Community Question | Your Favourite Decade Of Formula One?

[Paul Jeffrey]

This is a question that often gets mates down the pub into heated debate, and something we would love to throw out to the sim racing community - your favourite era of Formula One!

Yes, our wonderful sport has gone through many different phases throughout its 70 year history, with advances in technology, safety, professionalism and ultimately speed having transformed the formula almost beyond recognition from its original roots.

The question is, from a RaceDepartment community perspective, which is your own personal favourite period from the sport?

Feel free to vote in the poll at the top of this article, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

 

[ears]

1986-1996.

Couldn't choose between 80s and 90s.

So didn't.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

1986-1996.

Couldn't choose between 80s and 90s.

So didn't.

That's actually what I wanted to vote as well. Though I might end it at 95, or drag it to 97. I don't see much difference between 96 and 97.

 

[Omer Said]

My favorite years are 1980s and 2000s for those years had the best car shapes. But 80s is a little bit ahead for me.

 

[PoopMan]

50's, 60's and 70's for sure, so much sliding and wheel work those guys did. I struggle with the wider cars of recent times, the cars could never race on any of the tight historical tracks, most are gone now and the same story to this day.

 

[Cote Dazur]

2000’s when F1 sounded like spaceships with engines screaming over 18,000 rpm.
Best times ever.

 

[safi hellie]

2020........................

 

[DND]

The variation in equipment into the early 90's and the all out approach to qualifying. Swapping out of engines between qualification and race, the tracks and the drivers will forever be embedded in my F1 memory. I would love to see F1/Sky/ESPN or whoever bring us the McLaren season of Prost and Senna battling it out all year while we are all being good citizens and staying put.

 

[Shovas]

Going to go out on a limb here and say that the era you love is the era you grew up in or when you fell in love with F1 and/or racing in general.

 

[General_Failure]

The big balls Era ...

 

[Ensi Ferrum]

Well, didn't vote.
Because, all I want to see in F1 is fast cars goung round the circuit as fast as possible.
My favourites are:
Cars: Late 60 - early 70
Driver: The Senna era.
As a german: The Schumacher era
From a technical perspective: The 2010 and 1992 (Williams FW14B)

 

[Littlefysh]

Every decade is fascinating and fantastic, horrifying and scary, lovable and cherished for different reasons. If I could vote for every decade I would, I love motorsport all throughout history. Same with Le Mans.

But the bias of the decade I grew up in, when I was starry-eyed and didn't see the politics behind the sport, wins out. 2000s.

But again, every decade is equally fantastic for different reasons, while all still being this fascination we call motorsport.

 

[Mandoliino]

Häkkinen, Senna, Schumacher, Hill, Mansell, Prost, Villeneuve...did I mention Häkkinen. Yeah, nineties all the way!

 

[EsxPaul]

It was the early 90s that got me hooked forever. I'll never forget the onboard sound from the Ferrari 641 and bobbing head of Jean Alesi

 

[SunBro]

90s all the way man.... and not just for open wheel. 1985-1999 were great for gt racing too (eu AND us)

 

[DonZmeuheu]

60s, 80s and 90s

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

70s, I was a kid and nothing hooks you more than the first contact, Niki Lauda's burning Ferrari, the Tyrrell six-wheeler, the Lotus' 78 and 79 ...

 

[Knoxstar]

The 70's but I'm a bit older than most I suspect plus 71 was my first live race at Mosport and after that nothing can touch it. Plus the 70's saw massive tranformation in cars still without the benefit of computers to rationalize aero and mechanical design. We had wing development and the Lotus moving the radiators to the sidepods. Drivers like Mario, Jackie, Niki, James and Gilles. I know we are picking with our hearts and most likely many of you never got to a race in the 70's and hell yes it was scary dangerous but if you were an F1 driver in that era you were a superhero.

 

[mantasisg]

Difficult choice between 60s and 70s. A decade where they started getting good, and then in next decade they started getting really good. I also love those two decades because formula kept changing so much, everyone was experimenting. In later decades cars begun to get more and more similar, with differences increasingly marginal. Although in 60s and 70s there also were some years when cars appeared rather similar, though there always was that jazz going on. Only two bad things then: lack of safety and they probably burned more fuel.

 

[michelforest]

I was born in 1966, so I can't vote for the 50's and 60's, even if the cars of the sixties were absolutely awesome. I watch the movie "Grand Prix" at least once a year.

So I pick 1988-1997. (In 1998, they introduced the hideous grooved tires and the cars were narrower). The only problem in 1994 was the introduction of refuelling, which I was against (and still am.)

In the early 90's, there was the rivalry between Prost and Senna, 30 cars at least on the entry list and they looked great. They sounded wonderful, there wasn't too much downforce and passing was a possibility. Great drivers too: Senna, Prost, Schumacher, Hakkinen, Mansell (never a fan but he was exciting to watch), Piquet, etc. And no Tilke tracks.

I also have a soft spot for the 1978-1982 period, when my hero Gilles Villeneuve drove for Ferrari. I lost interest when he died so I pretty much missed out on the 1983-1987 seasons, only watching the occasional race here and there. I started watching seriously again around 1988.