Rookie of the year

[Wrex]

With only 3 races remaining, this years rookies are now considered veterans. I had to laugh at the media regarding Ant's drive compared to his 'experienced' teammate.

I think all have faired well, and most deserve to continue their F1 Careers.

Anthony Davidson: Hard to judge from just 2 races, but despite the fact mistakes were made, Stoddart would be silly not to look at this young man next year. I think its a little unfair that he only got 2 races to prove himself

Felipe Massa: I'd never heard of Massa prior to his arrival, and after reading this forum, I should have thought he was the second comming. The next Senna/Schum etc was thrown around. This is always death to a new driver. They can never live up to the hype. Montoya last year was brilliant, but terrible compared to the expectations thrust upon him. The same for Massa. Some great drives combined with some rookie mistakes.

Allan McNish: This was never going to be McNish's year. His forumula 1 career was in trouble the moment he went into turn 1 at Melbourne, and it went down hill from there. Out-qualified and out-raced buy Salo.

Takuma Sato: Another driver that was doomed from the beginning. Because of his (alleged) connections with Honda, his outstanding career to date was forgotten and was looked upon by some as a faster version of Yoong. Like Massa, some great drives combined with stupid mistakes.

Mark Webber: What can you say, he was never going to top that 1st race was he. Because of that brilliant start I feared that failure to come close to repeating that performance may go against Mark. Everyone loves to tear down a tall poppy, and I watched the vultures circle with Ant's arrival. But for me, easily this years Rookie of the year.

My Vote:

1. Webber
2. Massa
3. Sato
4. Davidson (only because he did'nt have time to prove himself)
5. McNish

[mac]

Webber hands down. Consistent, gets the car to the finish, sharp in qualifying, blinding in races and I've only seen one race mistake this year.

Massa second. He has the speed, and is eliminating his mistakes. Brazil, Monaco, Silverstone and France keep him in 2nd.

McNish third. He has been right up with Salo all year. I believe Toyota did the right thing. Either one went, or none went. It would not have been fair to McNish if he was the only driver to go, as he's mirrored Salo all year. I still feel they were both treated poorly.

Sato fourth. Has cut out some mistakes. Hampered by his lightning teammate. Doing the right thing, and getting the car to the finish recently.

I believe you have to do three races to be considered a rookie. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Valve Bounce]

Webber's maturity at Minardi this year is indeed a revelation. Funny, but I just never really looked on Mark as a rookie, mindful only of the erratic Massa and Sato in this definition. I am sure that the teams seeking Mark also regard him in this light .

Valve

[Inigo Montoya]

Webber. Wow, that was easy.

[903cc]

Simply Webber. He has done a very good job in the slowest car and even without the 5th in Melbourne would be still very highly rated.

[Sato san]

yes , it has to be Webber.

[paulzinho]

Webbers done good over the course of the season, but I also think massa is starting to come through, he's started to outqualify and outrace his more experienced teammate, yes he's made mistakes but I think some have been overly critical of him, he's starting to come good. Lets hope he gets that Toyota seat next year for the sake of F1!

[RMR]

I thought a Rookie was a creature from Star wars?

I reckon Sato, purely because he's gone out trying 110% each race and yes he's binned it loads but its his first year, I think next he will learn from all the mistakes and turn into a racer that can stay on track. Also some of the overtaking moves he's done remind me more of a formula ford race - superb.

ahh Wookie...........

[neilap]

I would say Massa. I think he is at least as good as his more experienced teammate. Webber did not have a good measuring stick.

[freud]

It has to be Webber. Although I understand that some would feel that AD's debut was nothing less than spectacular. But as Wrex said, two races arent enough to make a judgement on his abilities. If he manages to find a drive may be 2003 would be his 'rookie' season.

Felipe Massa didnt start well and though he did well in the second quarter, he reached a plateau. I think the pressure got to him a bit... the mind-shattering 'Senna Syndrome'. Ths USGP is important for him and his sponsors. I hope he does well.

Yoong and Sato need a year more of practice in lower formulae.

[Dani Filth]

Massa
Webber
McNish
Sato ..

[f1manoz]

Mark Webber comes in first - fast, smooth, consistent.

Massa is a close second - fast, but has been ragged and made some very elementary mistakes in a number of races.

[Daisy]

Massa for sure, Webber is overrated.

[silvervsix]

Webber easy. Massa has got speed and in a season or two will be good but throughout the whole season Mark has been the pick. The only rookie to finish in Monaco which is a true test of ability and he would have finished in eighth if not for a flat tyre. The others don’t rate a mention.

[DNQ]

Mark Webber
Felipe Massa
Takuma Sato
Allan McNish

I won't include Anthony, I didn't watch either of the races he competed in...

