The autosport.com 2007 Top Ten

Tony Dodgins (TD)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Kimi Raikkonen; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Mark Webber

Two races before the end, Hamilton was number one, no question. But then he blew the world championship reaching for levels of performance he didn't need. What the hell - if that's the way he wanted to win it, good luck to him. There's plenty of time, he said, and you hope those words don't come back to haunt him. Kimi played a great back nine but bogeyed a few of the early holes. While nobody can deny he deserves a title, he lacked Lewis's sparkle. Alonso? Well, you'd need a book, not a paragraph. We saw pressure mistakes for the first time - Barcelona, Montreal, Fuji - and his judgement called into question both in and out of the car. In the end, though, he lost it by a point. Massa handled Kimi's pace and took twice as many poles. If Ferrari had remembered to fuel him in Hungary Q2 he'd have been in the hunt a lot longer. Webber continued to qualify superbly but the Red Bull let him down too often on Sunday.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Japanese GP; 3. European GP

Brazil had vibrancy, soul and gripping tension. Not the final chapter we'd been expecting but compelling nonetheless. It really was jaw-dropping drama. If Massa had stopped, Alonso was champion, if Rosberg and Kubica tangled, Hamilton was champion. The season was alive until the last lap of the last race. Fuji - new venue, appalling conditions, Senna-like wet weather class and composure from Hamilton, team mistakes, awesome commitment from Kovalainen/Raikkonen, post-race controversy, need I go on? Nurburgring - a rare on-track dust-up between the main men saw Alonso win brilliantly, and riskily, when eight points would have done very nicely. Mixed conditions were once again the catalyst for great entertainment.

• Something to remember: Hamilton's pass of Raikkonen at Monza - brilliant!

• Something to forget: The holier-than-thou claptrap peddled in the midst of spygate, as if the whole sport was populated by innocent, unsullied virgins

Jonathan Noble (JN)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Nico Rosberg; 5. Nick Heidfeld

Lewis Hamilton was brilliant but his shaky end to the season, including the disaster of China, proved costly. Kimi Raikkonen's one big error of the season came in qualifying (at Monaco), rather than a race, which is why he just nips Lewis Hamilton in my rankings.

1. European GP; 2. Japanese GP; 3. Canadian GP

Changeable weather, Markus Winkelhock leading, Lewis Hamilton's inspired but fruitless charge, and Fernando Alonso's brilliant overtaking move. All in one wonderful and highly amusing afternoon at the Nurburgring.

• Something to remember: Lewis Hamilton's sensational first corner at the Malaysian Grand Prix - confirming just what a star he is

• Something to forget: Being on the receiving end of McLaren's single-handed anti-Internet crusade. Have never felt more unwelcome at an F1 team in my entire career

Damien Smith (DS)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Kimi Raikkonen; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Nick Heidfeld

Lewis Hamilton reset the parameters by which rookies will be judged. He was born for this. As for those mistakes late in the season, he will learn so much from them. You could argue he will gain more from defeat than victory at this stage of his career. In the second half of the season, the real Kimi turned up. A deserving world champion. Let's hope he keeps that title. As a man, I lost an awful lot of respect for Alonso in 2007. As a driver, he's still a master. Felipe Massa scored some excellent wins and when he is out in front, he can look sublime. Heidfeld proved he has plenty of fire to get the job done.

1. European GP; 2. Japanese GP; 3. Canadian GP

Thank God for wet races. The Nurburgring had everything, from spins and errors, Markus Winkelhock leading for Spyker, Alonso's fantastic pass on Massa and a comedy row before the podium. Great stuff. The Japanese GP also had plenty of drama and made up a bit for everyone missing Suzuka.
And the Canadian GP is a race that will go down in history as the first of many wins for Lewis Hamilton. Would have been bottom of my list if Robert Kubica had not been so lucky. As it is, he survived one of the biggest shunts we'll ever see and reminded us why not everything was better in the old days.

• Something to remember: The atmosphere at Silverstone as Hamilton-mania took hold

• Something to forget: The spy scandal. Do I really have to say anything more?

