A Classic case of Deja vu

It's what every fan wants to see every season and every race. A unique and extraordinary race that will be spoken about for years to come, a "classic" Grand Prix. This year we've seen no less than five intriguing races out of five, all worthy of being labelled with classic status. It seems that the desire for a classic race every weekend is making the label that was barely used in the early stages of last decade become almost cliche today. It could be argued that the past four seasons alone have all had moments that stood out as a classic, but will they stand the test of time in ways that golden F1 moments such as Senna and Prost colliding at Suzuka, Schumacher infamously taking out Jacques Villeneuve or the Japanese Grand Prix of 2005?

2007 was an incredible season in many different ways. We saw some fantastic tussles for position between the Championship protagonists, intra-team relationships reaching boiling point and controversy on and off of the track. There are so many moments in 2007 that could be seen twenty years down the line as a fan's favourite.

Hamilton, Alonso and Raikkonen were at their brilliant best in 2007

The whole season could be defined as a classic season, that's just how good it was. Three drivers were at the top of their game all season long. Double World Champion Fernando Alonso made his "dream" move over the winter to McLaren in a bid to defend his crown. To Great Britain's delight, rookie hero Lewis Hamilton was living up to his reputation and delivering a series of stunning podiums and, maybe even better to the tabloids, was really grinding Alonso's gears all season long. A fascinating intra-team relationship was strained all season long, particularly at the events at Monaco, Indianapolis and Hungary. And as if that wasn't enough for McLaren, they had to contend with F1 politics and being accused of spying against Ferrari midway through the season.

In the end it all proved too much for the team and the drivers, who hit self-destruct and handed the title on a plate to F1's nearly-man Kimi Raikkonen, who had come close before but to no avail. 2007 will be remembered for a number of things - a new star in Hamilton had firmly established himself into the sport, Alonso had a weakness and Raikkonen was at his supreme best, which arguably was the last time we saw the Iceman himself at 110%.

The decline of the 2007 World Champion and the departure of Alonso to Renault meant that the 2008 title was left to the be fought out with Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari of Felipe Massa. 2008 will mostly be remembered for that famous last lap at Interlagos, where the fate of the World Champion shifted between the McLaren and the Ferrari. Hamilton came out on top at the very last corner of the Championship, passing an ailing Timo Glock on dry tyres for a crucial 5th place in the race. But it wasn't just the thrilling climax at Brazil that made the 2008 season.

Seven of the twenty two 2008 drivers won a Grand Prix

The close competition between all of the teams can be highlighted, with seven different drivers spanning five different Constructors teams winning a share of the 18 races that were up for grabs. Who can forget Sebastian Vettel making his name on the world stage with a sensational maiden pole and win at Monza, Robert Kubica taking advantage of a calamitous error from Hamilton in the Montreal pitlane to deliver his first win a year on from his terrifying crash and Heikki Kovalainen getting the job done at the Hungaroring following a dramatic engine blowout with two laps remaining for the Ferrari of Massa. Don't forget the epic showdown between Raikkonen and Hamilton at Spa which spiced up an otherwise ordinary event. These races helped mould the characters of the next generation of Formula One stars.

But 2008 also had some tragedy. Popular minnows Super Aguri withdrew their Championship entry after the Spanish Grand Prix, while newly renamed Force India were on the brink of a breakthrough at Monaco with Adrian Sutil running 4th in the closing stages, and on the verge of delivering the team's first ever World Championship points, only to be cruelly denied by an out-of-control Raikkonen. The 2008 season could be regarded as a classic, with excitement, drama and heartbreak featuring throughout the year.

2009 was a very unusual year and could well be branded as a classic in some aspects. New regulations were set in place to boost overtaking, with higher rear wings, wider front wings and the introduction of KERS, which could only be a good thing. But what made the season was the collapse of Honda and the Phoenix-esque rise from the ashes of Brawn GP, who dominated the season with Jenson Button in the first half of the season, and the fall of McLaren, Ferrari and Renault who ran at the top of the pecking order at the end of the previous season. Brawn GP looked to have the titles in the bag halfway through the year, only for Button to suddenly drop in form in the second part of the season, just as Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari picked up the pace.

Most the races were processional at the front of the field, but some can be highlighted as potential classics. Australia 2009 saw the fairytale begin, with a Brawn GP 1-2 overshadowing some impressive drives from Trulli and Hamilton, with the latter being disqualified for lying to the stewards. Don't forget Mark Webber's maiden victory at the Nurburgring, overcoming a drive through penalty and taking advantage of cool conditions to defeat the Brawn of Barrichello, followed by an emphatic and emotional team radio broadcast. But 2009, for me, will be mostly remembered by the race where Button clinched the Championship at Interlagos. A wet qualifying ruined numerous driver's chances, with Vettel and Button failing to make Q3 but Jenson made a storming charge through the field, making some brave moves into turn 1 to take the Championship with one round remaining. And who can forget Kobayashi's exciting introduction to the sport? The race was most definitely one of the best of '09, with overtakes across the board and some very aggressive strategies from Button, Hamilton and Vettel to get back into the points. It was a thrilling penultimate race of the 2009 season.

Kobayashi starred but Button got the job done at Brazil 09

The race in Brazil quenched the thirst of many for an exciting Grand Prix, but the fans were in for a treat in 2010. A dull procession at Bahrain was duly followed by three incredibly exciting races in a row, particularly at Melbourne and Shanghai. Despite the extreme durability of the Bridgestone tyres limiting the strategic element of racing, the weather conditions certainly mixed things up throughout the season, with Australia, China, Belgium and inaugural race at Korea throwing up some absolute gems. Also don't forget the significance of the Canadian Grand Prix - if Bridgestone didn't make a mistake and bring tyres with high degredation on the slippery surface, would we see Pirelli making unpredictable tyres in 2011? Include the intra-team squabble at Red Bull at Turkey and Silverstone, the return of a Formula One Legend in Michael Schumacher and an epic five-way tussle for the title between drivers, who had spells of being untouchable and not being able to stop crashing, and it was quite an incredible season.

Will 2010 be a season to remember in 2030?

In most of the minds of the fans the 2010 season was definitely one of the ultimate F1 seasons in history. We were given the great pleasure of witnessing a phenomenal 19 races, where there were plenty of overtakes, mistakes, crashes, drama and a grown man breaking down in tears as the final chequered flag fell at Abu Dhabi. There can be no doubt 2010 was a classic season in every way imaginable.

2011 looks like it is building upon the successes of 2010 and more, with hundreds of overtakes in the first five races alone. But is there a point where each race has been enhanced so much by tools such as DRS and KERS that there will be a time when people say that the gimmicks have more of an impact on the racing than the drivers themselves and none of the races are particularly standout in history? The craving for a great race every weekend from the fans could turn a magical sport into something of a gimmick itself. What I want are races that make me stand back and think, "wow, that kept me on the edge of my seat all race long" and I think 2011 is absolutely delivering on that front so far.