Driver of the race: European GP

[Adam43]

Alonso. The winner with lots of fuel. Pushed very hard, boardering on too hard?
Heidfeld. Not much fuel, but an extra stop.
Barrichello. Another three stopper, but got a Ferrari on to the podium.
Coulthard. 5 points for RBR. A great start and a strong race pace. A drive through.
Fisichella. Unlucky, but a decent drive back from the back.
Motoya. Similar.
Trulli. A drive through that frustrated a good position.
Raikkonen. So close.

Feel free to suggest others, they can be added.

[thejester]

Michael Schumacher? Solid race, gained positions, passed JPM and drove away. Almost mistake free.

[EERO]

Barrichello. Bad start due to first corner pile up and a bad grid position translated to a podium. Nice drive.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by thejester

Michael Schumacher? Solid race, gained positions, passed JPM and drove away. Almost mistake free.

Added

[John Turner]

It has to be DC for me. He took advantage of the first corner melee, maintained an excellent race pace and but for the drive through penalty would probably have finished on the podium. He continues to show that he is a class act, and not past it, as some have suggested. He has fairly consistently put that RBR higher up in the results than it has any right to expect.

Huge sympathy for Kimi; fine drives by Alonso and Heidfeld.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by thejester

Michael Schumacher? Solid race, gained positions, passed JPM and drove away. Almost mistake free.

Apart from when he went off! Here is Michael's assessment of the race:

Originally Posted by MS, post race release

...Today, my race pace was not as good as usual. We know what we have to do, which is to keep on working hard, on all areas of the car. When I went off the track, it was because I suddenly got more understeer than usual and once off the clean line there was no way to keep on the track, but even without that incident, I don't think I could have caught Coulthard...

I'm not sure he'd vote for himself!

Also he never seemed his usual self in the car. Even at Barcelona, where he had car issues, he looked great - really driving the car. Today was different, he look horrible through the fast chicane (normally where he excels) and over the kerbs in the final chicane. Very un-Michael like I thought. I was disapointed as I'd predicted he would drive the wheels off the car today.

On to the others. Alonso and Raikkonen both drove well, although both had mistakes. Heidfeld did what the car and strategy could do. He was never really near to anyone to impress like he did with that move at Monaco. Trulli good pace, he may have achieved somethign special if he hadn't had his drive-through, but I am unsure. Fisi and Motoya, are similar. Their come backs were good, but not great.

So mine goes for DC. It was his fault that he picked up a drive-through, but that mistake seems less important that the other's today. 4th in a RBR after a cracking start and a great race pace that netted 5th fastest fastest lap. Well done DC

[beau1]

i gota give it to MS. Fell all the to the back and battled his way back up. that move on Button was great.

[runshaw]

alonso was also very good in my opinion. starting from 6th on the grid with a decent amount of fuel was impressive, but in the final few laps behind raikkonen, when he knew the finn had a problem, he absolutley drove his pants off to catch him. Okay he probably would have been fairly pleased with second, but still he chased hard in case anything happened to raikkonen. He put himself in the right place at the right time, and look what happened!

[Inigo Montoya]

I'm going with Rubens on this one. For the reasons Eero stated.

[thejester]

I thought MSC deserved a mention as an option, alonsdie the Fisis and Trullis and such, but I have to give it to DC.

A canny auld race from him, barring the pitlane mistake. Experience showd through at the first corner I thought, (plus a bit of luck, of course! )

[Liz]

Heidfeld. He didn't fall off the track even once, and his tires were good at the end of the race too.

I am very thankful Kimi was not hurt in that accident. He can win another day and I'm sure he will. (I'm thankful the BAR driver was not killed by a flying tire -- those tire tethers were the best idea of all the new safety ideas.)

[mac]

Can't believe I'm going to do it, but I vote for Coulthard. Thoroughly impressive drive!

