[Official] Driver of the race: Japanese Grand Prix 2014

[Born Racer]

Who is your driver of the race?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Either Hamilton, Vettel or JB, Ricciardo and Hulk did well.

[Nicholosophy]

Sentimental vote #ForzaJules

[GT6]

Lewis gets my vote but my thoughts are with Jules

[stripedcat]

Ahh - some good performances at Suzuka.

Hamilton - Yep, a very good drive from him. In wet conditions, he put pressure on his teammate and passed him at a corner which he did have problems with this weekend! Around the outside as well. Another win. A very mature drive from him.

Vettel - This is more like it. This was like the Fingerman of old. Around a circuit that he has always been good at - he came from 9th to 3rd. A superb performance and some decent passing moves. Perhaps with the team change - it was a weight off his shoulders.

Danny Boy - Another really strong performance from him. In the wet, he went for it. Some excellent passing moves - again from this guy. A strong 4th place.

However, there can be only one DOTOR, and that for me, goes to Jenson. In conditions which he is always good at, he outperformed his car today. He made the right call on tyres - and it did pay off. Surely, McLaren will retain him for next year. It was one of his best performances.

[chillibowl]

LH for me. At various points his lap times compared to the rest of the field but especially compared to Nico were just Wow!

Did LH learn patience?

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Vettel.

[cerdic]

Several worthy performances, but I gave it to Button. He outperformed his car by a greater margin than any other driver.

[JeremySmith]

I could have gone for Jenson with my vote, he is so smooth in the wet...I gave it to Lewis superb drive...

[sparkione]

Originally Posted by stripedcat

Ahh - some good performances at Suzuka.

However, there can be only one DOTOR, and that for me, goes to Jenson. In conditions which he is always good at, he outperformed his car today. He made the right call on tyres - and it did pay off. Surely, McLaren will retain him for next year. It was one of his best performances.

Agreed, and qualifying aside (for which you get no points) he has outperformed Mag all season – just check their scores. Were the choice of which one to retain alongside Alonso (presumably) to be based on this season's performances it would be game set and match to JB. However, next year they'll be 34 and 35 respectively, which is starting to look a bit geriatric alongside the likes of Verstappen and all the new young hotshots. Looking further ahead, I'm sure they'll go for a young gun (Mag) to complement Fernando's experience. But JB can leave with his head held high. Who knows, he might get an offer from a half-way decent team, but if not I hope he quits while he's still ahead, reputation-wise.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by sparkione

Agreed, and qualifying aside (for which you get no points) he has outperformed Mag all season – just check their scores. