Which Was the Best Race of the F1 Season?

[Jimlaad43]

The 2017 Formula 1 season has drawn to a close. Along the way we had thrills, spills, controversy and some cracking races. But which race do you think was the best of the year?

Australian Grand Prix

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
   
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
   
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Sebastian Vettel scored a dominant race of a new era as Mercedes looked off the pace. The race included a fantastic three-wide moment with Alonso, Hulkenberg and Ocon into turn 1.

Chinese Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Hamilton lead away from pole in this wet/dry race. Giovinazzi crashed heavily early on, but there were some great wheel-banging overtakes around turn 6 in this race.

Bahrain Grand Prix

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Vettel benefited from a Safety Car caused by Sainz hitting Stroll to jump the Mercedes drivers, who were asked to swap positions late in the race.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Russian Grand Prix

1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Bottas slipstreamed past both Ferrari's into turn 2 and took the lead. As the race drew to a close, Vettel chased Bottas down and came very close to stealing the win.

Spanish Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Verstappen and Raikkonen went out at turn 1, but the race was characterised by the titanic battle between Vettel and Hamilton, with the Mercedes driver eventually passing Vettel to come out on top.

Monaco Grand Prix

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Vettel got the jump on Raikkonen through the pitstops to take the win. The race will be remembered for Pascal Wehrlein being propped up against the barriers by Jenson Button in his one-off race.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Canadian Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Verstappen made a fantastic start but broke down soon after, damaging Vettel's front wing. Sainz and Massa crashed. The Force India's had a team orders disagreement, which cost them a potential podium.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

1. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)
   
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3. Lance Stroll (Williams - Mercedes)

This race featured Vettel and Hamilton's safety car collision, the Force India's costing each other a win, Bottas fighting from a lap down to 2nd place on the line and Lance Stroll on the podium. Ricciardo overtook 3 cars in one go to score his only win of the season.

Austrian Grand Prix

1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Bottas nailed the start and pulled away at the front as Kvyat caused a pile-up behind. Vettel was once again chasing Bottas, closing right up on the line but not being able to do enough.

 

[Jimlaad43]

British Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Hamilton disappeared into the distance as Vettel and Verstappen fought wildly through Stowe lap after lap. Ferrari were set for a good result until they suffered a puncture on both cars near the end of the race.

Hungarian Grand Prix

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Vettel managed a damaged steering rack to score another win, helped by Raikkonen being told to stay behind to protect Vettel from the Mercedes', who reversed team orders on the finish line.

Belgian Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Hamilton and Vettel fought all race long with both driving as fast as they could all through the race. This race also included another Force India inter-team collision.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Italian Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

The grid was mixed up by a very wet qualifying and a shed-load of grid penalties. Mercedes breezed off into the distance to show up Ferrari at their home race.

Singapore Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

For the first time in history, both Ferrari's retired on Lap 1 of a Grand Prix. Vettel squeezed Verstappen into Raikkonen, taking all three out in the process of the first wet night race. Hamilton scored a win at Mercedes' weakest track.

Malaysian Grand Prix

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Ferrari's mechanical woes sent Vettel to the back of the grid, and Raikkonen off it entirely. Verstappen chased Hamilton, overtaking him early on before scoring his second win. A rather bizzare post-race incident between Stroll and Vettel then occurred.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Japanese Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)

Sebastian Vettel retired with a spark plug issue, leaving Hamilton to score an easy victory, until traffic on the final lap almost allowed Verstappen to steal the win.

United States Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Vettel got the jump on Hamilton off the start, but the Mercedes driver hunted Vettel down and passed him a few laps later. Verstappen was given a 5-second penalty for cutting a corner to overtake Raikkonen on the final lap.

Mexican Grand Prix

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer)
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Verstappen out-dragged everyone into turn 1, going around the outside of Vettel, who hit Hamilton going through turn 3. Both title contenders dropped to the back and battled back through the field as Verstappen took a 3rd win of his career, each the race after Daniil Kvyat had been demoted coincidentally.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Brazilian Grand Prix

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Vettel passed Bottas into turn 1 as Estaban Ocon was taken out by Grosjean, failing to finish a race for the first time. Hamilton battled through the pack to 4th after crashing in Q1.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

Bottas withstood race-long pressure from his team mate to score a 3rd win.


So, what was your favourite race of the season? Vote above in the poll! What else stood out about the season? What was your favourite moment, memory, overtake, crash, quote etc... Use this as the thread to give your opinions on the 2017 season and what you enjoyed most about it.

 

[Wedge]

Baku by a mile

 

[Tume]

Baku! Stroll got dat podium

 

[Boby Kim]

Can't tell, the one i did not fell asleep...

 

[snyperal]

I voted Singapore because it was there that the wheels fell off vettel's campaign.

Enjoyed the British gp too though.

 

[ears]

Yeah, sad for Ferrari, sad for Vettel, sad for F1 that the outstanding moments of the season seemed to be the ones where Vettel tripped over himself.

Probably Singapore for me.

 

[Tim Meuris]

Definitely Barcelona: the only real battle between lewis and seb

 

[Enagee]

Impressive work @Jimlaad43 .Shame FOM always blocks youtube videos.

Definitely the best race, Sim racers most popular track.......SPA . Battle between Lewis and Seb, Ocon and Perez, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Ocon Battle all 3 wide, Alonso and Palmer

 

[rubaru]

Quite honestly can't remember them all. Not one of them really stand out this season. I guess any race that didn't have Mercedes winning would be a good choice.

 

[Jolero02]

Quite honestly can't remember them all. Not one of them really stand out this season. I guess any race that didn't have Mercedes winning would be a good choice.

Even Baku?( I guess that stands out for the wrong reasons)

 

[shimon.ifraimov]

baku was insane. loved it

 

[LeSunTzu]

Baku was a complete farce.

 

[kedy89]

Hm, what did I enjoy most this season? Probably the video of the 2001 Malaysian GP they had uploaded on the F1 youtube channel for a couple of weeks

 

[Tberg]

Baku was a mess, but the most entertaining for sure.