Who Will Win the Nations Cup?

[DNQ]

Pretty much a side-show to the main attraction, the Nations Cup still carries a bit of interest. The current standings are as follows:

1 Canada 115 95 20
2 Mexico 113 76 37
3 Brazil 88 70 18
4 France 55 29 26
5 Catalonia 48 22 26
6 England 34 14 20
7 USA 33 26 7
8 Portugal 15 12 3
9 Switzerland 6 6 0
10 Malaysia 4 4 0
11 Iraq 0 0 0

So, who's gonna win? Canada should do it comfortably with Tracy, Carpentier and Tagliani, but I expect Brazil to make a charge as the season goes on.

I predict...

1. Canada
2. Brazil
3. Mexico
4. France
5. Catalonia

Shame to see the US so low.

One more thing: I realise Catalonia and Spain are different, but there is no sovereign nation called Catalonia, so why isn't Servia listed as Spanish, when that is indeed his 'nation'

[Omega99]

Go Canada! I would also expect Brazil to do quite well, as Haberfeld is looking stronger with every race, and Junqueira has been nothing but consistent all season. I would also think Mexico has a good shot at improving, if Fernandez ever shakes his bad luck.

[Jay]

Go Mexico! wait a minute....um...

honestly, I've always thought the nations cup was silly, as it's more an indicator of which country has the most drivers in the series. In some ways, I wish they'd do away with it, or make it average points per driver instead of the total.

[Muzza]

Hello, Jay,

Your argument is valid, but to avoid a misunderstanding let me add that only the highest placed driver of each country per race scores points for the Nations Cup.

Years ago CART was simply adding the totals from all drivers with the same nationality - what was helping the Brazilians and handicapping pretty much everybody else. This was changed since.

Cheers,

Muzza

P.S.: Oh, and in my opinion it will be...
1st Canada
2nd Brazil
3rd Mexico

[Jay]

oops...my mistake Muzza...you're right. That's not quite as bad then..though it still handicaps the ones that only have a few drivers.

[Bleu]

Originally posted by DNQ
One more thing: I realise Catalonia and Spain are different, but there is no sovereign nation called Catalonia, so why isn't Servia listed as Spanish, when that is indeed his 'nation'

I don't know the reason, but what I can remember, Dario Franchitti was listed Scottish also, and Mark Blundell for example was listed English, so those two had different nationalities in Nation's Cup.

[Antrodemus]

AFAIK, Scotland & Wales are more or less autonomous, while the Catalans just wish they were.
Political statement perhaps?

[esorniloc]

When did the nations cup start?

and who has won it before?

[BootsOntheSide]

I think Iraq will win comfortably. they have the best drivers and the best hardware.

Or maybe Canada. Brazil used to be top dogs in this, but most of their stars are now elsewhere, with Bruno and Mario Haberfeld picking up the most points. I think they'll be third, behind Mexico.

Other than the US, none of the other nations have more than one driver (now that Lemarie is gone), so it's purely down to Manning V Servia V Bourdais V Montiero (the others have no hope). American Spirit ahs let the US down by being a poor team wasting 2 gifted drivers, but hopefully Herta will stick around and help the US.

[macdaddy]

Canada. Home of the donut.

[Snrub]

London ON has the most Donut shops per capita. There's two sometimes 3 Timmys on every corner.

[Dov]

There is only 3 things that matters in racing:
(1) Driver Championship
(2) Constructor's Cup
(3) Rookie of the year

P.S. I was born in London ON, but raised in Toronto. Am I still considered a Londoner?

[Crash Test]

Excuse my ignorance, but who comes from Iraq?

[macdaddy]

Boots is their new Information Minister.

[f1manoz]

I think it will be a close run thing between Canada and Mexico. I wouldn't discount Mexico - they have three very good drivers on their books in Michel, Fernandez and Dominguez.

[Bleu]

I think that Nation's cup was started in 1995, with USA winning it quite a many times at the beginning. I have listed all point-scoring drivers for each country, but I am not checking have they all scored points for their country. In 1995 American Dean Hall scored two points by finishing twice 12th, but in both cases there has been other Americans ahead of him.)

1995:
USA 307 (Unser Jr, Rahal, Andretti, Gordon, Pruett, Vasser, Cheever, Sullivan, Herta, Johnstone, Hall, Brayton)
Canada 227 (Villeneuve, Tracy, Goodyear)
Brazil 209 (Gugelmin, E Fittipaldi, de Ferran, C Fittipaldi, Boesel, Ribeiro, Greco)
Italy 91 (Fabi, Zampedri)
Mexico 68 (Fernandez, C Guerrero)
Sweden 60 (Johansson)
Chile 19 (Salazar)
Belgium 8 (Bachelart)
Argentina 6 (Fangio II)
Germany 6 (Danner)
Netherlands 6 (Luyendyk)
Japan 5 (Hiro)
United Kingdom 4 (Appeared on the list though I don't find any British driver)
Colombia 1 (R Guerrero)

1996
USA 292 (Vasser, Andretti, Unser Jr, Rahal, Herta, Pruett, Johnstone, Gordon, Lawson, PJ Jones, Hearn, D Jones)
Brazil 212 (C Fittipaldi, de Ferran, Ribeiro, Gugelmin, E Fittipaldi, Moreno, Boesel, Greco)
Italy 132 (Zanardi, Papis)
Canada 114 (Moore, Tracy, Goodyear)
Mexico 71 (Fernandez)
Sweden 48 (Johansson)
United Kingdom 41 (Blundell)
Argentina 5 (Fangio II)
Denmark 5 (Magnussen)
Japan 3 (Hiro)
Chile 2 (Salazar)



