The 2013 Formula 1 season was once again full of several defining moments which will forever be written in the history books. After sifting through some of the best and choosing the best photos for each, we’ve narrowed it down to our favourite 12.
1. The Multi-21 Row
This photo captures the moment Sebastian Vettel passes team-mate Mark Webber for the lead despite calls from the pit wall to stay behind via the use of a coded message ‘Multi-21’. The incident turned fans against Vettel and rolled on for months after.
2. McLaren’s Disastrous Season
As Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton pulls away from the McLaren’s of Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, it proved a stark reminder that the 2008 champion made the right call to leave the Woking team after they suffered one of their worst ever seasons in their 50 year history.
3. A Bizarre Incident in Monaco
One of the strangest crashes of 2013 came in Monaco when Marussia’s Max Chilton made contact with Williams’s Pastor Maldonado, causing the barrier to come free and block the path of team-mate Jules Bianchi, whilst the rest of the grid were also forced to stop once they’d caught up.
4. Tyre Drama at Silverstone
The British Grand Prix would prove to be one of the most entertaining of the entire season, but for all the wrong reasons. Pirelli’s tyres began to explode left, right and center. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa (pictured) was the first to suffer before Lewis Hamilton lost the lead thanks to a dramatic puncture. Several more went and as road sweepers joined the race to clear the track of any debris.
5. Hamilton’s First Win
It’s not his first career win, but the Briton’s first for a team which isn’t called McLaren. His move from Woking clearly paid dividends as he took his first win for Mercedes at the Hungarian GP.
6. Flaming Runaway!
Max Chilton enjoyed a 100% reliability record in 2013, but the same couldn’t be said for team-mate Jules Bianchi. A fiery end at the German GP was dramatic enough, but the car rolling back onto the track as a tractor chased it made matters worse…if not a little amusing.
7. Taxi for Webber
The sight of another driver stopping and giving a fierce rival a friendly lift back to the pits is always a special thing. Whilst it brought both a penalty, the image just shows that under those helmets, F1 drivers have a little compassion toward each other.
8. All Hail the RB9
Sebastian Vettel quite brilliantly dominated the season, winning every single race after round ten. Kneeling in front of his car as he won the Indian GP to take his fourth crown will always remain one of the most memorable images of the year.
9. A Moment Alone
Immediately after the celebrations, Vettel was left alone with his trophy and his newly unwrapped ‘four star’ cap to mull over his feelings after matching just a handful of drivers to have won four championships.
10. A Smoky Goodbye
Felipe Massa signed off his career at Ferrari in style in front of his home crowd by performing several donuts as the Brazilian race came to an end. Massa will join Williams after eight years with the Italian outfit.
11. Power Units, not Engines
Another goodbye. 2014 will see the introduction of the V6 ‘power unit’ marking the end of the V8 engine era. To give it the farewell it deserves, Red Bull revved it to the max for the final time.
12. That’s a Wrap
The end of the season is officially marked by the FIA’s prize giving gala, in which champions from several series are crowned. Sebastian Vettel accepted the F1 champions trophy from Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt for the fourth time in Paris.
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