After the Bahrain GP Brawn's WCC lead is 22.5 points, I was asked how often a team
has lost such a lead.
First a bit of background.
The WCC began in 1958. From that year until 1978 the scoring matched that in the WDC, except
that there were no points for fastest lap, and only the highest-placed finisher in any team scored
points. From 1958 to 1960 the maximum score in any race was 8 points, and then from 1961 to
1978 it was 9 points.
From 1979 to 2009 both drivers scores were counted. The maximum available in each race was 15
(1979-90), 16 (1991-2002) & 18 (since 2003).
These are the infrequent occasions when a team led the WCC by more than Brawn's 22.5 and
contrived to lose that lead.
1991 - McLaren led by over 30 points, but were caught by Williams.
They regained and lost the lead, but ended as WCC champions.
1994 - Benetton led by more than 30 points, were caught by Williams,
regained the lead and then lost again.
1999 - Ferrari led by 24 points after Monaco, were caught by McLaren,
but regained the lead and won the WCC.
2000 - Ferrari led by 29 points after Imola, were caught by McLaren,
regained the lead and won the WCC.
2005 - Renault led by 23 points after the European GP, but were caught
by McLaren, then regained the lead and won the WCC.
So in five seasons a lead of at least 22.5 points has been lost, but on only one occasion did the
team fail to regain it. The lead was not necessarily over the team which later caught them. In
some cases the other team were lying third or lower.
In 2007 McLaren 'lost' a large lead, but the official records exclude McLaren from the official
tables. They led Ferrari by more than 22.5 points following six of the events, but would have
been overtaken by Ferrari at the final race. That scenario assumes that they still lost their
15 points from the Hungarian GP, which were withheld after the Hamilton/Alonso qualifying
fiasco.
I also wondered if any team had led by as many points after only four events:
1981 Williams led by 26 points after the 2nd & 3rd events.
1989 McLaren led by 27 points after 3 events & by 36 after 4.
1991 McLaren led by 30 after 3 & 34 after 4.
1992 Williams led by 23 after 2, 37 after 3 & 41 after 4.
1996 Williams - 29 after 3 & 39 after 4.
1998 McLaren - 24 after 2.
1999 Ferrari - 24 after 4.
2000 Ferrari - 29 after 3.
2004 Ferrari - 29 after 3 & 33 after 4.
2007 Ferrari - 26 after 4 [ignoring McLaren].
While researching the above I saved the data and did some analysis:
Here is a list of the number of events after which teams led the WCC. The bracketed numbers
indicate events where they shared the lead by having the same number of points (in some cases
it would be possible to rank them depending on results, but I have not done that).
[pre]Last Time
Team Events GP Year
======================================
Ferrari 228 (6) BRA 2008[/pre][pre]McLaren-Tag 29 (2) Det 1987
McLaren-Honda 61 AUS 1991
McLaren-Ford 30 (4) Eur 1993
McLaren-Mercedes 35 (1) SIN 2008
155 (7)[/pre][pre]Williams-Ford 27 USA 1981
Williams-Honda 26 (2) AUS 1987
Williams-Renault 60 (3) Eur 1997
Williams-BMW 4 ITA 2003
117 (5)[/pre][pre]Lotus-Climax 23 MEX 1965
Lotus-Ford 53 (1) CDN 1978
Lotus-Renault 4 (1) MON 1985
80 (2)[/pre][pre]Renault 46 (3) BRA 2006[/pre][pre]Cooper-Climax 24 MON 1962
Cooper-Maserati 1 RSA 1967
25[/pre][pre]Benetton-Ford 13 Eur 1994
Benetton-Renault 12 AUS 1995
25[/pre][pre]Brabham-Repco 16 (1) MEX 1967
Brabham-Ford 6 (2) BEL 1975
Brabham-BMW 1 BRA 1983
23 (3)[/pre][pre]Tyrrell-Ford 17 (1) ITA 1973
BRM 14 MON 1966
Matra-Ford 11 MEX 1969
Ligier-Ford 4 ESP 1979
Brawn-Mercedes 4 BRN 2009
Vanwall 3 MAR 1958
March-Ford 3 NED 1970
Wolf-Ford 1 ARG 1977
BMW Sauber 1 BRN 2008
--------------------------------------
Total Events 743[/pre]
Also, in 16 seasons one team led the WCC throughout the season:
[pre]Cooper-Climax 1959-60
Lotus 1968, 78
Matra 1969
Ferrari 1976, 2001, 04, 07
Williams 1981, 92, 96
McLaren 1984, 88, 90, 98[/pre]
In another four seasons one team led the whole season except after the first event:
[pre]1961 Ferrari (Lotus)
1967 Brabham (Cooper)
1977 Ferrari (Wolf)
1989 McLaren (Ferrari)[/pre]