F1 2016: Best moments!

1. Verstappen's Senna-esque drive in Brazil

Max Verstappen's sensational charge from 14th to the podium in the final 15 laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix was hailed by many as 'the drive of the season' and it is difficult to disagree.

On an eventful day for the Red Bull Racing driver, Verstappen began fourth but displayed superb wet weather form from the start, running third initially before climbing to second at the expense of Nico Rosberg on lap 31 immediately after the second restart following three lengthy safety car periods and two consecutive red flags.

When even a dramatic high-speed half-spin on the home straight couldn't halt his charge as he kept it out of the wall and retained his second place, his efforts seemed to have been undone by an erroneous strategy by Red Bull to put him on intermediate tyres on lap 43.

With the safety car back out on lap 48, rain began to intensify slightly again, rendering the intermediate tyres of little use in the conditions and forcing Verstappen back in for wets.

Dropping him to 14th, what followed was an extraordinary display of wet weather driving as he scythed up the order, at times passing one car per lap at unusual points on the circuit - including his own team-mate Daniel Ricciardo - to quickly clamber his way into the top six.

Passing Ferrari foe Sebastian Vettel at Juncao - prompting the German to complain on the radio -, Verstappen's charge took him all the way to third place by lap 68, three laps before the chequered flag.

Que statements he had exhibited the same sort of wet weather prowess as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

2. Vettel tells Whiting to 'f**k-off'

Vettel turned the airwaves 'red' or more than one occasion in 2016, but it was in Mexico that he really lost his cool, telling FIA race director Charlie Whiting to "f**k off" over his team radio as tensions hit boiling point towards the end of the race amidst a bad tempered battle for third with Verstappen.

Vettel launched into an astonishing tirade against Whiting as he crossed the line in response to Verstappen failing to cede his third place to the Ferrari driver when he cut the T1 chicane whilst attempting to defend.

In an aggressive final few laps, Vettel raged at Verstappen over the team radio before turning his attention Whiting, swearing profusely at both.

Ironically, Vettel's wish was in the process of being granted by Whiting as he was directing his anger at him, with Verstappen handed a five-secs time penalty that dropped him back to fifth and lifted the German onto the podium. However, though he got his moment on the rostrum, Vettel himself was later handed a 10secs penalty in punishment for his own defence tactic against Ricciardo, the four-time champion judged to have flouted the new rule that outlaws 'changing direction under braking'. The 10-second penalty dropped him from P3 to P5, behind Ricciardo and Verstappen.

Vettel subsequently apologised to Whiting immediately after the race.

3. Alonso walks away from massive Australian GP shunt

It is a testament to the advances in safety made over the last 15 years that Fernando Alonso was able to escape unhurt from his horrifying airborne crash in the season opening Australian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was dicing with Esteban Gutierrez when he clipped the back of the Haas as the Mexican was braking for turn three, sending him slamming into the alongside wall, before the car was skewed sideways towards the gravel trap. With the MP4-31 digging in, the car was sent into a terrifying barrel roll before coming to rest against the barrier on the cockpit-side. Despite this, Alonso scrambled out of the destroyed car quickly and walked away, much to the relief of viewers.

"Definitely, it was quite a big one," he said. "I am thankful for the safety of the cars because I am alive due to the job of the last 10 or 15 years in F1

"You don't know exactly where you are because you just see the sky and the ground and then the sky. I travelled a lot, it was quite scary.

"[Then] the car stopped and I thought I had to get out quickly because my mother is watching at home!"

4. 'Shoey' anyone?

Ricciardo's 'shoey' antics brought some much needed fun into Formula One in 2016, with the Australian first pouring champagne into one of his boots and drinking from it after finishing runner-up in the German Grand Prix at the end of July.

He then repeated it after taking second in Belgium, while also roping in ex-F1 driver and podium interviewer Mark Webber, before doing it again when he won in Malaysia, this time getting Nico Rosberg and Verstappen to do it too. Rosberg also did it after winning the Drivers' title in the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

5. Verstappen's Spanish GP win

Verstappen took an incredible first win in his debut race with Red Bull in the process smashing the record for being the youngest winner of an F1 race aged just 18 years and 227 days.

Having courted intense media scrutiny in the run up to the race having been promoted to the Red Bull Racing team from Toro Rosso, Verstappen shrugged off the pressure to qualify a career-best fourth before holding down second from the opening lap when the Mercedes' ahead collided.

Following Ricciardo for the majority of the race until his team-mate was effectively removed from victory contention as Red Bull erroneously mirrored Vettel's three-stop strategy, the two-stopping Verstappen inherited the lead.

Even so, though fortuitous in the circumstances that eliminated Mercedes and Ricciardo from the running, Verstappen would still be forced to make his tyres last in the final stint whilst resisting the attentions of the vastly more experienced Kimi Raikkonen.

Nevertheless, he soaked up the pressure to come out top and take a win he later described as 'amazing' and a 'very big surprise'.

What were your best F1 moments of 2016? Leave your comments below...

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