Richard Barnes (RB)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Kimi Raikkonen; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Nico Rosberg; 5. Felipe Massa

Although Hamilton ended with two big mistakes, his overall season effort as a rookie was outstanding enough to shade it. There is not much to choose between Raikkonen and Alonso for second, so the champ gets the nod. Felipe Massa's slight slump towards the end just drops him below Nico Rosberg, who showed glimpses of just how brilliant he could be. In closing, I'll add that the gap between first and fifth is measured in decimal points, not whole numbers, and that another four or five drivers were just fractions behind those listed. Really tough choices this year.

1. Chinese GP; 2. European GP; 3. Canadian GP

China was utterly compelling, as fortunes see-sawed between the leading three drivers in both the race and championship, culminating in Hamilton's almost farcical fate in the pitlane gravel trap. Europe was memorable for Hamilton's roller coaster ride of a race, the synchronised swimming at turn one and Alonso's bruising pass on Felipe Massa for the win. Hamilton's maiden GP victory in Canada was fairly uneventful for the Englishman, but the action behind him was frenetic and thrilling. Super Aguri's Takuma Sato dicing with both Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso was a season highlight.

• Something to remember: Fernando Alonso's pass on Nick Heidfeld in France was an absolute classic

• Something to forget: My body's defence mechanisms tend to auto-erase the details of anything that ends in "-gate"

Dieter Rencken (DR)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Lewis Hamilton; 4. Nick Heidfeld; 5. Felipe Massa

Kimi came from way back and impressed particularly in the second half of the season, while Fernando Alonso lost all chance in Hungary with his five-grid-slot penalty, which meant he forfeited odds-on victory. Those points lost exceeded his deficit at season's end, so on that basis he ranks ahead of Hamilton. Just. Nick Heidfeld was the only driver to regularly mix it at the top, and Felipe Massa should have remained in the championship running until the end.

1. Chinese GP; 2. European GP; 3. Brazilian GP

The Chinese Grand Prix - because strategy management by committee ensured a three-way showdown. The European Grand Prix - incident-packed from start to finish, capped by Alonso's sublime move on Massa. The Brazilian Grand Prix - the finale offered such tension all weekend.

• Something to remember: Robert Kubica's steely attitude after that accident in Montreal, and the safety standards which arguably saved him

• Something to forget: 'Stepneygate', from unfathomable beginning to bitter end, and everything in between

Thomas O'Keefe (TO)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Fernando Alonso; 5. Robert Kubica

Kool Kimi is in pole position amongst all drivers for his dramatic and improbable come-from-behind championship win in a three-way shootout - a feat that no one has accomplished since Nino Farina did it in 1950. Rookie Lewis Hamilton joins Kimi on the front row for his stylish and daring driving and impressive presence of mind (except in China!). Massa outpoints the petulant and inconsistent Alonso for third place this year for the Brazilian's thrilling wheel-to-wheel duels all season long with Alonso, Hamilton, Kubica and even Kimi. No Fear Kubica is the best of the up and comers and thank goodness he is still alive to show his promise after Montreal.

1. European GP; 2. Brazilian GP; 3. Belgian GP

Alonso and Massa battling at rainy Nurburgring in the closing laps on a drying track was the best racing of the whole season. Given all the might-have-been variables, Brazil was high drama until the chequered flag fell, the very essence of this unpredictable sport. Spa put in a magisterial return to the calendar, with the McLaren teammates courting danger side-by-side on lap 1 between La Source and Eau Rouge and irreverent "James Hunt" Kimi celebrating his third successive win at Spa with a NASCAR-style Burnout that I am sure ruffled feathers at Place de la Concorde.

• Something to remember: The shockingly craven culture of the pitlane as evidenced by the McLaren/Ferrari imbroglio, matched only by the spectacular $100 million punishment imposed on McLaren, ironically the same amount the lowly Spyker-Ferrari team were just sold for!

• Something to forget: Alonso brazenly sitting stationary in the pits as the seconds ticked down in Q3 in Hungary to deprive his teammate Hamilton of his last qualifying lap

Alan Baldwin (AB)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Kimi Raikkonen; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Sebastian Vettel

Did anyone miss Michael Schumacher by the end of the season? Some did, but Hamilton made most people forget him pretty quickly.

