As the Canadian Grand Prix approaches, one particular race at the Montréal track lives long in the memory. The 2011 edition had it all, thrills and spills, drama galore, as Jenson Button’s rain masterclass saw him win a race which still makes many pose the question, is it the greatest Formula One race in history?

A two hour delay due to rain is what this race is infamous for, It holds the record for the longest race in history, standing at just over four hours from start to finish. Jenson Button was the star of the day in his McLaren. After going from seventh on the grid, to 15th after colliding with team mate Lewis Hamilton on lap seven. He then fell to 21st after a collision with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

However he fought his way back up the grid and after making his way to second place as the final lap started, Button started hunting down leader Sebastian Vettel. The German Red Bull driver span at turn six, meaning Button overtook him and collected what can only be described as Button’s finest win to date.

Always one for changing conditions, Button has always prospered in these type of conditions. He picked up his first win in Hungary 2006 in changing conditions, and has become somewhat an expert in the field. However due to the long lasting legacy of this race, is it the finest one we’ve ever seen?

Many would say races such as Europe 1993, Spain 1981 and Brazil 2008 are some of the finest races we’ve seen in over 65 years of Formula One, but Canada 2011 surely has a claim to the title of greatest race ever?

The race began under safety car conditions as the track was very wet. Five laps in the safety car pulled in and the cars were allowed to race. Vettel was being pressured by Alonso as Hamilton and Mark Webber collided at the first corner, both were able to continue. The race order was very dynamic throughout as positions were changing all the time.

Lap seven saw the first real moments of drama as Button attempted to overtake Hamilton down the pit straight, only for Hamilton to not see him and run into Button. Due to the adverse weather and the spray coming up from the cars, Hamilton later reflected that he: “probably hadn't spotted me.” This prompted the safety car and Hamilton’s retirement.

On lap 15 the race resumed, but as if Button’s race couldn’t get worse, he was given a drive through penalty for speeding in the pitlane when he came in to change his tyres. Lap 19 saw a rain storm fall on the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve, and the safety car was brought out as conditions worsened. The race was suspended on Lap 26 as conditions were too difficult to race in.

It was two hours before we saw any action again. The only on-track goings on were road sweepers brushing away standing water on the circuit. It was 3:50pm before racing got underway again. On lap 37 Button was in the wars again as he collided with Alonso at turn three, causing the Ferrari man’s retirement.

A puncture sent Button to the back of the grid, but made seven places in as many laps to be 14th on lap 44. He made his way up the grid and passed Webber and Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher, with the latter masterminding his own wet race win in Spain 1996. Button sat in second and only had Vettel in his way. The McLaren man was 0.9 seconds down on the Red Bull, when the German made an uncharacteristic mistake at turn six.

He got onto the wet part of the track and span, Button went through and held his nerve to take the win, and put an end to one of the most scintillating races of all time. Vettel finished second with team mate Webber third.

Button has since gone on to say that Canada 2011 was the finest race of his career, saying: “Just because everything happened in that race (Canada) and it was one of those races that just proves you should never, never give up because anything is possible.

“I mean I was last twice and I thought, ‘This is going to be a tough race’. I never thought I’d win it but I was dedicated to getting the maximum out of the car every lap and came away with a victory. So a perfect race in a way, with so many things going wrong, but I ended up winning the Grand Prix, so very special,” the 2009 World Champion said.

So as we approach the 2015 Canadian Grand Prix, we can expect a thrilling spectacle, but nothing will ever quite come close to the most epic, stunning and breathtaking Formula One race ever.