Best & Worst Moments During the 2007 Formula One Season

Digital-Nitrate · Oct 21, 2007

To start this thread off, here is what many of the drivers said when asked this question by Peter Windsor of SPEED TV before the start of the Brazilian GP:

"If you step back a little bit from this season and you take one special moment from this year, good or bad, what would it be?"

#1 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

...

#2 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
#6 Canadian GP (June 10)

Probably my first win, in Montreal.

#3 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)

...

#4 Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
#12 Turkish GP (August 26) and #11 Hungarian GP (August 5)

One good? Turkey. Bad? Hungary.

#5 Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber)
#3 Bahrain GP (April 15)

One of the nicest ones was definitely overtaking Alonso in Bahrain.

#6 Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber)
#6 Canadian GP (June 10)

I think the Montreal crash, this will be I think remembered for all the years.

#7 Heikki Kovalainen (Renault)
#15 Japanese GP (September 30)

Fuji. I finished second there under dificult circumstance definietly had to be the highlight of the year, and with a good proper fight with Kimi at the end.

#8 Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)

...

#9 Nico Rosberg (Williams)
#14 Belgian GP (September 16)

Probably Spa, because I didn't really expect to do well there and after the start there is two red cars and two silver cars and that's it, and so that was a pretty cool moment.

#10 David Coulthard (Red Bull)

...

#11 Alexander Wurz (Williams)

...

#12 Mark Webber (Red Bull)
#10 European GP (July 22)

I think the podium was special in Nurburgring. It was a very very dificult race. Four stops, or eight stops between the while team if you like. Yeah, to get a podium there was a special day for us.

#13 Jarno Trulli (Toyota)
#3 Bahrain GP (April 15)

I would say the good one was overtaking maneuver in Bahrain. That was realy amazing and unbelievabnlt dificult place.

#14 Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso)

...

#15 Jenson Button (Honda)

...

#16 Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)
None

I don't know really.

#17 Takuma Sato (Super Aguri)
#6 Canadian GP (June 10)

Barcalona was obviously a very special moment, but if I picked the best one it should be Canada. (where he made that amazing late breaking pass on Alonso on the outside)

#18 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Toro Rosso)
#16 Chinese GP (October 7)

The highlight for us for sure was Shanghai and Fuji. Shanghai was the best race of the year for Toro Rosa and for me because we showed that when the car is working we can perform really well.

#19 Adrian Sutil (Spyker)

...

#20 Rubens Barrichello (Honda)
All/None

The outstanding thing for me is that we had such a bad car. It's unbelievable how they managed to create such a bad car.

#21 Scott Speed (Toro Rosso)

...

#22 Kazuki Nakajima (Williams)

...

#23 Anthony Davidson (Super Aguri)

...

#24 Sakon Yamamoto (Spyker)

...

#25 Christijan Albers (Spyker)

...

#NA Markus Winkelhock (Spyker)

...

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer (Spyker)
#10 European GP (July 22)

I think for us it has to be Markus Winkelhock going past Raikkonen for the lead and being 30 seconds into the lead of his first Grand Prix, his home Grand Prix, where his dad last raced in Formula One. It was a great moment.

So what do you all think were these driver's best and worst *moments, and what was the best and worst *moments from this season for you as a fan?

* Not "moments" off the track. It would be nice if this thread could be relatively free from all the off track drama that occured during the season.

Thanks!

peterjford · Oct 21, 2007

I think Kimi coming from 7 points behind to win the Championship was the best. Winkelhock starting last and first in his first race was pretty amazing. Sato's pass on Alonso was great. Kubica being able to race again 2 weeks after his crash was great too.

As far as worst... if it has to be on-track moments, it would be Kubica's crash, or maybe Hamilton's mechanical problems. But I guess it evens out, Kimi got his bad luck over with earlier (in this season and in his career) and Hamilton's luck ran out at the end.

Robin · Oct 21, 2007

One of the best and worst was that crazy Nurburgring Gran Prix!

Just seeing all the cars slide off the track and the constant changing of positions was very exciting, at the same time it was bad because it was so bloody dangerous.. very entertaining though!

Kubica's crash and Coulthard sliding over an F1 bonnet was some of the other highlights!

The wheel banging fights throughout the year with various drivers were also great.

Robin

Stevisiov · Oct 21, 2007

I laughed at ralf's response.

I also laughed at Barrichelo's response.

Brett · Oct 22, 2007

One of the worst moments of the year is seeing Robert Kubica being thrown around like a rag doll at Montreal. I assumed the worst and thought there is no way he is quickly coming back from such a horrific crash. The news comes of what has happened to his that same day or the day after and it was only minor injuries, it was definitely a relief and some of the best news that could come to the Formula 1 community. It really is a testament to the safety of today's cars. 👍

TS · Oct 22, 2007

Best moment definetly was the European GP with the rain and all the cars going off, but you cant leave off today's Brazilian GP where Raikkonen, who won, went from 3rd in points to the lead and won the title.

