Formula 1 marks its 75 anniversary in 2025. At the time of writing there have been 1,141 races on 77 different circuits in 34 different countries.
The noise of the engines, the skills of the drivers and the thrill of watching these incredible machines in action ensures that every F1 race is an unmissable spectacle, particularly if you are experiencing it live and in person. However, some of these races have proven to be more memorable than others.
As we celebrate the sports 75th anniversary, we challenged our resident F1 experts to come up with a list of the top 5 best F1 races of all time. What reasons why these races stand out varies, but all 5 offered unpredictability by the bucket load. These are without question some of the best F1 races to rewatch on YouTube or F1 TV for long term fans and newbies to the sport alike.
1. Belgium 1998
The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix was filled with drama right from the very start when it produced the largest multi-car pile up in the history of the sport. Atrocious wet conditions resulted in 13 of the 22 cars colliding on the exit of the first corner. This led to a delay of over an hour before the restart. However, once the race did get going it was well worth waiting for.
Damon Hill had endured a difficult 1998 season driving for the Jordan team who were the sports perennial underdogs having so far failed to win a race since entering the sport in 1991. However, the Brit made a lightning start from 3rd on the grid to take the lead heading into turn one. Behind the Jordan, Michael Schumacher and his title rival Mika Hakkinen collided resulting in the Finn retiring from the race. Schumacher however got off lightly and by lap 8 he was past Hill and in the lead, a result which would have seen him end the day three points clear of Hakkinen in the drivers championship.
Schumacher showcased his mastery of the wet conditions and by half distance he was over 40 seconds clear of Hill. However, the German was starting to lap backmarkers and on lap 25 he came up behind Hakkinen's team-mate David Coulthard. Ferrari boss Jean Todt stormed down to the McLaren pitwall to demand that Coulthard slow down in order to let the German past. Unfortunately for Schumacher, Coulthard did this to the letter resulting in the German running into the back of the McLaren on account of the poor visibility. Schumacher was livid and stormed down to the McLaren garage to remonstrate with Coulthard in a confrontation which also turned into fisticuffs.
This put Hill back in the lead, a position he held until the flag just ahead of his team-mate Ralf Schumacher. Behind the Jordan's however, the carnage continued with multiple collisions and driver errors which resulted in just 6 drivers completing the race. It was Jordan's first victory after numerous near misses and they did it in style with a 1-2. An overwhelmed team-boss Eddie Jordan famously danced his way to the podium, embodying the joy that so many fans around the world felt on that wet August afternoon in the Ardennes Forest.
2. Japan 2005
The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix is unique on this list of the best F1 races of all time in that it is the only grand prix which wasn't affected by wet weather. However, the weather did affect the qualifying session which resulted in a very mixed up grid order, with championship protagonists Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen starting 16th and 17th respectively.
Suzuka is a real drivers circuit with a mix of challenging corners which really test the abilities of both car and driver. This doesn't always lend itself to good racing but for some reason this 2005 event was an anomaly, with Raikkonen and Alonso fighting their way through the field with some incredible overtaking manoeuvres. This included Alonso famously overtaking Michael Schumacher around the outside of the notorious 130R corner at full speed. Luckily for the Spaniard, Schumacher opted to brake mid way through the corner, thus avoiding a potentially devastating accident. Alonso later claimed that he knew Schumacher would be back out of the battle because "he has a wife and kids at home".
Alonso's team-mate Fisichella had been one of the beneficiaries of the wet qualifying and had spent the majority of the afternoon cruising at the front. However, he underestimated the pace of Raikkonen who managed to catch the Renault by lap 49 of 53. At the start of the final lap, Raikkonen made his move in a daring overtake towards turn one which almost resulted in the pair colliding as Fisichella desperately tried to defend his lead. If only the Italian had shown this level of determination 20 laps earlier, he may well have taken an easy win rather than relinquishing a trophy which had his name on it.
3. Brazil 2003
"Inconsistent" is probably the best word that could be used to describe Giancarlo Fisichella. While he did have his off-days such as that 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, there were other races where he was genuinely the class of the field. One example of which was the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix when the Italian took the fourth and final victory of the Jordan team.
