Poll 2010 German Grand Prix Driver of the Weekend

[cider_and_toast]

Well it would seem that this race will go down in the record books for all the wrong reasons. After a couple of quality races it was inevitable that we would have one that wasn't such a classic however no one would have predicted the events of the weekend as they occurred.

Remember to consider the whole weekend as you make your choice including qualifying performances and perhaps even practice sessions.

Who would you say had the best weekend? No one had a trouble free run in the first couple of sessions. Vettel's lap for poll was outstanding and both Ferraris looked really strong all weekend. Further down the field the Saubers were perhaps the pick of the smaller teams with DLR making most of the moves among the midfield. While there isn't much to go on who stood out as your Driver of the weekend?

 

[GeoffP]

The temptation is to suggest Massa, I think his driving has really been going well recently, albeit hidden by some bad luck.

But he did have some position threatening wobbles on the new tyres, came through them with style, but then....

I've gone for Hamilton, qualified behind Button, neither car belonged in the top six, both drivers did brilliantly, Hamilton gained more and finished ahead, so he gets my vote.

 

[siffert_fan]

I have gone for Massa, irrespective of his following team orders (as if he had a choice) and letting the spanish moaner past.

I thought that his performance this weekend essentially brought his career back from the grave. If the team had played fair with him, I think the victory would have been his.

 

[Porceliamone]

I almost pressed for Massa but frankly his DRIVING this weekend left a lot to be desired (mistakes galore, offs, lock ups, overshoots etc, even though he was almost certainly robbed of a win). I've stumped for Hamilton for bringing home an inferior car (again) in a position it shouldn't really have finished in after quali (even though he stacked it on Friday).

 

[BlackCountryBob]

A difficult call, very difficult indeed, no real standouts. Massa maybe but as above, he made so many mistakes in practice and was a fair bit off Alonso in Qually. Vettel got a great pole but again wasn't good on race day. Hamilton and Button did good jobs of getting more points than they should in slower cars but LHs practice crash rules him out and JBs failure to capitalize on this the same for him. De La Rosa did a good job of a long run and would have nabbed some points if it weren't for Heikki taking his wing off. Even Petrov is in with a shout for nabbing a point.

No-one is really standing out so I am going to give it to Timo Glock. The small teams don't get a shout often but his fastest lap was nearly 2 seconds faster than Heikki, he finished the race and was very close to being fastest of the new teams in qually. In a weekend with no-one really standing out, he is someone who I think did a pretty decent job in difficult circumstances.

 

[cosicave]

I have gone for Massa, irrespective of his following team orders (as if he had a choice) and letting the spanish moaner past. I thought that his performance this weekend essentially brought his career back from the grave. If the team had played fair with him, I think the victory would have been his.

What Massa did was heroic, and he of all people knows a bit about team-orders.

Without doubt, this is one of the most difficult 'Driver of the Weekend' or 'Driver of the Day' selections I have had to make. And I found similar difficulty with the respective 'Chump…' thread, where I finally decided upon Massa for following team orders which have once again brought F1 into disrepute.

Bizarrely, I am also going to award him 'Driver of the Weekend', essentially for the same reason as siffert.
- Massa: Both Driver AND Chump of the weekend!

 

[cider_and_toast]

I didn't have a clue who I was going to vote for until I read Black Country Bobs post and I think he's spot on with what he's said. Glock has had a great weekend for Virgin and his efforts will have gone almost un-noticed so I think he deserves another vote as driver of the weekend.

Worryingly for Lotus it seems that Virgin are very much back on track and it's going to be a close run to the finish for that 10th spot.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Can I vote for the same chap as Driver of the Weekend as I did for Chump of the Weekend?

If so, I vote for Felipe Massa. He managed to improve all weekend though practice, and to qualify in 3rd place was excellent work. Then his first corner pass round the outside of both Vettel and his teammate was superb, as were the next 48 laps or so of his race (right up to the point where his right foot must have spasmed coming out of the hairpin). All in all his was the moral victory, if not the actual one.

 

[RickD]

Couldn't vote for anyone at the top end of the field as no one stood out a DOTD, plenty of Chumps.

So, have gone for Glock as he had a great weekend all in all..

