[Official] Driver of the race : Abu Dhabi GP

[Alan Raine]

Went for Alonso but it's good to see Hamilton in happy mode again.

Good to see Button and Webber can go wheel to wheel with no contact.

[TrapezeArtist]

I find I need a very good reason to give DOTR to anyone but the winner. After all they've done what everyone should be setting out to do. So Hamilton, it is.

Very honourable mention to Alonso for a sparkling drive.

Honourable mention to Rubinho too, for charging up from the back.

Plonker of the Race goes to Maldonado.

It's hard to know about Button. Perhaps he did a brilliant job to get on the podium with a car with no/erratic KERS. Or perhaps it was just a sound job without being special.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by strider

Good to see you back, too!

Cheers! Yes, I've been largely absent for a few months for a number of reasons, but hoping to post more regularly now.

[herowassenna]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

I find I need a very good reason to give DOTR to anyone but the winner. After all they've done what everyone should be setting out to do. So Hamilton, it is.

Which is why, as long as Ferrari really are the 3rd best team out there, I'll vote Alonso every time he beats a Red Bull or Mclaren over a race distance.
He may have said about Lewis being the only driver capable of winning with an inferior car, what he didn't say is, he's the other one. These two really are head and shoulders above the others.
I would love to know what Massa made of his glowing tribute for Lewis..

[MagnetON]

Rooby for me, as it'll probably be the second last chance to ever vote for him.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by herowassenna

He may have said about Lewis being the only driver capable of winning with an inferior car, what he didn't say is, he's the other one. These two really are head and shoulders above the others.
I would love to know what Massa made of his glowing tribute for Lewis..

Alonso playing mind games ? Maybe what he's actually saying is that he wouldn't mind having Hamilton as his team mate because the second rate pedaller in the other car isn't pushing me enough ? Stranger things......

[p261brm]

LH for me, now for the puzzles. Who turned JB's KERS off back at base? and d8d Red Bull go past the point of no return with camber on Vettel's car?

[stripedcat]

Has to be Alonso for me. He took the third fastest car on the grid and managed to get up into second. By comparison Lewis had an easy day.

Honourable mentions to Button and also Rosberg. I hope Jenson can hang on to the 2nd spot in the WDC.

Good job from Rosberg on getting the jump on Schumi.

Epic fails of the day : Massa and Webber. Although I suppose Webber at least tried. Not a good day for Massa. Plus the fact that he has already had a warning from Ferrari this week, about upping his game!

A rare gremlin for Vettel. I reckon that Mansell was upset with him for breaking another of his records, so he sabotaged his car at night!

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by herowassenna

These two really are head and shoulders above the others.
..

I find it amazing that one of your drivers who is head and shoulders above everyone else actually finished behind his team mate in the standings this season.

But each to his own i suppose.

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by herowassenna

Which is why, as long as Ferrari really are the 3rd best team out there, I'll vote Alonso every time he beats a Red Bull or Mclaren over a race distance.
He may have said about Lewis being the only driver capable of winning with an inferior car, what he didn't say is, he's the other one. These two really are head and shoulders above the others.

Where can I read these comments? Crofty mentioned on a few occasions Alonso saying Hamilton was one of the best racers, but I found nothing on a search.

I voted for Alonso too, because I thought he was formidable.

Originally Posted by Mr V

I find it amazing that one of your drivers who is head and shoulders above everyone else actually finished behind his team mate in the standings this season.

But each to his own i suppose.

I see your point, but it's clear to me that Hamilton has more in him than Button. Button's done a sterling job this year though. We haven't seen the best of Hamilton on average this year and that forms a part of the standings.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

I see your point, but it's clear to me that Hamilton has more in him than Button. Button's done a sterling job this year though. We haven't seen the best of Hamilton on average this year and that forms a part of the standings.

Don't get me wrong, i also think that Lewis has the edge, but head and shoulders? Whilst i think that Jenson is a better driver than both Mark and Felipe, Lewis has to have the advantage (or near to it) over Jenson than Seb and Fernando have over their team mates to be head and shoulders.

