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Your 2012 top 10 F1-drivers


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#51 Lazy Prodigy

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 22:34

Vettel
Alonso
Hamilton
Raikkonen
Perez
Button
Ricciardo
Kobayashi
Hulkenberg
Webber

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#52 sopa

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 22:35

1.-3. Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton. Tied. Inseparable. Superb seasons by all of them.
4. Raikkonen. Brilliant season, almost a match to them first three.

Ugh, who's next?!?!
Okay, let's try.
5.-6. Rosberg and Schumacher. Two races aside, this car was pretty rubbish. Still 5th in the constructors, when car was probably only 7th best over a season. Rosberg almost outscored Grosjean and wasn't far from Massa with this rubbish car. Schumacher was just massivelyt unlucky with points.
7. Button. On the whole not much different from Webber and Massa, but he is higher, because he has some incredible ability to stay out of trouble and finish only 2 points behind Hamilton.
8. Hulkenberg. Best young driver this year.
9. Webber. Many occasions was pretty fast, but over a full season it didn't really work out.
10. Massa. Even a few races ago I was doubtful about if I would put him in top 10, but his end of the season has been so strong and the young crashing guys around so underwhelming.
11. Ricciardo. I thought he was pretty good. Got points here and there wherever possible.
12.-13. Perez and Kobayashi. Little between them. Perez is fast, but Kobayashi had better racecraft. Based on first half of the year I would have put Perez into top 8, but he was pretty bad in the end. He will improve, hopefully.
14. Di Resta. He really lost speed in the end, didn't he? But still has better racecraft than many young guys around,
15. Grosjean. Crashed a lot, but had some fine races too. Would like to put him higher, but he really lost the plot in the second half of the season.
16.-21. Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, Pic, de la Rosa. I don't really know, how to rate these guys. All seemed solid. Vergne struggled in quali, but raced strongly. As did Petrov.
22. Maldonado. He threw away just way too many points. I hope he can be clean next year, has potential to be a top ten driver with his speed.
23. Senna. Maldonado left an impression that this car is at least 5-6th best in the field, with which it should have been possible to collect 80 and more points. But this guy is clear last bar new teams and Toro Rosso.
24. Karthikeyan. Solid if unspectacular. Not a match to PDLR though.

#53 paulogman

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 22:42

1. Alonso

Dragged an undperforming Ferrari all through the season and just fell short.
Got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time otherwise he would be champion.

2. Vettel

Took advantage and maximized the performance of the car given to him by Adrian Newey.

3. Hamilton

Outshone team mate and lost our to bad luck and car problems. Could have been in the middle of the title fight.


4. Button

Won races but never really fought for the title. Was slower than his team mate despite being the chosen one to lead the team in the future.

5. Raikkonen

Was quick on his return despite the long layoff. Won a race when others faltered.

6. Hulkenberg

Impressive pace dominated team mate.

7. Maldonado

Fought at the front from the start of the season and won in front of intense pressure from Alonso.
Only reason not in top 4 is because of silly mistakes. If Williams continue their improvement he will win more races.

8. Perez

Showed good pace and dominated team mate. Settled for second place instead of pushing for the win. Tailed off after signing with big team...

9. Webber

Didn't do as much with the opportunity as his team mate.

10. Massa

End of season recovery saved career. Can be quick. Over shadowed by best driver on the grid


#54 XOR

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 22:52

1.Raikkonen
2.Newey
3.Hamilton
4.Alonso
5.Hulkenberg
6.Kobayashi
7.Schumacher

Hmm, not even enough for a Top 10

#55 TudorMiron

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 23:22

1. Alonso (Even if I don't like him) - 13 podiums in 3-4th car and title contender up to last lap of last race.
2. Hamilton - great speed, less mistakes but still a tad inconsistent.
3. Vettel - had a best car but almost lost the title that was in his pocket from the first race.
4. Raikkonen - very impressive comeback
4. Hulkenberg - destroyed once very highly rated Di Resta and was very close to winning it today.
5. Button - very solid and consistent but not very good with the car that doesn't suit him.
6. Massa - great come back after he was written off completely.
7. Peres - may be great potential but disapointing last 3d of the season.
8. Petrov - outperforming highly rated (before this season) Kovalainen.
9. Shcumaher - kept his head high no matter what.
10. Rosberg - a win is a win.

#56 discover23

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 23:36

1. Alonso
2. Lewis
3. Vettel
4. Kimi
5. Button
6. Perez
7. Massa
8. Webber
9. Hulk
10. Maldonado.

Edited by discover23, 25 November 2012 - 23:37.


