[Official] Driver of the Grand Prix: Brazilian Grand Prix 2016

[F1Pete]

Hmmmm.....I just finished watching the race today on tsn. It wasn't live so it was a condensed version. I did see Kimi in the beginning and then at the next commercial the race was at lap 19 or something, so it was fast forwarded due to time slot issues. They failed to televise Kimi's performance in that time so I can only assume he was driver of the race. Honourable mention goes to Max.

[Purist]

Caution came out for the Sauber crashing at the end of Lap 13. They got going again at the end of Lap 19, and Kimi had one mother of a tank-slapper that got away from him.

Max, obviously. And with this, not to mention that move at Turn 20 in Singapore, and like it or not, his car control under braking when he stopped Hamilton making a move at Suzuka, the Dutchman is scary good.

Now, can we please get Max in a serious piece of kit for some major race at the Nordschleife? Now THAT would be fun to watch!

[RichardRenes]

Of course Max was phenomenal in this race but those 2 points that Nasr scored are much more important to their team than another 3rd for Max. Yes Max will get this one surely but my vote goes to Nasr this time because there may never be another justified opportunity to do so

[wnut]

Max for me.
Nice to see someone charging through the field!

If that slide had occurred in the dry he would have had to pit for new tyres because the rubbish Pirellis would have been done!

Time to get racing tyres and less downforce, there's a new one!

Loved:

"well held Max!" Horner.

"Yeah that did get my heart rate up a bit." Max

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Mad Max for me, because he was fast and exciting, and doing lots of passing. Lewis was faster but not exciting and he had no need to pass anyone. The present vote of 43-2 is biased too far towards Max though.

I've no idea why someone has voted for Nicola. He was somewhere between half a second and a second slower than his team-mate all race, he got mullered by Max early on, and was generally as uninspired as was to be expected in the wet. Sure he only needed second, but he wouldn't have had that if it weren't for the RB switch to inters and back again.

Grosjean? Someone is pulling our .......leg, I think. Crashing before the grid has formed up does not constitute Driver of the Grand Prix. I did feel sorry for him though. It was an easy mistake to make in the conditions, and he must have felt sick to his boots to have wasted such a good qually result.

I voted for Nicola. Despite the rain, the FCY's and the Red flags, he kept it together. There was no way, he was going to get the better of Lewis in those conditions. Lewis is a natural in the rain. Instead, Nicola focused on the job ahead, which is finishing the race and winning the WDC.

Fairplay to Max, he drove a great race, got the jump on Nicola but got let down by the tyre stops but that's part of it. Who called the tyre stops, Max or RBR?

[TF110]

Nasr outperformed his car. I gave the nod to him. Max is an easy pick, but the RB has downforce rivaling the Mercedes, and he had the freshest tires. When he was in 2nd, he had nothing for Lewis, who also used the alternate lines. Rosberg was content with finishing 2nd or 3rd, there's nothing he needs to do other than that to win the wdc, sadly. Max did have a great drive, but I don't think it was out of this world considering his car and tire advantage.

[coppice]

In years to come , nobody will talk of anything about this GP other than Verstappen's sublime drive, one of the best I have ever seen.He made most of the others on track look like cautious amateurs , and also looked like he remembered his karting days better than most did. But he would , wouldn't he?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

Hmmmm.....I just finished watching the race today on tsn. It wasn't live so it was a condensed version. I did see Kimi in the beginning and then at the next commercial the race was at lap 19 or something, so it was fast forwarded due to time slot issues. They failed to televise Kimi's performance in that time so I can only assume he was driver of the race. Honourable mention goes to Max.

He did hit the wall beautifully......


Max was the star - and by a margin which embarrassed most of his rivals, including one particularly sour-graped former multiple F1 champion.....

[old man]

We can only vote for one person and the attention has to be on Max but it is also true that Lewis was supreme, no one ever got close to worrying him. Nico drove the race he had to , that is how you win championships. To have "gone for it" and tried to finish the WDC in such a race would have been a big and unnecessary risk.

All in all a great race

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by coppice

In years to come , nobody will talk of anything about this GP other than Verstappen's sublime drive, one of the best I have ever seen.He made most of the others on track look like cautious amateurs , and also looked like he remembered his karting days better than most did. But he would , wouldn't he?

In years to come, I think what will be talked about will be the Red flags and the weather. I think Verstappen's drive will get a mention but it won't be the first thing that comes to mind.

[chillibowl]

and thats what i love about sports...its up to Max to determine how we remember him.

if he fails to provide another great race in the rain, then yeah Brazil will be looked at as an aberration and a performance predicated on red flags and having a fresh set of rubber.

but if the next time it is wet and he manages to provide another masterclass then this race will be primarily remembered as the first example of his skill in the wet.

sort of reminded of Monaco 1984...not a race i have first hand knowledge of but from what clips i have seen and what i have read tells me the race is notable for two things, the race officials taking a heavy hand and Senna's performance in the wet.

his subsequent drives in the wet now means i only look at that race as an example of his prowess in the wet.

the athlete gets to decide how history is written and thats why sports will always hold a fascination for me.

love it!