 

[Brogan]

I've gone for Massa.

He was there or thereabouts all weekend and managed to take the 2 fastest people during qualifying by the first corner and would have gone on to win if not for team orders.

 

[MajorDanby]

Felipe had a fantastic race, but the whole fiasco has soured my opinion of the Ferrari team somewhat, including Massa.

On one hand I feel very sorry for him, he was in a no win situation, and probably didn't have any other choice (contract?) but I just feel that a true world champ would have just ignored the orders and got on on with it. Maybe this has lowered my opinion of him somewhat. Maybe not personally, but more in lacking that commitment.

The McLaren boys? Great start for Lewis and Jenson, unlucky for Jenson getting backed up by Vettel, but after that not really any earth shattering performances.

Anyway, I'm going for Kubica again, sticking the not very quick Renault up in 7th again. Pretty much error free race from him again, epitomising his season so far.

 

[Galahad]

I've gone for Alonso, extraordinary in qualifying, great start and quicker than his team mate throughout the race (sort of). I don't hold him responsible for the team's moment of madness.

 

[FB]

Given the nature of his win I can't bring myself to vote for Alonso. Massa can't be, if he had any self respect he would have ignored the team orders just like Carlos Reutemann did in Brazil in 1981. Vettel was my Chump and the remainder of the top 10 were so anonymous I'm struggling to think who finished where.

This leaves me with tail end. I was tempted to go for Senna who quietly brought the HRT home, albeit 4 laps down but I decide to go with BlackCountryBob's suggestion of Timo Glock. Not easy for the drivers in the lower places to get the credit they deserve when not fighting for points but I bet they are trying as hard, if not harder, than the drivers at the front.

 

[slickskid]

Across the weekend for me the most consistent and on it driver was Alonso with Vettel running a close second and both were outstanding in qualifying but Alonso got my vote.

Petrov had a good race 7 Senna impressed in quali and slightly unlky come race day.

 

[snowy]

None of the the top teams produced a drive or driver worthy of the DotW title. The race coverage, commentary and analysis was so poor and so totally focused on the top teams and their antics, it is impossible to evaluate the performance of the smaller teams without watching the race again.

Unfortunately that is not an option as it was a profoundly dull race punctuated with disappointment, mishap and folly.

I shall review the FIA data for the entire weekend, deliberate and if possible reach a verdict.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I'm gonna put one in for Kobayashi, the little Japanese driver is finally starting the show the promise that we saw at the end of last season, get this guy in a faster car and lets see what he can really do. His overtaking didnt quite happen in the race but he's not afraid to mix it up with the big dogs.

 

[Muddytalker]

I've gone for Massa.

He was there or thereabouts all weekend and managed to take the 2 fastest people during qualifying by the first corner and would have gone on to win if not for team orders.

[Stirry-stirry]Didn't you say in chat that Massa should have had a penalty for going fully off course at turn 1? [/stirry-stirry]

 

[Brogan]

I've gone for Massa.

He was there or thereabouts all weekend and managed to take the 2 fastest people during qualifying by the first corner and would have gone on to win if not for team orders.

[Stirry-stirry]Didn't you say in chat that Massa should have had a penalty for going fully off course at turn 1? [/stirry-stirry]

I did but then as everyone said, that's generally allowed, apparently*. I think Webber and possibly Button also went off at the same place?

Overall no-one really stood out for me this weekend, apart from possibly Alonso when you compare his qualifying time to Massa, but I just can't bring myself to vote for him after what happened.
Not that he made the pass which any driver following team orders would do, but the fact that he claimed it was a legitimate pass and went on to celebrate the win.


*Unless your name's Lewis Hamilton and it's the first corner at Fuji

 

[Jen]

I've voted for Alonso - his entire weekend was an inspiration, notwithstanding the outcome. I don't believe that he can be blamed for the team call and think that he would have passed Massa legitimately at some point.

 

[teabagyokel]

I've voted for Alonso - his entire weekend was an inspiration, notwithstanding the outcome. I don't believe that he can be blamed for the team call and think that he would have passed Massa legitimately at some point.

I am going with jen. Since I apparently do not like Alonso, the fact that I spend half my time defending him on this site is quite extraordinary!