AUTOSPORT's 2011 Driver Rankings After 5 Grand Prix Meetings

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Hi all,

This is my first thread on this site and I wanted to make it a completely objective one from my point of view. By objective, I mean objectively collating and reporting on someone else's subjective opinion.

Here it is:

1. VET - 46

2. HAM - 43

3= ALO - 41
3= DIR - 41

5. KOB - 39

6= ROS - 37
6= BUT - 37

8= PET - 36
8= PER - 36

10 BUE - 35

11= WEB - 34
11= LUI - 34
11= SUT - 34

14= MSC - 33
14= KOV - 33

16. DAM - 32

17= HEI - 31
17= GLO - 31
17= TRU - 31

20= MAS - 29
20= MAL - 29

22. BAR - 27

23. ALG - 26

24. KAR - 24

Basically, Autosport Magazine evaluates every driver's race meeting in the issue following every Grand Prix and subjectively gives each a rating out of 10.

I added the scores of all 24 drivers over all 5 races and published the above.

Thoughts?

Surprises?

Pretty much as you expected?

 

[Jru]

Cheers Ray, pretty interesting. I see that even the worst driver has an average of ~5 though, suggests that they are pretty impressed this season! I'm surprised to see Maldonado above Barrichello. I suppose that one bad drive at this stage could really affect a drivers score (e.g. has Heidfeld been at the level of Trulli this season?!)

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Cheers Ray, pretty interesting.

I see that even the worst driver has an average of ~5 though, suggests that they are pretty impressed this season!

I'm surprised to see Maldonado above Barrichello. I suppose that one bad drive at this stage could really affect a drivers score (e.g. has Heidfeld been at the level of Trulli this season?!)

Ya it's interesting, Jru.

They're certainly huge Di Resta fans!

I think Heidfeld qualified the Renault badly out of position in one of the early races and he got a very poor mark that dragged him down.

Karthikeyan has a score for only 4 races, I believe.

Barrichello certainly hasn't impressed Mark Hughes,Edd Straw, Adam Cooper, et all...at least they don't think Maldonado's done too badly v Barrichello.

Alguersauri is in danger of loosing out to Ricciardo.

And Massa...well, Massa has been rather inconsistent. He got a poor mark for Spain. In fact, he got the lowest mark of anyone for Spain.

Cheers.

 

[TN23]

Here's my thoughts on the matter (Scores out of 50):

Vettel 41
Hamilton 38
Kobayashi 38
di Resta 34
Webber 32
Button 32
Perez 30
Alonso 30
Petrov 30
Heidfeld (Not Heidfield Mr. Coulthard!) 30
Kovalainen 30
Rosberg 29
Buemi 28
d'Ambrosio 28
Liuzzi 27
Massa 27
Alguersuari 26
Schumacher 25
Sutil 25
Trulli 24
Glock 24
Maldonado 23
Barrichello 23
Karthikeyan 22

My views don't seem to concur- maybe that's a reflection on my own impartiality (Mind you, I've put Vettel top- and I'm not convinced he can walk on water. My thoughts and scores don't add up!)

Also, I given both the HRT drivers 5 for Australia, as that was not their fault at all, and HRT are the worst team we've had for some time, possibly since Mastercard Lola (Who in fact were much more dreadful than even HRT!)

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Here's my thoughts on the matter (Scores out of 50):

Vettel 41
Hamilton 38
Kobayashi 38
di Resta 34
Webber 32
Button 32
Perez 30
Alonso 30
Petrov 30
Heidfeld (Not Heidfield Mr. Coulthard!) 30
Kovalainen 30
Rosberg 29
Buemi 28
d'Ambrosio 28
Liuzzi 27
Massa 27
Alguersuari 26
Schumacher 25

...
My views don't seem to concur- maybe that's a reflection on my own impartiality (Mind you, I've put Vettel top- and I'm not convinced he can walk on water. My thoughts and scores don't add up!)

So, you think Rosberg's driving is worth only 12th? Behind Kovalainen and Heidfeld?

I don't know if most people would have Webber 5th like you do...with Alonso below him in only 8th.

But it's certainly a view.

No one's walking on water...And no one's saying anyone is...Otherwise they'd be getting 50s.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

For me there's been a few drivers who have really impressed this season, with those being (in descending order) Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Button, di Resta, Kobayashi, Rosberg and Kovalainen. Obviously the most dissapointing has been Massa, Schumacher and Karthikeyan (suprise suprise). If the season carries on as it has started I see di Resta being promoted to Schumi's Mercedes seat with Michael finally bowing out.

 

[TN23]

Ray,

I am a bit confused by the findings of my own rankings! I suppose Hamilton's only behind Vettel because of his poor race in Malaysia, and Rosberg also had a pretty poor race in Malaysia- maybe that's why he's so low. As for Webber and Alonso- I think Webber got decent marks for each race after Australia (Especially in China), I didn't give Alonso a great deal for China, Australia or Malaysia.

Whatever the case is- Webber hasn't really been better than Alonso this season, and Rosberg has been better than Heidfeld- so I think, in summary, it isn't very good to rank drivers in this way.

