[Indessasp]

As is a long-standing tradition the Autocourse editor (Alan Henry again this year) has named his top 10 drivers of the year.

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Felipe Massa
3. Fernando Alonso
4. Robert Kubica
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Mark Webber
7. Jarno Trulli
8. Heikki Kovalainen
9. Kimi Raikkonen
10. Timo Glock

[wasssallx]

Interestingly, almost exactly the same top 10 as Autosport's list, but in a completely different order (they also put Barrichello in at Kovalainen's expense). I reckon I'd have put Kubica at number 1 (as per Autosport) but understand the reasoning given for not doing so.

[luspikals]

Interestingly, almost exactly the same top 10 as Autosport's list, but in a completely different order (they also put Barrichello in at Kovalainen's expense). I reckon I'd have put Kubica at number 1 (as per Autosport) but understand the reasoning given for not doing so.

He's not British?

[Oppofeescom]

As is a long-standing tradition the Autocourse editor (Alan Henry again this year) has named his top 10 drivers of the year.

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Felipe Massa
3. Fernando Alonso
4. Robert Kubica
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Mark Webber
7. Jarno Trulli
8. Heikki Kovalainen
9. Kimi Raikkonen
10. Timo Glock

I would've switched Kovalainen with Heidfeld but otherwise that's a good list.

[LxtdK9i4]

Typical British Ethnocentrism.
Anybody who doesn't have Alonso as #1 knows nothing about racing.

[benderkoz]

Typical British Ethnocentrism.
Anybody who doesn't have Alonso as #1 knows nothing about racing.

Even being Spanish and Alonso's fan, I realise that this is exaggerated...

Anyway, I wouldn't have put Hamilton or Massa in #1 because they've done plenty of mistakes all the season long, and I think there are 3 odrivers (Kubica, Vettel, Alonso...) that with their cars, would have won this season 2 or 3 races before Brasilian GP...

[ansarigf]

Why don't we post our own 2008 driver ranking. All 22 of them.

I'll start lol.

1. Fernando Alonso
2. Robert Kubica
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Sebastian Vettel
5. Felipe Massa
6. Jarno Trulli
7. Mark Webber
8. Kimi Raikkonen
9. Nick Heidfeld
10. Timo Glock
11. Heikki Kovalainen
12. Nico Rosberg
13. Sebastien Bourdais
14. Kazuki Nakajima
15. Rubens Barrichello
16. David Coulthard
17. Giancarlo Fisichella
18. Jenson Button
19. Nelsinho Piquet
20. Adrian Sutil
21. Anthony Davidson (about 15th or 16th with a full season)
22. Takuma Sato (above Sutil and Piquet probably with a full year)

[MP+4]

Why don't we post our own 2008 driver ranking. All 22 of them.

A lot of us did this around the time of the Brazilian GP IIRC. Not really that much fazed by the Autocourse list to be honest. Just another opinion.

[lierro]

I would have had Vettel in front of Kubica, and also would have left Webber,Trulli and Kovalainen out of it.

[bataovady]

I would've switched Kovalainen with Heidfeld but otherwise that's a good list.

This sounds reasonable. I may give to Heikki that he was the better qualifier than Nick last year, but in races Heidfeld seemed more consistent, reliable and capable of maximising his opportunities, while HK seemed at times a bit clumsy even in T1-s.

Though it pains me to say it (due to the unfavourable result of having a driver who races for vagabonds at the top of it), but what the feck is wrong with having just one list?

The final positions of the World Drivers championship is the only list with any meaning.

Alan Henry's opinion is worth the square root of feck all at the best of times.

Well, it's true that there is only one list that counts, but... since the importance of machinery is so big in F1 and the debates about the skills and level of different drivers is endless, then such lists are just one mean to continue this debate, so those lists are needed to satisfy human psychology. Whatever the results are, everyone finds that there is something more to "prove". If a favourite driver has had a bad season, then such lists are compiled to show that he actually did well, but the car was bad... for example. It's not like 100-meter run, where the winner is the fastest of the day and there are not many arguments against that... except the endless discussions whether the winner used dope or not.

[assohillA]

Typical British Ethnocentrism.
Anybody who doesn't have Alonso as #1 knows nothing about racing.

Someone puts the world champion at the top of the list and that somehow means they know nothing about racing!!!!!

[wasssallx]

Typical British Ethnocentrism.
Anybody who doesn't have Alonso as #1 knows nothing about racing.

In that case, the FIA knows nothing about racing.

But then I had suspected that for a while...

[estheticianI]

Typical British Ethnocentrism.
Anybody who doesn't have Alonso as #1 knows nothing about racing.

Alonso had a fantastic second half to the season IMO and made the very best of a mediocre car compared to the rest of the field. Lewis I feel did not have as good a season as 2007 but ultimately scored points when it mattered. Either him or Massa was worthy of a number one recognition.

I think we should all make a New Years resolution regarding accusations of nationalism to support a weak response. It really is putting me off reading this forum when there are so many anti British comments, where some people have no other way of backing up an arguement or opinion. The same goes for British guys with anti Spanish/Brazilian remarks etc. We just don't need it. Study the sport abit better and make a more credable remark backed up with legitimate technical knowledge.

