If you have every wondered what the hype is about, these are just some of the races that turn casual watchers into lifelong fans. Whether it is F1, MotoGP, or Le Mans – these races deliver pure adrenaline, heartbreak and euphoria.
Watch one and there’s no going back. You’re hooked.
Brazilian GP 2008 (F1)
Lewis Hamilton had just entered the world of F1 in 2007, thinly missing out on a title to Räikkönen. This left him hungry for a World Title the following year – 2008.
During the late 2008 season, Hamilton needed to finish top 5 in Brazil to get his title. This seems easy, yes? Hamilton thought so, until both Massa and the rainy weather came into play.
Hamilton was 7 points clear of Massa, so he would win regardless of Massa’s position if Hamilton could secure P5+. The only thing Massa could do was to hope for a disaster that resulted in Hamilton finishing P6 or below. This was when a rain shower started before the race.
Massa held the lead comfortably at his home racetrack and did so until the very end.
Hamilton dipped to 6th place after Vettel overtook him, however he managed to dramatically push through to P5, and this secured him his very first World Title in Formula 1.
MotoGP Assen 2018
This MotoGP race saw over one hundred overtakes on the track – yes, one hundred! It was the epitome of drama, speed, and the need to win.
Riders swapped between P1 at every corner, and Marquez, Rossi and Dovizioso gave us a battle worth remembering.
At one point, the race held 5 leaders total. However, ultimately Marc Marquez took the win by a mere 3 second lead. It was beyond close between all other opponents, with P2-4 all finishing the race just
milliseconds behind each other.
The drama and speed in the 2018 MotoGP race remains unmatched to this day.
Monaco GP 1996 (F1)
This was one of the most chaotic races in F1 history. Monaco is infamous for its tight layout and the struggle to overtake but this race stood out specifically. Only 4 cars out of the whole line-up managed to reach the chequered flag and finish the race.
The weather was extremely rainy, so the track became slippery to drive on. This added to the chaos of the majority of drivers crashing out of the race – including F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
The P1 holder was Olivier Panis. This marked his and Liger’s first P1 finish however, it was also their last.
Le Mans 24H 2016
This was one of the most heart-breaking moments in all of Le Mans history. Toyota was leading the race with 3 minutes to go. It was going very well.
Unfortunately, the car broke down. This left them no choice but to give their win – as well as hard work – up. Porsche quickly swept in and took the lead, then eventually the win.
It was a devastating moment within endurance racing.
British GP 2022 (F1)
This was both one of the scariest moments in F1 modern history and one of the most insane battles too.
During the middle of the race, Zhou Guanyu crashed out of the race in a brutal way. He spun, flipped over multiple times, slid across the track upside down, until he finally landed upside down next to the barriers. He was sat in his car for a while until marshals came to the scene.
George Russell even abandoned his car, forfeiting the race, to go and help Guanyu. This scared many officials, other drivers and also fans during the race.
A 3-way battle was concurrently taking place between Perez, Leclerc and Hamilton – further adding to the drama of the 2022 British GP.
Isle of Man TT
This isn’t a specific race or date. This event itself is one of the most dangerous within motorsports. Every race taking place here is adrenaline boosting, mesmerising and terrifying.
There are speeds of 200mph onwards near stone walls and through the village streets. It takes massive amounts of skill to navigate through the danger and secure a win.
Sadly, the TT is rarely without a fatality, and there have been – varied between sources – only four seasons since 1982 that have seen zero fatalities.
MotoGP Qatar 2019
One of the closest P1 and P2 finishes happened at the Qatar race in 2019. It was decided by a mere 0.023 seconds.
Marquez and Dovizioso were going head-to-head, leading up to the final straight. It was a full throttle battle between two of the greatest MotoGP riders. Marquez on his Honda was no match for the pure speed of the Ducati bike, yet decided to take on the battle for the lead.
However, ultimately Marquez was outpaced and Dovizioso took home the win. The amount of precision it took to keep his 1st place position and defend it from Álex Rins in the first half, then Marquez on the last half was intense.
This is what motorsport is about – speed, adaptation and adrenaline.
From MotoGP and Rally to F1 and MXGP – there are so many amazing moments in every motorsport. Whether you like the mud and high altitudes or the track and high speeds, you are going to be a motorsport addict by the end of watching these moments.
What motorsport do you like? Did we miss an even better moment in motorsport?
Let us know what you think and read more here!