With the conclusion of another thrilling F1 season, it is time to wrap up another of those “alternative” championships that say a lot about the people who create them, if nothing else.
In this instance, we are looking at the one time only WDC alternative, ie who the world champions would be if each driver could only win it once. I only remembered yesterday that I had already mentioned such a championship in the crazy statistics thread either last year or the year before, but never mind – here’s a dedicated thread for it that can die on its own merits.
The committee were looking for a snazzy title that encompassed the important elements of how it works, and came up with “Series Winners Excluded After That Year – Necessitating Annual Driver Succession” (SWEATY-NADS).
On reflection, I must apologise for that title. If there’s one flaw of the “Committee Undertaking New Title Systems”, it’s that they don’t think through any potential unfortunate acronyms that might emerge.
So, how does it work? It’s dead easy, I just look down the actual WDC table and ignore anyone who would previously have won a title. This differs from PAYR’s “No Red Bull” system (a name, incidentally, that doubles as excellent beverage consumption advice) in that I do not remove ineligible drivers’ race results and reallocate points accordingly, I leave race results as they are. The reasoning for this is that I want the top 3 for each season to be in the same order as their actual WDC placing, and not at all because I couldn’t be arsed to do it properly.
So, without further ado, I can announce that the champion in 2023 is, for only the sixth time ever and the first for 16 years, a rookie - OSCAR PIASTRI. Yet another year goes by with Ocon and Gasly missing out – anyone would think they don’t like the thought of clinching SWEATY-NADS.
For completeness, the top 3 for each season are listed below, champions in CAPITALS. Figures in brackets are the actual WDC positions of each driver, highlighting the years in which this title was particularly strong, and in which it was little more than a participation trophy.
Please note that Kubica’s 2008 title is still in some doubt, following a letter from Felipe Massa’s legal team who may not have quite grasped the concept of this particular championship (Massa having already won in 2006). Whilst the matter remains sub judice, I can not openly question their motives, intelligence or sense of fair play. But down the pub, I sure as hell can. And have.
Some points of note from looking at the standings:-
Worst champion? Hulkenberg, won in 2013 from a WDC placing of 10th.
Rookie winners? Stewart (1965), Regazzoni (1970), Villeneuve J (1996), Montoya (2001), Hamilton (2007), Piastri (2023)
Longest time taken to win? Patrese (1989), in his 13th season. Not only that, he’d never even podiumed prior to that.
Winning SWEATY-NADS and the WDC in the same year? This has happened 15 times, but not since 1982.
Stirling Moss eventually became quite philosophical about never winning the WDC after coming so close so often. The equivalent driver of this championship is Nick Heidfeld (4 times runner up), who indeed pulled a philosophical (or possibly offended) face when asked if he had any regrets about never having held SWEATY-NADS.
The future? Clearly the field is bursting with SWEATY-NADS holders at present (now 13 out of 20 including Piastri) which may lead to a potential devaluing of the title’s prestige, but at least this opens up opportunities for success for some of those further down the grid. And a low scoring title fight does give us increased hope of going into the final round with SWEATY-NADS still up for grabs.
Trophy presentation details for this year? Same venue as for the Cut and Shut awards, the chippie in Newport Pagnell High Street. Time and date? Oh stop humouring me, it’s not as if you are actually thinking of showing up. F*** you.
