[Official] Driver of the race- Singapore Grand Prix

[Neil22]

Vettel drove well but I had to give it to Kimi.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by stripedcat

Because he can't overtake and it's all down to Adrian Newey.

Seriously, Seb was just in a class of his own today. Phenomenal pace. Able to get a massive leads and he made it look so easy.

I'll give Alonso runner-up. Bad another monster start and had a decent race.

Kimi gets third place as a decent drive from 13th to 3rd - and with an injury to hamper him.

I'll give a special mention to Jenson Button for at least dragging his McLaren into the points again. He was on for a podium - if his tyres had lasted! Outdriving the machinery that he had there.

I'll vote with you here stripedcat!

[bauble]

Voting for Vettel because he won is a little strange.

I can't see much point in a 'Driver of the Race' poll if you simply pick the winner every time.

Am I missing the point?

Mind you it appears that many pollsters tend to find a reason to vote for their particular favourite, whatever the circumstances, so I will give my vote to Felipe Massa!

'Cos I like him.

[Aysedasi]

It can't be the car because Webber wasn't as good. I now formally submit my claim for a fiver for every time this is said.......

[steve_r]

Vettel at his best. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Still he gets my vote.

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by bauble

Voting for Vettel because he won is a little strange.

I can't see much point in a 'Driver of the Race' poll if you simply pick the winner every time.

Am I missing the point?

Mind you it appears that many pollsters tend to find a reason to vote for their particular favourite, whatever the circumstances, so I will give my vote to Felipe Massa!

'Cos I like him.

Vettel annhialated the field, was so much faster than everyone else that, frankly he made them look a bit silly. Webber was nowhere near him in the same car.

I don't partilcualry like Vettel, but he won on raw pace, and did not have to rely on safety cars to make his stratgy work. So driver of the race was a no brainer for me. For me it's not a case of giving the winner of the race DOTR every time, but if somebody wants to do that, then it is up to them in this wonderful free world.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Vettel annhialated the field, was so much faster than everyone else that, frankly he made them look a bit silly. Webber was nowhere near him in the same car.

I don't partilcualry like Vettel, but he won on raw pace, and did not have to rely on safety cars to make his stratgy work. So driver of the race was a no brainer for me. For me it's not a case of giving the winner of the race DOTR every time, but if somebody wants to do that, then it is up to them in this wonderful free world.

To be frank, I find it difficult to sum up just how good Vettel's drive was, after all this was his seventh win of the year, he took pole, lead from the start, was never headed or challenged after the first corner, all of this in what is indisputably the best car on the grid.
Until there is a serious challenge to the man I have to reserve judgement on his true position in the pantheon of great drivers. The Ferrari is not a patch on the Red Bull, so Alonso bringing it home in second place is to my mind at least, as equally worthy a drive.
The difficulties of overtaking on a street circuit make it difficult to weigh the merits of other drivers as it was mainly the state of their tyres that separated them at the end.

I do not think there is any 'scientific' formula for deciding the 'Driver of the Race', so we must all, surely, agree to disagree, and simply pick the man who did the best job in our own opinion.

Well that's my opinion anyway.

[MagnetON]

Mumbles, 13th to 3rd - class.
Considered giving it to Yoffy though.

[Grandpa_Rob]

Vettel out drove everything except the safety car....he gets my vote.

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by bauble

Voting for Vettel because he won is a little strange.

I can't see much point in a 'Driver of the Race' poll if you simply pick the winner every time.

Am I missing the point?

But it also can't just go to the driver that made up the most positions. Kimi made 10 positions, great. But Grosjean was faster than him throughout the weekend, including the race. He just happened to get stuck behind fast cars and then retire.

Berthon made up 15 positions in the GP2 race in a backmarker car and in only 20 laps. Did that make him DOTR? Hell no. It was just the cirumstances of the tyres, just like the circumstances of tyres and safety car assisted in Kimi and Tefs results.

Don't get me wrong I think those two drove great races, but at the moment Kimi has just as many votes as Vettel for DOTR on here and I think that's ridiculous. That drive by Vettel to build 30secs in 13 laps is one of the most impressive stints I've seen in the last few years, to be lapping 2-3secs a lap faster than EVERYONE in normal racing conditions on the same, if not worse tyres (at least to those that pitted ie Alonso and Kimi). That's pretty incredible.

[FAS33]

GO VETTEL!!!!!!!!! YEEAAH BABAY! take it all the way..............woooohooooooo!

was gonna Vote for Raikkonen, but he didn't have a bad back, and was just over blown by the media yet again, but still an awesome drive, was going to Vote for Daniel Ricciardo, but he had a very bad race. But you can just give up now Guys, UNLESS Seb has a DNF you might as well try your luck next year, Go Vettel.

bring on Korea!

[JamesH]

I rarely vote for the person who has the best car, but Vettel deserves it this time. He really was very very quick, even faster than you would expect given he was in clear air and the fastest car which does temper the achievement a bit .

Was a very good drive indeed, in a rather boring race.

[Dave_G]

I was on the fence between Vettel and Raikkonen. They both drove phenomenal races. I finally went with Vettel because of something my wife said: What if the positions were reversed? If Vettel had started in 13th, could he have worked his way up to third? Very likely. And if Raikkonen had started on pole, could he have stormed away from the field the way Vettel did? Probably not. Vote to Vettel.

