Driver of the race. (YOU MAY NEED TO RE-SUBMIT YOUR VOTE)

[Menelaos]

Kirk - Sure, but no one was that much better compared to the others, that's what I mean

[enemy-ace]

It would seem the assumption is that Montoya was dogging it today for Kimi's benefit. Personally I saw a driver (Kimi) who was absolutely on it and JPM didn't have the pace to match. JPM had the advantage of track position going into the safety car period but once Kimi cleared the slower cars his pace was astounding. Kimi has been the faster of the two pretty much all year and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise today.
I am going to give my vote to JV however. He managed a tricky car on heavy fuel and was quick when he needed to be. Set his fastest lap(s) at the end of the race whilst under pressure from Ralf who set the fastest lap while in pursuit.

[GolddustMini]

Originally Posted by enemy-ace

there is no evidence to suggest otherwise today.

apart from the pole, the quicker start and erm.... the fact that kimi could have overtaken him at any time but didnt.

what would be the point of montoya going hell for leather all race before having to give the lead to kimi, increasing his chances of spinning out or suffering mechanical failure. after gifting the win to kimi he dropped back on clearly shot tyres into the comfortable cushion over alonso in 3rd place. he did all he had to, apart from not get into a tangle with pizzi.


no way was montoya the driver off the race but neither was kimi, he was spoonfed a racewin by his teammate.

i voted for button.

[f1manoz]

Button. He's shown recently he does have a bit of fire in the belly with some overtaking moves. The one on JV was quite impressive.

Speaking of JV, kudos to him. On a one-stopper, the car looked like an absolute beast after his stop but still brought it home in the points.

[Louis B.]

JV obVillenously!

In all fairness, JB might deserve it but nah... just too difficult for me. My comments on the others are:

KR: Fine drive, he pushed when he had to but it was just too obvious that JPM and/or Mclarens would hand him up the win;

JPM: He's got a talent to be at the wrong place at the wrong time;

FA: Did what he had to do but that was way too conservative for the title of driver of this eventful race;

Monteiro: Fine drive but we didn't see enough of him. His point though is worth more than all those he made at Indy;

Ralf: His decision to go with slick was way over-optimistic. It was just too big a mistake;

Webber: Fine race too. Actually I should perhaps have voted for him but I don't recall anything about his race other than the fact that he drove a clean one;

Massa: not listed but I take offence with his usual after race comment (echoed by Knowlesy) that he would have finished on the podium but for his wrong shift to slicks. It is amazing that those who are criticising the JV fans for their use of would-have-done-great-if arguments use the same counter-argument to cast shade over JV's performance. The fact of the matter is that Massa remained awfully slow and kept being overtaken even after he put back intermediate tyres. Please also have a look to the fastest laps and compare him with JV (FM's fastest lap of the race was 3.5 s. slower than JV's best eventhough FM with his two stop strategy for fuel ran low fuel tank loads more often than JV).

JV: A sterling race with a poorly set up car (that's his fault, I agree). He was awfully slow with heavy load of fuels but still was able to keep it on the track and, more importantly, was able to fight clean. He had good, enjoyable to watch and CLEAN fights with Alonso, Button, NK and RS.

RB: The first one to get it right with slicks. Too opportunist though...

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally Posted by Menelaos

Boots, Ralf showed real pace and "was unlucky to lose out through the tyre change"? No he was not unlucky, his team (and him) made a wrong choice. Apart from that don't you think he was SO LUCKY with the safety car? Come on, his going up there was 100% luck and he's falling back down was 90% team mistake.

He was unfortunate that he had to pit at an awkward time in the race - intermediates weren't working as well as they had been because the track was drying, it was too damp for slicks and he had to pit for fuel. At the time, either decision could have been seen as a gamble, and unfortunately they went the wrong way and lost out. It was nevertheless a very positive performance, from Ralf and the team.

[Joe Taylor]

I voted for Ralf on the grounds that he was the fastest today until the mistake with the tyres (but otoh, the track had a clear dry line at that point), although I think that Monteiro deserves credit for beating several supposedly faster cars

[Daisy]

I voted for Ralf, most pitstops of everyone, was very quick after his first pitstop, team made mistake for the slicks, but came back in the points and drove fastest lap of the race.

But also impressive drivers from both McLarens, Button, Webber, Villeneuve and Monteiro. Altough Monteiro deserved a drive trough penalty for taking Doornbos' grid position

[Born Racer]

I voted Montoya on the first poll as I think he drove a better race overall than Raikkonen.

I haven't changed my mind about how I rate his race, but I've voted Button now because he really did drive a stonking race. Tactically things worked for him nicely, but he also put in some good moves and overall proved his credentials once again. He's starting to answer my doubts about his overtaking abilities.

A pity for Ralf about the decision to change to dries. His pace was such that he may have passed Montoya and been well off into the lead and won the race.

[Menelaos]

Originally Posted by Ralf's Girl

He was unfortunate that he had to pit at an awkward time in the race - intermediates weren't working as well as they had been because the track was drying, it was too damp for slicks and he had to pit for fuel. At the time, either decision could have been seen as a gamble, and unfortunately they went the wrong way and lost out. It was nevertheless a very positive performance, from Ralf and the team.