Anyway, top 3 by season:-
1950 FARINA (1), Fangio (2), Fagioli (3)
1951 FANGIO (1), Ascari (2), Gonzalez (3)
1952 ASCARI (1), Taruffi (3), Fischer (4)
1953 HAWTHORN (4), Villoresi (5), Vukovich (7)
1954 GONZALEZ (2), Trintignant (4), Kling (5)
1955 MOSS (2), Castellotti (3), Trintignant (4)
1956 COLLINS (3), Behra (4), Flaherty (5)
1957 MUSSO (3), Brooks (5), Gregory (6)
1958 BROOKS (3), Salvadori (4), Schell (6)
1959 BRABHAM (1), Hill P (4), Trintignant (5)
1960 McLAREN (2), Ireland (4), Gendebien (6)
1961 HILL P (1), Von Trips (2), Gurney (4)
1962 HILL G (1), Clark (2), Surtees (4)
1963 CLARK (1), Ginther (3), Surtees (4)
1964 SURTEES (1), Bandini (4), Ginther (5)
1965 STEWART (3), Gurney (4), Bandini (6)
1966 RINDT (3), Hulme (4), Parkes (8)
1967 HULME (1), Amon (5), Rodriguez (6)
1968 ICKX (4), Rodriguez (6), Siffert (7)
1969 BELTOISE (5), Courage (8), Siffert (9)
1970 REGAZZONI (3), Rodriguez (7), Amon (8)
1971 PETERSON (2), Cevert (3), Siffert (5)
1972 FITTIPALDI (1), Revson (5), Cevert (6)
1973 CEVERT (4), Revson (5), Reutemann (7)
1974 SCHECKTER (3), Lauda (4), Reutemann (6)
1975 LAUDA (1), Reutemann (3), Hunt (4)
1976 HUNT (1), Depailler (4), Andretti (6)
1977 ANDRETTI (3), Reutemann (4), Mass (6)
1978 REUTEMANN (3), Depailler (5), Watson (6)
1979 VILLENEUVE G (2), Jones (3), Laffite (4)
1980 JONES (1), Piquet (2), Laffite (4)
1981 PIQUET (1), Laffite (4), Prost (5)
1982 ROSBERG K (1), Pironi (2), Watson (3)
1983 PROST (2), Arnoux (3), Tambay (4)
1984 DE ANGELIS (3), Alboreto (4), Arnoux (6)
1985 ALBORETO (2), Senna (4), Mansell (6)
1986 MANSELL (2), Senna (4), Johansson (5)
1987 SENNA (3), Berger (5), Johansson (6)
1988 BERGER (3), Boutsen (4), Capelli (7)
1989 PATRESE (3), Boutsen (5), Nannini (6)
1990 BOUTSEN (6), Nannini (8), Alesi (9)
1991 ALESI (7), Modena (8), De Cesaris (9)
1992 SCHUMACHER M (3), Brundle (6), Hakkinen (8)
1993 HILL D (3), Brundle (7), Herbert (9)
1994 HAKKINEN (4), Barrichello (6), Brundle (7)
1995 COULTHARD (3), Herbert (4), Panis (8)
1996 VILLENEUVE J (2), Barrichello (8), Panis (9)
1997 FRENTZEN (2), Irvine (7), Fisichella (8)
1998 IRVINE (4), Wurz (8), Fisichella (9)
1999 SCHUMACHER R (6), Barrichello (7), Herbert (8)
2000 BARRICHELLO (4), Fisichella (6), Button (8)
2001 MONTOYA (6), Heidfeld (8), Trulli (9)
2002 RAIKKONEN (6), Button (7), Trulli (8)
2003 ALONSO (6), Trulli (8), Button (9)
2004 BUTTON (3), Trulli (6), Sato (8)
2005 FISICHELLA (5), Trulli (7), Webber (10)
2006 MASSA (3), Heidfeld (9), De La Rosa (11)
2007 HAMILTON (2), Heidfeld (5), Kubica (6)
2008 KUBICA (4), Heidfeld (6), Kovalainen (7)
2009 VETTEL (2), Webber (4), Rosberg N (7)
2010 WEBBER (3), Rosberg N (7), Sutil (11)
2011 ROSBERG N (7), Sutil (9), Petrov (10)
2012 GROSJEAN (8), Perez (10), Hulkenberg (11)
2013 HULKENBERG (10), Perez (11), Di Resta (12)
2014 RICCIARDO (3), Bottas (4), Perez (10)
2015 BOTTAS (5), Kvyat (7), Perez (9)
2016 VERSTAPPEN (5), Perez (7), Sainz (12)
2017 PEREZ (7), Ocon (8), Sainz (9)
2018 MAGNUSSEN (9), Sainz (10), Ocon (12)
2019 LECLERC (4), Sainz (6), Gasly (7)
2020 SAINZ (6), Albon (7), Norris (9)
2021 NORRIS (6), Gasly (9), Ocon (11)
2022 RUSSELL (4), Ocon (8), Gasly (14)
2023 PIASTRI (9), Stroll (10), Gasly (11)
Edited by Collombin, 26 November 2023 - 17:34.