2013 provided some truly epic racing action but beyond the on-track action there were many rich and varied motorsport stories to keep petrolhead fans enthralled. Some of these inspired while others left despairing fans holding their heads in their hands.
We've picked five (personal) highs and lows from the past 12 months and listed them below. Let us know what your choices might be in the comments below.
Top five highs of 2013..
Motorsport Highs Of 2013
(01 of05)
Fernando Alonso
Whatever you think about Ferrari and their influence in F1, they have always attracted the best drivers in the world. Think Nigel Mansell; he went to Maranello and performed wonders with machinery that was second best. Michael Schumacher did similarly and turned the Scuderia into an invincible force. Fernando Alonso is from a similar mould and for the past couple of seasons has repeatedly wrung his Ferrari’s neck to extract as many points as possible from a GP weekend. He wasn’t helped in 2013 by having a car that raced better than it qualified, so he was often on the back foot from the start. An emotional victory in Barcelona followed by Shanghai glory was the least he deserved. (credit:PA)
Whatever you think about Ferrari and their influence in F1, they have always attracted the best drivers in the world. Think Nigel Mansell; he went to Maranello and performed wonders with machinery that was second best. Michael Schumacher did similarly and turned the Scuderia into an invincible force. Fernando Alonso is from a similar mould and for the past couple of seasons has repeatedly wrung his Ferrari’s neck to extract as many points as possible from a GP weekend. He wasn’t helped in 2013 by having a car that raced better than it qualified, so he was often on the back foot from the start. An emotional victory in Barcelona followed by Shanghai glory was the least he deserved. (credit:PA)
(02 of05)
Donuts and cadging lifts
Formula One has become too po-faced in recent years; the release of Rush was an apposite reminder of how the sport once was with characters like James Hunt and Niki Lauda giving the sport its theatre. These days everyone from F1 to eight-year-old kart racers seems to be media trained to the nth degree and few are allowed or even dare express themselves on camera if it might upset the party line. So, when Mark Webber hitched a ride back to the pits with Fernando Alonso at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, warm feelings of Mansell and Senna were awakened in many a fans’ heart. And then Sebastian Vettel joined in with a few donut burnouts for the fans as well as parking his Red Bull RB9 on the track and bowing to it after clinching the title in India. These spontaneous acts are what bring the sport alive and what does the FIA comes up with? Double bloody points. Says it all. (credit:AP)
Formula One has become too po-faced in recent years; the release of Rush was an apposite reminder of how the sport once was with characters like James Hunt and Niki Lauda giving the sport its theatre. These days everyone from F1 to eight-year-old kart racers seems to be media trained to the nth degree and few are allowed or even dare express themselves on camera if it might upset the party line. So, when Mark Webber hitched a ride back to the pits with Fernando Alonso at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, warm feelings of Mansell and Senna were awakened in many a fans’ heart. And then Sebastian Vettel joined in with a few donut burnouts for the fans as well as parking his Red Bull RB9 on the track and bowing to it after clinching the title in India. These spontaneous acts are what bring the sport alive and what does the FIA comes up with? Double bloody points. Says it all. (credit:AP)
(03 of05)
Allan McNish wins Le Mans and a world championship
One of the greatest drivers of his generation, Allan McNish was in danger of ending his career without a world title to his name. That was until the World Endurance Championship was inaugurated in 2012. He missed out then to his Audi team-mates, but in 2013 he, Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval made sure they ended the season as world champions. After one of the most successful careers in sportscars, it was the least the Scot deserved and perhaps, best of all the glory came with a third victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Not only that, he also won the 6 Hours of Silverstone to pick up the historic Tourist Trophy. “Innes Ireland won this trophy. He was one of my heroes so to have my name on the same trophy means a lot,” McNish said. (credit:PA)
One of the greatest drivers of his generation, Allan McNish was in danger of ending his career without a world title to his name. That was until the World Endurance Championship was inaugurated in 2012. He missed out then to his Audi team-mates, but in 2013 he, Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval made sure they ended the season as world champions. After one of the most successful careers in sportscars, it was the least the Scot deserved and perhaps, best of all the glory came with a third victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Not only that, he also won the 6 Hours of Silverstone to pick up the historic Tourist Trophy. “Innes Ireland won this trophy. He was one of my heroes so to have my name on the same trophy means a lot,” McNish said. (credit:PA)