#57 MaxisOne

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 23:55

Alonso (Peerless in a sub par car)
Hamilton (Man .. this guy got screwed over too many times)
Kimi (Rust ?? What rust)
Vettel
Button
Schumacher (Finally driving close to his best this year) Shame about the car
Hulkenberg (Dont like you but the respect is growing)
Massa (Damn the real Massa has arrived just in time)
Maldonado (Brilliance or utter failure)
Perez

#58 Crazy Ninja

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Posted 25 November 2012 - 23:59

Out of the top teams, if Hamilton + Alonso don't occupy your first two slots then your head needs examining.

#59 Nonesuch

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:07

Tough one! After a while it becomes hard to really tell the difference between drivers, so apply appropriate dose of salt! ;)

1. Alonso, 13 podiums and 3 wins is a great result considering the cars and drivers he was up against. Put in some great passes to make up for his qualifying troubles and managed to avoid getting into trouble throughout most of the season.
2. Vettel, 10 podiums and 5 wins is a good way to win championships. He was a bit lacklustre in races where the Red Bull wasn't all that, but his late-season drives were quite good.
3. Hamilton, it's bordering on criminal that he wasn't in the championship fight. 7 poles, podiums and 4 wins were joined by too many DNFs and other shenanigans. He handled it well, and was great on track.
4. Raikkonen, a great return to the sport. Comfortably edged into the #1 role at Lotus, took 7 podiums and a win and the most reliable driver on the grid (6083 kilometers!). His racecraft is quite impressive, even if he does muck it up at times.
5. Button, 6 podiums and 3 wins weren't the result I'd have expected after the first few races, but Button put in some decent racing this year. Importantly, he seems to have a way of not getting involved in trouble, which is great for the team.
6. Hulkenberg, showed flashes of his seemingly great talent this year. Bit rough around the edges, but I'm interested to see how he does at Sauber!
7. Perez, a few good drives and 3 podiums to show for it. On the other hand there were many silly errors, contact with other cars and way too much petulant waving of hands.
8. Petrov, held his own against Kovalainen and even gave the Finn a run for his money in the last phase of the season. Good job.
9. Kobayashi, suffered in Qualifying but put in some good races (Germay, Spain and Japan especially). He's lost a bit of that energetic racing that he had in his earlier seasons, though.
10. Massa, it took way too long for him to get up to speed this year, but when he did he showed that he can still be a great driver that can fight it out with the best of them.

Edited by Nonesuch, 26 November 2012 - 00:09.


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#60 Lights

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:16

Alonso
Hamilton
Vettel
Raikkonen

Maybe some others, Rosberg, Perez, Hulk? Very hard to judge.

Button
Webber

Probably some others.

Massa

#61 Moore

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:17

1. Lewis Hamilton - Consistently performed all season, misfortune of the highest and manages to reach Q3 in all 20 races. How anyone can call his driving or his consistency after this season is deluded.
Fernando Alonso - Punched above his weight at the start of the season, managed to maintain a lead but saw it slowly decreased as SV dominated 4 races. Still though put in stellar performances in Austin and Brazil and never gave up once in the title fight only to be beaten by 3 points in the last race of the season.
Sebastian Vettel - Did well at the start even though the car wasn't up to scratch to start off with, strung together 4 victories when nobody else could do 3, consistently put in good performances even with a faulty alternator, drove from the back of the grid to claim 3rd place and obviously the most important thing; The 2012 World Champion and not only that but a Triple world champion!

4. Kimi Raikkonen - Great season for him, managed to stay out of trouble all season, finished every race of the year, was hoping he would win in Bahrain though, consistent is an under statement.
5. Nico Hulkenberg - Constantly puts in great performances and finishes ahead of his team mate, puts in an excellent performance at the last gp of the year, but still makes silly errors.
6. Jenson Button - Even though he had his mid season woes, he dominated in Australia and Spa, managed to win in Brazil as well. Nowhere near the top 4 however and the points standing is a bit generous in his favour.
7. Michael Schumacher - What a brilliant season plagued by reliability and misfortune from start to finish, that pole in Monaco proved he hadn't lost his speed and finally begun to match Nico Rosberg.
8. Felipe Massa - Excellent second half of the season, great to see he can still perform on a solid level and getting two podiums after some huge drought is brilliant.
9. Nico Rosberg - After so many races and season it looked like he'd never get a race victory until he stuck that Mercedes Benz on pole in China and lead from start to finish, first victory and I feel it isn't the last from him.
10. Pastor Maldonado - I feel he has been excellent all season, besides the points drought and his over zealous overtake on Hamilton in Valencia, of course though, a Williams back on pole in Barcelona and a victory to follow, not loosing his cool whilst being chased down by Fernando Alonso and this win was one of the surprising and best of the season to be honest.

Edited by Moore, 26 November 2012 - 00:18.


#62 WilliamsFWPH

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:18

1) Hamilton (the best of the season, imo)
2) Alonso
3) Vettel
4) Raikkonen (incredible comeback)
5) Button
6) Rosberg
7) Hulkenberg
8) Perez
9) Webber
10) Maldonado

#63 beute

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:24

dunno how some people justify having button/webber in the top 5...

webber finished 6th while his teammate won the title, just 4 podium finishes in such a car, less than the actual number of victories that Vettel achieved.
button didnt beat his teammate who retired 6 times compared to buttons 2 retirements.. of those 6 retirements 3 were from the lead...

1.Alonso
= Vettel
= Raikkonen
= Hamilton
Cant split those guys, 4 different cars, 4 different styles.
Put all 4 of them in the same car and remove the luck factor and the points difference from best to worst would have probably been less than 20 points.

5.Hulkenberg
6.Massa (since hungary he finished every race in the points and ignoring team orders he would have achieved two 2nd places and two 3rd places)
7.Button
8.Webber
9.Rosberg
10.kobayashi

(didnt judge schumachers performance, the races where he could have achieved good results usually ended up with early retirements)

#64 fisssssi

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:28

HAM -> Fastest. Incredible qualifying pace, must have been doing Jenson's head in.
ALO -> Most consistent. Somehow he threaded that Ferrari through to the podium time, and time, and time again.
VET -> Best delivery-man. When he got the car under him, bam, he delivered and took wins unstoppably. Lucky in the end, though.

....

Honourable mentions to RAI, BUT, MSC, PER, KOB, PET and MAS.

But please, can we get rid of GRO? :cry:

#65 Lights

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:32

dunno how some people justify having button/webber in the top 5...
...
6.Massa (since hungary he finished every race in the points and ignoring team orders he would have achieved two 2nd places and two 3rd places)
7.Button
8.Webber

Ironic how you mention that and then place Massa in front of them. The season had 10 races before Hungary as well.

#66 JKTRacing

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:37

1) Alonso
2) Hamilton
.
.
.
.
.
.
9)Newey
10)Raikkonen


#67 DanardiF1

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:46

1. Alonso - up there and challenging every weekend, regardless of how bad his Ferrari was. Best runner-up season ever?

2. Vettel - not quite the peaks of his 2011 season, but when the RB8 was on song, Vettel was unbeatable. Webber's travails in same car showed that it wasn't all Newey's doing, but the best overall package won title in end.

3. Hamilton - In contrast to 2011 where his lack of title challenge was largely his fault, 2012 was a year of 'what could've been' because of his team's failings. Some mesmeric drives and showed real class all year.

4. Raikkonen - That we spend all year wondering why Kimi hadn't won a race yet was testament to how easily Raikkonen slipped back into his F1 ways. That he's probably the coolest driver in the world, and showed it quite often, made for a great season.

5. Hulkenberg - This guy came into his own as the year went on, and now he's got this F1 driver thing nailed. Fast, clever and as Brundle said a wise head on young shoulders, he's largely put his fairly highly-rated teammate in the shade this year. Should be in a bigger team than Sauber (no offence to them) next year, but that's life.

6. Button - Unfortunately had a massive lull early to mid-season, but got back on track for the 2nd half. Jenson's always a classy racer, and when the car was on song (Spa especially) he was supreme. Had his own fair share of car troubles too.

7. Perez - Earned a McLaren drive with some storming races when tyres were key. Perhaps the pressure of living up to his new job got to him in the latter part of the year, but after coming so close to winning in Malaysia, and scoring podiums in Canada and Italy, he's definitely given himself enough of a reputation to be tested at a higher level. Looking forward to seeing what he can do at McLaren.

8. Webber - Shaded heavily by his teammate when it really counted, but earlier in the season looked a lot more comfortable. Otherwise, solid and dependable for team work and points. Silverstone was a great drive and a popular win, but never looked as sharp after that.

9. Kobayashi - If this guy misses out on a seat for next year... it's criminal. Kamui is a points-scoring machine, races incredibly well and finished not too many points behind his McLaren-bound teammate despite not getting the lion's share of Sauber's more inventive strategies this season. Home podium was possibly my favourite moment of the year, as was the crowd chanting his name. That gave me goosebumps and it was fully deserved for a popular driver who continued to progress.

10. Massa - If only for his 2nd half of the season, which saved his own career as well as nearly helped his teammate to the title. As Rob Smedley would put it, he 'stayed cool' and was 'very magnanimous'. Bloody quick too.

Honourable mention to Romain Grosjean, who aside from his incidents (in a first full season) looked a great addition to the field.

Edited by DanardiF1, 26 November 2012 - 00:49.


#68 beute

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:49

Ironic how you mention that and then place Massa in front of them. The season had 10 races before Hungary as well.


His car was WAY worse than what button/webber had, ESPECIALLY in the first half of the season.
Finishing in the points with that ferrari was actually the highest and most realistic goal, whereas with the mclaren the actual goal was at least the podium.
that said, it's not like he didnt finish in the points in the first 10 races... he did it 4 times, button did it 6 times, considering the car difference at that stage of the season then I think it's fair to say that both drivers were on the same lowish level...

webber on the other hand was just average the whole season, 2 victories but other than that no real highlights...
but also no negative highlights like buttons awesome drives at monaco, malaysia, canada etc... maybe you could count italy and his spin, but that's about it.

Edited by beute, 26 November 2012 - 00:52.


#69 SR388

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 00:56

Lewis- Dude drove out of his mind this year, the team screwed him.
Alonso- Great stuff with a care that was for all accounts terrible. I hate it for him.
Vettel- I have to be fair, the kid is talented, I don't like him, but he is talented.
Kimi- Great comeback. Not a single DNF. This is how championships are won. The car just needed to be faster
Webber- Had his moments, much improved from last year.
Hulkenberg- Quietly showing his stuff
Massa- Dude played the team player role really well, and showed he can still get at it.
Rosberg- Won a race, I personally think Lewis will take him to the woodshed next year.
Schumacher- had signs of brilliance
Button- Didn't really fight in any of his victories, and was frequently useless during the season.

#70 Lights

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:09

His car was WAY worse than what button/webber had, ESPECIALLY in the first half of the season.
Finishing in the points with that ferrari was actually the highest and most realistic goal, whereas with the mclaren the actual goal was at least the podium.
that said, it's not like he didnt finish in the points in the first 10 races... he did it 4 times, button did it 6 times, considering the car difference at that stage of the season then I think it's fair to say that both drivers were on the same lowish level...

webber on the other hand was just average the whole season, 2 victories but other than that no real highlights...
but also no negative highlights like buttons awesome drives at monaco, malaysia, canada etc... maybe you could count italy and his spun, but that's about it.

Massa was absolutely awful in races like Australia, Malaysia, Spain, Valencia and Germany. Yes, the Ferrari was slower than Red Bull and McLaren but that's no out-of-jail card for screwing things up so often. After 8 races he was 100 points behind Alonso, who had been on the podium 4 times with 2 wins. So the highest goal for Ferrari certainly wasn't just 'points'. He did recover a lot after that and improved his driving, but you cannot forget the first part of the season. In the end, Massa is the one with about 45% of the points of his teammate, that alone is not top 10 worthy. Webber might have been average, but if you're average consistently it usually pays off better than sucking for half of the season before finding your form. And while Webber and Button might have had a poor season, they actually won races on merit, something Massa could only dream of while his teammate won 3. Seems like you're a bit blinded by the solid 2nd half he's had.

#71 Alfisti

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:09

1) Alonso: An immense season, probably the best I have seen though unlike others I do not feel his car is as bad as many are saying, it had pace on Sunday's and both red cars launch off the line like top fuel dragsters which often solves the qualifying problems. Still, a great season.

2) Vettel: His work early in the year is being marked very hard here, he was excellent in races where the car did not appear all that fast and almost always worked his way forwards in those races. When the car improved he was near faultless and extremely quick.

3) Hamilton: Very close to Vettel, nothing in it, I just feel his moping about for the first 2/3rds of the year and the zany twitter posts still point to an immaturity that destabalises teams. Correct decision to go to Mercedes and breathe new air, he will thrive there IMHO.

4) Raikkkonen: Did a little better than I thought but I suspect his tyres were in better shape than most as the car was easy on them. Still, raced very well with due care and a 6th sense as to where the other car is in a battle.

5) Hulkenberg: About a third way through began matching DiResta, then absolutely put him in the shade. RBR and McLaren should be on the phone to his agent right now asking about the loopholes in his contract.

It gets hard from here, I will pick 5 more but none of these drivers had even solid seasons IMHO.

6) Button: As usual, absolutely vanished when McLaren seemed to lose it's way with set up mid season, Hamilton can haul it around if he has to, Jenson just vanishes. When he's hooked up though he goes well and has great awareness of other cars and which lines to take in a battle.

7) Webber: His points total looks a lot worse than it should given all the problems he had during the year but still a poor season. Pushed Vettel hard in qualifying at most races but after a few seasons of EXCELLENT wheel to wheel racing has gone back to making some very poor decision when engaged in wheel to wheel combat. The RBR car is awkward to race with as it is slow ont he straights but Mark made harder work of it than he should have. The pace is there, he just cannot string together a fault free weekend.

8) Maldonado: Reluctant to put him here but his pace is immense, would have banned him for a race for using his car as a weapon though. Annihilated his team mate.

