[Centurnion]

A third of the way in and some interesting results.

Webber / Vettel - 0 difference with 78 points each. I rate Vettel above Webber but results are results. Can Mark keep his momentum and dominate Seb for the rest of the season?

Alonso / Massa - 14 points difference 75 / 61 = 123% advantage to Fernando. No great surprise here and Massa looking more and more like the support driver that doesn't realise it.

JB / Lewis - 11 points difference 70 / 59 = 119% advantage to Jenson. Big Surprise here as I though this would be the other way round although Lewis has had some crap luck. Hamilton has the talent while Jenson has the guile and experience.

Kubica / Petrov - 53 points difference = 983% advantage to Robert. Only surprise here is the size of the gap but Petrov has shown signs of getting to grips a bit more.

Nico / Michael - 34 points difference = 255% advantage to Nico. I expected Nico to triumph but not by this amount. True, Schumy has fallen foul of a dubious decision but whether you rate Nico as a top driver or not, he has left the champion behind most weekends.

Sutil / Liuzzi - 10 point difference - 200% points advantage to Adrian. I know Luizzi is supposed to be the second coming but I have always liked Sutil and he has impressed me again this season. Who will replace Schumacher....

I haven't gone below 10 points as the results would be pretty meaningless.

So, what for the rest of the season?

Red Bull - I would love to see Mark win the Championship but feel Sebastion will be 2010 champion unless another team can get a car to challenge them.

Ferrari - The second best car on the grid being utilised by one driver only. Massa has had many sups in the Last Chance Saloon and looked like he had left the bar until this year. The arrival of Alonso has shaken the Brazillian and we will see if he can respond again.

McLaren - I expect the percentage difference to reverse by the end of the season but unless the car can compete with the Bulls, not even Lewis can make up the difference.

Renault - The brilliance of Kubica. One of the top 5 drivers in the world. Business will resume but Petrov can do himself some good by getting points.

Mercedes - If Nico can keep his head, he will keep his lead but it's very difficult being Schumy's team mate. If Schumacher manages to dominate Nico in the Pit, then he will close the gap. If not, I expect the points difference to remain constant or even increase while the percentage may lessen. I do feel the car is better than the results have shown though and possibly the 3rd best car out there. The difference being Button, Kubica and Hamilton pushing Nico out a bit.

FI - More of the same.

Hopefully I don't need to point out that the opinions are just that, do I?

[cmruloah]

It's always interesting to compare teammates- I think you should really take qualifying comparisons into account also.

Shumacher & Hamiltion have had some bad breaks that don't really reflect on their performance. Shumacher has come up to speed in the last 2 races, yet has no points to show for it because of a failure last week & the safety car/green light debacle this week. Hamiliton crashed out of 2nd place with failure with 1 lap to go last race.

Qualifying Comparison wins:

Webber 3 / Vettel 3
Button 3 / Hamilton 3
Rosberg 5 / Shumacher 1
Alonso 4 / Massa 2
Barrichello 4 / Hulkenburg 2
Kubica 6 / Petrov 0
Sutil 5 / Liuzzi 1
Buemi 5 / Alguersuari 1
Trulli 3 / Kovalainen 3
Chandhok 2 /Senna 4
de la Rosa 3 / Kobayashi 3
Glock 6 / di Grassi 0

[Centurnion]

Good point.

You couldn't slide a fag paper between the Red Bulls could you.

Hamilton has been a bit unlucky in the race but Jenson is there on pace it seems.

Sutil really is taking that team by force.

Alonso is dominating Massa more in Q than the results suggest because of that crash.

Let the fanatics make excuses for the Mercedes situation

[jstizzle]

A third of the way in and some interesting results.

Webber / Vettel - 0 difference with 78 points each. I rate Vettel above Webber but results are results. Can Mark keep his momentum and dominate Seb for the rest of the season?

Alonso / Massa - 14 points difference 75 / 61 = 123% advantage to Fernando. No great surprise here and Massa looking more and more like the support driver that doesn't realise it.

JB / Lewis - 11 points difference 70 / 59 = 119% advantage to Jenson. Big Surprise here as I though this would be the other way round although Lewis has had some crap luck. Hamilton has the talent while Jenson has the guile and experience.

Kubica / Petrov - 53 points difference = 983% advantage to Robert. Only surprise here is the size of the gap but Petrov has shown signs of getting to grips a bit more.

Nico / Michael - 34 points difference = 255% advantage to Nico. I expected Nico to triumph but not by this amount. True, Schumy has fallen foul of a dubious decision but whether you rate Nico as a top driver or not, he has left the champion behind most weekends.

Sutil / Liuzzi - 10 point difference - 200% points advantage to Adrian. I know Luizzi is supposed to be the second coming but I have always liked Sutil and he has impressed me again this season. Who will replace Schumacher....

I haven't gone below 10 points as the results would be pretty meaningless.

So, what for the rest of the season?

Red Bull - I would love to see Mark win the Championship but feel Sebastion will be 2010 champion unless another team can get a car to challenge them.

