From the serious to the sideways, we take a Christmas quick-fire look back at the highs and lows from a Formula 1 season that full of incident, drama, emotion and no shortage of entertainment
Saturday 26 December 2020 07:15, UK
In no particular order...
Shock winner of the year: In any other season, we would be saying Sergio Perez after his recovery from the back of the grid to win in Bahrain. But 2020 was not an ordinary season, and AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly was not an ordinary winner at a simply incredible Italian GP.
Cliché of the year: The use of the word 'rollercoaster' to describe anything related to Portimao.
Image of the year: Romain Grosjean emerging from a terrifying inferno when his car pierced the barriers and split in two at the Bahrain GP. A true miracle.
Super-sub of the year: Hulk to the rescue. Nico Hulkenberg stepped in three times for Racing Point - twice with a matter of hours' notice - and finished with solid points in both races he started, while also qualifying third at the 70th Anniversary GP.
Transfer saga of the year: We certainly got used to those Thursday questions to Sebastian Vettel before he was finally confirmed as an Aston Martin driver in September. That is what happens when you make a four-time champion's impending exit official before the season starts, Ferrari.
Tattoo saga of the year: Cyril, Daniel and that bet.
Lap of the year: Lewis Hamilton secured 10 of 17 poles this season, but it's 'Last Lap Lando' who takes the honours here. In truth, Lando Norris could get this award for his podium-sealing fastest lap at the season-opening Austrian GP, or the following week when he overtook three cars in the closing stages.
Driver of the year: Now the most successful driver in the history of the sport, step forward Lewis Hamilton.
Heartbreak of the year: George Russell was en route to an unbelievable maiden F1 win after replacing Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain. Cue a pit-stop blunder, and then a puncture. Ouch. Times two.
Track invader of the year: Who let the dogs out? This was certainly an unexpected visitor in Bark-rain...
Race of the year: Monza? Mugello? Bahrain Two? Turkey? We will call this one a draw.
Radio quip of the year: Max Verstappen rarely got a chance to attack the Mercedes. At Silverstone, he was never 'going to sit behind like grandma'.
Team of the year: McLaren truly maximised their 2020 potential to secure third in the standings ahead of arguably faster rivals, but Mercedes take it for continuing to make history.
Innovation of the year: Mercedes reinvented the wheel in 2020. DAS is good.
Dramatic finish of the year: There were tyre explosions aplenty at the end of the British GP, including for race leader Lewis Hamilton. Somehow, on three tyres, he hung on from Max Verstappen.
Disappointment of the year: From title challengers to Q3 hopefuls. From second to sixth. Oh, Ferrari.
Didn't-see-that-coming of the year: Thirteen different podium finishers (65 per cent of the full-time grid), the joint-most since 2008.
First lap of the year: "Honestly I thought at one point 'what are the others doing?'" Kimi Raikkonen after going from 16th to ninth on the opening lap in Portugal for Alfa Romeo.
Worst-kept secret of the year: Now just who did not see Yuki Tsunoda to AlphaTauri coming?
Poignant moment of the year: Mick Schumacher presenting Lewis Hamilton with one of his father's race helmets after the Englishman's record-equalling 91st win.
Last-minute repair job of the year: Red Bull's mechanics for getting Max Verstappen to the start in Hungary after he crashed on the way to the grid
Unexpected question of the year: "Who's Franz Tost?" - Lewis Hamilton, Bahrain GP.
Unexpected achievement of the year: A 17-race Formula 1 season successfully staged and navigated amid a global pandemic.
Most improved team of the year: The way they went about it courted no end of controversy from their rivals, but Racing Point moved from seventh to fourth in the biggest jump in the standings and became F1 race winners.
