FMB Greatest Season Ever: 2000-2011

[MonteCristo]

We're nearing the end, with the the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, and the 90s. After this there's just one more heat poll to go!

Slight change this time around. An extra couple of years thrown in to even things out. Pick the one year you think was greatest from 2000 to 2011!

The winner goes on to face 1956, 1967, 1976, 1982, and 1999 in the grand final.

Do your duty!

[NooDle]

09 was fun but too random because of the double defuser thing
I chose 2010 because of Vettel v Webber which eventually went right to the end because of flukes...

Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel and even Webber could have been crowned WDC in the final race... I don't recall it ever being that close, so that's why 2010 is ossum

FYI the first couple of races of 2012 blow that out of the water, but I could not yet vote for that one

[Mawerick]

I chose 2007, just for the final race if nothing else. I mean, Kimi taking the title with 110 points and Hammy&Lonso following with 109 each.

[Kai-Star]

Ok, the 2000's. It might surprise most people but the 2000's have 4 of the top 8 closest seasons in F1 history.

Here's my usual breakdown:-
2000 - Ferrari finally win again after a 21 year absence. Schumacher started well and finished well. Hakkinen had a flutter with the championship, while Coulthard also won races. Barrichello had a famous debut win in Germany.
2001 - Schumacher dominated this season. Hakkinen was off the boil and Coulthard wasn't up to the challenge. Williams were more improved and started to win races again.
2002 - Total Ferrari domination. This season is up there with 1992 for its banality. In fact Montoya finished 3rd in the championship with no wins.
2003 - Opposing the previous season this championship had some defining moments and was rather exciting. There were 8 different winners this year, with Fisichella, Raikkonen and Alonso scoring debut wins. Both Raikkonen and Montoya had shots at taking the title, but both slipped at the final hurdle to hand Michael his 4th straight championship.
2004 - Another banal year as Schumacher and Ferrari dominate again. Trulli did break Michael's streak with his debut and only Grand Prix victory. Button 3rd without a win.
2005 - Our first non-Schumacher title this decade as Alonso and Renault win. Raikkonen once again the bridesmaid. Michelin tyres make the difference as Schumacher's only win the infamous US Grand Prix.
2006 - Alonso v Schumacher this year, with the Spaniard getting the upper hand. Button gets his debut win. McLaren struggle to make an impact this season.
2007 - Hamilton's amazing debut season. Championship goes down to the wire with 3 drivers finishing within 1 point. The final race is the decider. Added to that is the inter-team rivalry of Lewis and Fernando, and the spygate affair. If anything is a negative it's that there was only 4 different winners this season.
2008 - Hamilton snatches victory from Massa at the last corner of the whole season. This might seem miraculous, but the whole season was mistake after mistake by the two top contenders. However we did see debut wins for Kubica, Kovalainen and Vettel. Alonso takes two victories in an uncompetitive car.
2009 - This is the bizarre season to end all bizarre seasons. Honda, hopeless the previous season are gone, and Brawn saves the team only for them to dominate. Button wins the first 6 of 7 races, but doesn't win again thereafter. In fact he was only on the podium twice more. Webber gets a debut victory as Red Bull start to look strong.
2010 - Half way through the season, Hamilton, Button and McLaren led the championship. Then Webber took the lead for Red Bull, then Alonso for Ferrai. Vettel usurped them all to snatch victory and the championship in the final race of the season. Only 5 different winners, but the season had 3 different teams competing for the title.
2011 - Vettel dominates. However the racing was close and exciting at times. Tight battle for second in the championship. No debut winners.

Ok, easy start is to remove 2002 and 2004. Then perhaps 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2011. 2000 gone, 2006 gone. I'm going to remove 2008 for the hopeless battle for the championship, despite the amazing finale. Ok we're left with 2003, 2007 and 2010 for the podium. All 3 have a valid shot for the title and it's a tough one to separate them. Here we go.... 2007 is 3rd.... 2003 is 2nd.... and 2010 is the winner!!

It's a close call as both 2003 and 2010 have similar qualities. Both had 3 different teams vying for the championship.

[Sentner]

Pretty easy choice: 2000. The final of the Schumacher-Hakkinen rivalry peaking at Suzuka. I've seldom seen two drivers pushing each-other to such extraordinary heights, after an overall very close season.

[the_full_monty]

2000 was an awesome old school head-to-head fight. 2003 was a fun championship. 2008's finale was unbelievable, but the rest of the season got a bit Special Olympics at times. 2010 was obviously a great championship, but it didn't get particularly exciting to watch very often. It was more a case of each track massively favouriing a different team, and the whole thing just sort of balancing itself out.

I'm going with 2000.

[Waldorf]

Has to be 2000. There hasn't been an epic title fight since then. Sure, a couple of seasons have had close standings due to randomness, odd rule 'clarifications' and occasional complete dropping of the ball by the man who should have sewn up the title -- but nothing like Schumacher and Hakkinen going toe to toe.

[xcraigx]

I'm also going with 2000 for the title fight between two greats.

[Picci]

2000 was a great season, but I always said 2001 was my favourite - not because there was a lot of drama, but because it was very straightforward - no/little controversy, one or two wacky races (Malaysia), last real Hockenheim race, very stable cars and regulations etc

[Kai-Star]

Lot's of rose-tinted glassery going on this decade.

[NooDle]

Lot's of rose-tinted glassery going on this decade.

true, which means the glasses aren't tinted more rose if time goes by, 2000 was yesterday for Gods sake

[MONTOYA RULES]

Yeah 2000 was awesome. I especially the race where... Ummm... Oh yeah, there weren't any good races!

The only interesting part of 2000 was the MS / Mika / Zonta pass at Spa. The points battle was "interesting" but it did nothing for on track action.

I loved 03 as JPM had a great year, the racing was good too but not to the standard of the last 2 years. Even so, for me the most enjoyable years to watch have been 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007-08, 2011-12

[xcraigx]

Which was the no-changey-tires year?

[The Ghost Who Walks]

Which was the no-changey-tires year?

2005?

[MONTOYA RULES]

Yes, 2005. That was fun until the teams worked it out and then it really made no difference.

[xcraigx]

I just seem to remember that year (2005) being the worst year of the decade.

[The Ghost Who Walks]

I just seem to remember that year (2005) being the worst year of the decade.

It's one of only 4 seasons between when I started watching F1 (roughly 1985) and 2009 that a non McLaren/Williams/Ferrari won the title, which made it "special", for me at least and a craptacular Ferrari was a massive relief at the time.
The lack of red car domination was even enough to get me invloved in an F1 forum!
Ok Ok I came for the cricket thread and Montecristo's avatar, but I stayed for the F1!

[MonteCristo]

Oh you came for the avatar alright.

Wait, what?

[The Ghost Who Walks]

Oh you came for the avatar alright.

Wait, what?

[Ian]

2000 was a boreathon, it was close but more of a time trial than anything.

F1 has got more exciting in recent years. 2005 was actually pretty good because it got rid of the 4X15 lap sprint version of F1. 2008 will be one of my favorit seasons, not because the two drivers destroyed everyone else but because of the pressure mistakes were made, silly things happened and that made the season exciting, down to the last corner.