Ferrari - The second best car on the grid being utilised by one driver only. Massa has had many sups in the Last Chance Saloon and looked like he had left the bar until this year. The arrival of Alonso has shaken the Brazillian and we will see if he can respond again.

McLaren - I expect the percentage difference to reverse by the end of the season but unless the car can compete with the Bulls, not even Lewis can make up the difference.

Renault - The brilliance of Kubica. One of the top 5 drivers in the world. Business will resume but Petrov can do himself some good by getting points.

Mercedes - If Nico can keep his head, he will keep his lead but it's very difficult being Schumy's team mate. If Schumacher manages to dominate Nico in the Pit, then he will close the gap. If not, I expect the points difference to remain constant or even increase while the percentage may lessen. I do feel the car is better than the results have shown though and possibly the 3rd best car out there. The difference being Button, Kubica and Hamilton pushing Nico out a bit.

FI - More of the same.

Hopefully I don't need to point out that the opinions are just that, do I?

Excellent analysis

Massa looking more and more like the support driver that doesn't realize it. Most insightful and funniest line of the season.

He is a very fast driver, If you discounts him (in the immortal words of SD)
"do so at your own peril"

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

Great comparison. In my opinion now drivers in the top 4 teams will be pretty equal for the rest of the season, but in Renault F1 Rob will likely continue to dominate.

[Centurnion]

Excellent analysis



Most insightful and funniest line of the season.

He is a very fast driver, If you discounts him (in the immortal words of SD)
"do so at your own peril"

Thanks.

you do get the feeling that one more vote of confidence for poor Massa will be the final nail in his Ferrari Coffin.

Alonso has been measured against Hamilton and visa versa. We are also seeing Hamilton as consistently faster than Button even if the results might not bear this out as yet.

With Alonso against Massa, it is showing the true pace of the Brazillian and perhaps also the pace of the revered Kimi who Massa matched. OK, that might be stretching it a bit but it's the best benchmark we have.

[jinnsamys]

With Alonso against Massa, it is showing the true pace of the Brazillian and perhaps also the pace of the revered Kimi who Massa matched. OK, that might be stretching it a bit but it's the best benchmark we have.

Really doubt that, I think it's more the accident that took "it" away from him...

[jstizzle]

Thanks.



With Alonso against Massa, it is showing the true pace of the Brazillian and perhaps also the pace of the revered Kimi who Massa matched. OK, that might be stretching it a bit but it's the best benchmark we have.

Maybe to some members that live on a river in Egypt

[Centurnion]

Really doubt that, I think it's more the accident that took "it" away from him...

The accident was a really nasty blow but he looked as sharp as ever when he returned. It just seems the pace and force of character of Alonso has started to dominate Filipe. However, it's only an opinion and he might still be suffering from the accident?

> Tazio - Egypt? Have I missed something?

[hrthwhr]

skc: the Egypt reference - hes's living in de Nile.

[Centurnion]

skc: the Egypt reference - hes's living in de Nile.

OMG

How dense can I get?

[jstizzle]

Really doubt that, I think it's more the accident that took "it" away from him...

He is completely over that Koz. It is not even a little bit of a detriment to him imo

[vipdumpp]

I disagree with this. To use a favorite word of James Hunt's - bollocks!

[chujwduperjadzi]

Massa looking more and more like the support driver that doesn't realise it

I get the impression that you think he is rather "stupid" or naive or something to not realize that he is a "support driver", something i disagree with. My opinion is that you as a sportsman always has to see yourself as the number one driver to be really competetive. The day when you say to yourself "oh im playing second fiddle to my teammate, i am not as good as him", you can quit. Even if the team sees him as second fiddle and maybe most of the spectators as well, as a sportsperson you cant see your participation like that. He has to always aim on the top spot otherwise he can't be good!

[Belindanan]

The problem with this team mate comparison thing, is that its validity has erroded more and more over the years, because tech has erroded the contribution of the driver, and things have come down to ounces here and there..there was a time when drivers set up cars, with only the aid of a stopwatch...now engineers with computers and wind tunnels do it.....and is to the point where the car dominants competition.

All it took was a mere change in four inches of wheelbase, and sudddenly Schuie is donminanting Nico, and Nico is the one with the frown.

The same was very clear with the rubens vs. Button thing last year...a few minor changes, and suddenly Ruben is out running Button....

Give Button the car he wants and hamilton will struggle. Give hamilton the car he wants, and Button will struggle.


Give me the car i want, and I will not struggle at all.....

[Belindanan]

or give me an extra four inches....

[PilotJargon]

or give me an extra four inches....

What are you going to do with 5 inches?

[Byxtysaaqwuz]

Jenson is doing good , really good, still leading with 11 points.

Massa will improve and shine in Turkey. Alonso will fade away, pressure, pressure, thats it.

[Belindanan]

What are you going to do with 5 inches?

u have pm for the explicit details.


but anyway, mia, I think Button may not do as well, as may not not Nico either, since both teams seem to be aiming the handling of their cars to fit the other drivers--and that might be true of massa as well.

[Byxtysaaqwuz]

You could be right, but are wrong in Jensons case. The team backs him moore than the other driver. It´s a feeling.