Yeah, that's true, it was probably the McLaren team that suggested slicks, they never make the right decisions on this kind of things And Ralf's performance was good indeed, but my point is: let's not forget that he was very lucky with the safety car. I don't say he wasn't good, but being 2nd for some laps was not because he was great, it was because he was lucky with the sc. Apart from that, yes he was very good, and if things had gone his way he'd certainly claim a podium. Same for Trulli. It's a shame Toyota didn't score a podium today, to be honest. They were very good.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Louis B.

RB: The first one to get it right with slicks. Too opportunist though...

no, I that was Webber - thats how he got passed Rubens - Rubens reacted to Webber's pace on dry tyres but it was too late. A great call by Willliams/MW.

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by Rick

no, I that was Webber - thats how he got passed Rubens - Rubens reacted to Webber's pace on dry tyres but it was too late. A great call by Willliams/MW.

Whoops... I stand corrected then. Thks

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Menelaos

Monteiro: once again, why should I care that he scored a point when so many people retired?

Because he didn't retire. Thats a stupid thing to say. He didn't make any silly mistakes and still finished ahead of quite a few other cars who should have beaten him.

[GolddustMini]

i cant believe he said that! really cant

[Menelaos]

No I still don't care. If Sato and Pizzonia hadn't made stupid mistakes he'd be out of the points! If you say he did well because he finished ahead of Klien and Massa I can agree on that one obviously. But being in the points is totally irrelevant. If Pizzonia hadn't taken out JPM and Monteiro didn't get any points would his effort not be as good as it is now? So, that's why I don't care AT ALL if he scored points or not. He did well beating a redbull and a sauber, but whether he got points or not, I don't see why I should care.

[enemy-ace]

Originally Posted by GolddustMini

apart from the pole,

which may have been down to a lighter fuel load. Due to the SC we'll never know who was carrying more.

Originally Posted by GolddustMini

the quicker start

maybe, and I am just saying maybe here, it may have been due to being lighter

Originally Posted by GolddustMini

and erm.... the fact that kimi could have overtaken him at any time but didnt.

yeah and considering it is so easy to overtake in the wet and team prinicples just love having team-mates take each other out.
Still not seeing any evidence to support the fact that JPM had the advantage over Kimi today. He probably did make way for Kimi as well but what would the alternative be? Have Kimi attack him and risk having them both off. I'm not trying to knock JPM here either. I like the guy and his ballsy style, but right now he doesn't have the measure of Raikonnen.

[Black_Flag]

Verry close one between J-V., Webber, Button and Monteiro but my vot goes to j-v because he had the 5ft best average time and that on a one stopper.

1 M. WEBBER 1:54.713
2 R. SCHUMACHER 1:54.969
3 J. BUTTON 1:55.107
4 K. RAIKKONEN 1:55.772
5 J. VILLENEUVE 1:56.107
Massa 12e
12 F. MASSA 1:58.383


And the 7th best lap of the race.

1 R. SCHUMACHER 1:51.453
2 M. WEBBER 1:52.287
3 C. KLIEN 1:52.582
4 R. BARRICHELLO 1:52.590
5 J. BUTTON 1:53.323
6 K. RAIKKONEN 1:53.810
7 J. VILLENEUVE 1:54.251
16 F. MASSA 1:57.748

[Dixie Flatline]

Easy decision for me - not too often that my favourite driver is listed amongst the potentials for driver of the race.

A good strategy and a good drive culminated in a handy three points for JV, at the right time of the season.

He's my man of the race.

[VilleneuveTracy]

*drumroll please* ...JV!!!!

[mabs_nsx]

JB P3
MW P4
JV P6
TS DNF

Sato 16 races 1 point

Sato has already got a 10-place grid penalty for the next race so he can't get another 10-place grid penalty if his engine blows so he can do alot of laps in practice.

My vote went to JV.

[johnh875]

Button for the overtaking moves ahead of several very worthy performances

[dsg]

I thought JB and MW were almost equal for driver of the race. In the end I gave it to Webber because of the decision to change to slicks at the right time enabled him to gain a couple of places

[Halsey]

I voted for Mark Webber, given he's been prone to making mistakes (and having accidents) in recent races, which have cost him and whoever he's tangled with dearly. Some might say he's also had his fair share of bad luck in the recent past, too... So given the day's trying conditions in which it was so easy to be caught out (as shown), I think he drove a really good race. Being the first driver to change to slick and to have it pay off was well timed/calculated, too.

I also think that Button drove a really smart race.

[Hein]

Button, Kimi, Mark, JV, Schu Jnr

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Black_Flag

Verry close one between J-V., Webber, Button and Monteiro but my vot goes to j-v because he had the 5ft best average time and that on a one stopper.

1 M. WEBBER 1:54.713
2 R. SCHUMACHER 1:54.969
3 J. BUTTON 1:55.107
4 K. RAIKKONEN 1:55.772
5 J. VILLENEUVE 1:56.107
Massa 12e
12 F. MASSA 1:58.383


And the 7th best lap of the race.

1 R. SCHUMACHER 1:51.453
2 M. WEBBER 1:52.287
3 C. KLIEN 1:52.582
4 R. BARRICHELLO 1:52.590
5 J. BUTTON 1:53.323
6 K. RAIKKONEN 1:53.810
7 J. VILLENEUVE 1:54.251
16 F. MASSA 1:57.748

Wouldnt those times provide greater evidence for either Ralf or Webber as opposed to JV? RS and MW get my choice though, Ralf got the setup right, but was robbed with that stategy error, whilst Webber kept it together and didnt lose his cool in the first sting being stuck midfield.