9) Schumacher: Was lost at times but by far his best season since returning, lowering Rosberg's colours by quite a way given he's such an old man. Absolutely no luck, still impossible to like as a bloke but I have to say I think he shaded Rosberg which is astounding.

10) Massa: Odd decision I agree, but hear me out. I just find it hard to ignore that he is totally lost until he is out of cchip contention, then he suddenly gets better and even shades Alonso in three of the last 5 races. YOu feel you could beat Filipe up pretty easily and he's hard to like but credit where it's due for fighting back.

I would have had Perez at 6 but his last 6 of 8 races or whatever were terrible, absolutely terrible. Grosjean should be well within the top 10 but seemed to fall apart mentally after such a great start tot he year.

#72 dnbn

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:17

1. Vettel
2. Hamilton
3. Alonso
4. Hulkenberg
5. Raikkonen
6. Maldonado
7. Button
8. Rosberg
9. Perez
10. Webber



#73 PoleMan

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:19

Can't really see how any can rate Sebastian outside the Top 3, but I'll go ahead with my own list.

1. Fernando -- Simply magnificent in a car that too often wasn't. Drove the year of his life.!One of these years Ferrari will give him a car that brings more silver than platitudes.

2. Lewis -- Marvelous! Besides his run-in with Maldonado, didn't put a wheel wrong all year. Let down too often by his equipment. Would have been a well-deserving champion!

3. Seb -- Awesome! His determination and sheer speed are a wonder. His sense of entitlement is the only weakness I see, which may limit his growth & development.

4. Kimi -- As LL Cool J would say, "Don't call it a comeback..." Most consistent of all the pilots, with a quick and reliable Lotus to show he still has immense talent & speed.

5. Jenson -- Fast on his day, just too inconsistent and his performance band is too narrow. Will be interesting to see him leading the McLaren charge in 2013.

6. Mark -- Same as Jenson, but he also suffered most of the Red Bull mechanical woes. Where he's really comes up short, TO ME, is in comparison to Sebastian.

7. Pastor-- Maldonado is a diamond in the rough. Those qualifying laps he produced just came from his soul! Epic victory for Williams. Just need to harness that speed.

8. Checo-- Perez was too inconsistent, but showed flashes of brilliance. Steps up to the big boy table at McLaren to show his stuff. Hope they give him a reliable car.

9. Hulk-- Outperformed diResta over 20 races. Consistency also a problem, but definitely got stronger as the year wore on. He'll need good luck at Sauber as team leader.

10. RoGro-- Blindingly quick at times, but his judgment in close quarters leaves a lot to be desired. But if they can harness that raw speed...

#74 LB

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:26


1 Alonso - Always, always maximises that car
2 Hamilton - Has been let down more times than god knows what.
3 Vettel - Iffy first half, brilliant second half
4 Raikkonen - consistantly great
5 Hulkenburg - Has been better than Diresta over the season
6 Rosberg - Fell away towards the end of the year but was great at the start
7 Button - Hmm strange year really
8 Webber - as was his
9 DiResta - another one that started well but faded, soundly beaten by Hulk at the end.
10= Perez/Maldonado/Grosjean - all very quick but very inconsistant, need ironing.

I thought Kova had the measure of Petrov?

#75 bourbon

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:35

Vettel/Raikkonen
Hamilton
Alonso/Button
Perez
Webber/Massa
Rosberg/Hulkenberg
Kobayashi/Kovalainen

Schumacher is in a class of his own.

#76 Alfisti

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 01:40

Alonso/Button


Come on!!!


#77 gillesthegenius

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 02:52

1) Lewis Hamilton
- For the car he had and the way he drove, he should have had the title all sewn up way before yesterday. But life can be cruel at times.
2) Sebastian Vettel
- Inspite of a few dips in form, he produced the goods when it really mattered. Abu Dhabi, Spa and Bahrain should go down in history as the epics that clinched the title for him.
3) Fernando Alonso
- Looked like he was outdriving the car untill Massa suddenly woke up. But still, a brilliant season. Malaysia, Valencia and Hockenheim were drives to remember. But Silverstone and Cananda may persist as mistakes that cannot be forgotten.
4) Nico Hilkenberg
- Surely the best of the midfielders. Absolutely owned PDR. Pity he couldnt seal off such a stellar season with a victory. And its just a shame that Mclaren couldnt see his worth.
5) Kimi Raikkonen
- Very consistent and probably produced the best wheel to wheel racing this year. Was an absolute joy to watch on Sundays. But his qualy pace cost him a shot at the title.
6) Michael Schumacher
- Drove like a true legend this year. Pity his car kept failing when it had the potential to fight for wins. A win at Monaco would have been sweet. But such was his fortune this year.
7) Kamui Kobayashi
- Was virtually punished on racedays for the crime of being too fast on saturdays, while his team mate avoided that crime to go places. But Japan must have been sweet.
8) Sergio Perez
- Was 'going places' untill Mclaren signed him up. Besides, Malaysia was a lost opportuniy.
9) Pastor Maldonado
- When he keeps it together, he can be absolutely mega, like he was in Barcelona. But repeating such a performance seemed to be beyond him, as error after error kept eroding his weekends.
10) Mark Webber
- Started the year off with some very solid performances, but just faded away as the season approached the business end.

