Signature Race

[Mephistopheles]

Jenson Button (quiet at the back there!):
- Hockenheim 2004, demoted to 14th (I think) after qualifying due to an engine change, fights his way back to 2nd behind Schumacher including a thrilling side-by-side duel with Alonso and having to hold his helmet down on the straights.
- Hungary 2006, starts 14th after an engine change penalty, fights his way through the field in a wet race and is rapidly closing on Alonso when the Renault team fluff his pitstop and send the champion out with a poorly-secured wheel. Manages the changing conditions and the cars ahead of him beautifully for his first victory.
- Brazil 2009, starts 14th after a poor qualifying and overtakes his way to the title.
- Spa 2011, starts 14th after a cock-up in qualifying and overtakes his way to the podium...

Anyone else see the signature pattern here?

Yes Jenson may not be the best qualifier on the grid but he is a great racer and reader of the races

 

[Enja]

David Coulthard, Brazil 2008.

Last ever race! Celebrations! Champagne! Special livery! Special cameras to capture the excitement!

- Crash on lap 1.

 

[FB]

Or DC, Australia 95, crashing in the pit lane?

 

[RasputinLives]

I would have gone for DC's one where he was on poll but spun on the parade lap and started from the back. Was that Monza 95?

 

[Il_leone]

I would have gone for DC's one where he was on poll but spun on the parade lap and started from the back. Was that Monza 95?

yes Monza 95 only for the race to be restarted after the first lap accidents so he could resume pole position. He was steaming away again until his wheel bearing failed

 

[RasputinLives]

Actually Monza 95 was Johnny Herbert's signiture race. Wait for everyone else to crash into each other and reap the spoils!

 

[RickD]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but Webber - Korea 2011 - Just frustrated and not enough skill to be able to overtake what should have been a slower car, kept behind for all of the race..

 

[Il_leone]

Actually Monza 95 was Johnny Herbert's signiture race. Wait for everyone else to crash into each other and reap the spoils!

well to be fair Johnny Herbert was closer to the front men and got 2nd fastest lap. They asked him to do the Schumacher strategy and stay out to do some fast laps

 

[Il_leone]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but Webber - Korea 2011 - Just frustrated and not enough skill to be able to overtake what should have been a slower car, kept behind for all of the race..

--------------

Agree but I prefer Malaysia 2005 when he was frustrated behind Fisi and got passed him then Fisi dived at the last corner passed him and he decided to fight and they both crashed out

Then the interview afterwards he said Fisi was delaying the inevitable because his tyres were destroyed and fighting a losing battle. That could have been Webber's first podium. The point is that Webber is all brawn and no brains if he knew Fisi's tyres were finished as he admitted then why did not he wait for the next lap to get passed and make sure this time Fisi does not get back at him

this is typical Webber he has to fight for every line and every corner even when he has no hope of winning it and in this case when he did not even have to

 

[Jos the Boss]

Silverstone 98- Schumi, takes the lead in pouring rain, class of the field, gets a penalty and sneaks his way out of it!

 

[Il_leone]

Silverstone 98- Schumi, takes the lead in pouring rain, class of the field, gets a penalty and sneaks his way out of it!

How about Austria 2002 then which is forever tainted by Schumacher and Ferrari

Other Schumacher races off course

Jerez 97
" You hit the wrong side of him Michael"

 

[Jos the Boss]

How about Austria 2002 then which is forever tainted by Schumacher and Ferrari

Other Schumacher races off course

Jerez 97
" You hit the wrong side of him Michael"

Not Austria 2002, because he seemed to show remorse, and let Rubens have USA, and not Jerez because he didn't win

 

[Il_leone]

Not Austria 2002, because he seemed to show remorse, and let Rubens have USA, and not Jerez because he didn't win

I saw Jerez 97 because everyone knew he tried to cheat...up to that point everyone was saying Schumacher deserved the title whereas Jacques Villeneuve did not deserve it because he had the best car by a mile and made some amateurish errors including speeding past yellow flag in practice to get himself disqualified from the race in Japan
That incident changed everyone's opinions

 

[Il_leone]

Whilst on the topic
Jacques Villeneuve

1997

British GP
Hungary GP
Austrian GP
Luxembourg GP

- 3 off these races he waited for Hakkinen to have an engine failure and profit from and the other one he won it on the last lap from Hill who had hydraulic problem. That last lap win proved critical in beating Schumacher to the title

All in all his credibility as a top driver went down because he had by far the fastest car but was erratic and inconsistent and even when he won he made hard work of it

 

[Clinton]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but Webber - Korea 2011 - Just frustrated and not enough skill to be able to overtake what should have been a slower car, kept behind for all of the race..

To be fair, he was hampered by the DRS zone that gave Hamilton a massive speed boost every time Webber passed him into turn 1, allowing him to repass with some ease. Webber actually passed him twice IIRC.

This was also one of Hamilton's best races of the season.

 

[Boyle]

To be fair, he was hampered by the DRS zone that gave Hamilton a massive speed boost every time Webber passed him into turn 1, allowing him to repass with some ease. Webber actually passed him twice IIRC.

If Webber had used his head in that race he would have waited until he came to the DRS zone, no matter how close he got going into the first corner, especially as it didn't work the first time. I doubt Vettel, Alonso, Button, or Hamilton (I could name a few more) wouldn't have used their head like that.

 

[Il_leone]

If Webber had used his head in that race he would have waited until he came to the DRS zone, no matter how close he got going into the first corner, especially as it didn't work the first time. I doubt Vettel, Alonso, Button, or Hamilton (I could name a few more) wouldn't have used their head like that.

You summed it perfectly about Webber ( see Malaysia 2005 and I should include Aus 2010). He's either going to do an overtake that works which is Mansell esque or bang into the other car/ run wide and gets sucker punched next corner.

The guy believes in racing hard but never seems to have the racing intellect to back it and assess the situation properly

 

[downforce]

Clever idea for a thread, I'll have a go

Lewis Hamilton Hungary 2011

showed good 1 lap pace to outqualify his WDC teammate and get on the front row, it was very close with his WDC teammate at the start but his good wheel to wheel skills and wet weather ability serve him well and he stays ahead, he tracks down the defending world champion in the wet and takes the lead.

(his excellent 2007 season)

He looks good for the win and without any mistakes would have it in the bag, but he does make mistakes and loses it

(2007 + 2010 seasons and potentially 2011)

He manages to spin and lose the lead to his teammate and also makes the wrong calls with the tyres while his teammate makes no mistakes and gets the tyres right to take the lead.

(a snapshot of his 2011 season)

then he gets a drive through

(when it goes wrong for him it seems to all go wrong at once, plus has always been a penalty magnet)

however he manages a few overtakes on other frontrunners to save some credibility

(lewis Hamilton all over)

Potentailly a fantastic win but it got away from him

 

[Boyle]

Good post downforce but probably the one thing that summed it up even more is that he let the team make the strategic decision to pit and just went along with rather than making his own mind up.

If there's any weakness that Hamilton has, it is that he never seems to dictate his own strategy.