Don't get me wrong, I am a fan to some extent but I also believe in meritocracy.
2012 AUTOSPORT Awards
- Thread starter Viscount
- Start date
You don't think the criticisms of the award are valid Road of Bones?
Fair enough if the award was the "Autosport readers' favourite British driver" but it's the "British Competition Driver of the Year" and as such the award is not only pointless but devalued.
Surely you would be the first to agree that Button hasn't been the best British driver of the year?
Fair enough if the award was the "Autosport readers' favourite British driver" but it's the "British Competition Driver of the Year" and as such the award is not only pointless but devalued.
Surely you would be the first to agree that Button hasn't been the best British driver of the year?
RickD
Pole Sitter
The Pits - The problem with X-Spurts is that there are many who profess to be one who really aren't and whose POV is just as subjective as Joe Publics.
This award seems to have been given by popularity, which is really surprising as I would have though Lewis would have won it in this case (unless it truly is the vocal minority that mainly support him [or those too young to vote.. hmm, could make an interesting article])..
Maybe the people voting were just looking at the points, or maybe they are fed up with Hamilton-mania (that really is not a flame, so please don't take it as one). There could be many reason why these people voted for Jenson, even down to the fact that that he stuck in the mind more simply because he won the last GP...
I personally think it is a suprise that Jenson got it, but a very good surprise, especially after taking a mid year hiatus, but the start and end of the year were very good for him..
This award seems to have been given by popularity, which is really surprising as I would have though Lewis would have won it in this case (unless it truly is the vocal minority that mainly support him [or those too young to vote.. hmm, could make an interesting article])..
Maybe the people voting were just looking at the points, or maybe they are fed up with Hamilton-mania (that really is not a flame, so please don't take it as one). There could be many reason why these people voted for Jenson, even down to the fact that that he stuck in the mind more simply because he won the last GP...
I personally think it is a suprise that Jenson got it, but a very good surprise, especially after taking a mid year hiatus, but the start and end of the year were very good for him..
The Artist.....
Champion Elect
Brogan
There have been similarly subjective results over the years; in 1987, Jonathan Palmer won it; Why? Because he had won the Jim Clark normally aspirated championship... (The fact that all the top drivers were driving turbos didn't spoil it at all).
Similarly, in 1992, when Nigel Mansell was sweeping all before him, it didn't go to Mansell, but instead to Derek Warwick!
Similarly, for the international racing driver of the year; despite domination from McLaren drivers in 1989, the winning driver was a certain Jean Alesi - who hadn't so much as won a race!
There have been similarly subjective results over the years; in 1987, Jonathan Palmer won it; Why? Because he had won the Jim Clark normally aspirated championship... (The fact that all the top drivers were driving turbos didn't spoil it at all).
Similarly, in 1992, when Nigel Mansell was sweeping all before him, it didn't go to Mansell, but instead to Derek Warwick!
Similarly, for the international racing driver of the year; despite domination from McLaren drivers in 1989, the winning driver was a certain Jean Alesi - who hadn't so much as won a race!
The Artist..... I think its nice that Alesi won something in his career!
To be fair back in 89 and 90 Jean did look like the best thing since sliced bread and was getting more than his fair share of panties twisted.
Alas poor Jean it was not to be (hmmm I sense an article)
To be fair back in 89 and 90 Jean did look like the best thing since sliced bread and was getting more than his fair share of panties twisted.
Alas poor Jean it was not to be (hmmm I sense an article)
Autosport readers do not accurately reflect F1's viewing audience, either. I would suggest that Autosport's demographic are sorts with whom Button's persona would fit much better than Hamilton's. A generalisation rather than a rule, but polls across audiences of more accessible media would likely produce a different outcome.
I would have thought that a high percentage of the Autosport readers would be those who are more interested in, and well-informed about, F1 than the average Joe Public viewer.
However, these polls often throw up results which are puzzling, especially if you support someone who doesn't win. Maybe the Autosport readers are very nationalistic and dislike Hamilton's choice of a German team for next season.
However, these polls often throw up results which are puzzling, especially if you support someone who doesn't win. Maybe the Autosport readers are very nationalistic and dislike Hamilton's choice of a German team for next season.
Education, gender, wealth, level of interest and many more would all be measurable demographics. I think that a lot of Lewis Hamilton's support comes from a different demographic to most autosport readers, who I would imagine are mostly made up of enthusiasts rather than casual fans.[Edit: As Bill Boddy points out] I would suggest that a much larger percentage of Lewis' fans are probably casual fans than of Jenson's due to the reach to Joe Public that Hamilton's sensational entry to the sport created.
Of course, there would be much more to it than that.
Of course, there would be much more to it than that.
Maybe people had much higher expectations of LH than of JB. LH didn't meet their expectations, while JB did and therefore deserved the award?
Wowsers! They must have had some pretty high expectations! He hardly put a foot wrong this season.
So many of the TV polls have been found to be fixed, or incorrect in some way...why should this be different?
Any sucker who watched BBC spoty when Ryan Giggs won....would have witnessed the shock of 2nd JBs reaction...it was like someone had hit him with a wet Haddock.....he seemed to be shocked beyond belief....that he hadn't won.
Having witnessed the bias of beeb...always biggin up button...I could understand his reaction.
Any sucker who watched BBC spoty when Ryan Giggs won....would have witnessed the shock of 2nd JBs reaction...it was like someone had hit him with a wet Haddock.....he seemed to be shocked beyond belief....that he hadn't won.
Having witnessed the bias of beeb...always biggin up button...I could understand his reaction.
Lewis for sure ... Franchitti... not this year... he had an average year per his lofty standards...
If their expectations for Lewis were that he win the WDC or at least beat Alonso, they would be disappointed as he accomplished neither.
If their expectation for Button was that he win one or two races, they would be satisfied with the season's results.
Yes. I often forget that a very large proportion of fans forget that the WDC is a team sport. In terms of personal performance I would say that Lewis exceeded general expectations and that Jenson did not live up to general expectations but I can see how this might escape a lot of people due to the complexity of the sport.
Disclaimer: Not you. I definitely don't mean you.
Disclaimer: Not you. I definitely don't mean you.
I think that many casual followers of F1 (obviously not members of CTA, but they may be voters for that poll nontheless) would fail to recognize the stellar job that Lewis did this year, only to be let down by his equipment. They would look only at the final standings before voting.
I'm not convinced that performance and WDC standings came into it.
If it was just on "personality", similar to the SPOTY award then I can see why Button got it over the others.
He comes across well on TV (unless you're not a fan, in which case he's a sneaky conniving snake
) and never does anything out of the ordinary.
Hamilton meanwhile has a tendency to put his foot in it occasionally (Twitter, etc,) and until very recently (the last two races), never did grid interviews. On top of that, I still maintain that there are a lot more who dislike Hamilton than dislike Button, for various reasons. The level of hatred, etc. directed at him in his very first season in F1 is testament to that.
Still, who really cares?
It's a nothing award and ultimately is just an end of season schmooze-fest.
If it was just on "personality", similar to the SPOTY award then I can see why Button got it over the others.
He comes across well on TV (unless you're not a fan, in which case he's a sneaky conniving snake
) and never does anything out of the ordinary.Hamilton meanwhile has a tendency to put his foot in it occasionally (Twitter, etc,) and until very recently (the last two races), never did grid interviews. On top of that, I still maintain that there are a lot more who dislike Hamilton than dislike Button, for various reasons. The level of hatred, etc. directed at him in his very first season in F1 is testament to that.
Still, who really cares?
It's a nothing award and ultimately is just an end of season schmooze-fest.
