85 replies to this topic

[SophieB]

Ben Anderson, who does the F1 driver ratings for Autosport, will be dropping in on the board next week to discuss the ratings he issues for drivers after F1 races to answer as many of your questions as he reasonably can. Exciting! So, if you've ever wondered what needs to happen for a driver to get a 10, how much weight, if any, the FP sessions go into the final score, now is your chance to ask. Please ask your questions in this thread and next week, probably Tuesday, he will try and get through as many as he can. 
 
As far as any ground rules go, just the obvious, really - please treat him with the same respect you'd want to be treated with yourself. The usual board rules apply. It's absolutely fine (and encouraged) to critique his, and Autosport's work, but please do it while being respectful, and avoiding any personal attacks, just like with any other poster.

 

Please try and resist the temptation to get into discussing each other's questions here before any answers are given, just because I suspect it will just make it harder for the actual questions to stand out. 

[Marklar]

I already feel sorry for him 

[SophieB]

I also have a question for Ben:

 

Have you ever wished you'd given a different score for a driver or been tempted to change the score you've given?

[Gareth]

Any chance you could make an average performance a score of 5?

 

I appreciate that this is an absurdly petty personal bugbear, and that every "out of ten" rating system in the world works on the basis that 7 is an average score, but hey: someone's got to start doing them properly, you could be the first!

[Marklar]

Two questions

-How much worth are you putting into ratings? Do you think that it is fair to judge a driver's season based on ratings or is it in the end simply impossible to fairly judge drivers in this way? Which would in return mean that fans shouldnt take the ratings as seriously as they do?

-In reflection, do you think that you are overrating top drivers compared to the others?

Edited by Marklar, 23 November 2017 - 15:32.

[sopa]

If a driver has to retire in the beginning of a race (through not fault of his own), or has to go through both qualifying and race with technical problems, is it fair to give him any rating at all? Or leave it N/A?

[SophieB]

Has a driver ever challenged their score to you? 

[SenorSjon]

1) Why is the baseline for pole and win a 10 while the effort is much less? It is a driver rating after all. Especially the last few years it rained Lewis 10's while he was just bringing the car home. Midfielders have way more to cope with in dirty air and harder to handle, slower cars and usually got a 6-7 for perhaps a better performance. 

 

2) Why are returns from the back overrated? This is more notable with the 3 tier formule we have. 1 Merc/Ferrari, 2 RB, 3 rest. Again Lewis as example messed up Q1 in Brazil, but brought the car home in 4th. Yet he got high ratings for this, while 4th was the lowest he could get on race day. RB was seriously hampered by the Renault engine and was never in any contention. In the end he didn't even overtake Kimi, while Bottas got harpooned for losing pole and not overtaking Vettel.

 

3) Will you rate teams seperate from drivers next year? 

 

4) Alonso got rated very high all season, while his performance is quite unclear against a rookie with many car problems. Did he earn points on reputation or his radio-antics.

 

5) Can we get the ratings without prime, but the explanation with prime? 

 

6) Will you show up more frequently in the Ratings 2018 thread?

 

7) Why is someone rated with a DNF at the start/early race and sometimes not?

 

It is nice to see a 'defense' of the ratings. 

Edited by SenorSjon, 23 November 2017 - 15:55.

[Buttoneer]

Do you realise how much work you create for us every time one of your scores is wrong, Ben? Do you? Do you?!

[learningtobelost]

What did Kimi do to hurt you?

[AnR]

How much easier is it to cruise in a dominant car than struggle in a backmarker, is it possible to judge driver performance at all in F1?

[Anderis]

How do you explain situations in which from two team-mates who didn't have problems outside of their control, the one who finishes lower gets a higher rating? (eg. Hamilton and Bottas in Brazil)

Edited by Anderis, 23 November 2017 - 15:54.

[goingthedistance]

(1) What are the relative weightings you apply to practice/quali/race-day performance?

