Comments on: My Top Five drivers of the 2009 season

By: James Allen

James Allen — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:37:20 +0000

I was at McLaren on Thursday and they are as interested in this as anyone. My own feeling is that Hamilton will qualify ahead more often than not and use that platform to stay ahead, but Button will have his days where he wins out, no doubt about it and will score lots of points and podiums, wins too if the car is fast.

By: David Smith

David Smith — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:35:31 +0000

Hi James, miss your commentary on F1 get a job with the Beeb !
wanted to know yours views, I suspect Hamilton will destroy JB in qualifying but not in the races where I think Jensons skills as a racer will be decisive, if the cars right we could have another last race decider. Whose your tip for next year

By: King_Alonso786

King_Alonso786 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:23:54 +0000

Disagree with your top 5 but i respect your opinion James

Rosbeg and Alonso deserved a slot in the top 5, They both drove better then Webber and Button

Without the HUGE advantage, a second to be precise at the beginning of the season, Button would have been nowhere near the top of the standings

As for Webber, Top driver but he should have done more with the car he had, just like Button after his fluky six wins out of seven

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:25:21 +0000

you mean he’s not allowed to have his own setup? and had to use the same setup as Massa? what nonsense.

By: Med

Med — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:23:18 +0000

I suppose I didn’t really phrase my argument too well – granted, Williams were doing low fuel specials to get those times, but since they were consistently doing it at the beginning of the season when they haven’t before, it suggested there was some fundamental pace in the car (to begin with at least, though like you said, it could also be explained by the close spread, though James’ post about engine performance, suggesting Williams were losing 3/10ths on theirs, also backs up the idea of the car having some pace).

I’m not knocking Nico, in fact, as a Williams fan, he was the one I was supporting this year, I’m just not convinced that he put the car in a position above where it deserved to be on performance alone.

Then again, perhaps Nakajima was a true reflection of the car’s pace and Rosberg was performing miracles. Hopefully, next season we’ll see, but at the same time, it’ll be in postions behind the Williams….

By: Timem1

Timem1 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:02:50 +0000

So the best way to sort out LH and KR is to cherry pick a race in 2008 where LH won and use that as your rationale to say LH is a better driver? Using that rationale, let’s go back to 2007 where LH blew a 17 point lead in the championship with two races to go. KR took the championship as we all know. So I guess that using your logic, KR is the better driver. Need I say more?

By: Bruce Rapinchuk

Bruce Rapinchuk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:56:17 +0000

Can’t say I would disagree with your list James.

Just curious if you’ve crunched the numbers and determined how the year-end standings would have differed if the FIA had gone with the medal system Bernie’s proposed for ’09.

By: Josh Donges

Josh Donges — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:28:54 +0000

Too true James, but i guess people only pay attention to the end results, and as Mark himself always says, that’s all that matters and the results don’t lie.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:48:26 +0000

I didn’t see any processions as you put it, after a KERS equipped car “jumped the field”. I did see a few drivers, and I mean this without malice, who simply did not possess the killer instinct to overtake a car in front of them.

Webber came up with the perfect solution to over taking a KERS equipped car, which required a combination of patience, persistence and a go for it attitude. Sadly, many of the drivers on the grid lack one or more of those qualities and thus, just can’t pull off a good, safe overtaking move.

The simple facts are, when the McLaren was still a complete dog to drive and Hamilton was pushing it as hard as he could putting it where it really didn’t belong in the points. And while it’s true that the car had improved by leaps and bounds in the second half of the season, it was by no means a top-three car. If it were, I think Heikki would have been a podium contender too. The difference really was Hamilton’s never say die attitude and skill (ignoring his little pity party after having is race after a simple racing incident with Webber in Germany).

By: James Allen

James Allen — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:48:00 +0000

That is F1 – like an onion skin, many layered.