The 2020 Formula One season was a season like no other.
The Coronavirus Pandemic meant the original race calendar was scrapped, and a new condensed calendar was put together. The season took place largely across Europe and saw the return of some old and much-loved circuits and several brand new circuits, too. In a season of many highlights and memorable moments, in this article, I’ve picked out my Top 5 moments from F1 2020.
#5 Moment: Hamilton’s Feat
The greats together (photo, Daily Express)
The 5th best moment of the season for me was when Lewis Hamilton equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 F1 wins at the Eifel Grand Prix. Lewis would go on to beat the record at the next race in Portugal. However, the moment he matched Schumacher’s race win tally stands out for many reasons.
The race victory at the Nurburgring was classic Hamilton, as he came out on top in an on-track battle with teammate Valtteri Bottas to take the lead. Then, he controlled the race pace to win by a comfortable margin.
After the race, Schumacher’s son Mick presented Lewis with one of his father’s race helmets. What an iconic moment!
#4 Moment: Gasly Wins
Race winner Pierre Gasly (FRA) AlphaTauri celebrates (photo, XPB/Press Association Images)
Who would have thought? Pierre Gasly took an unlikely win at Monza in the Italian Grand Prix. The race looked like another easy Hamilton victory until Kevin Magnussen (Haas) broke down and closed the pit lane.
Unfortunately, Mercedes missed the information that the pit lane was closed and called Hamilton in to stop. That mistake resulted in a 10-second stop-and-go penalty.
A red flag followed to halt the race, meaning that Hamilton dropped to the back of the field after serving his penalty on its resumption. It also meant that Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) would take the lead and hold on to win.
It was a victory that everyone enjoyed, coming just over a year after Gasly was dropped from the Red Bull team. He also lost his lifelong best friend, Anthoine Hubert, who was tragically killed at Spa in the Belgium F2 race. Gasly’s emotion on the podium was clear to see as he remembered and paid tribute to Hubert.
Moment #3: Drama at the Sakhir Grand Prix
Sakhir had drama from start to finish–and even before race weekend began. World Champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for Coronavirus and had to miss the race. That allowed George Russell to step-up from the back of the grid (Williams team) and race in Hamilton’s car.
Sergio Perez after winning the Sakhir GP (photo, Autoweek)
After qualifying 2nd, Russell took the lead at the start of the race. A remarkable first-ever career victory looked, but it was not to be. A calamitous pit stop ended up having incorrect tires fitted, and that meant a 2nd pit stop, which relegated Russell to 5th. Russell might have won the race, but a late puncture ended all hope. He ended up 9th.
Instead, Sergio Perez was able to win his first-ever Grand Prix in his 190th F1 race. Even more remarkable was that Perez was in the last place at the end of lap 1 after being involved in an incident that caused Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc to retire from the race.
The win may have saved Perez’s career, too. Bumped by Sebastian Vettel, he didn’t have a contract to race in 2021. That changed when he was offered the #2 seat at World Championship chasing Red Bull.
Moment #2: The Grosjean Crash
Grosjean crashes in Bahrain (photo, Planet F1)
It’s a scene no F1 fan will ever forget. I’m referring to when Romain Grosjean walked out of the flames after a horrific accident on lap 1 of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The sight of Grosjean’s Haas car smashing through the barriers and instantly bursting into flames was shocking and sickening to watch, and everyone feared the worst. Thankfully, with F1 safety enhancements, including the HALO protective device, Grosjean survived what would have otherwise been a tragic outcome.
Miraculously, Grosjean suffered minor burns.
And while many questions remain unanswered around the accident, everyone is grateful to see Grosjean alive and well.
Moment #1: Hail, Hamilton!
It was historic! By winning the Turkish GP, Lewis Hamilton became the most successful driver of all-time. Hamilton sealed his 7th World Drivers title in spectacular style to equal the most World Titles won by a driver–a record he shares with Michael Schumacher.
In the early stages of the race, Hamilton was over 20 seconds behind the race leader. But through excellent wet weather driving and judging conditions perfectly, he went on to win by over 30 seconds, beating 2nd placed Sergio Perez. He even lapped teammate Bottas in the process.
The Turkish Grand Prix was a perfect demonstration of everything that makes Lewis Hamilton the great driver.
The great Lewis Hamilton (photo, Sunday Times)
While Formula 1 2020 was memorable from start to finish, race fans are already looking forward to what 2021 will bring. Bravo, Formula 1!