[coppice]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

In years to come, I think what will be talked about will be the Red flags and the weather. I think Verstappen's drive will get a mention but it won't be the first thing that comes to mind.

I doubt it . What do we talk about British GP '87- Mansell's running on fumes, Piquet's concussion from Imola or that move into Stowe?

Or Fuji 1976 - not the rain, certainly not Andretti's win but Hunt's championship

Or Dijon 79- not Jabouille's win, not even first turbo win but the scrap between Arnoux and Villeneuve

Some on track events just define a GP. One reason why I loathe tyre changes- nobody is ever going to say 'great choice of supersofts ' about a GP more than 3 days old ..

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by coppice

I doubt it . What do we talk about British GP '87- Mansell's running on fumes, Piquet's concussion from Imola or that move into Stowe?

Or Fuji 1976 - not the rain, certainly not Andretti's win but Hunt's championship

Or Dijon 79- not Jabouille's win, not even first turbo win but the scrap between Arnoux and Villeneuve

Some on track events just define a GP. One reason why I loathe tyre changes- nobody is ever going to say 'great choice of supersofts ' about a GP more than 3 days old ..

When the weather played such a major role, like it did in Sunday's race it's going to be memorable. I can't remember a race with so many laps behind the SC and two Red flags.

You mention Fuji '76 and Hunt winning. Not taking anything away from Hunt but I immediately think of those dark skies, torrential rain and Lauda deciding to retire.

[GT6]

would have loved to have given it to massa but max was outstanding so gets my vote

[Razzzor]

Yes I think this was a great drive from Max but many saying it's one of the greatest they've ever seen needs to refresh their memory banks.

I remember races where Schumacher would be lapping 5-7 seconds a lap faster than the entire field (Spain, Spa) and have a rubbish memory. Button has done the same.a

Max was already in the second equal (with Ferrari) fastest car. He still had nothing for Lewis out front when they were on the same tyres, and even Nico was closing on some laps. What's the bet he would have worn those wets out and struggled to hold off Nico to the end of the race?

If he was still in the Toro Rosso in his rookie season, took pole and won by a decent margin, you'd be talking about THAT for years to come. But of course since then (Monza 2008) Vettel hasn't exactly set the world alight in his wet weather drives. Sometimes he's great, sometimes he's average.

We'll have to see how Max fairs in future in the wet, we haven't had too many of them yet. Charlie doesn't help matters.

But yeah my point is this isn't the greatest drive I've ever seen.

[coppice]

We will agree to disagree -my memory is good enough to recall (dimly ) Clark's drive at Monza '67 and (more clearly ) Rindt's at Monaco '70 and whilst Max wasn't in that class his overtaking commitment and sheer brio made most of the rest of the field look like amateurs and that is what will stick in my memory for a very long time .

[Grandpa_Rob]

Was wondering when Max was going to whip that third ball of his out again....What a drive , at some point l became aware my jaw had dropped ,what a talent.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by coppice

We will agree to disagree -my memory is good enough to recall (dimly ) Clark's drive at Monza '67 and (more clearly ) Rindt's at Monaco '70 and whilst Max wasn't in that class his overtaking commitment and sheer brio made most of the rest of the field look like amateurs and that is what will stick in my memory for a very long time .

Stewart at Nurburgring in 1968 must rate right up there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgd6F-i0JTs

If you look at the visibility, it was probably better than that in Brazil on Sunday. Some of the spray plumes reduced visibility to zero.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by wnut

Stewart at Nurburgring in 1968 must rate right up there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgd6F-i0JTs

If you look at the visibility, it was probably better than that in Brazil on Sunday. Some of the spray plumes reduced visibility to zero.

Those were the days. Notice JYS still has his hand brace on at the end of the video

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Those were the days. Notice JYS still has his hand brace on at the end of the video

We still get those days now in some series. No visibility, driving the Ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcQs86tBJIc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRis4bC_nHI

[S griffin]

That sounds like Hans Stuck commentating in the second video clip

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wnut

Stewart at Nurburgring in 1968 must rate right up there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgd6F-i0JTs

If you look at the visibility, it was probably better than that in Brazil on Sunday. Some of the spray plumes reduced visibility to zero.

They didn't use the underside and rear of the car to generate down force like on a modern F1 car, so a lot of that water is going to be channeled straight into path of the car behind.

Here's the rear view of this year's Renault.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by S griffin

That sounds like Hans Stuck commentating in the second video clip

It does sound like Hans, but I'm not sure it is him......

[wnut]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

They didn't use the underside and rear of the car to generate down force like on a modern F1 car, so a lot of that water is going to be channeled straight into path of the car behind.

Here's the rear view of this year's Renault.

Good point BJ, basically no way you can follow in the wet.

How Max did it, I don't know, certainly probably one of the best wet weather efforts we have ever seen, taking all factors into account.

Awesome pic by the way, you can clearly see how the RR is loaded up.