 

[Sarinaide]

3= ALO - 41
3= DIR - 41

Paul Di Riesta 41 points out of 50...................surprised

 

[MCLS]

Aye, wee old Di Resta has done a fair good job so far

 

[johnnoble1990]

Di Resta has done a good job, but worth an average of 8.2? I don't think so i'm afraid. He has been very consistent though. Very interesting rankings. Vettel obviously was going to be top because of his form, but i'd have to biasedly say Lewis has been better this season. It may be self-proclaimed, but he has shown he is the only driver to match Vettel in a slower car.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Here's my thoughts on the matter (Scores out of 50):

Vettel 41
Hamilton 38
Kobayashi 38
di Resta 34
Webber 32
Button 32
Perez 30
Alonso 30
Petrov 30
Heidfeld (Not Heidfield Mr. Coulthard!) 30
Kovalainen 30
Rosberg 29
Buemi 28
d'Ambrosio 28
Liuzzi 27
Massa 27
Alguersuari 26
Schumacher 25
Sutil 25
Trulli 24
Glock 24
Maldonado 23
Barrichello 23
Karthikeyan 22

The post at the top is based on a ranking out of 10 for each race. I'm guessing you didn't do that because there is some very bizarre results here.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Very interesting rankings. Vettel obviously was going to be top because of his form, but i'd have to biasedly say Lewis has been better this season. It may be self-proclaimed, but he has shown he is the only driver to match Vettel in a slower car.

Lewis has been mighty but he hasn't been as virtually flawless as Vettel has been.

I think were Lewis loses out to Vettel in AUTOSPORT's rankings is his Malaysian GP meeting.

Lewis, arguably, has been a 10 or a 9 at Australia, China, Turkey and Spain...but one can't say that about Malaysia.

Vettel hasnt been below a 9 anywhere, really...and he's been a 10 at a couple of places, especially Spain where he didn't have the fastest car and even had a less then fully operational KERS.

Vettel not winning in China had more to do with 50 bhp less on Start Line KERS and, especially, strategy differential more than it had to do with any deficiency in driving...so it would be difficult to give him anything less than a 9 for the race he didn't win.

Vettel's 9s and 10s at all 5 races.

Hamilton's mostly 9s and 10s at 4 races...but not Malaysia.

Alonso has some 9s and 10s...but he didn't achieve high marks for Malaysia and China.

As per Hamilton having a slower car. It's true but AUTOSPORT takes that into consideration. Look at Di Resta and Kobayashi being up there, for instance.

The McLaren is certainly fast in race trim...and becoming the faster package now...with a flawless KERS Hybrid.

Lewis ought to have put the McLaren on Pole at Monaco...but it didn't happen...and I suspect AUTOSPORT will punish him a little for that.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Really? Malaysia was an okay race from Hamilton himself. He just got unlucky. His tyres were horrendous because of quali strategy to get 2nd and then he was hit by Alonso. Up until this near the end he was fine. He then dropped an extra place due to the stewards - surprise, surprise.

 

[EvilWhippet]

Why is Kobayashi so high? He's not on top of his rookie teammate and although he is doing a good job he's not putting in any really special drives. Kovy's done rather alot without very much of a car to do it with so he deserves his props. Button a tad over scored and Heidfeld quite under scored in my opinion.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

John,

I believe AUTOSPORT takes into account both Qually and the Race when giving a mark out of 10.

So, if you really qualify the car well...but then get hit from behind by someone else while running well or have a mechanical DNF, then they'll still score you well.

You can't blame AUTOSPORT for not giving Lewis a 10 or a 9 for Malaysia. He flat-spotted a set of Options in Qually and paid the price later in the race.

 

[EvilWhippet]

It seems a slightly odd way to score though, how much circumstance does it take into account? For example does Kobayashi get a zero for Turkey quali and Heidfeld a zero for Spain quali?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Koba's come from the back of the grid and scored points against stiff oppostion a couple of times. Notably Turkey and Spain.

He's scoring decent points for Sauber...and isn't afraid of over-taking...and actually pulls them off without any errors to speak of. Perez had a great debut...but then fizzled until just recently.

AUTOSPORT gave Heidfeld a 3 out of 10 for one of the early Fly-aways where he qualified the car well out of position while Petrov was high up. That one score really pulled Heidfeld down.

Kubica had the measure of Petrov quite handily. One can't say that about Heidfeld. Perhaps it's a matter of expectation?

???

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

It seems a slightly odd way to score though, how much circumstance does it take into account? For example does Kobayashi get a zero for Turkey quali and Heidfeld a zero for Spain quali?

Why should they get zeros for those specific qualifying efforts?

Was it their fault?

No.

Malaysian qually was Heidfeld's own fault...Spain wasn't.

I think AUTOSPORT tries to take a driver's meeting as a whole into consideration.

If it was all down to end result, you might as well just go to the FIA's website and look at their F1 WDC points table!

 

[johnnoble1990]

John,

I believe AUTOSPORT takes into account both Qually and the Race when giving a mark out of 10.

So, if you really qualify the car well...but then get hit from behind by someone else while running well or have a mechanical DNF, then they'll still score you well.

You can't blame AUTOSPORT for not giving Lewis a 10 or a 9 for Malaysia. He flat-spotted a set of Options in Qually and paid the price later in the race.

I was just replying to whoever said he had a bad race. I'd give him a 7 personally. He should've/could've/would've finished 3rd given the chance. He was one of the better drivers that day, it just was all a bit unfortunate.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Hey, John, look at it this way:

Lewis is a lot closer to the # 1 spot in AUTOSPORT's ranking than he is in the WDC points table!

Cheers.