The Consistent Scoring of Points & Kamui Kobayashi

[teabagyokel]

There are three drivers who have scored points in every race thus far, namely:

Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber
Jenson Button

There is another driver who deserves a mention, who was disqualified from a points position in his only non-points score this year:

Kamui Kobayashi.

93% of the points scored this season have been by the top 5 teams. Thus Kobayashi's 25 points are nearly half of the points scored by drivers not in the top 5 cars.

Consistency is key, but it is extremely impressive that Kobayashi was able to achieve this level over the last 6 races.

 

[mjo]

Very impressed with Kobayashi this year, very exciting to watch and mature at the same time. Lewis Hamilton, take note!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Peter Sauber is happy with him. That should count for something.

I suspect some aren't rating Kamui because he hasn't dominated de la Rosa and Heidfeld and Perez in Qualifying sessions over the past year and change.

There's a school of thought that theorizes that you should be dominating journeymen and rookie teammates in qually if you're destined to be an Ace in a Top Team....something which, mind you, is totally different to being a consistent points-scorer.

 

[Jen]

I don't think KK will ever be a WDC - but what do I know?

He is a racer and that is what I love about him - and he will always score points each season, whether that is enough for his employers who knows?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Sauber is punching above it's weight in the WCC off the back of only one driver...so i'm sure they're happy with Koba. I mean what would Williams give to have Koba's points? Same with STR and Force India.

I was standing there watching Koba keeping ahead of Massa (for 2nd behind Vettel) every time they went by and I was wondering two things:

What would Koba do in the Number 2 Ferrari seat...and how long before Koba 'faded'. Alas as much as I like his points haul, i'd be even more impressed if he had wiped the floor with de la Rosa and Heidfeld in Qually last year and with Perez and de la Rosa this year.

 

[Bleu]

Of course the point system has been expanded, but I had a look on consecutive point finishes, and concentrate on those who didn't win (or haven't won yet) title:

Reutemann 15
Rubens 12
Irvine 11
DC, Ralf, Webber 10
Brundle, JPM, Trulli, Rubens (again), Webber (again, ongoing) 9

Those who don't have wins
Brundle 9
Nico 8
Heidfeld 7
Glock, Sutil, Nico (again), Kamui 6

 

[VanChallis]

He's definitely a gifted and brave driver. I'd like to see him in a top 4 car soon, as I think he has the talent to take a fight to any one of the established top drivers. You never know, maybe he'll get the second RB or Ferrari seat in the next couple of years, I hope so!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

As much as I admire Kobayashi's speed and consistency, I don't know if a truly top team would take him yet. The reason is that he hasn't destroyed older Journeymen teammates like Trulli, de la Rosa and Heidfeld in qually. None of these three i've mentioned have been what one would call an Ace or near-Ace and none of them have driven for a truly top line team. DLR has obviously driven for McLaren...but those were reserve roles when guys like Montoya decided to be stupid and clown around on motorbikes and get injured. Heck, McLaren decided to take a chance on rookie Hamilton for 2007 than bother using DLR to partner Alonso.