(04 of05)
Mark Webber signs for Porsche
After ‘Multi 21’ in Malaysia even more questions than usual were asked about Mark Webber’s future in F1. Would he stay with Red Bull, would he even want to? It didn’t take much longer for the Aussie to reveal his plans and to the delight of sportscar fans, Webber chose a seat with Porsche and its nascent endurance racing team that will be fighting for overall honours at Le Mans in 2014. He will also race for them in the World Endurance Championship. To have someone of Webber’s calibre back at Le Mans (he last raced there in 1999) is confirmation of endurance racing’s appeal. It’s just a shame he won’t be competing against an old rival, Allan McNish. (credit:PA)
After ‘Multi 21’ in Malaysia even more questions than usual were asked about Mark Webber’s future in F1. Would he stay with Red Bull, would he even want to? It didn’t take much longer for the Aussie to reveal his plans and to the delight of sportscar fans, Webber chose a seat with Porsche and its nascent endurance racing team that will be fighting for overall honours at Le Mans in 2014. He will also race for them in the World Endurance Championship. To have someone of Webber’s calibre back at Le Mans (he last raced there in 1999) is confirmation of endurance racing’s appeal. It’s just a shame he won’t be competing against an old rival, Allan McNish. (credit:PA)
(05 of05)
Kris Meeke joins Citroen
Not since the days of Colin McRae and Richard Burns have British rally fans had a truly great driver to pin their hopes on in the World Rally Championship. That looks set to change now that Kris Meeke has joined Citroen. The deal was signed at the end of the year and means the 34-year-old from Dungannon will become the first British driver to compete a full WRC season with a leading factory team since McRae in 2003. Meeke looked to have blown his chance after two guest drives with the French team this year ended in crashes but Citroen bosses liked what they saw. Monte Carlo in January can’t come soon enough. (credit:Getty Images)
Not since the days of Colin McRae and Richard Burns have British rally fans had a truly great driver to pin their hopes on in the World Rally Championship. That looks set to change now that Kris Meeke has joined Citroen. The deal was signed at the end of the year and means the 34-year-old from Dungannon will become the first British driver to compete a full WRC season with a leading factory team since McRae in 2003. Meeke looked to have blown his chance after two guest drives with the French team this year ended in crashes but Citroen bosses liked what they saw. Monte Carlo in January can’t come soon enough. (credit:Getty Images)
And the top five lows..
Motorsport Lows Of 3013
(01 of05)
Multi 21
Sebastian Vettel is a worthy four-time F1 world champion and to be that successful you’re going to need a pretty ruthless streak but what he did to Mark Webber in Malaysia drew stinging criticism throughout the sport. ‘But he was faster than Webber so was within his rights to overtake’ was an excuse I frequently heard afterwards. Yes, he was, but Webber had turned his engine down so it was hardly a fair fight. Beyond the complete disintegration of the team-mates’ relationship, the incident damaged Vettel’s public standing. The crowds’ boos directed at the German at a number of races during the season were not what we want to hear at grands prix but in some ways were understandable. (credit:PA)
Sebastian Vettel is a worthy four-time F1 world champion and to be that successful you’re going to need a pretty ruthless streak but what he did to Mark Webber in Malaysia drew stinging criticism throughout the sport. ‘But he was faster than Webber so was within his rights to overtake’ was an excuse I frequently heard afterwards. Yes, he was, but Webber had turned his engine down so it was hardly a fair fight. Beyond the complete disintegration of the team-mates’ relationship, the incident damaged Vettel’s public standing. The crowds’ boos directed at the German at a number of races during the season were not what we want to hear at grands prix but in some ways were understandable. (credit:PA)
(02 of05)
Allan McNish retires
Allan McNish’s announcement that he was quitting racing came after I’d reached my final choices for this list. To say it came as a shock is an understatement. The three-time Le Mans winner (on left in picture) has been involved in sportscars – three years in F1 excepted – since 1998. He’s like Tom Kristensen, he is sportscars; he is Le Mans. The World Endurance Championship without Allan McNish will be like F1 without Ferrari. The anticipation of seeing the hugely popular Scot pitting his wits against the equally popular Mark Webber was palpable. 2014 could have been a classic encounter but the world of endurance racing will be a poorer place without Mr Allan ‘Always Flat Out’ McNish. (credit:PA)
Allan McNish’s announcement that he was quitting racing came after I’d reached my final choices for this list. To say it came as a shock is an understatement. The three-time Le Mans winner (on left in picture) has been involved in sportscars – three years in F1 excepted – since 1998. He’s like Tom Kristensen, he is sportscars; he is Le Mans. The World Endurance Championship without Allan McNish will be like F1 without Ferrari. The anticipation of seeing the hugely popular Scot pitting his wits against the equally popular Mark Webber was palpable. 2014 could have been a classic encounter but the world of endurance racing will be a poorer place without Mr Allan ‘Always Flat Out’ McNish. (credit:PA)
