Thanks to the threat of the covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, live sports have been shut down across the planet for an indefinite period of time. The 2020 Formula 1 season is among the casualties; as of now, it’s tentatively set to begin in June.
But F1 fans can still get their racing fix by subscribing to F1TV.
An F1TV Pro membership (which runs you $80 for an entire year) offers many compelling features, including live onboard camera streams and team radio during races.
Right now, though, there’s an even better deal for these times. For as low as $3 per month, you can get an F1TV Access membership, which allows you to stream full races from F1’s extensive historic race archive.
Here are six of our favorite F1 races included in that archive. Keep in mind, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
2019 German Grand Prix
Mercedes looked set to exert their dominance in their home race — and they wore some goofy 1950s-themed outfits to celebrate. Things did not quite work out that way, in what turned out to be a wet and wild affair. Seven of the 20 drivers failed to finish the race, and three of the top four finishers came from below 14th place on the grid.
2019 Brazilian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes already had the driver’s and constructor’s championships clinched, but this was still a fun race: a series of duels between the two best current F1 drivers; two collisions among the leaders over the final three laps eliminated three cars; and two drivers scored their first podium finishes.
2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
“Baku” is an F1 synonym for “batshit.” This second Baku street race cemented that reputation. The race had a red flag and seven retirements; a multiple-time world champion had a monumental meltdown under a safety car; the eventual winner fought back after crashing in qualifying; and one of the grid’s most maligned drivers somehow ended up on the podium.
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel dueled for the title in the epic 2012 season’s final race. This was an instant classic, with wet and dry conditions, a dramatic first-lap plot twist, and 147 successful overtakes across the field — a record.
2011 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix ended up being the longest race in F1 history, thanks in part because of a stoppage due to a torrential downpour. The winner of this grueling race pitted six times, collided twice, served a drive-through penalty and overtook the leader on the final lap.
2005 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka is one of F1’s iconic tracks. A wet qualifying round saw the usual contenders begin at the back of the field. A Schumacher started on pole — but it was Ralf, not Michael. The race features one of F1’s legendary overtakes around the outside at the 130R corner, and one of the F1 fans’ favorite drivers overtook the leader on the final lap for the win.