Worst moment was probably the Japanese GP where Sebastian Vettel running 3rd was taken out by one of the other red bull cars during a safety car period.

Scariest moment for me was Kubica's crash, just goes to show the safety of a modern race car.

Earth · Oct 22, 2007

Worst moment for Scott Speed has to be when he was sucker punched in his back by the Toro Rosso Team manager

prisonermonkeys · Oct 22, 2007

Button's best moment would have to be his mega effort in Turkey where he went from twenty-first on the grid through to thirteenth. We never saw a moment of it, because ITV were probably concentrating on Hamilton.

However, JB's worst moment would pretty much have to be everything else that's happened this year, though if I had to pick one thing it would be dealing with an idiot for a lead designer.

niky · Oct 22, 2007

My favorite two moments were:

#2 Lewis Hamilton's amazing drive in the rain to clinch the pole in Japan.

#1 The awesomeness that was the first corner of the Brazil GP. There, the drama of the entire 2007 season was encapsulated in a single moment:

Massa being a good team player and doing his bit to help Kimi win.

Kimi being "Mister Cool" and doing the unexpected, and respecting his team mate by backing off into the first corner.

Fernando being a dick and pulling a potentially dangerous move on his team-mate, his team and risking it all for personal glory.

Lewis finally looking like a rookie, and falling behind as the two veterans slugged it out in their own personal duel.

------

Man, what a great end to the season.

Robin · Oct 22, 2007

Just a quick question... if Super Aguri always gets last years Honda wont that then mean next year they get the heap of junk that is the earth car?

I would stick to the one they have! :ill:

Robin

prisonermonkeys · Oct 22, 2007

Robin ///////
Just a quick question... if Super Aguri always gets last years Honda wont that then mean next year they get the heap of junk that is the earth car?

I would stick to the one they have!

Robin

I don't know ... the RA106 was outmoded by the end of the season. You'll notice they peaked some time around the Canadian Grand Prix and then gradually slid downhill. They never really got to develop the car; while it was solid enough to be competitive to begin with, Super Aguri couldn't keep up with everyone else. Rumour had it that Honda's senior management (the actual company, not the team) stepped in and told Super Aguri that if they didn't stop developing the car, they wouldn't get engines next year, a move which was supposedly designed to stop Super Aguri from out-performing the Honda factory team and seriously embarrassing their big sister team.

It's just a rumour, though, probably created around the time that Aguri's competitiveness started to diminish ...

Brett · Oct 22, 2007

After thinking about it for a bit, the Best Moment of the Year for me was the Brazilian Grand Prix.

With Kimi Raikkonen finally being able to wrap up a driver's title, it was just amazing. To be such an underdog in the race and having to have so many breaks go his way, it was completely improbable that such an unlucky driver would have everything fall into place and allow for his first and long overdue championship. But it happened and it put yet another magical moment in year in which there will be many remembered.

It was a wonderful year and one in which I hope I never forget, especially considering I am still a little shocked that everything fell into place. This is one year I will be able to tell my grandchildren about (well that is if I have children first, but everyone gets the point).

Sureboss · Oct 22, 2007

TS
Worst moment was probably the Japanese GP where Sebastian Vettel running 3rd was taken out by one of the other red bull cars during a safety car period.

I'll assume that's a typo.

zoxxy · Oct 22, 2007

@ Ralf

<_Spike_> · Oct 22, 2007

niky
Lewis finally looking like a rookie, and falling behind as the two veterans slugged it out in their own personal duel.
.

Referring to him going off the track and "showing his inexperience"? If so...man you're very naive, disappointing the amount of people saying that.

@Ralf - He just had so many bad moments he didn't know where to start lol

Metar · Oct 22, 2007

niky
Fernando being a dick and pulling a potentially dangerous move on his team-mate, his team and risking it all for personal glory.

I can't help but wonder how a very usual squeeze-into-the-inside move is considered dangerous.

First corner, a left-hander, Alonso slightly behind. Second corner, Hamilton has the inside, so no pass. Third corner, Alonso has it, and he's through.

Simple, clean, nothing dangerous.

Digital-Nitrate · Oct 22, 2007

Metar
niky

Fernando being a dick and pulling a potentially dangerous move on his team-mate, his team and risking it all for personal glory.

Click to expand...

I can't help but wonder how a very usual squeeze-into-the-inside move is considered dangerous.

First corner, a left-hander, Alonso slightly behind. Second corner, Hamilton has the inside, so no pass. Third corner, Alonso has it, and he's through.