1. Japanese GP; 2. Brazilian GP; 3. Hungarian GP

So many great races to choose from. The Nurburgring, Shanghai and Montreal should probably by in the top three, but these had it all for thrills and news that echoed way beyond the weekend and continues to reverberate.

• Something to remember: Hamilton's first race, but Michael Schumacher handing Ron Dennis the winning constructors' trophy at the Nurburgring also raised a smile

• Something to forget: The names of Mike Coughlan and Nigel Stepney come to mind

Pablo Elizalde (PE)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Nick Heidfeld

In a championship fought until the final race, Raikkonen kept his head down after a difficult start to the season and emerged as a worthy champion. There's nothing that hasn't been said about Hamilton, who takes only second because he reminded everybody in the last two races that he was, in fact, a rookie. Alonso showed his talent and determination often, but he was rattled by Hamilton right from the start and was unable to shake his frustration off. Massa did a perfect job when it counted and allowed his teammate to clinch the title, while Heidfeld was the best of the rest almost every time he was on track.

1. Japanese GP; 2. Brazilian GP; 3. European GP

Rain, as usual, made for a thrilling race in Fuji, despite some 20 laps behind the safety car at the start. Something similar applies to the European Grand Prix, another action-packed race thanks to the changing conditions. Brazil was not so good in terms of racing, but just the drama of it makes it a worthy runner-up.

• Something to remember: Raikkonen taking the title in the last race

• Something to forget: Spy affairs, whining drivers, controversial decisions... In short, and once again, too much politics

Michele Lostia (ML)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Heikki Kovalainen

In a season where the top three drivers were ultimately separated by only one point, the only ranking I feel comfortable with is the points standing. Raikkonen managed to come back from a 26-point deficit to steal the championship in the last two races. Hamilton had an amazing season for a rookie and didn't make any costly mistake for the first 15 races. Alonso was relentless as usual and kept his head down even when his team were racing against him. Massa was not at the level of his teammate once the latter found his feet, but if it wasn't for a couple of problems too many, it could have been a four-way showdown. The best of the rest in my eyes was Kovalainen, who put in some really strong drives after a difficult debut.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Chinese GP; 3. Japanese GP

Despite the championship fight looking tight throughout the season, most races were actually a yawning affair. But things turned all right towards the end: first we had that wetter-than-wet race at Fuji, with strange accidents even with the Safety Car out and Hamilton getting two match points for himself. Then we had the variable weather at Shanghai, with McLaren helping Hamilton to throw away one of those match points. And finally we had that thriller at Interlagos, with Raikkonen taking the title against all odds.

• Something to remember: You can take a drivers' championship by playing fair and without whinging

• Something to forget: Stepney, Coughlan, and McLaren's management of their drivers

David Wright (DW)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Nick Heidfeld

Separating the drivers was harder than even this year. For not giving up, and winning the title (appeal notwithstanding), Kimi Raikkonen takes the top spot despite a somewhat steady start to the year. Lewis Hamilton would have finished top, but after fifteen near-perfect weekends, the last two rounds reminded us he is still a rookie (though an extremely impressive one). Fernando Alonso is next, as his mistakes and petulance as his rookie teammate gave him a much harder time than he expected cost him. Felipe Massa's fourth comes down to bad luck as much as anything, though a disastrous weekend at Hungary seemed to be of his own making. Completing the top five in my rankings (and the championship) is Nick Heidfeld, who was consistently quick in the BMW Sauber, though he was pushed (and beaten) at times by his young teammate Robert Kubica.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. European GP; 3. Chinese GP

The Brazilian GP was expected by most to be a less than gripping race and weekend. Instead, Friday saw the wet tyre kerfuffle, before Saturday put us back to a predictable race. But the start changed that, and Hamilton's off later on lap one made things even more tense. If that wasn't enough, his gearbox glitch a few laps later ensured that we were tense for the rest of the race, as any of the three drivers in contention could take the title with a retirement here or a pass there. And that's forgetting about the post-race drama... Bizarre weather, the bizarre retrieval of Lewis Hamilton and a wheel-banging pass for the lead puts the European GP in second, while changeable weather and the bizarre retirement of Lewis Hamilton from the lead put the Chinese GP in third.