 

(2) What is your actual process? In coming up with your ratings how do you balance quantitative data (lap-by-lap analysis, tyre stint length, ultimate gaps) against more qualitative things like relative pressure/a beautiful overtaking maneuver etc? 

[THEWALL]

Do you plan to implement character ratings anytime soon?

 

What information do you have access to to make the ratings (lap and sector times, brake and throttle inputs, damage, etc.)?

Edited by THEWALL, 23 November 2017 - 15:56.

[Risil]

Do you also rate the journos for their performance in the media centre, press conferences and paddock over the weekend? And if so, have there been any 10s this season?

[markelov74]

1. Is experience factored into the ratings? I find it hard to for example to see Ocon only 1 points behind Perez in Bahrain (despite finishing 33 seconds behind) but Perez 2 points behind in Mexico (finished 4 seconds behind)

2. What deserves a higher rating, showing pace but in the end crash you car out of the race or not showing much pace but taking the car to the finish with an okay result.

Edited by markelov74, 27 November 2017 - 22:48.

[midgrid]

Have you ever encountered a significant difference when giving a driver a single score for their overall season, with the average of their race-by-race scores?

[f1paul]

What's the closest you've ever got to giving a 1?

[f1paul]

​Why do you have the job of making the autosport driver ratings? And is it difficult? How long does it take you?

 

Right that's 3 questions in 1 post, I'm out of lives now! 

Edited by f1paul, 23 November 2017 - 16:46.

[TomNokoe]

Why don't you use half-points?

[maverick69]

1. Do you use elements of quantification (apart from the end result) - for example, some sort of spreadsheet with a set of objectives?

 

2. Does Fred Mist overcome all?

[Lights]

Could you stop making driver ratings? And make every other journo stop as well? Thanks in advance.

[f1paul]

Why is it easier for a driver in a top team to get a 8, 9 or 10 compared to a midfield or backend team? Do you not treat everyone equally?

[Heyli]

If you would have to give yourself a rating, how well you think your ratings reflect actual driver performance/skill, what would that rating be?

 

And of course the follow up question: why?

[Freeze011]

1. Do you use elements of quantification (apart from the end result) - for example, some sort of spreadsheet with a set of objectives?

 

2. Does Fred Mist overcome all?

would indeed be nice to see if he uses a rubric of sorts... or if he doesnt if he would be open to use one and see if his judgements of races would change.

[Nonesuch]

Context: after a bad or unfortunate race or match, people in pretty much every sports vow to 'bounce back'. It's a favourite phrase of many journalists too, if headlines are anything to go by. We also see many people talk of athletes or teams 'taking the initiative', or 'momentum swinging to...' in a championship.

 

Question: How do these 'meta-narratives' influence the rating of a driver?

 

For example: Are you tempted to, and do you, add another point to a rating if a driver follows up a retirement and a crash with a good solid points scoring result?

[Tsarwash]

Why is it easier for a driver in a top team to get a 8, 9 or 10 compared to a midfield or backend team? Do you not treat everyone equally?

This is the one. It is basically impossible for a driver to get a ten unless they win the race, no matter how good a performance they might put in. 

[Grundle]

Explain Verstappens 9 rating in Hungary without sounding pathetic.

[JHSingo]

Do you ever laugh at how wound up some people on here get over your opinion? Or think "oh boy, this one will cause some controversy"?

[Maustinsj]

Can I join you at Melbourne as an objective observer (all expenses paid, of course)? For the purposes of research, obviously.

[Disgrace]

During the process of deciding your driver ratings, would you rather be listening to Biggie or Tupac?

[THEWALL]

How do TOs benefiting a driver influence his score?

[ExEd]

Since you are into rating drivers business , tell us the truth now :

Lewis is to become,if not already,the best of all times ,isn't he? 

[Rob]

Any chance you could get @dog_rates in for some guest ratings one weekend? It would be h*ckin special.