[Aysedasi]

Lewis for me - although it's a struggle to find a DOTD out of that bore-fest.

[JeremySmith]

Yes it's amazing how such a rubbish race produces so much posting..

[Aysedasi]

Yep, they always do - just as much as good ones......

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Yep, they always do - just as much as good ones......

[andy666]

Alonso for getting a better result than that car probably deserves ! Special mentions for Lewis (good to see him smiling again) and Vettels rear tyre !

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Yes it's amazing how such a rubbish race produces so much posting..

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Yep, they always do - just as much as good ones......

Usually more than the good ones...

[strider]

Originally Posted by herowassenna

Which is why, as long as Ferrari really are the 3rd best team out there, I'll vote Alonso every time he beats a Red Bull or Mclaren over a race distance.
He may have said about Lewis being the only driver capable of winning with an inferior car, what he didn't say is, he's the other one. These two really are head and shoulders above the others.

I agree with all of that except the last sentence.

You definitely need to take a reality check if Vettel's progress this year has passed you by.

[RichardRenes]

I voted other.. Thank you Vettel for the puncture and the damage sustained as a result thereoff Now we actually had a decent race :P

[White flag man]

Has to be Barrichello for me.
All the top drivers did what they had to or had a mare.
After 20yrs in F1, Reubi can still start from the back, and nearly gets in the points and is the only person to overtake LH, on the track, all race! Deserves a better car for next year.

[Razzzor]

Probably Alonso for a good pass on Button, pulling away, then keeping Hamilton in sight for the whole race.
Alonso: “I was just doing qualifying laps every lap, trying to close the gap,”

Sure the Ferrari is the third best car in qualifying, but it's not easy to know how much slower they are in the race. Certainly better than in qualifying. You can't really go by Massa because he's driving poorly since his accident.

Button couldn't match Hamilton's pace even when his car was working.

Webber should have been second but was hopeless at passing.

Rosberg was okay, Schumacher was really struggling to match his pace all race long.

In fact if Sutil had held on to 7th and continued to close on Rosberg like he was for a while (until his tyres went off) then maybe he'd have DOTR.

[dsg]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

But with all due respect for your choice dsg, a good enough job for driver of the race?

Yes I think so. The string of laps he put together prior to his last pit stop was a very good job of consistant fast laps. Why he doesn't do it every weekend needs to be asked but thats not for this thread.

No one else really stands out, maybe Alonso, but the Ferrari did seem to have good speed this round and McLaren had the fastest cars at the circuit all weekend (when KERS was working).

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by dsg

No one else really stands out, maybe Alonso, but the Ferrari did seem to have good speed this round and McLaren had the fastest cars at the circuit all weekend (when KERS was working).

I'd agree with that. I'm not too sure who to vote for this time.

[henners88]

Lewis and Fernando for me and they showed why they are still the best drivers in F1 IMO. Lewis was fortunate at the start with Vettel retiring but showed what a driver can do at the front in clear air much like Vettel has been able to do all season. Fernando pushed the car beyond what we've seen it do all weekend and put in many impressive laps to keep Lewis in sight.

Hopefully this victory will give Lewis the boost he needed to get his head back in the game and return to the front of the performance gap with his teammate. Brazil is a track that should suit the McLaren and I hope we end the season with back to back victories.

[Lotusonpole]

I gave it to Hamilton. After such a torrid year for him, was very happy to see him back to his more like his old self.
A big nod to Alonso too. Kept Lewis under pressure all the way.
Also a mention for Kovalainen for reasons as given by Mr Marbot.

It was really nice also to see the new found mutual respect by Hamilton and Alonso. Applauds to both of them.

(The cynic in me though asks is this sudden friendliness from Fernando cashing in a bit on the current bad feelings between Lewis and Massa? Is Alonso turning a screw a little tighter in the Ferrari camp? Just a passing thought.)