• Something to remember: The remarkable performance of McLaren rookie Lewis Hamilton

• Something to forget: All the controversy from decisions, hearings, interpretations, rulings and 'Stepneygate' which has gone on throughout the season, not forgetting the post-race drama at the final round...

Matt Beer (MBe)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Kimi Raikkonen; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Nick Heidfeld

While his three main rivals all had weekends where their presence went virtually unnoticed, Hamilton managed to impress and entertain all season, showing abundant racing spirit even in his worst three GPs. He may have been well-nurtured by McLaren, but to shrug off the experience deficit so easily was still a phenomenal achievement. Although Rosberg and Kovalainen had many outstanding moments, fifth goes to Heidfeld, whose response to being embarrassed by Kubica in 2006 was to dominate the Pole this season and capitalise on BMW's progress with relentless efficiency.

1. European GP; 2. Chinese GP; 3. Brazilian GP

As the only race that saw a debutant in a Spyker leading by 20 seconds and the win decided by a wheel-banging, outside-line pass in the closing laps, the Nurburgring is the clear choice for 2007's least predictable - and therefore finest - GP. This wasn't a vintage year for side by side racing, so China and Brazil make the list because the twists in the title battle that the two races produced created such suspense and intrigue.

• Something to remember: Alonso's pass on Massa at the Nurburgring. The outgoing world champion let himself down too often in 2007, but hunting down and dismissing Massa in the wet was a glorious reminder of his true class

• Something to forget: Even if the title changes hands in an appeal court, it probably won't be as depressing as the spying affair, which shamed the sport and detracted from what should have been an outstanding year

Ross Stonefeld (RS)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Nick Heidfeld

I went with the top 5 drivers in the points. With all the in-team and off-track dramas you can argue endlessly about who did the best job (just visit our bulletin board!). It may be taking the easy way out to just mirror how they finished in the championship, but it's the only ranking system the drivers care about. The guy who won the most races this year also had the most mechanical failures (of the championship contenders) but still finished with the most points. Hard to argue against that.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Canadian GP; 3. Australian GP

The three races I picked weren't terribly exciting to watch a second time but you could not turn away from them live. Brazil was one of the strangest races I've seen. The ingredients that led up to it, the odd sequence of events that happened during it and the fuel fracas afterwards summed up the absurdity of the 2007 season. If it was fiction I'd have said it was far fetched. Every time you thought the Canadian Grand Prix had settled down, they broke the emergency glass on the safety car and while Melbourne is rarely the best of races the suspense of watching the first race of each year when you really have no idea what could potentially happen makes getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning worthwhile.

• Something to remember: I thought the funniest thing all year was Kimi Raikkonen, effectively driving Michael Schumacher's car, coming to a stop in the Rascasse corner in qualifying. But then Massa slid into view!

• Something to forget: Everything? Very little happened on track this year and there was far too much nonsense between the races. 10 days after the season finale we still don't know the driver line-up at Toyota or Williams, Fernando Alonso could still move, and there is an outside chance we could have a different world champion announced. I'd say I'm looking forward to next year, but McLaren still have to clear their 2008 design with the FIA. I may just watch NASCAR

Marcel Borsboom (MBo)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Nick Heidfeld; 4. Felipe Massa; 5. Heikki Kovalainen

For a long time Lewis Hamilton was my number one for this list but the errors he made in the last two races dropped him back to second position behind Kimi Raikkonen. Nick Heidfeld had a strong season where he was "best of the rest" for quite some races. Felipe Massa was unbeatable in some races but invisible in others with the Hungarian Grand Prix as an absolute low point. Heikki Kovalainen came back after a miserable start of the season and finished with more points than his high regarded teammate.

1. European GP; 2. Brazilian GP; 3. Chinese GP

The European Grand Prix was full of action, a gravel trap that resembled a car park, a rookie taking the lead after the first lap, Fernando Alonso overtaking Felipe Massa with only a few laps to go and who could forget the verbal fight after the race between them. The other two races were great for various reasons with the constant suspense of the championship hanging over the Brazilian Grand Prix giving it that little bit extra to lift it to the second place.