Simple, clean, nothing dangerous.

I could be mistaken, but based on his comment it sounded like he was referring to the start of the Belgian GP at Spa, which coincidentally I was just discussing in the Brazilian GP thread, where it was clear, both from the live coverage and the replays, Alonso purposefully went waaaay off his line and into Hamilton's to force him off the track, as Hamilton was also clearly going to pass him. This is also one of the main reasons why Alonso was booed when they introduced him at the podium.

If anything Hamilton showed great restraint and smarts by avoiding Alonso and a crash that would have likely taken them both out.

BTW: Also in that post I included a re-creation video of the highlights from the Canadian GP. It has to be a re-creation because ITV and SPEED channel won't permit clips from their broadcasts on YouTube. :grumpy:

Anyway, seeing as events at the Canadian GP were the most popular choices among the F1 drivers this season, I'll go ahead and post it here:

At the very least, one can certainly appreciate the effort it took to set those re-creations up and edit it them all together. 👍

It is also a reminder that you don't have to have bad weather to have a wild and eventful F1 race.

Driving Park · Oct 22, 2007

The worst part of the season for Hamilton was when he got stuck at the pit entrance, which cost him the championship title. But you've got to hand it to him, he came very far for his rookie season and I'm sure he'll win next year.

:-)

<_Spike_> · Oct 22, 2007

Yeah, probably the biggest mistake McLaren made all season** keeping him out two laps too long, may not necessarily have won in China...but he'd probably have gotten enough points to make even 7th place a Championship winning position.

** Spy Scandal excluded of course lol

niky · Oct 23, 2007

Lewis admitted after the race that the gearbox thing was due to his accidentally entering launch mode.

And no, the first few corners weren't the rookie mistake. That was pure strategic genius. The rookie mistake was overdriving the car on the catch-up... compromising his chances of actually finishing. Yes, he did make some spectacular moves, but he did make some aggressive moves on traffic when he shouldn't have.

Actually, despite it being a valid move, I was actually referring to Alonso passing Hamilton. He didn't give him a chance to recover, he dived right in on him. Now if that were Massa... :lol:

...but yes, it was a legitimate move, and one big, final F.U. from Alonso to McLaren.

I-Runner · Oct 24, 2007

niky
Lewis admitted after the race that the gearbox thing was due to his accidentally entering launch mode.

This is a "HUMAN" mistake because he
lost "only" 6 positions, From 8th to 14th
(at the end he was 7th .. :ouch:

... +7positions)

WITHOUT THE previous fatal ERROR he ..was , in the worst way , 4th :nervous:

niky
And no, the first few corners weren't the rookie mistake. That was pure strategic genius. The rookie mistake was overdriving the car on the catch-up... compromising his chances of actually finishing. Yes, he did make some spectacular moves, but he did make some aggressive moves on traffic when he shouldn't have.

He was very very silly, EVERY Other Driver ... Would drive with
the ipod at maximum and one arm over the cockpit (Tourist MODE ON),
laughing behind the "mobbed-mclaren" of Al(PH)onso ...

niky
Actually, despite it being a valid move, I was actually referring to Alonso passing Hamilton. He didn't give him a chance to recover, he dived right in on him. Now if that were Massa... ...but yes, it was a legitimate move, and one big, final F.U. from Alonso to McLaren.

Only a REAL CRAZY team manager bases the championship on a Rookie
with a champion in His TEAM !

I-R

peterjford · Oct 24, 2007

I-Runner
Only a REAL CRAZY team manager bases the championship on a Rookie
with a champion in His TEAM !

I-R

No, only a REAL CRAZY team manager bases the championship on the performances of a driver from last season in a different car on a different team. Only a REAL CRAZY team manager would ignore this seasons accomplishments of any driver on his team regardless of weather they are a rookie or a champion. Only a REAL CRAZY team manager on a team known for not having a #1 driver would change that policy when both drivers were so closely matched.

Then again, only a REAL CRAZY team manager wouldn't put a driver down that threatened to blackmail him.

Best & Worst Moments During the 2007 Formula One Season

Digital-Nitrate

1955-2011 R.I.P.

peterjford

I <3 GT Kitty!

Robin

Stevisiov

GTP_Sigma

Brett

TS

Earth

prisonermonkeys

Be Fearless

niky

Karma Chameleon

Robin

prisonermonkeys

Be Fearless

Brett

Sureboss

Tanned and Lipstick'd

zoxxy

<_Spike_>

Metar

Digital-Nitrate

1955-2011 R.I.P.

Driving Park

<_Spike_>

niky

Karma Chameleon

I-Runner

peterjford

I <3 GT Kitty!

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