It’s been great fun and we had over 300 people contributing ideas as to how close Giancarlo Fisichella would get to Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying for his Ferrari debut at Monza.
Thanks to everyone who took part and I’m sure we will do this again soon.
The prize is a signed copy of my biography of Michael Schumacher, The Edge of Greatness.
I’m very proud to say that we had lots of really good estimates with over 30 comments being within five hundredths of a second – it’s even more competitive than the F1 grid itself! It shows that we have a very knowledgeable and well informed readership here.
Pujan was close with 0.470s, Ronnie Mirza guessed 0.454, Raunaq went for 0.487, Juan had 0.486, Roberto 0.485, as did EGC.
The actual figure was 0.475s and the winner, I believe, is Richard Dreyer, comment number 265, who guessed 0.478s.
If he would email his address to editor@jamesallenonf1.com I will make sure that a signed copy of the book gets to him. Well done, Richard!
Fernando Alonso
Kimi Räikkönen
Felipe Massa
Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber Nico Rosberg
Paul di Resta Jenson Button
Sergio Perez Daniel Ricciardo Sebastian Vettel Kimi Räikkönen Fernando Alonso Lewis Hamilton Felipe Massa Mark Webber
Romain Grosjean Paul di Resta Nico Rosberg Jenson Button Sergio Perez Daniel Ricciardo Adrian Sutil Nico Hulkenberg Jean-Eric Vergne Esteban Gutierrez Valtteri Bottas
Pastor Maldonado Jules Bianchi Charles Pic
Giedo van der Garde Max Chilton
jQuery(function($){
$(".tweet").tweet({
join_text: "auto",
username: "jamesallenonf1",
avatar_size: 35,
count: 4,
auto_join_text_default: "",
auto_join_text_ed: "",
auto_join_text_ing: "",
auto_join_text_reply: "",
auto_join_text_url: "",
loading_text: "loading tweets..."
});
});
1. Posted By: Mark A. Stephens
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
James,
how can the rest of us obtain an autographed copy of your new book?
-Mark
[Reply]
Aaron James Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Yes, yes I would like a signed copy of it…
Itd go well beside my Murray Walker (unsigned) autobio
[Reply]
2. Posted By: Misu
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
congrats
[Reply]
3. Posted By: George
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 5:54 pm
Grats Richard!
Damn it Fisi you’re too slow
[Reply]
Chris Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
No – he was too quick!
[Reply]
4. Posted By: Juan
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 6:14 pm
OMG! I had forgotten about this. So close and… I guess I will have to buy the book! It cannot be worse than betting, where I always guess who the fastest is but they never get pole!
[Reply]
5. Posted By: Brian
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 6:58 pm
I second Mark’s comment. How do we get a copy of an autographed book as well?
[Reply]
6. Posted By: raffamuffin
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 7:12 pm
Awww Fisi!
You cost me a book! Hehe!!
Congratulations to the winner!!
Let’s hope Fisi has a bit more luck in the race tomorrow! 
[Reply]
7. Posted By: Paul
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
Congrats! Nice guess. I was way off!
[Reply]
8. Posted By: William McCone
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
Congrats!!
James how about doing a deal to buy a signed copy of your book for the rest of us?
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I’ll look into a way of processing that
[Reply]
Mark A. Stephens Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
That would be stellar!!! James thanks and we look forward to finding out about this…
[Reply]
MissMika Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Re James’s book “The Edge of Greatness” – I bought this when it first came out in 2007 and would recommend it to any fan – very well written and researched. James when’s your next book out and who/what is the subject matter?
Sonia
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I’ll tell you very soon, hopefully
9. Posted By: Raj
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
Congratulation to Richard! I am sure my turn will come as well.
[Reply]
10. Posted By: Fausto Cunha
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
Congrats Richard!!
Maybe next time,lol
[Reply]
11. Posted By: Pujan
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
Well done to Richard! Enjoy the book mate, well deserved.
[Reply]
12. Posted By: Carl M
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 9:38 pm
Well I didn’t win but it was an excellent competition. I’ll be brave and say Alonso isn’t going to ferrari for 2010, what prize would you put on that? An autograph? I own your latest book on Michael Schumacher, great read.
[Reply]
13. Posted By: EGC
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
I was near!!!
Why my comments doesn’t appear with my other email adress????
[Reply]
14. Posted By: john
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
Congratulations to the winner!
[Reply]
15. Posted By: rpaco
Date: September 12th, 2009 @ 11:51 pm
When/where was the competition? Obviously not in the blog pages, why didn’t I see it? Even a search of the site does not reveal it’s hiding place.
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Read the post about Tifosi backing Fisi last week.
[Reply]
swayze Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 10:01 am
It was the blog with the most comments which proves to you James how many lurk here but don’t comment(normally). So you must be doing something right lol.
Although i notice the Renault / Piquet post was popular.
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Thanks for that. Yes we had over 200 comments for the first Renault story and over 100 for the second. I’m very proud of the comments and the level of debate on this site. Thanks to all of you for contributing to the community.
16. Posted By: The Conspiracist
Date: September 13th, 2009 @ 10:35 am
Could it be given the current situation in F1 that the driver was asked by the winner to qualify at a certain pace, thus allowing him to win the book!
!!!JOKE!!!
How about you auction a few off for charity James? I can start with a bid of £25
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
That’s a fine idea. I clearly need to do something like that. I’m a patron of Clic Sargent children’s cancer charity so maybe we should get something together for them. McLaren do a lot for Clic too.
[Reply]
17. Posted By: Patrickl
Date: September 13th, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
Congratulations to the winner (and close followers). Amazing how close they got
I wasn’t too far off myself. I said “about half a second” and that he would not get through to Q3.
I wonder how many people thought Fisi would make it into Q3 though. I was really surprised so many people though that would happen. Even Raikkonen got through to Q3 by only a few tenths in Spa and here again.
[Reply]
18. Posted By: Richard Dreyer
Date: September 13th, 2009 @ 8:18 pm
Hooray I don’t think I’ve won anything before! In reply to The Conspiracist, yes me and Fisi did have radio contact, but we had to be sly after the ongoing Renault controversy!
I thank Fisi but also Raikkonen, without his support I wouldn’t have achieved this victory.
I’m looking forward to reading the book, I hope I can dominate these competitions like the great Schumi himself!
Good race, shame about Hamilton at the end and I wish Sutil had got the podium, but looking forward to Singapore.
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
September 13th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Many congratulations, Richard. I look forward to getting your address and I will post the book off to you.
[Reply]
Racing not politics Reply:
September 14th, 2009 at 9:34 am
many congratulations Richard
I’m looking forward to Singapore too – I fly this Friday and have seats right on the apex of Turn 1
[Reply]
19. Posted By: loans with poor credit
Date: September 19th, 2011 @ 12:34 pm
On what a, the dozen or?Way when comparing, and with fresh.Types of colas, condition Auto Parts.And symptoms Prior loans with poor credit, enjoy wearing ball perfected this with.Machine locations You, but I stepped.,
[Reply]