• Something to remember: The debut of Sebastian Vettel and his races in Japan and China

• Something to forget: Getting up at 6:00 am to watch cars behind the safety car for 20 laps in Japan

Michele Merlino (MM)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Fernando Alonso; 3. Sebastian Vettel; 4. Lewis Hamilton; 5. Nick Heidfeld

Kimi Raikkonen this year had all I wanted from a sportsman: he was resilient, he kept his poise throughout the championship and never raised his voice. Fernando Alonso comes second because he had a difficult year in McLaren but nevertheless confirmed his status as a top driver, fighting fiercely. Sebastian Vettel is third, because coming in mid season into a Toro Rosso and almost getting on the podium in the two most difficult races of the year, Japan and China, is not something that you see everyday, unless you have the McLaren MP4-22, which thus puts Lewis Hamilton in fourth. Nick Heidfeld takes fifth as "best of the rest".

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Chinese GP; 3. Japanese GP

The Brazilian GP had all you could expect from a championship finale: a three-way battle with tension at the highest level for the entire race, something we missed for a long time. The Chinese GP also offered a lot of drama in changing weather conditions, and while Raikkonen was absolutely brilliant, it was astonishing to see McLaren re-opening the championship doing it all wrong. For the third pick it was a tough call between Fuji and Nurburgring.

• Something to remember: Alonso and Hamilton side by side into Eau Rouge

• Something to forget: All the Stepney saga and everything related to appeals, counter appeals, councils, courts...

Tom Keeble (TK)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Nico Rosberg; 3. Heikki Kovalainen; 4. Kimi Raikkonen; 5. Fernando Alonso

This was really a year when the youngsters showed promise for me - Hamilton and Kovalainen had great first seasons and Rosberg finally delivered on the promise of his first race of last year. Honorary mention also goes to Heidfeld, who was consistently 'best of the rest'.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Chinese GP; 3. Japanese GP

As the season wore on, it became more intriguing: Japan was an excellent example of a wet weekend in its own right, likewise China, and Brazil was a nail-biter as the Championship unwound.

• Something to remember: Tight battle for the championship

• Something to forget: Spy scandals and FIA politics

Bruce Thomson (BT)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Nico Rosberg; 5. Sebastian Vettel

A well-deserved if somewhat surprising championship for Kimi. Hamilton and Alonso were very evenly matched, but I give Hamilton the nod based on the fact he has less experience than Alonso. Both drove well, but appeared rattled at times. Massa deserves to be mentioned here, but if he was, I would have to eliminate either Rosberg or Vettel, both of whom did excellent jobs (at times) with less than stellar equipment. It was good to see Vettel get some redemption at the Chinese GP, given what happened in Japan, and it was great to see Rosberg put his name back near the front with his excellent performance at Brazil.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Malaysian GP; 3. Belgian GP

It's not often you get three championship contenders vying for the big prize at the final race, and it's even less often that the results are so surprising. I wouldn't suggest that the end of the season was scripted, but you could hardly blame me if I did! The Malaysian GP gets on the list mainly for the interesting introduction to Lewis Hamilton's racing skills against Mr. Massa, and the Belgian GP is on my list for quite simply being the best track on the calendar. Thank God it's back.

• Something to remember: Kimi winning an overdue maiden championship in his first year at Ferrari

• Something to forget: Spygate

Craig Scarborough (CS)

1. Fernando Alonso; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Felipe Massa; 4. Kimi Raikkonen; 5. Nick Heidfeld

The top four in this list were perhaps inevitable, but being able to rank them defies any logic. Alonso recovered from his early season handling woes and never really made any errors on track. Equally I forget this is Hamilton's first year and his fast, largely error-free and aggressive approach made him stand out. Like many drivers I don't feel 2007 tyres suited Kimi, his extraordinary qualifying laps seemed to be matched by Massa, who was only limited by his luck. Last place in the top five was hotly contested, but I pick Heidfeld, who did sterling work in the BMW Sauber.

