[Official] Driver of the Grand Prix: British Grand Prix 2015

[Born Racer]

Who do you pick as your driver of the Grand Prix?

[canamman]

Alonso . Hell , he got a point!

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Alonso for basically making the most of attrition. No.

Bottas and Massa would've but the rain ruined that, Bottas' chances especially.

Vettel almost lucked into 3rd but it was his call so kudos.

Hulkenberg? Kvyat? Rosberg even?

Nah. Lewis. He drove a mega race and was even better in the rain. Inspired driving and a handy call to pit too...

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Alonso!

[alfettafan]

For being "Starter of the day" ...Felipe Massa

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by alfettafan

For being "Starter of the day" ...Felipe Massa

Yup. Blinder!

[Razzzor]

I think it's gotta be Kyvat, as he drove a flawless race. Almost everyone else had some point of weakness during the race....

Hamilton: his was clearly much slower than his teammate in the early damp conditions, and got very lucky in that final stop that the rain came. Otherwise he would have been a very distant 2nd as it seemed like he was coming in either way.

Rosberg: he was decent, but he did fail to pass either one of the Williams in the dry, and ultimately ended up 10s behind Hamilton

Vettel: he had bad luck the first couple of laps with Kyvat and Perez forcing their way through, and Hulk at the start, but passed Perez, got Kyvat and Hulk in the pits, then was very fast in the wet and jumped the Williams. Even without pitting on the correct lap he was only about 5s behind Bottas, so Bottas was never going to hold him off. Oh and he passed Kimi. The weak point in Vettels race was in the dry after the first stops, he was unable to catch Kimi and dropped a couple of seconds. Otherwise a very good race.

Massa: nah, he was a mobile chicane in the first part of the race, making sure Williams fail to capitilise on a potential win

Bottas: nah, he might have been quick early on, but he never managed to pass Massa and when the rain came he was lapping 3-4s a lap slower than Massa. That's some serious bad wet weather driving.

Hulk: great start up to 5th, but was slow thereafter. When the rain came he was very quick at times, but seemed to be slower in the heavier rain as he dropped a long way off Kyvat.

Perez was slow. Kimi was a muppet sitting out there for so long losing 10s a lap, and was slow when the rain came anyway.

Alonso: Took his teammate out through his own error, went on to finish 10th with only the Manors and Ericsson behind him, who was closing 4-6s a lap at the end but ran out of laps, and was only behind because he put on the wrong tyres. Not exactly a star drive, he finished maybe 1 position higher than he should have.

That just leaves Kyvat: passed Vettel on the first or second lap, jumped Hulk in the pit stops, caught Vettel again who had undercut him. He was very fast in the wet, I think only Rosberg and Hulk were faster than him at one point. If he pitted on the same lap as Vettel he would have been 4th, maybe even 3rd as he was faster. In the end caught Bottas, another lap and he would easily have been past him.

[wnut]

Gave it to Massa, faultless, pity the team didn't support him properly.

Want to give it to Lewis who should be commended for his tyre stop just as he was condemned in Monaco, took courage!

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

I think it's gotta be Kyvat, as he drove a flawless race. Almost everyone else had some point of weakness during the race....

Hamilton: his was clearly much slower than his teammate in the early damp conditions, and got very lucky in that final stop that the rain came. Otherwise he would have been a very distant 2nd as it seemed like he was coming in either way.

Rosberg: he was decent, but he did fail to pass either one of the Williams in the dry, and ultimately ended up 10s behind Hamilton

Vettel: he had bad luck the first couple of laps with Kyvat and Perez forcing their way through, and Hulk at the start, but passed Perez, got Kyvat and Hulk in the pits, then was very fast in the wet and jumped the Williams. Even without pitting on the correct lap he was only about 5s behind Bottas, so Bottas was never going to hold him off. Oh and he passed Kimi. The weak point in Vettels race was in the dry after the first stops, he was unable to catch Kimi and dropped a couple of seconds. Otherwise a very good race.

Massa: nah, he was a mobile chicane in the first part of the race, making sure Williams fail to capitilise on a potential win

Bottas: nah, he might have been quick early on, but he never managed to pass Massa and when the rain came he was lapping 3-4s a lap slower than Massa. That's some serious bad wet weather driving.

Hulk: great start up to 5th, but was slow thereafter. When the rain came he was very quick at times, but seemed to be slower in the heavier rain as he dropped a long way off Kyvat.

Perez was slow. Kimi was a muppet sitting out there for so long losing 10s a lap, and was slow when the rain came anyway.

Alonso: Took his teammate out through his own error, went on to finish 10th with only the Manors and Ericsson behind him, who was closing 4-6s a lap at the end but ran out of laps, and was only behind because he put on the wrong tyres. Not exactly a star drive, he finished maybe 1 position higher than he should have.

That just leaves Kyvat: passed Vettel on the first or second lap, jumped Hulk in the pit stops, caught Vettel again who had undercut him. He was very fast in the wet, I think only Rosberg and Hulk were faster than him at one point. If he pitted on the same lap as Vettel he would have been 4th, maybe even 3rd as he was faster. In the end caught Bottas, another lap and he would easily have been past him.

Good analysis. I hardly saw any of Daniil's race, but could see it was up there as a very good drive.

Originally Posted by wnut

Gave it to Massa, faultless, pity the team didn't support him properly.