#78 SR388

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 03:18

1) Lewis Hamilton
- For the car he had and the way he drove, he should have had the title all sewn up way before yesterday. But life can be cruel at times.
2) Sebastian Vettel
- Inspite of a few dips in form, he produced the goods when it really mattered. Abu Dhabi, Spa and Bahrain should go down in history as the epics that clinched the title for him.
3) Fernando Alonso
- Looked like he was outdriving the car untill Massa suddenly woke up. But still, a brilliant season. Malaysia, Valencia and Hockenheim were drives to remember. But Silverstone and Cananda may persist as mistakes that cannot be forgotten.
4) Nico Hilkenberg
- Surely the best of the midfielders. Absolutely owned PDR. Pity he couldnt seal off such a stellar season with a victory. And its just a shame that Mclaren couldnt see his worth.
5) Kimi Raikkonen
- Very consistent and probably produced the best wheel to wheel racing this year. Was an absolute joy to watch on Sundays. But his qualy pace cost him a shot at the title.
6) Michael Schumacher
- Drove like a true legend this year. Pity his car kept failing when it had the potential to fight for wins. A win at Monaco would have been sweet. But such was his fortune this year.
7) Kamui Kobayashi
- Was virtually punished on racedays for the crime of being too fast on saturdays, while his team mate avoided that crime to go places. But Japan must have been sweet.
8) Sergio Perez
- Was 'going places' untill Mclaren signed him up. Besides, Malaysia was a lost opportuniy.
9) Pastor Maldonado
- When he keeps it together, he can be absolutely mega, like he was in Barcelona. But repeating such a performance seemed to be beyond him, as error after error kept eroding his weekends.
10) Mark Webber
- Started the year off with some very solid performances, but just faded away as the season approached the business end.



Wow, no Jenson Button. I like it!! I felt obligated to put him on the list though.

#79 gillesthegenius

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 03:42

Wow, no Jenson Button. I like it!! I felt obligated to put him on the list though.


Though he did win 3 races, he did no justice to the car that Mclaren provided him with, inspite of being spared of all the misfortune that came Lewis Hamilton's way.

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#80 ed24f1

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 03:43

1. Alonso
2. Hamilton
3. Vettel
4. Raikkonen
5. Hulkenberg
6. Button
7. Massa
8. Webber
9. Perez
10. Rosberg


#81 SR388

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 03:47

Though he did win 3 races, he did no justice to the car that Mclaren provided him with, inspite of being spared of all the misfortune that came Lewis Hamilton's way.


That's what I was thinking too. He also got lapped by his own teammate with nothing ailing him. I can't think of a time where a driver gets lapped by his teammate without some sort of strange circumstances.

#82 gerry nassar

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 04:12

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Kimi Raikkonen
4. Sebastian Vettel
5. Nico Hulkenberg
6. Jenson Button
7. Mark Webber
8. Sergio Perez
9. Pastor Maldonado
10. Charles Pic

#83 alexSun

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 07:13

1. Alonso
2. Vettel
3. Hamilton
4. Raikkonen
5. Petrov
6. Hulkenberg
7. Button
8. Peres
9. Massa
10. Rosberg

#84 seahawk

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 07:23

1. Hamilton: For me he drove perfectly, but he had so much bad luck that he had no chance to win the title.

2. Vettel: Delivered in the best car. (fast and reliable)

3. Alonso: Hard fight in the third best car.

4. Kimi: Stunning comeback

5. Hülkenberg: The most mature of the young guns

6. Petrov: Proved that he brings more than just cash to the team.

7. Button: too many problems in the middle of the year

8. Perez: Some highlights, some mistakes

9. Pic: Keeping Glock honest

10. Schumacher: Found his pace again in a crap car. / Maldonado: Insanely fast at times, insanely stupid at others

Edited by seahawk, 26 November 2012 - 07:24.


#85 Sakae

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 07:31

I am not sure why we need a point system to reflect race in facts, when, as this thread suggests, we just could write our opinions, and email it to FiA. [/sarcasm off]. Vettel could potentially overcome Schumacher's numbers, yet Alonso and Hamilton (if not Kimi), will be voted always ahead by their fans.

