Hamilton two points clear of his title Contender Max Verstappen.
2019 Brazilian Grand Prix
This race, in particular, was a different case since the Championship had already been sealed, but still, there was a lot on the line for other drivers, and no position on the grid was left unchallenged. It resulted in joy for some while despair for other teams. Max Verstappen was the eventual winner, while Lewis Hamilton finished third. Charles Leclerc faced a puncture caused by running into his teammate, and even Vettel had a blown-up rear tire ruling him out of the race.