1. European GP; 2. Canadian GP; 3. Chinese GP

There seemed to be a lack of consistently close races, as either McLaren or Ferrari had the edge over the other. The rain gets the credit for the best races: European GP getting top spot, while safety cars and the relief that Kubica was safe made Canada unforgettable. The final sequence of races all proved spectacular, China and then Brazil were races were unexpected happened.

• Something to remember: I love the underdog, so Sato passing Alonso in Canada, getting points in Spain, and passing Button at Spa

• Something to forget: As with last year, the FIA's inability to manage issues - like flexible aero, mass dampers and baulking through qualifying - with consistency and even-handedness

Glenn Freeman (GF)

1. Lewis Hamilton; 2. Kimi Raikkonen; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Nick Heidfeld; 5. Felipe Massa

Raikkonen's title fightback made him a worthy champion, but this was still Hamilton's rookie season, despite a lot of evidence to suggest otherwise for most of the year. The amount he achieved this year was still remarkable, while the performance of Alonso on the days that he beat Hamilton should not be overlooked. Heidfeld rose above the hype of Robert Kubica to prove that he is not a spent force.

1. European GP; 2. Canadian GP; 3. Japanese GP

Changeable weather always makes a Grand Prix exciting, but the fact that the Nurburgring had a scrap for the lead in the closing stages (and Murray Walker returning to the commentary box) topped off a thoroughly enjoyable race. It was refreshing to see mistakes punished in modern F1 in an eventful Canadian Grand Prix, while the terrible conditions at Fuji made for entertaining viewing (once they actually started racing).

• Something to remember: The crowd erupting at Silverstone when Hamilton took pole

• Something to forget: Spy scandal

Mark Glendenning (MG)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Nick Heidfeld; 5. Felipe Massa

In the end there was not much separating Raikkonen, Hamilton and Alonso, but Kimi gets the nod for being able to claw back such a huge deficient to take the title. I gave Hamilton the edge over Alonso purely for the way he was able to stand up against the Spaniard's superior experience, while Heidfeld was able to extract the most out of the third-best car on the grid and had Kubica covered more or less all year. An honourable mention to Jenson Button, who almost made the list on the basis of some of the performances that he wrung from the Honda.

1. Japanese GP; 2. Canadian GP; 3. Brazilian GP

In combining a great new circuit, inclement weather and massive championship ramifications, Japan had it all. Canada was a bit of a crapshoot, but Kubica's frightening shunt aside, it was entertainingly eventful. Brazil, on the other hand, wasn't necessarily a tremendous 'race' - but it was unmatched for drama, and was an appropriate end to a memorable season.

• Something to remember: Kubica's lucky escape in Canada. OK, the car glanced the wall at an angle that allowed it to dissipate a lot of the energy, but it's still an accident that would have killed him not all that long ago

• Something to forget: Dirty laundry. It's kind of depressing when F1 produces a season as gripping as 2007, and the racing still gets overshadowed by external matters

Biranit Goren (BG)

1. Kimi Raikkonen; 2. Lewis Hamilton; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Nico Rosberg; 5. Sebastian Vettel

Every year, I struggle to come up with five drivers. This year, though, the struggle is to find just five drivers. My top three are a given - they shaped the championship (although if I had to vote with my heart and not my head, Alonso would be off this list altogether). After them, there's a list of worthy drivers - Heidfeld, Button, Davidson, Kovalainen, hell even Sutil. But Rosberg and Vettel get the honours for their outstanding performances.

1. Brazilian GP; 2. Japanese GP; 3. European GP

In the history books of Formula One, the Brazilian Grand Prix will undoubtedly go down as one of the most suspenseful and unpredictable championship finales, and the fact that I only regained normal breathing when it was over makes it for me the best race of the season - if not the best sporting event of the year. In both Europe and the Nurburgring, the weather did what it does best to Formula One and produced highly entertaining Grands Prix, with excellent racing and classic passes.

• Something to remember: Fernando Alonso chewing an apple nonchalantly and giving Ron Dennis a contemptuous 'thumbs up' in a McLaren press conference after the Hungarian GP qualifying. How (though not why) Dennis was willing to humiliate himself for the sake of the Spaniard rather than fire him there and then, I will never understand

• Something to forget: Umm... that verdict...