Edited by Sakae, 26 November 2012 - 07:33.


#86 exmayol

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 07:35

Now someone needs to process the responses and assign points to get the ultimate rankings!

#87 motorhead

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 07:36

1. Vettel (did exactly what was needed for WDC, beat his teammate clearly)
2. Kimi (great comeback)
3. Hamilton/ Alonso (couldn´t decide)
4. Hulk (promising)
5. Button (tricky condition meister)
6. perez (promising)
7. Nico ( i hope that merc will give the guy an opportunity)
8. Maldonado (fast, getting there)
9. Petrov (good job)
10. Webber (if RBR is as dominant car as the bashers say he should have been closer to Vettel)

and -10 goes to Grosjean for not getting anything done with a good car in which Kimi got 3rd in WDC.

#88 ensign14

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 08:08

Can those including Pic but not Glock please rationalize?

#89 Raikkonen94

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 08:18

Hard to make decisions, but there were obviously four outstanding drivers this season. Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. For me these four are the most talented and best drivers on the grid right now, although someone like Hulkenberg could get there in the near future.

1. Kimi Raikkonen
2. Sebastian Vettel
3. Fernando Alonso
4. Lewis Hamilton
5. Nico Hulkenberg
6. Jenson Button
7. Felipe Massa
8. Pastor Maldonado
9. Nico Rosberg
10. Mark Webber

#90 seahawk

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 08:21

Can those including Pic but not Glock please rationalize?


Considerung his experience I expected Glock to be better compared to Pic, although I most ackonowledge that much of the development work was done by Glock, who often had to try out new parts during FP1/2, while Pic was already working on this race configuration. Glock was very solid again. (He should get the Lotus of Grosjean imho)

But as I expected less from Pic, I rate his performance a little higher.

Edited by seahawk, 26 November 2012 - 08:22.


#91 Taxi

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 13:45

1- Sebastian Vettel

People can say what they want about this young boy. “he’s flattered by the car”. “He has preferencial treatment”.” He’s spoiled”. He’s annoying”. “It’s all about Newey.”

I say something else: He’s amazing. 3 years, 3 titles. Others in the past failed with similar machinery. This year he was some 40 points behind the leader, but never backed off.When the car came good he started to deliver and once again he reached the top. And when he made mistakes [normal when a driver is pushing] he fought back like in Abu Dhabi and Brazil. Taking away Vettel’s merit it’s a mistake no one should make: Because underestimating the opponents quality’s is the way to more defeats. On the down side, the fact that he could not beat Mark Webber in quail, and some not so great performances when the car was not good in the beginning of the season.



2 – Fernando Alonso

Another astonishing season for the Spaniard. This time to fight for the title with the 3rdbest overall car. Granted he collected many points with the bad luck of others,but he was always there to collect them. His middle season performances were classic specially in Germany dominating all weekend in a commanding way. In those other weekends when the car was not on pair in performances with Mclaren, Red Bull and sometimes Lotus and Sauber he managed to bring points, and most of them podiums like he did in Korea and Italy. His consistency only took a false day at Japan when a small mistake cost him dearly. Strangely in the end of the season team mate Massa started to match him and being faster, but Fernando always brought that little plus. Don’t likehim, but he was absolutely vintage.



3 Lewis Hamilton

Tough choice between him and Kimi but I’ll give it to Lewis because of his pure one lap speed and his bad luck that prevented him to fight for the championship.He was mega this year. The McLaren became so good, in fact it was the best overall car, that one can ask himself of he did well leaving to Mercedes. Hamilton pushed hard, especially when he knew he could win. Austin and Hungary where memorable. Sure he had some so-so weekends, like all the others, but his hunger is still there as we can see in his overtaking and the passion he has on the wheel. Sometimes he loses a bit being insecure or childish outside the track, but on it he a daemon. And 2012 saw him beating convincingly [except in points] Jenson Button who can be very good.



4. Kimi Raikkonen.

Snatching 3rdin the championship with the 4 best car overall, Kimi Raikkonen had a dream season in his comeback after 2 years. This season he shut the mouth of many who accused him of being lazy, unmotivated, overrated. Taking Lotus to another level he started to score points from day one, and more important, kept himself out trouble for the entire season. In wheel to wheel fights he was the absolute best of the grid this year: We don´t need to talk much about it we just need to see his reflexes when fighting Hamilton in turn one at Japan. He gradually improved his pace ands cored points even in bad days like Monaco/Canada/Brazil. In weekends the car was good he excelled: Hungary he made the others look amateurs driving them around faster with older tires. At Spa, he scored a podium with a car which was not to be there, in fact it was the 5 th or 6 th faster and making the overtaking of the year on Schumacher. It was pure driving. And when the car steadily went down in quality he scored a much deserved win. Outside the track Kimi is the Formula 1 rock star: he does what he wants and that brought so much attention to Lotus that they managed to attract sponsors, and overcome all their expectations. Might as well we leave him alone, he really knows what he’s doing.