1997
USA 246 (Vasser, Andretti, Pruett, Herta, Rahal, Unser Jr, Johnstone, Hearn, Vitolo, Gordon, Jones)
Brazil 238 (de Ferran, Gugelmin, Boesel, Ribeiro, Fittipaldi, Moreno, Salles)
Italy 198 (Zanardi, Papis)
Canada 190 (Tracy, Moore, Carpentier)
United Kingdom 115 (Blundell)
Mexico 29 (Fernander, Jourdain Jr)
Scotland 10 (Franchitti)
Argentina 9 (Fangio II)
Japan 4 (Hiro)
Germany 2 (Meier, Danner)

1998
USA 304 (Vasser, Pruett, Andretti, Herta, Rahal, Unser Jr, Hearn, Gordon, Jones, Barron)
Italy 284 (Zanardi, Papis)
Brazil 205 (Kanaan, de Ferran, Fittipaldi, Gugelmin, Castroneves, Ribeiro, Salles)
Canada 183 (Moore, Tracy, Carpentier)
Scotland 160 (Franchitti)
Mexico 158 (Fernandez, Jourdain Jr)
United Kingdom 28 (Blundell)
Finland 25 (Lehto)
Germany 4 (Meier)

1999
1 Brazil 271 (Fittipaldi, de Ferran, Kanaan, Moreno, Castroneves, Gugelmin, da Matta, Salles, Marques, Boesel)
2 USA 264 (Andretti, Vasser, Herta, Jones, Pruett, Gordon, Unser Jr, Hearn, Barron, Gidley, Vitolo)
3 Canada 248 (Tracy, Moore, Carpentier)
4 Colombia 212 (Montoya)
5 Scotland 212 (Franchitti)
6 Italy 152 (Papis, Montermini)
7 Mexico 140 (Fernandez, Jourdain Jr)
8 United Kingdom 9 (Blundell)
9 Denmark 8 (Magnussen)
10 Uruguay 1 (Rodriguez)

2000

1 Brazil 332 (de Ferran, Moreno, Castroneves, da Matta, Fittipaldi, Gugelmin, Kanaan, Marques, Garcia Jr)
2 USA 256 (Vasser, Andretti, Herta, Gidley, Mears, Barron)
3 Canada 226 (Tracy, Carpentier, Tagliani)
4 Mexico 165 (Fernandez, Jourdain Jr)
5 Sweden 135 (Bräck)
6 Colombia 126 (Montoya)
7 Scotland 92 (Franchitti)
8 Italy 88 (Papis)
9 Catalonia 64 (Servia)
10 United Kingdom 18 (Blundell)
11 Japan 13 (Nakano, Kurosawa)
12 Argentina 2 (Fontana)

2001
1 Brazil 341 (de Ferran, Castroneves, da Matta, Kanaan, Moreno, Fittipaldi, Junqueira, Gugelmin, Wilson)
2 USA 240 (Andretti, Vasser, Gidley, Herta, Mears, Barron, Bell)
3 Canada 187 (Carpentier, Tagliani, Tracy)
4 Sweden 163 (Bräck)
5 Italy 118 (Papis, Zanardi)
6 Scotland 105 (Franchitti)
7 New Zealand 98 (Dixon)
8 Mexico 75 (Fernandez, Jourdain Jr)
9 Japan 42 (Takagi, Nakano)
10 Catalonia 42 (Servia)
11 France 7 (Minassian)

2002
1 Brazil 325 (da Matta, Junqueira, Fittipaldi, Kanaan)
2 Canada 247 (Carpentier, Tagliani, Tracy)
3 USA 164 (Vasser, Andretti, Bell)
4 Scotland 148 (Franchitti)
5 Mexico 142 (Jourdain Jr, Fernandez, Dominguez)
6 Sweden 113 (Bräck)
7 New Zealand 96 (Dixon)
8 Japan 73 (Takagi, Nakano)
9 Catalonia 44 (Servia)
10 Italy 32 (Papis)
11 England 4 (Manning)
12 Germany 1 (Lotterer)

I just marked that forum automatically gave **** in the middle of the name of one Japanese driver, raced in CART until 1998...

[Muzza]

Thanks, Bleu.

What leads to inevitable question... where the hell is Marco Greco today? I once heard he was running several motorcycle dealerships in Brazil (Greco was quite an accomplished rider until he had too many injuries and shifted to cars - but his talent was clearly not the same as on two wheels).

Another Brazilian that disappeared is Luiz Garcia. Quite a friendly guy, talked to him lenghtly in Long Beach 1999.

Does anybody know where are they now?

Muzza

[x_dt]

Canada or Mexico. Both have 3 drivers in the top 12 in the championship - Brazil (after Bruno they have Haberfeld and Moreno) will struggle to retain the Cup.

[Tenoch]

The real brazilian hotshot is Bruno but Mario should help him out becaure Moreno hasn't done anything and he wont, Canada will problably end up winng beacuse if it isn't PT its Carpentier, and even Tag gets in there. Followed by Mexico because if Michel doesn't do it the rest of the Mexican drivers won't. I acknowledge Mario had a great run through Europe but that was two rounds ago and Adrian hasn't stepped foot on the podium since Long beach.

With that said GO Malaysia