[Official] Driver of the race: Italian Grand Prix

[andy666]

The Hulk , because I am English , and hopefully I have helped to get him in the spotlight .

[Mekola]

Hamilton.

[Gingers4Justice]

Not voting for my favourite driver of the race. I often vote for the driver who's performance set the tone for the race. The race was dull, and it was dull because of Vettel's dominance. So he gets my vote.

[Danny27]

Hulkenberg for me too.

[Hawkwood]

Giving my vote to Hulkenburg for outperforming what the Sauber by a massive margin.

[Adam43]

Who am I allowed to vote for?

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Who am I allowed to vote for?

it depends on the timezone...

[Teretonga]

Vettel, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Hamilton all had aspects of their day that meant there was something to applaud them for but I gave mine to Hamilton simply because it seemed he did more 'racing passing' than the others.

[F1Pete]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Pete, you are nothing if not a consistent voter.....

I'll ask Born Racer if he can put your vote in automatically for all future polls. A week in advance.......

Yep, I am just like Kimi....consistent!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by IceMan_PJN

I give this to Lewis. It was a poor finish, but that alone doesn't tell the story. He started back in the field after an unfortunate qualifying blunder, and then had to make one more pit stop than just about everyone, and still made it into the points. He almost gained a couple more positions still at the end.

Oh dear!

Vettel.

Honourable mention to Hulk and another to Massa for backing Webber off Alonso and out of second place.

POT - Webber for compromising everything off the start!

Rather do himself and RBR harm than see Vettel succeed, now that's what I call a team mate!

Great to see him actually succeed in making a start for once!

[Razzzor]

Vettel was his usual dominant self. Hulk was DOTR for me though, only a second behind Massa and 5 behind Alonso and Webber, that's pretty good for a Sauber. Riccardo was good too, holding off Rosberg all race. I'd love to have seen Nico hold his position or move up to 2nd at the start, he may have kept it. And if it rained, he probably would have won.

Hamilton's gotten a tonne of votes simply because he was exciting. But ultimately he converted to a normal 2 stop race (though it was forced). How many times did Schumacher, throughout his career, suddenly switch strategy during a race in order to try something else when he was behind? Hamilton's slow puncture didn't cost him any time, and he was then able to go out and do two short medium tyre stints. The time at which he pitted was fine for a two stopper, maybe a bit early, but even if it was planned he probably would have pitted earlier anyway to get out of traffic. Obviously it wasn't planned, but it didn't really hurt him that much (unlike Kimi).

If anyone else was on this strategy we would have seen something similar. In the end he started 12th and finished 9th, which one of those positions was from Vergne's retirement, and he also would have had to deal with the Force India's if they didn't have problems. Some good passes from him though, and he was only 23 secs behind Rosberg (the equivalent of a pitstop). But the commentators did say a two stop is about 10 secs slower, so he did make up that difference, even with traffic. But then Rosberg was stuck behind Ricciardo all race long anyway. Exciting race from Hammo, but not DOTR.

Kimi was a stark difference, he was forced onto a two stop race but had to do it from the first lap of the race, so really he didn't get the advantage of two shorter med tyre stints and still had to make his tyres last like everyone else. And he still only JUST got passed by Lewis at the very end when his car was having problems.

So I think Kimi, although he didn't do any great passes, was more impressive than Lewis. If you look at the lap times Kimi was doing in clean air, they were actually as fast as Vettel. He was fast enough to be with the leaders and on the podium.

As for Alonso... almost great pass on Webber, but then he hit him! So he was lucky to get away with it. He could easily have got a puncture, spun around, and everyone would be calling him an idiot then.
After that, Webber was faster than him (even with all his car issues) and even Massa kept up, so I wouldn't call that a good drive from Alonso. He didn't really have to pass Nico on track and Massa just let him by.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Hamilton's gotten a tonne of votes simply because he was exciting. But ultimately he converted to a normal 2 stop race (though it was forced). How many times did Schumacher, throughout his career, suddenly switch strategy during a race in order to try something else when he was behind? Hamilton's slow puncture didn't cost him any time, and he was then able to go out and do two short medium tyre stints. The time at which he pitted was fine for a two stopper, maybe a bit early, but even if it was planned he probably would have pitted earlier anyway to get out of traffic. Obviously it wasn't planned, but it didn't really hurt him that much (unlike Kimi).

If anyone else was on this strategy we would have seen something similar. In the end he started 12th and finished 9th, which one of those positions was from Vergne's retirement, and he also would have had to deal with the Force India's if they didn't have problems. Some good passes from him though, and he was only 23 secs behind Rosberg (the equivalent of a pitstop). But the commentators did say a two stop is about 10 secs slower, so he did make up that difference, even with traffic. But then Rosberg was stuck behind Ricciardo all race long anyway. Exciting race from Hammo, but not DOTR.

Erm, no, none of that was really relevant in my choice. The guy actually did some racing - real racing - and that's becoming quite important to me the way things are going.

[henners88]

Well for me there were plenty of good drives throughout the race. If I had to pick a driver I would struggle but two that stick out are Hulkenburg and Hamilton. Nico put his car where nobody expected and finished in a very good position. I think Ferrari will be knocking on his door this morning. Hamilton messed up by his own admission in qualy, but more than made up for it in the race. He finished a lowly ninth, but I have to say he showed his true racing ability in the final laps of the race. He also provided the best entertainment for the fans I think. Alonso is worth a mention too I would say. Felipe let him go early on as he was drifting backwards and Fernando was able to push like mad until the end. A well deserved second place.

