What is the most amazing 1 lap you can recall?

Dan,

1) Senna's lap at Donnington in 93
2) Senna's qualifying lap at Monoco
3) Mansell's pass on Piquet at Silverstone in 87. Nelson had a 30 second lead with only 25 laps to go and Mansell drove like a madman every lap. With three laps to go he caught Nelson at Stowe and made what I think was the greatest pass ever.

There was a rumor that Piquet called Mansell's wife a "pig" to a reporter and it was printed.

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

Agreed on the Gilles/Rene battle.

I think the Alesi/Senna battle was in one of the US street races, Phoenix maybe, or Dallas?

Single most impressive lap was Senna in the rain in Donington, agreed.

But to really answer your question: One of my own laps in a F1 at Le Luc. Burnt into memory forever.

 

Hakkinen passing Schumacher in Spa - Francorchamps....

each passing on a side of a car in the middle of the track, but hakkinen jumping schum in this manoeuvre.
(don't remember who was the guy that was looking in his mirrors, someone can help...?)

 

It was poor Ricardo Zonta. His only claim to fame except maybe trying to imitate JV by taking Eue Rouge flat footed (both had mnassive shunts).

And yes I agree that was one of the most awesome passes.

Cheers,

Jon

 

That was actually in Phoenix in 1990, when Alesi passed Senna twice. I would have to say:

1) Senna's first lap in Donnington 93.

2) Schumachers first lap in Spain 96.

3) Mansell's pass on Piquet at Silverstone in 96.

The above from the 90's.

 

I'm not sure whether the most amazing 1 lap means the greatest by a single driver or the greatest bit of racing or whatever. The answers seem to cover both. And of course, one lap means different things at different circuits. It means under two miles at Monaco and over 14 at the old Nurburgring.

Nevertheless, I'll add a few to think about (some I've only read about - I'm not THAT old - some I've seen on video and some live):
Tazio Nuvolari's last lap at the Nurburgring in 1935
Rosemeyer in the fog - again at the Nurburgring - 1937 from memory, lapping vastly quicker than anyone else.
Fangio, yes at the Nurburgring again, this time in 1957, shattering the lap record and passing both Ferraris to take the lead after a botched pitstop.
The last lap of the 1967 Italian GP, when Jim Clark, having made up a full lap to retake the lead, spluttered low on fuel and John Surtees and Jack Brabham crossed the line in a blur, Surtees, a fraction ahead.
Jackie Stewart's opening lap in the pouring rain at the Nurburgring in 1968. Wrist in plaster he ultimately won by over four minutes.
Gilles Villeneuve lapping Zandvoort on three wheels in 1979.
Yes, of course, Gilles and Rene Arnoux at Dijon 1979.
Gilles again and his opening lap at Jarama in 1981. They say races aren't won at the start, and boy, did he have to work his genius for the remaining laps, but he started 7th and passed Reutemann for second at the end of that first lap and if he hadn't...
In fact, come to think of it, almost any lap driven by Gilles Villeneuve was pretty amazing.
The last lap of Monaco 1982. Prost had led most of the way but spun off a couple of laps from the end. Patrese led, but spun himself, Pironi led but ground to a halt in the tunnel, de Cesaris and Daly both went out and finally Patrese, push-started by the marshals came round and took the flag. And the look of total incomprehension on his face afterwards was absolutely priceless.
Keke Rosberg's pole lap at Silverstone in 1985. The first lap over 160mph; the track was still damp in places and it turned out he had a slow puncture in a rear tyre.
The first lap of Adelaide 1986. Mansell, Piquet, Rosberg and Senna all battling for the lead, with Prost just behind and the Championship at stake.
Senna's series of ever-quicker laps to take the pole at Monaco in 1988.
Monza 1988 and the lap Senna tripped over Jean-Louis Schlesser's Williams. I was listening to it on the car radio and nearly slid off the road!
Barcelona '91 with Mansell and Senna maybe an inch apart all the length of the main straight with sparks flying from their cars. And I was there and saw it live!
Mansell passing Gerhard Berger round the outside of the Peraltada in Mexico 1990.
Mansell's qualifying lap at Silverstone in 1992. Some two seconds quicker than anyone else.
Senna again and his opening lap at Donington '93.
Jean Alesi's victory lap at Montreal in 1995. He'd finally won a GP and he did seem quite pleased...
Michael Schumacher driving the parade lap at Barcelona in '96. All the others were trundling round and he was all over the place experimenting and finding the best lines and where the grip was.
Montoya's pole lap at Silverstone in 2002. It completely came from nowhere, which is just where he was when the race started.

Perhaps I'd better stop there...

 

Here! Here!!

 

Valentino Rossi in any MotoGP season provides so many "most exciting one lap" memories, that they are beyond listing. If you haven't seen him, check it out. If you have, you know what I mean.

 

Agreed

 

I think I have that "event" on my cpu.
Was it '79 at the French GP? If it was, it was for 2nd place.

The '93 clip too. Senna just walked right past.

 

Too much porn on here now I guess. Just overloads the system. :<)

 

No question
Gilles and Rene

And they laughed and congratulated each other at the end.
True racing, true fun, true classs

 

I'll cast a vote for the final lap of the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix. Jack Brabham locked his brakes at the final corner and slid into the straw bales, allowing Jochen Rindt to win for Lotus. Rindt broke the all-time lap record on his final lap while pursuing Brabham. I remember watching that one on "Wide World of Sports" - it was great!

 

Im seriously up for a video of all this too. Who can set this up?

Would speed channel have an archive of all these races? Id imagine a "best of F1" show would be a huge hit on speed!!

 

A quick google and voilà: http://www.iprimus.ca/~trauttf/Gilles/Dijon79.mpeg
Quality is not great, and TV track coverage wasn't quite what it is today. Still you get the spirit of it.

I found other links but they're dead.

 

The Gilles/Rene battle at the end of the French Grand Prix for second has to be the greatest. Banging wheels like that in open wheel cars usually results in someone getting air, but those two wanted it BAD.

 

Two non F1 moments that jump out are

Max Papis 24 hours of Daytona Driving the 333sp in 96 - Final 1 hour stint. It is how he got the name "Mad Max" Pick any of the last laps as great.

A. Zanardi's CART pass on Bryan Herta on the last lap in the Corkscrew @ Laguna. Man, I have never seen a braver move that didn't end up badly. I have stood @ the top of that turn and I still can not see how he pulled it off. Bryan's interview afterward had the look of someone who had just seen a UFO.

 

J.V. pass on Schumacher in 97 to win the F1 championship was an amazing/historic lap. Amazing can be used to describe both the good and the bad. Pretty historic nonetheless.

Check it out from Schumacher's view here:

http://www.iprimus.ca/~trauttf/Jacques/On_board_with_shuey.mpg

 

Senna's qualifying lap for pole at Suzuka in 1989. Brilliant, exciting driving and I still have it taped somehere.

 

Another one for me was Emmo putting "Little Al" into the wall on the last lap to take Indy in '89.

DL