5- Nico Hulkemberg

After the year at Williams this young boy seemed to be a new Jan Magnusson. But in his second coming he proved to be the best new talent over there: Fast,consistent and improving. His Brazil Performance was awesome [Bar putting Hamilton out]. Should be him in the 2 nd McLaren. Beated highly rated Di Restawith ease.





6- Jenson Button

Ups and Dows for the brit: Great Performances and wins [ Germany, Brazil, Australia, Spa- wow…] And anonymous others. Performances like Canada/Monaco are not the type of the championship contenders. Beated by Hamilton but in the end only 2 points adrift. He’s a safe pair of hands, let hope he does not lose is balance again.



7- Mark Webber

If not for reliability problems Mark could have been fighting for 3rd in championship but, after beating Vettel in the first part of the year and in quail overall, Webber was equal to himself: Fast but not consistent enough to be a real title contender. On the top of this, he could not do what Massa did to Alonso: Actually help his team mate in championship battle. His GB win was masterful. And wining at Monaco a tradeMark for any driver.



8- Pastor Maldonado.

Yep he’s kind of a crashkid, and half crazy. But what I see from this fellow is that he has some serious speed on him like he proved several time beyond his Spanish performance. He crushed Senna in pure speed,and if someone can tame him, he could be a Venezuelan Hamilton.



9 – Nico Rosberg

His first win and pole were a early year dream, but it ended there. Nico is fast, but lacks what’s needed to take a team forward: He’s not a true leader in and out the track.The car went down and Nico went down with it. Beating 43 year old Schumacher is not enough to rank him higher.



10 - Romain Grosjean

I know I know he’s made a mess ofhimself and others attracting accidents like a magnet. I know he got himself expelled because of dangerous driving. I know he scored less than 100 points to 207 from Kimi. But. He’s damn fast. He outqualifyed Kimi, scored 3 podiums and his race pace was just a bit down on the Finn. I would give him another chance: has long as he keeps out of trouble he will score good points.

Edited by Taxi, 26 November 2012 - 13:56.


#92 bub

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Posted 26 November 2012 - 14:03

Can those including Pic but not Glock please rationalize?


I consider a rookie doing well against an established, solid driver a better performance than an experienced driver doing well against a rookie/novice. Numbers 6 - 10 were very difficult to rank though. I feel all the drivers except my top 5 were either inconsistent, beaten by their teammates, uninspiring or a combination of those.

Edited by bub, 26 November 2012 - 14:04.


#93 soarer

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 10:00

1. Alonso
2. Raikkonen
3. Hamilton
4. Vettel
5. Hülkenberg
6. Kobayashi
7. Perez
8. Maldonado
9. Rosberg
10. Glock

#94 joshb

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 10:59

Alonso
Vettel
Hamilton
Raikkonen
Hulkenberg
Perez
Glock
Ricciardo
Webber
Maldonado

the top 5 were easy picks (though the order wasn't as clear cut) 6 down to 10 was difficult

#95 Skinnyguy

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 11:16

1) Vettel/Alonso
3) Räikkönen/Hamilton
4) Hulkenberg
5) Perez
6) Maldonado
7) Glock
8) Rosberg
9) Button
10) Grosjean

#96 Group B

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 11:29

1. Vettel
2. Alonso
3. Hamilton
4. Räikkönen
5. Button
6. Hulkenberg
7. Glock
8. Maldonado
9. Perez
10. Massa

11. Webber/Rosberg/Schumacher/Grosjean

#97 iiMac

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 12:20

1. Alo
2. Fet
3. Ham
4. Rai
5. But
6. Web
7. Pet
8. Hul
9. Kob
10. Per

#98 Creepy

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 12:23

1. Alonso
2. Hamilton
3. Vettel
4. Raikkonen
5. Hulkenberg
6. Button
7. Massa
8. Webber
9. Perez
10. Rosberg


I'm OK with this but I'd exchange Webber's position with Massa.


#99 Jimisgod

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 12:35

1. Alonso
2. Raikkonen
3. Vettel
4. Lewis
5. Hulkenberg
6. Perez
7. Rosberg
8. Button
9. Maldonado
10. Kobayashi

Hon. Mentions: Ricciardo, Glock, Pic, Petrov

Edited by Jimisgod, 03 December 2012 - 12:38.


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#100 Coops3

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 13:00

Out of the top teams, if Hamilton + Alonso don't occupy your first two slots then your head needs examining.


+1