Since their heyday with Damon Hill, Jordan had been on a rather rapid decline as they struggled to match the spending power of car manufacturer backed teams. However, the little Irish team had always been known for its shrewd decision making and on the night before the race the team's technical chief Gary Anderson had a dream about a potential race strategy. With heavy rainfall forecast for race day, Anderson elected to fill Fisichella's fuel tank to the brim, hoping that the race would be red flagged early. This would mean that the team were able to complete the race without making a pit stop.
The atrocious conditions resulted in multiple crashes, the majority of which were sparked by a large stream of water at turn 3 which even caught out Regenmeister Michael Schumacher. Fisichella meanwhile kept his nose clean and slowly made his way up the order from the back of the grid as his rivals either crashed or came in to re-fuel. Anderson's prophecy became reality on lap 54 of 71 when Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso both suffered terrifying accidents on the start-finish straight which left the circuit covered in debris. This brought out the red flag and since the race was past 75% distance, the race director elected not to restart the race.
It was Fisichella's first F1 win at a time when he was still considered to be a potential world champion of the future. He had avoided all obstacles both in front and behind him, including his out of control team-mate Ralph Firman who had suffered a suspension failure on lap 17, narrowly avoiding Fisichella as he hurtled towards the barriers.
4. Brazil 2008
Five years later, the Interlagos circuit in Brazil was hosting the final race of the 2008 F1 season. Lewis Hamilton led the championship by just 7 points from his title rival Felipe Massa at a time when there were 10 points awarded for a race win. Hamilton therefore had to finish in at least 5th place to secure the title irrespective of what his Ferrari rival achieved on race day.
Conditions were mixed throughout the race which made tyre choices tricky. Massa and Ferrari did everything they needed to do out front though with the Brazilian taking a commanding lead at his home circuit. With the wrong set-up for the mainly dry event, Hamilton and McLaren were struggling though and on lap 69 of 71 Hamilton lost 5th position to the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel.
Just as it looked like Hamilton was set to lose the championship at the final round for the second year in succession, it began to rain. Hamilton and Vettel were both on wet weather tyres and quickly catching the Toyota of Timo Glock up ahead who was running on dry weather slicks. Approaching the final corner of the final lap, Hamilton dived up the inside of the Toyota to take that crucial 5th place which gave him enough points to secure his first world championship crown.
The Ferrari team had been celebrating since Massa crossed the line, believing that Hamiton would be unable to both catch and overtake Glock. It was pure drama with a storyline which is beyond anything that could have been imagined.
5. Canada 2011
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix isn't just one of the best F1 races of all time, it's also one of the longest F1 races of all time with a total of 70 laps taking place over 4 hours, 4 minutes and 39 seconds. This was largely due to a huge downpour which caused a 2 hour red flag period. The only on-track activity during this period was the local ducks who floated their way across the flooded circuit.
For Jenson Button, the first 20 laps of the race prior to the red flag had been a complete nightmare. He was running near the back of the field after an earlier collision with team-mate Lewis Hamilton and a drive through penalty for speeding behind the safety car. Things didn't get any better at the restart when he collided with Fernando Alonso, resulting in him needing to pit due to a puncture.
However, Button was famous for his ability to judge wet weather conditions and once he was on his new tyres he started to fly through the field. By lap 51 he had made his way from last to 4th and was catching Vettel, Schumacher and Mark Webber ahead. Schumacher and Webber were easy prey and as they started the final lap, Button was less than a second behind race leader Vettel.
Vettel had been flawless throughout the race but at turn 6 on the final lap, he hit a wet patch and lost control of his Red Bull. It was the only invitation Button needed to slip past and take the lead which he would keep until the flag less than a minute later. If you ever need proof of why you should never give up in life, Button's afternoon in Montreal 2011 is the ultimate case study.
See the Modern Day Stars in Action
Our list of the best F1 races of all time showcases the very best of the sport, with its ability to stir the emotions and keep spectators on the edge of their seats. There is no better place to see all of this unfold than being at the race in person.
Make sure you are there to see the classic F1 races of the future by booking a
luxury F1 holiday package with Elegant Sports today. We'll take care of everything, from the flights and accommodation, through to the paddock passes and hospitality.