[av8rirl]

Massa
Sato
McNish
Webber

Reasons:
Massa: Who had heard about Massa before Sauber gave him a test? He has come into the team and basically made a mockery of Heidfeld who has lots of F1 experience. While Massa may not have got the race results over the entire year, he has definitely shown of late that this is coming. F1 needs Massa and more drivers like him.

Sato: You've gotta love his "never say die" attitude and the amount of work he puts in. The little guy was fantastic in the other classes he raced. Remember he only drove a racing car for the first time at 18. Right throughout the year he has had some great battles and also chucked it off the road a few times. Of late he seems to have learned from the earlier mistakes. What more can you ask of him? And he outqualified GF (who some say is only bettered by MS) a couple of times. Lets hope he has a seat next year.

McNish: Was almost the match for Salo. Now people think "So What? What has Salo every done?" Remember when Salo stepped in for MS in the Ferrari? Didn't Salo end up pulling over to let The Swerve thru for a result. He can't be that bad!!!

Webber: Great result in Australia, outclassed his team-mate to an embarrassing degree but there was nothing to compare him with until AD got his two drives. Webber didn't outclass AD, who had no experience of the car but yet managed to qualify within 5 - 7 tenths of Webber. You can't make him rookie of the year because of the result in Australia and because he managed to qualify the slowest car for all the races. Maybe if he was in a different team we could be more subjective about his performance?

[Mal]

I think McNish is being underrated here. He has been as close if not closer to his experienced teamate than any of the others. This is his first year in F1 and the cars are very different to the ones he tested for Maclaren in the early 90's. If he was given another chance I think he could be very good. Maybe not up with MS, KR or JPM but maybe up with the top of the second division

[Dani Filth]

Who had heard about Massa before Sauber gave him a test

you didn't see the STC races last year at Estoril ..

I think McNish is being underrated here. He has been as close if not closer to his experienced teamate than any of the others.

you're right ... but still not as fast as Massa who beat his team mate a few times ...

[Testure]

Didn't Webber spend last year testing for Benetton? I don't think it's fair to compare McNish, Webber and Davidson to Sato or Massa. The first three had much more time in an F1 car before their first race compared to the latter two. I vote for Sato, he just keeps getting better and better through the course of the season, whereas I couldn't say the same for Massa.

[Nicholas]

Originally posted by Mal
I think McNish is being underrated here. He has been as close if not closer to his experienced teamate than any of the others.

He's close, but on the wrong side of his team-mate. I don't think he's outqualified MS once, but I may be wrong.

[BootsOntheSide]

I'm pretty sure Allan's outqualified Mika once. Testure's got a good point, we're not really comparing like for like. Davidson has to be considered at least nearly as impressive as Webber, having came so close to his pace in both Hungary and Belgium, when in Hungary he'd never driver anythign at the track, or the Minardi itself.

Massa's mistakes along the way, especially France and Silverstone,r eally ahve to exclude him from contention, 'new Senna' or not. Senna didn't threaten to be dropped into oblivion after 1 season, nor did Prost, Mansell, Schumacher or anyone else. Outpacing Nick Heidfeld occasionally is one thing. Schumacher immediately consistantly outqualified no less a man than Nelson Piquet

[pole2pole]

My vote is for massa I have enjoyed watching his driving this year. I love to see a f1 car right on the edge and he provides that 100% its reminds me of the days when we didnt have these daft driver aids. I hope he gets a drive next year and remains in f1...f1 deserves it

[F1Babe]

Massa gets my vote

[Wrex]

McNish qualified ahead of Salo in Germany, 1 out of 14 does'nt make you a superstar.

[mac]

I think a perfect metaphor for the season is Monaco.

While Mark was busy producing stunning lap after stunning lap (8th or 9th fastest of the race from memory), Sato lost it in the tunnel, and Massa was driving like a teenager in his first go-kart race.

I agree that Massa is starting to show the goods, but if you take the whole season into account, Webber has been completely solid. It is Rookie of the Year - not Rookie of the couple of races that Massa did well in.

Giving Sato the nod just because he gives 110% is interesting. Do you have concrete evidence that Webber, Massa and McNish do not? They just don't throw it off the road as much.

As for Davidson, Webber believes Davidson has had more hours in an F1 car than him. His job is driving F1 cars. So he should be reasonably close to his teammate. If it wasn't for Davidson chucking it in the gravel at Hungary, and Mark's two long stops, he would have just about lapped him. Spectacular certainly describes his gravelwork in Spa. His speed was pretty good, BUT, he drove two races and binned it twice. That's more than Mark in a whole season.

Maybe if we actually got coverage of the back half of the field, you may think otherwise. Maybe if you saw Webber's pass on Panis exiting the tunnel at Monaco, you may have a higher opninion of him.