[Dani Filth]

hard to pick one ..
Kimi drove well . but he went out ..
Alonso . won it . but not how he won before
Rubens . bad start ..fast using a 3 stopper . maybe would have worked for Michael too
DC .. he had the pace .. a podium was on the cards
Michael .. he wasnt' impressive but did the job . recovered from that incident. finished ahead of Montoya .. i was hoping for more . probably too hot

Rubens then DC my top 2

[Peter Mallett]

Hmm,

Well what a race? So many performances of merit make this week’s poll a bit difficult.

From the off Kimi was in a class of his own but the failing tyre and therefore loss of the race puts him out of the running (for me that is).

Fernando was there to do what every contender should do and grabbed the prize when Kimi fell off.

It was clear to me that Nick was driving the socks off his car but that it was so far down on power he never had a chance, again though he made sure he was there to pick up that podium place.

Rubens drove a great if circumspect race (good dice with Button who appeared to be in a three year old car!). Again only lucking into 3rd at the expense of DC who really was unlucky to be 1kph over the pit lane speed limit.

Of the others Massa deserves a pat on the back for being up there when it mattered even if a failing tyre eventually put him behind his teammate.

Monty was unfortunate at the start but racing incidents happen and if DC could predict it, I’m sure he could too. MS was very lacklustre to me, very strange.

Fisi? Either he’s having bad luck or the Alonso effect is taking its toll, the jury’s out for me but not a good day for him.

So out of all of this the only driver to really stand out in a bunch of stand out drives was DC who gets my vote this weekend.

[mac]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

So out of all of this the only driver to really stand out in a bunch of stand out drives was DC who gets my vote this weekend.

I won't even question your decision this week, Peter.

It was the best drive out there - do we know if the speeding was a driver or car problem?

[Kicking-back]

DC says it was down to him - he came off the limiter a fraction early because of that Minardi coming out at him - and went 1km/h over the limit

[John Turner]

1km/h! How unlucky is that?

[dsg]

DC took the car off the line superbly and brought it home in a position it should never had been in. Obviously he didn't think that was enough so he also gave himself a drive through.

I say next race we put him in the minardi and see what he can do.

[Skam85]

DC gets my vote, but Massa also drove well. Monteiro again showed signs of improvement. But DC, well done mate, 2nd or 3rd was definitely on the cards. The same can be said for Trulli, but he had a better grid position.

Question-how was Kimi in a class of his own when his retirement was caused by an earlier unforced error? The CAR was in a class of its own, but Kimi did his best to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, and ultimately, he did.

[Mr V]

Fisi for me, drove from the back to bag some points.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Skam85

...but Massa also drove well. Monteiro again showed signs of improvement..

I know you didn't want to vote for them, but I have added them after this suggestion.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Skam85

Question-how was Kimi in a class of his own when his retirement was caused by an earlier unforced error? The CAR was in a class of its own, but Kimi did his best to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, and ultimately, he did.

That's possibly aimed at my comment. Well, I concur he did apparently cause his own problems but nonetheless there was nothing out there to catch him for most of the race.

And lest we forget. Fernando also did a bit of grasstracking too.

[Knowlesy]

It has to be DC, did exceptionally well at the first corner kerfuffle and should have had a podium. Top class.

[mixxer]

For the first time the winner didnt get my vote, this race it goes to DC who batted well up the order.

[JohnSSC]

Well, as David Hobbes noted on the Speed TV coverage, "the problem with F1 is there isn't any side-by-side driving like ther used to be!" He was kidding, of course!

Best race from a viewing standpoint that I have seen in some time. Very hard to pick a driver of the race and many good drives have been noted.

God help me, I have to go for DC though (I know, I am always a huge fan of his!). He used his skill AND experience to maximize the advantage gained by correctly sussing-out the events at turn one at race start, maintained his pace and most importantly his composure after the drive through. RBR has no reason to expect to be in P-5 at the end of a race but DC made sure they were.

Too many honorable mentions to mention, but thanks to the TV folks for showing us the great battles going on up and down the grid!