Sorry for the outburst but I don't want this forum to have the same standard of response as YouTube, because lets face it people who comment on there are idiots.... Peace

[LxtdK9i4]

Someone puts the world champion at the top of the list and that somehow means they know nothing about racing!!!!!

So he can read a list of points standings. A person who has never even seen a car before can do that. Does that make him an expert?

[luspikals]

So he can read a list of points standings. A person who has never even seen a car before can do that. Does that make him an expert?

Does it mean he knows nothing about racing?

[fetesiceWaist]

Am I the only one who thinks Raikkonen is better than 8th? He should be in the 3-5 spot and at worse 6th but not behind the likes of Webber, Trulli and Kovalainen.

[Romarionsion]

Am I the only one who thinks Raikkonen is better than 8th? He should be in the 3-5 spot and at worse 6th but not behind the likes of Webber, Trulli and Kovalainen.

If the fastest lap of a race made at the end of a race means something, and the ability to produce an amazing string of such massive acheivements all season long, means something, then Kimi belongs at NUMBER ONE on the top of everyone's list!!!

Otherwise, no. 8 is a lttle too high....

[fetesiceWaist]

If the fastest lap of a race made at the end of a race means something, and the ability to produce an amazing string of such massive acheivements all season long, means something, then Kimi belongs at NUMBER ONE on the top of everyone's list!!!

Otherwise, no. 8 is a lttle too high....

So is Kimi's 3rd in points, 2 wins/poles and 9 podiumes not as good as Kovalainen's 7th in points, single win and pole and 3 podiumes or Trulli's 0 win/poles and snigle podiume and not to forget the Great driver Webber whos best finish was 4th. Why no Nick Heidfeld he was 6th in points with four 2nd place finishes and was the only driver not to retire from a race in 08.

My list would be...

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Felipe Massa
4. Kimi Rikkonen
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Robert Kubica
7. Heikki Kovalainen
8. Nick Heidfeld
9. Timo Glock
10. Jarno Trulli

[Romarionsion]

So is Kimi's 3rd in points, 2 wins/poles and 9 podiumes not as good as Kovalainen's 7th in points, single win and pole and 3 podiumes or Trulli's 0 win/poles and snigle podiume and not to forget the Great driver Webber whos best finish was 4th. Why no Nick Heidfeld he was 6th in points with four 2nd place finishes and was the only driver not to retire from a race in 08.

My list would be...

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Felipe Massa
4. Kimi Rikkonen
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Robert Kubica
7. Heikki Kovalainen
8. Nick Heidfeld
9. Timo Glock
10. Jarno Trulli

Kimi, unlike HK, was suppose to be the number one and was being paid top dollar, to drive the car that was usually clearly the fastest in the field....as demonstrated by those fastest race laps at the end of the race.....number of victories and results of his teamate and so on.........sooooo

After Monza, I would replace Kimi in a heartbeat with SV, FA, Webber, or even RK or NH....maybe even Timo or Jarno (who I think that Kimi performed at Jarno or worse level.......)

The fact that he may well be capable of being the best and fastest of the entire 2008 field, does NOT mean he should be rated accordingly as a driver for 2008, especially when he had the car that would have permitted such a performance....when he clearly and completely failed to perform as a driver for the entire set of races. FMassa may not not have nearly the pure talent, but he certainly used what he had to the max and almost made WDC by a few seconds. Similarly, Lewis won the wdc (and yes, he and his car were a pretty even match for the ferraris) and used it, so the argument can be easily accepted for his high placement as number one or two (much to my pain), and the same for Freddi A, but Kimi??? Geeazz

If Vettel had driven for Ferrari as a number one in place of Kimi, SV would have had a WDC (assuming that Ferrari did not screw up too many pit stops.. ...)

[datingcrew]

people need to learn the ability to measure ones performances with reference to the ability of the car they are driving. Just looking at the points table is a pretty piss poor way of measuring how good an individual driver is. To argue that someone should be rated first just because they won the championship is just downright ignorant.

With regard to Kimi, fact of the matter is Kiwi performed very poorly this season except on the odd occasion that he could be bothered. With the quality of equipment he had at his disposal it should have been a 3 way tussle for the title, the fact he wasn't clearly suggests he did not perform all that well. Same goes for Heikki.

On the other side of the coin look at guys like Vettel, Kubica and in particular Alonso (who is still the best driver in F1, he just is, deal with it english) and compare what they have been able to do relative to the quality of the equipment they where using, then clearly they did a superior job to even massa and hamilton who both wasted a number of opportunities this year where as the aforementioned three did not.

Also the ability of a driver to help his team develop the car is also a massively important thing and something that if either massa or hamilton had mastered then one of them would have won the championship well before brazil! And Hamilton's inexperience is no excuse because Vettel showed that he is capable of developing a car this year that was capable of beating RBR which is supposedly the big brother team.

Anyway, my top 5 would be:

1. Alonso - it's fairly clear that he is still the best just driving second rate gear
2. Vettel - fairly obvious...
3. Kubica - utterly consistent, something that cannot be associated with massa or hamilton
4. Massa - should have won the championship, but didn't
5. Hamilton - won the championship, but only because his rival was inconsistent


I guess i should put on a flame proof suit now to protect myself from all those that think lewis is the second coming of jesus....