US Grand Prix: Driver of the race

[Adam43]

OK here we are again. We will start with a quick reminder of what this competition is about.

After every race, I will run a poll "Driver of the race". You can vote however you like, but for this to work members need to vote for the best race weekend performance, regardless if its your favorite driver or not. It will become pointless if Montoya fans vote for Juan or Webber fans vote for Mark (unless they deserve it of course ).

The polls will run for 10 days, and then the votes will show a winner, 2nd and 3rd.

Winner - 5 points
2nd - 3 points
3rd - 1 point

We will continue to do this every race and at the end, the points will be added and a Ten-Tenths Driver of the Year will be crowned.

Our champion could drive a Ferrari, Williams, Sauber or even a Minardi, as the race results are unimportant, but what the driver acheived on a race by race basis over the season.

First nominations (others can be added):

Michael Schumacher. Quick when it mattered and what a restart
Rubens Barrichello. Probably the fastest Ferrari driver over the weekend.
Fernado Alonso. What a start.
Jarno Trulli. Climbed through the field from the back.
Juan Pablo Montoya. Ditto.
Takumo Sato. A podium and some great overtaking.
Jenson Button. Had pace.
Oliver Panis. A quick Toyota in Q and a decent lap in the race, finished with decent points.
Kimi Raikkonen. Out of position, but not in a DC way.
Zsolt Baumgartner. A point. For Minardi.

Have I missed anyone worth a vote?

[Dani Filth]

we all know it's gonna be sato . but i'll pick Rubens .. he would have had a better chance if not for those SC .. but that's racing . close second MS and TS .
worth mentioning .. Panis and Zsolt

[Inigo Montoya]

I went for Sato this time around, but really, Michael was again flawless, wasn't he?

[Knowlesy]

Has to be Sato san!

[Kicking-back]

Sato.

[Damon]

Got to be Taku. Would have won if BAR hadn't screwed up during the safety car period.

[Dani Filth]

no Damon . i don't think he would .... exactly as i predicted ..

[f1manoz]

Sato. He'd have been much closer to winning if BAR hadn't screwed up with the safety car.

[beefy]

I had to go for Sato for sheer determination throughout the race.

[ralf fan]

Taku

[Mr V]

Went for Taku, proberbly would have been JPM (for the first time this season on my part) had he not been excluded from the race.

[beau]

ooooooooo look i'am the only one of 2 who says Micheal Schumacher

[Snrub]

I'm not too enthusiastic about Sato, but he put in a very nice performance at Indy.

[Pitstop]

I voted for Kimi - 'cos he managed to finish in an absolute dog of a car.

[gert]

My vote goes to Sato.
If only they got the pitstop timing right, who know how close he could have been?

Thumbs up to:
Trulli for coming from the back end of the grid.
Montoya - same. Great drive in his backup car. Cruel to be taken out that way.
Baumgartner - to take points you've first got to take the car home. He did exactly that.

Can't include Rubens, sorry... Fastest Ferrari all weekend long... he should have won. Everything else makes him first loser.
Or Michael... nothing spectacular this time around. The overtaking was as much luck as timing IMO...

Edited: corrected spelling mistake

[beau]

Better make that 3 forgot to count my own vote

[grumpy1]

Its got to be Sato san.
Honourable mention to Minardi as a team for finially getting a car into the points.Well done Zolt.

The Grumpy1

[Mark Webber]

Trulli last to 4th is a top drive in any book

[BertMk2]

Sato - great drive, consistently fast, lots of great overtakes and finished on the podium despite a strategy.

Honourable mentions to Trulli and JPM for storming through the field from the back and to Heidfeld for running far higher than the Jordan should have been. Should mention Zsolt for just getting to the end.

Who had a race? Barrichello - threw it away, BAR for the strategy and mustn't forget the medics for taking so long to get to Ralf.

I also thought Panis was out of order with his swerve on Taku, suprised that wasn't investigated really.

[jj2728]

m. schumacher......

[Gt_R]

Here's my top 3:

1) Sato : Exciting and fast...when the critics are sharpening their knives. Many good overtaking moves, let down by BAR screw up.

2) Rubens : May not be obvious to some, but he's flying the whole weekend. Quick in practice, in qualifying and in race. Unfortunate with restart and pit, but would have clinched victory otherwise.

3) Michael : Flawless drive despite difficult car. But teammate was just a bit better this race...luck played a small part in helping him win again..but a good drive overall, and the restart is one of his better ones

[dcp2685]

I said Panis. I think this guy often goes unnoticed. Solid drive in what could be the 8th best car on the grid...and to get 5th? Good result on a track where power and speed are crucial. And Toyota has the power.

[gert]

Originally posted by Gt_R
Here's my top 3:

1) Sato
2) Rubens
3) Michael

I would agree with putting Rubens in the top 3 if we were to choose the driver of the weekend.

If it is a driver of the race, i can't place Rubens before Michael: it's obvious that he was faster almost the whole weekend, but...
when you start before your teammate, are as fast or even faster and still end up behind him, then either yourself or your team screwed up... I can't see how that rates as a better race than that of your team mate.

No disrespect meant: he had a good weekend but I don't think he had a better RACE than Michael.

edit: corrected some typos

[NiceGuyEddie]

But who's Takumo Sato?

[GP Racer]

I was lucky enough to be there, and I got to see some great racing from many of the drivers, that I would have missed on TV.

Have to go with Sato. Fast, aggressive, and unafraid. He's got the daring-do, that seems so missing today.

Rubens should have had the win, but he let Michael beat him on the straight. Cmon Rubens!