(03 of05)
Deaths
As it says on the back of race tickets, motorsport is dangerous, but that doesn’t make it any easier when serious accidents or fatalities occur. This year there were three high profile race-related deaths: Allan Simonsen became the first driver to die at the Le Mans 24 Hours since 1997 when he crashed early in the race; a marshal, Mark Robinson, died at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix when he was run over by a crane; and Maria de Villota succumbed to injuries she had suffered during a test for the Marussia F1 team in 2012. All three contributed to motorsport in different ways and their deaths and the circumstances surrounding them were deeply felt in the sport. The consolation is that safety improvements have been reviewed because of the tragedies. (credit:AP)
As it says on the back of race tickets, motorsport is dangerous, but that doesn’t make it any easier when serious accidents or fatalities occur. This year there were three high profile race-related deaths: Allan Simonsen became the first driver to die at the Le Mans 24 Hours since 1997 when he crashed early in the race; a marshal, Mark Robinson, died at the end of the Canadian Grand Prix when he was run over by a crane; and Maria de Villota succumbed to injuries she had suffered during a test for the Marussia F1 team in 2012. All three contributed to motorsport in different ways and their deaths and the circumstances surrounding them were deeply felt in the sport. The consolation is that safety improvements have been reviewed because of the tragedies. (credit:AP)
(04 of05)
Rise and rise of F1 'pay drivers'
Actually, this is about Sergio Perez who has lucked in at Force India after being dumped by McLaren. Pay drivers have been part of F1 since it began and Perez came to the sport with huge sponsorship behind him. But the way he was touted to other teams by McLaren boss, Martin Whitmarsh, was particularly unsavoury, especially as it left Paul Di Resta searching for a seat in 2014 at such a late stage. Di Resta may not have had the most memorable of seasons but he outraced team-mate Adrian Sutil, scored 48 points (one less than Perez) and secured a best finish of fourth (one better than Perez). The Scot’s performances compared to Nico Hulkenberg, who is also joining Force India, were also similar, so he’s been dumped on from a great height twice; and all this for a man who used to beat Sebastian Vettel in identical F3 cars. (credit:Getty Images)
Actually, this is about Sergio Perez who has lucked in at Force India after being dumped by McLaren. Pay drivers have been part of F1 since it began and Perez came to the sport with huge sponsorship behind him. But the way he was touted to other teams by McLaren boss, Martin Whitmarsh, was particularly unsavoury, especially as it left Paul Di Resta searching for a seat in 2014 at such a late stage. Di Resta may not have had the most memorable of seasons but he outraced team-mate Adrian Sutil, scored 48 points (one less than Perez) and secured a best finish of fourth (one better than Perez). The Scot’s performances compared to Nico Hulkenberg, who is also joining Force India, were also similar, so he’s been dumped on from a great height twice; and all this for a man who used to beat Sebastian Vettel in identical F3 cars. (credit:Getty Images)
(05 of05)
End of racing at Mallory Park?
Admittedly a complex situation involving operating companies in administrations, a frustrated council and angry local residents, the saga surrounding Mallory Park in Leicestershire has been a long and sorry one and symptomatic of the problems race tracks face. Popular with club racers on two and four wheels, the closure of this famous old circuit would bang another nail in the coffin for such businesses around the country. There are economic issues of course but more frequently circuit owners face opposition from residents, a number of whom have moved into areas knowing full well that a race circuit would be on their doorstep. Nimbyism is something of a British tradition but if we want to keep alive another great tradition of producing world class racing drivers as well as a world class industry (annual turnover around £6 billion), then national racing and its circuits must be supported too. (credit:PA)
Admittedly a complex situation involving operating companies in administrations, a frustrated council and angry local residents, the saga surrounding Mallory Park in Leicestershire has been a long and sorry one and symptomatic of the problems race tracks face. Popular with club racers on two and four wheels, the closure of this famous old circuit would bang another nail in the coffin for such businesses around the country. There are economic issues of course but more frequently circuit owners face opposition from residents, a number of whom have moved into areas knowing full well that a race circuit would be on their doorstep. Nimbyism is something of a British tradition but if we want to keep alive another great tradition of producing world class racing drivers as well as a world class industry (annual turnover around £6 billion), then national racing and its circuits must be supported too. (credit:PA)