[chillibowl]

Vettel for me. granted all the other teams and drivers have completely failed at providing him any challenge this year and that has made things a bit monotonous but i cant blame Vettel for that so he gets my vote. another dominating performance.

excellent start by Alonso. without that the race would have been over a lot sooner so credit to him for making it look closer then it really was.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Kimi for me. Half way through I was thinking 'I'll actually vote for Vettel this time' but when he just creamed it away from the pack after the safety car as if they were all taking part in the support race - sorry. Yes, he's 'great', we know all about that now but the lack of any kind of challenge to him is making this such a bore. As others have said, this track is a study in tedium anyway. Nigh-on a waste of time even watching the highlights...



But do you really think Vettel is 20 seconds better than Alonso?

He was yesterday...

[Spritle]

I guess Hammy was grateful for his difficult time on Sunday as he prefers difficult success...

http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motors...ry/126573.html



Who does he think he is kidding? He'd kill for another WDC and probably expected he would have at least 3 or more by now, (along with most of his fan club). Now all of a sudden he is qualifying the type of success he wants to somehow diminish what Vettel has accomplished?

And no I don't think it is mind games because I really don't think he is that clever. I guess it is somewhat apropos that there is green on that Merc because Lewis is green with envy.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

He was yesterday...

Yesterday (sic) he was in a Red Bull. Alonso wasn't.....

But yes, I have to accept that facts is facts.....

Originally Posted by Spritle

Who does he think he is kidding? He'd kill for another WDC and probably expected he would have at least 3 or more by now....

I somehow doubt that.....

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by FAS33

GO VETTEL!!!!!!!!! YEEAAH BABAY! take it all the way..............woooohooooooo!

was gonna Vote for Raikkonen, but he didn't have a bad back, and was just over blown by the media yet again, but still an awesome drive, was going to Vote for Daniel Ricciardo, but he had a very bad race. But you can just give up now Guys, UNLESS Seb has a DNF you might as well try your luck next year, Go Vettel.

bring on Korea!

That's one race I'm not looking forward to.

[Aysedasi]

Just the one then........

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Just the one then........

There're a few more....

[chunder]

I doubt a real race fan would ever award car and driver domination

I never do, it makes me sick, I respect it, but never want it or enjoy it, and surely they can see it isn't doing Seb or the team any favours, but why do they care they have unlimited money, unlimited everything. Bt very little fans that I see.

Kimi drove a beauty, usually does, and isn't getting paid! Fair enough.

Fan boys might like watching domination but for me it is making people and sponsors turn off and that is enough for me to never give this effort a vote, it is totally dull, driven by money and marketing and not at all interesting.

I want sport and this is not doing anyone any favours apart from him and them.

[Spritle]

Originally Posted by chunder

...it is totally dull, driven by money and marketing and not at all interesting.

Kimi drove a beauty, usually does, and isn't getting paid!

Money, isn't that the stuff that Kimi left Lotus in search of...

I get the distaste some fans have for domination but what is RBR supposed to do, what is any sports team, athlete, whatever supposed to do, seriously...throw races, sit out a few, take afternoon tea during a pit stop...?

Stuff happens in sport and sometimes the same person/team wins time after time. It happens all the time in tennis, football and the Olympics without half the whinging or hatred. It just seems that in today's politically correct world, some people have this notion that isn't fair or that everyone should be a winner.

As a Ferrari fan, I enjoyed domination thoroughly during Schumi's successful run. Now I'm not enjoying it so much, but I feel the same way now as I did then. The rest need to step up their game the way Renault, MacLaren, Brawn, and now Red Bull have since the Ferrari domination ended.

It won't last forever, it never does.

[Aysedasi]

Sure. It's nothing new. But it doesn't mean we always have to clap in delight..... Vettel fans are loving it. I don't blame them at all. I don't pretend to be one of them, so I'm not so chuffed. I guess I'll have to deal with that....

[chunder]

I don't really support any team or driver.

I am British and I suppose deep down I have more desire for Jenson or Lewis to win, but not at the expense of racing as a whole. I like the fact they fight for wins, ike a Crutchlow or Toseland did. I didn't enjoy Fogarty dominating as thousands seemed to.

My fave race of the last few years was Montreal when Jenson caught Seb on the last lap and forced him to make a mistake.

Not because Jenson won, not because it proved that under severe pressure Seb is vulnerable and makes mistakes, but because it was theatre, it was unknown until that last minute, it showed fallibility and also great skill and control.

THAT to me is racing, not leading by 2 seconds after one lap and not passing anyone for the rest of the race because your car is designed so perfectly.

Cleary not everyone can do it, but it is about as interesting to watch as Sampras, Hendry, Man Utd, Marquez, Schumacher, Jimmie Johnson, Audi at Le Mans, mid 80's McLaren.

All are or were utterly inevitable, and that ain't sport for me I am afraid.

[andy666]

Seb , I was surprised at the gaps he was pulling in such a short amount of laps . Big respect to Kimi for a great drive with a back problem and also to Alonso for another monster start .