[as65p]

Ben Anderson, who does the F1 driver ratings for Autosport, will be dropping in on the board next week to discuss the ratings he issues for drivers after F1 races to answer as many of your questions as he reasonably can. Exciting!

 

I'd only have one question. What was the bet you lost, forcing you to do that?

[baddog]

Sarcastic version: "How many times would Lewis have to crash to NOT get a 9"?

 

Real question "Do you have a system to try to give drivers further down the field a fair shot at high ratings?"

[RECKLESS]

How biased towards your favorite drivers (everybody has them) or against your least favorites would you rate yourself on the scale of 1-10?

[RPM40]

How biased towards your favorite drivers (everybody has them) or against your least favorites would you rate yourself on the scale of 1-10?

 

Average being 7/10 or average in a front team being 8/10.

[DarthWillie]

Are your numbers influenced to keep your readers happy?

[MastaKink]

Why do drivers who get beat heavily by their team mate but get a podium thanks to their car still get higher ratings than a driver at a midfield team who finishes just behind their team mate? How can a podium alone justify it considering the disparity in car performance?

 

Is the race more important than qualifying in coming up with your rating?

Edited by MastaKink, 24 November 2017 - 10:11.

[MastaKink]

Whats Ross Brown like?

Does Rob exist if he can't be photographed?

Do you Physics?

[Counterbalance]

Do you read the driver ratings thread in this forum and despair?

 

Is Natalie Pinkham as fit in real life as she looks on TV?

[Brackets]

"Where is Alonso always taking you to dinner?"

[Maustinsj]

Whats Ross Brown like?

Does Rob exist if he can't be photographed?

Do you Physics?

 

And more to the point, WHERE IS ROSS BROWN?

[RaikkonenFan96]

How often you have difficulties to decide what rating you are giving for drivers performance?

[Knowlesy]

The word 'legend' is bandied around too much nowadays, but for Ben Anderson (or Big Ben as I call him!) he fulfils the criteria and then some.

 

As a wordsmith Ben is without equal and I can think of few greater pleasures in life than kicking back on a Thursday evening and pouring his delicately crafted prose into my eyes whilst savouring a malt (or two!).

 

I have no question Ben, just these words: thank you.

[Laster]

Do you ever read the likes of Sky and AMuS ratings, then gripe about them as much as we gripe about yours and every other publications?

[PayasYouRace]

If you give a rating that’s vastly different to another well respected source, do you reconsider your own?

[mangeliiito]

Why is it easier for a driver in a top team to get a 8, 9 or 10 compared to a midfield or backend team? Do you not treat everyone equally?

This! How much effort do you put in following the backmarkers race. They can perform an awesome race, but since the car isn't faster then 15th they get a 6.

And why does so many drivers get a 9 and 10? I don't really see performances that special that often.

[P123]

Ben Anderson, who does the F1 driver ratings for Autosport, will be dropping in on the board next week to discuss the ratings he issues for drivers after F1 races to answer as many of your questions as he reasonably can. Exciting! So, if you've ever wondered what needs to happen for a driver to get a 10, how much weight, if any, the FP sessions go into the final score, now is your chance to ask. Please ask your questions in this thread and next week, probably Tuesday, he will try and get through as many as he can. 
 
As far as any ground rules go, just the obvious, really - please treat him with the same respect you'd want to be treated with yourself. The usual board rules apply. It's absolutely fine (and encouraged) to critique his, and Autosport's work, but please do it while being respectful, and avoiding any personal attacks, just like with any other poster.
 
Please try and resist the temptation to get into discussing each other's questions here before any answers are given, just because I suspect it will just make it harder for the actual questions to stand out.

Is he a glutton for punishment?

Here's a question for him, which avoids the Tiny Tears tantrums over whether Kimi was rated too low or why Alonso or Hamilton got more than a minus 10, which tends to pollute the most polluted topic on this forum...:

As a standard approach, does he always rate what he see as the best drive of the race a 10/10? (I only ask as across all ratings it seems 10s are given quite frequently)