Want to give it to Lewis who should be commended for his tyre stop just as he was condemned in Monaco, took courage!

I want Massa to take the initiative on the tyre stop, though. He could have called it.

[Mekola]

Alonso this time - He has finally scored a point!

[steve_r]

Hamilton and Vettel for me. I gave it to the race winner. I was hoping to be able to vote for Massa.

[Born Racer]

Either Hamilton, Vettel or Hulkenberg for me. Not too sure I have enough to go on to vote for Nico. Obviously a good performance also in an improved car, but I'm not sure whether to quite go for driver of the GP. Either Hamilton or Vettel then and I'll go for Hamilton because Vettel at least had time to hear of Hamilton's call for intermediates. I don't know if he made his own call regardless. In either case, well seized opportunity by both of them, but for the benefit of the doubt and the extra 'pressure' of getting back to the front in your home Grand Prix, I'll opt for Lewis.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Alonso, he brought it home and in the points.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Alonso, he brought it home and in the points.

And it didnt blow up. or make the tea when he was wobbling round the back! Progress...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

And it didnt blow up. or make the tea when he was wobbling round the back! Progress...

You missed the bit, where he took out his good buddy JB.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

You missed the bit, where he took out his good buddy JB.

That was strategic, to reduce miles on his engine, for next race

[Grandpa_Rob]

Hamilton, awesome inters call, job done !

[bauble]

Got to be Felipe for his trademark lightning start that certainly spiced up the first half of the race, and for giving hope that we might have had an unexpected outcome. The somewhat biased commentators that I heard said that Valterri was quicker and should have been allowed passed, but the only time the Finn looked like getting close was using DRS, hardly evidence that he was faster than Massa round a lap.

Great drive spoilt by pit stops and rain, but an excellent fourth place and ahead (well) of his younger team mate.

If that is not reason enough he also brought a smile to Frank and Clare Williams faces. Nice to see.

Well that's my opinion, and you can ...........

Cheers,

Bauble.

[stripedcat]

Well - Hamilton did win it - but he had to work for it. Those Williams had him at the start. Fair play to him for making the good call for tyres in the wet.

Vettel made an inspired choice for the pitstop as well. Making up for the Ferrari's lack of pace in the dry.

My heart goes out to both of the Williams drivers. Felipe made a mega start and was holding his teammate at bay for the start of the race. Bottas wanted that win - he tried to overtake.

Good showing for Kyvat making it up to 6th.

DOTOR - My head says Vettel for the good pit-call and making it up to 3rd; my heart says Felipe for that mega start and leading those first lot of laps - as well as racing his teammate. I'm going to give it to Felipe.

[F1Pete]

Can someone provide me a good reason to vote for Kimi???

[wnut]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

Can someone provide me a good reason to vote for Kimi???

He didn't get it all crossed up and drive into the side of his team mate, unlike somebody else who has got votes?

[bauble]

Now! We all entitled to our opinion, and it is not for me to criticise anyone else's choice, however, might I gently point out to those of my fellow voters who plumped for Alonso that;

He only scored a point due to the attrition, and as this was mainly caused by the elimination of the two Loti, and his team mate at the first opportunity, all caused by an over ambitious Ricciardo!!

So while I have already cast my vote, can I nominate Daniel as a better choice than Fernando?

[mikuni]

I voted Bottas because he discarded team orders and tried to pass Massa. Bottas was giving heaps of room, which was the obvious reason he didn't get passed, but I think if the team backed him, allowed him to up the engine power and go for it early on, he had a very real chance of winning this one. I'm quite disappointed with Williams. Another complete shambles of a race when it was almost gifted to them on a platter. They aim for 3rd in every race. If they aimed for the win, hell, they might even get it!

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by mikuni

I voted Bottas because he discarded team orders and tried to pass Massa. Bottas was giving heaps of room, which was the obvious reason he didn't get passed, but I think if the team backed him, allowed him to up the engine power and go for it early on, he had a very real chance of winning this one. I'm quite disappointed with Williams. Another complete shambles of a race when it was almost gifted to them on a platter. They aim for 3rd in every race. If they aimed for the win, hell, they might even get it!

But surely the team said he could race after a couple of minutes of hold station while we think about things?

I also disagree with everything else you say! They were outclassed by the Merc's, and at no point was a 'gifted' win on a platter coming their way. But that outclassing wasn't due to aiming low, just to not being as good. Damn close though. The rain probably stopped them having one or two cars on the podium, more than any tactical issues.

[stripedcat]

Originally Posted by mikuni

I voted Bottas because he discarded team orders and tried to pass Massa. Bottas was giving heaps of room, which was the obvious reason he didn't get passed, but I think if the team backed him, allowed him to up the engine power and go for it early on, he had a very real chance of winning this one. I'm quite disappointed with Williams. Another complete shambles of a race when it was almost gifted to them on a platter. They aim for 3rd in every race. If they aimed for the win, hell, they might even get it!

Although I was cheering the Williams on - and hoping for a win - as well as Bottas to pull-off a pass - I don't think Williams had the performance to win at Silverstone. Yes - they might have been able to hold-off Lewis with the "tyre undercut" if Bottas had been ahead of Massa with a decent lead - but when the rain came - they would have been in trouble. Their car just doesn't like the wet - look at the Japanese race from last year! Poor Bottas could barely hold the thing on track.