1 reply to this topic

[Naglafar]

Hello everyone,

I began a huge project in order to build the most complete and reliable F1 database. In order to do that, I extacted data from the 2 best known F1 db : forix and statsf1, then I created scripts to compare all data to point differences between both of them. Then I searched on my books to find whose site is right.

I have a great collection of books and magazines covering all seasons since 1961 (Autocourse, others annuals, french mag Auto Hebdo, Grand Prix International...), but for the 50's, I didn't have annuals nor magazines. I only have 2 books : "Les années Fangio" from Gérard Crombac and "La Grande encyclopédie de la Formule 1" from Pierre Ménard. The problem is that for the differences I found, my 2 books have those differences too ! Forix has generally the data from "La Grande encyclopédie de la Formule 1" and statsf1 from "Les années Fangio". In those conditions, it's difficult to know who's right.

The most of the differences I found are on the starting grids and qualifying times. The problem is that my books are recent and compiled data from various sources. So, I think in order to have the right information, I need books or magazines published in those years. I have motorsport issues from that period but they was very poor of information, not all races covered and no starting grids. But I'm quite sure I may find that in Autocourse or Autosport. That's why I'm asking form your help. If you have Autocourse or Autosport from the 50's, is it possible to help me by looking on your issues and give me the right data?

To give you an idea of the work, it represent around 200 times from 1950 to 1960. It takes me around 2 hours to check all those times in my 2 sources, so it's not a huge time spent. And it'll be really helpful to me and to all stats fanatics. I'm not going to create a public database, but I'll send the corrections to the 2 websites (I'm already a contributor on both of them) so that they become perfectly reliable.

[Michael Ferner]

Welcome to the real world. There is no such thing as "perfectly reliable" information.