With that in mind, I think a little perspective might be good, just so we can remember 2012 and the top drivers the way they were: perfectly flawed.
I've categorized this into 4 categories:
- performance: underperforming, being beaten by team mate on race pace (incl. team orders). As todays qualifying format means there is a difference between best qualifying set-up and race set-up, and the points are earned on Sunday, this will only count for race pace. Picking the wrong set-up, does not discount a mark in this category.
- time loss: driver spun, had a significant off-track moment, or did something else that cost him time.
- crash: driver crashed out, by himself or in an avoidable colission, or caused another driver to crash out. Instances where a driver was ran into, and could not be fairly expected to avoid the crash (i.e. Hamilton and Maldonado in Valencia), do not earn a mark in this category, but will earn a victim mark.
- penalty: driver earned a behavior-based penalty (i.e. illegal overtake).
- victim: despite leaving Karthikeyan 5 ft of space, was ran into the back by the HRT in Malaysia. Although avoidable, he can't be blamed.
- performance: outperformed by Webber in China, finished 4th, 3 seconds ahead of Vettel in 5th.
- penalty: received a drive-through penalty after not slowing down enough for yellow flags in Spain.
- performance: outperformed by Webber in Monaco, who won the race, 1.5 seconds ahead of Vettel in 4th.
- performance: outperformed by Webber in Silverstone, who won the race, 5 seconds ahead of Vettel in 3rd.
- penalty: received a drive-through penalty turned 25 second post-race penalty for an illegal overtake on Button in Germany.
- penalty: received a drive-through penalty for squeezing Alonso off-track in Monza.
- crash: almost ran into the back of Ricciardo in Abu Dhabi, losing his front wing on a DRS sign.
- time loss: overtook Romain Grosjean off-track in Abu Dhabi and needed to give the position back.
- crash: was surprised by a late braking Senna in Brazil. Although he could not see him, he could have anticipated lap 1 chaos.
Fernando Alonso
- crash: ended his Q2 qualifying in Australia after spinning out.
- crash: squeezed Romain Grosjean at the start in Monaco, causing the crash with Schumacher.
- victim: was crashed into by Romain Grosjean in Belgium.
- crash: ran into Kimi Räikkönen in turn 1 in Japan, causing his own DNF.
- performance: outperformed on race pace by Massa in Korea, who was held back by team orders.
- performance: outqualified and outperformed on race pace by Massa in Austin, USA, who was held back by team orders.
- time loss: ran off the road twice at turn 1 in Brazil.
- performance: outqualified and outperformed on race pace by Massa in Brazil, who was held back by team orders.
Lewis Hamilton
- performance: outperformed by Button, who won the race in Australia, 4 seconds ahead of Hamilton in 3rd.
- performance: outperformed by Button, who despite a bad pitstop finished second, 6 seconds ahead of Hamilton in 3rd.
- victim: was ran into by Pastor Maldonado, who was overtaking Hamilton for 3rd in Valencia. Although avoidable, he can't be blamed.
- performance: outperformed by Button, who qualified ahead and showed better race pace in Germany.
- victim: was crashed into by Romain Grosjean in Belgium. Although avoidable, he can't be blamed.
- performance: outperformed by Button, who qualified ahead and was untouchable in Belgium.
- performance: outperformed by Button, who finished 3rd in Japan, 19 seconds ahead of Hamilton in 4th.
Kimi Räikkönen
- time loss: ran wide in Q2 in Australia and qualified only 18th.
- performance: outperformed by Grosjean in all qualifying sessions in Monaco.
- performance: outperformed by Grosjean in Canada, who finished 2nd, 13 seconds ahead of Räikkönen in 8th.
- performance: outperformed by Grosjean on qualifying and race pace in Valencia, prior to his team-mates mechanical issues.
- crash: spun in qualifying in Japan, which left him in 8th place, to his team-mate's 4th.
- time loss: went off-track at the start in Brazil.
- time loss: went off-track and took a wrong escape road in Brazil.
Edited by mnmracer, 14 January 2013 - 14:08.