Again it seems to be a race where I just can't award the winner as my drive of the day. It all just looked too easy from the front and I feel the Red Bull package in the hands of Vettel is just too hard to match. A good job from them, but highly dull for the rest of us. At least we had some decent racing a bit further back.

[steve_r]

Hulkenberg. That car should not have been where it was.

[stripedcat]

It is a tough choice. Vettel produced another amasing performance - apart from the rather dodgy wheel lock-up into the 1st chicane. That could have easily compromised his race, but he had it under control. He also managed the problems with the tyres and needing to short shift.

Felipe moved up a notch in his performance. Shame he was hampered by a bad pitstop.

Alonso performed an amasing overtake on Webber.

Webber struggled with a broken front wing and having to short shift. Shame about his starts.

Kimi had to produce a late charge and also had no KERs at the end.

Lewis had to overcome his rather naff qualifying performance.

Jenson put on a strong display with the McLaren.

The Hulk managed to get his car to 5th and had an amasing qualifying.

On balance I am going to give it to the Hulk for getting outperforming the car.

[Born Racer]

Nico Hulkenberg because I'm a Pitcairn Islander and we like the underdog.

A standout performance by him and also by Sebastian Vettel, who was incredible yesterday.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by wnut

Oh dear!

Is Hamilton a bad choice?

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Is Hamilton a bad choice?

Hi Adam43, yes I think so, Razzzor put it pretty well in his post above:

"If anyone else was on this strategy we would have seen something similar. In the end he started 12th and finished 9th, which one of those positions was from Vergne's retirement, and he also would have had to deal with the Force India's if they didn't have problems. Some good passes from him though, and he was only 23 secs behind Rosberg (the equivalent of a pitstop). But the commentators did say a two stop is about 10 secs slower, so he did make up that difference, even with traffic. But then Rosberg was stuck behind Ricciardo all race long anyway. Exciting race from Hammo, but not DOTR." [Razzzor]

He was good to watch, but not DOTR.

I try and look at the driver who did the best job, or significantly out performed the car, Lewis unfortunately wrecked his DOTR possibilities with a poor qualifying and the rest sadly was trying to make up the problem.
He really worked hard and I love the fight in him, but the blot still remained this week end.

He has been really good this season though! Good to see!

[Neil22]

Gave it to Hamilton but Massa did well with what the team gave him.

[Beryl]

Vettel or Hulkenburg, nobody else stood out really.

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Riccardo was good too, holding off Rosberg all race.

Some good passes from him though, and he was only 23 secs behind Rosberg (the equivalent of a pitstop). But the commentators did say a two stop is about 10 secs slower, so he did make up that difference, even with traffic. But then Rosberg was stuck behind Ricciardo all race long anyway.

Two things:
1. Rosberg wasn't stuck behind Ricciardo during the second stint, he was stuck behind Hulkenburg.
2. Gary Anderson meant that the 2-stop strategy is 10 seconds slower lights to flag in clean air, meaning Hamilton didn't make up the difference seeing as how he was more than 10 seconds behind at the end (though traffic did play a part in both Merc races so it's not a great comparison anyway).

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Erm, no, none of that was really relevant in my choice. The guy actually did some racing - real racing - and that's becoming quite important to me the way things are going.

To be honest, passing slower cars that are on older harder rubber with DRS (on a track like Monza no less) isn't exactly my cup of tea.

It was the circumstances that forced Hamilton into those moves. Before the slow puncture he was in line like everybody else, stuck behind Vergne.

[Teretonga]

What I like about this thread is that its an opinion.

I can give my vote to the driver who I considered the best performance of the day for what ever reason I want to and I don't need to explain myself, nor do I need to make everyone agree with my opinion.
I can just vote and, if I choose to, walk away.....

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by Beryl

Vettel or Hulkenburg, nobody else stood out really.Two things:
2. Gary Anderson meant that the 2-stop strategy is 10 seconds slower lights to flag in clean air, meaning Hamilton didn't make up the difference seeing as how he was more than 10 seconds behind at the end (though traffic did play a part in both Merc races so it's not a great comparison anyway).To be honest, passing slower cars that are on older harder rubber with DRS (on a track like Monza no less) isn't exactly my cup of tea.

It was the circumstances that forced Hamilton into those moves. Before the slow puncture he was in line like everybody else, stuck behind Vergne.

Oh yeah, of course you're right, I was thinking the 2 pit stops 25secs +10sec more for the strategy, but that wouldn't even make sense. It's only a single pit stop + 10secs. So he should have been only 15secs behind Rosberg at the end not 23secs. Of course traffic would have played it's part in that, but Hamilton did have more clean air during the race as well than Rosberg did, as did Kimi. In fact Kimi was in clean air the whole race until the end right?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

What I like about this thread is that its an opinion.

I can give my vote to the driver who I considered the best performance of the day for what ever reason I want to and I don't need to explain myself, nor do I need to make everyone agree with my opinion.
I can just vote and, if I choose to, walk away.....

Yep. Agreed. Perhaps we should just have the poll and no posts thereafter!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

What I like about this thread is that its an opinion.

I can give my vote to the driver who I considered the best performance of the day for what ever reason I want to and I don't need to explain myself, nor do I need to make everyone agree with my opinion.
I can just vote and, if I choose to, walk away.....

Yes you can post anything you want to, and then just walk away from it anywhere you like on this forum.
However if you take the time to explain something and justify it, you usually improve your understanding of something and the rest of out understanding on a subject. Personally, I usually enjoy the banter that goes on here, there is very little that I feel is actively malicious, and when it is, I usually then just walk away from it.

You are entitled to any opinion you like!

[Aysedasi]

As long as it's the correct one.




Only joking. You don't HAVE to agree with me all the time.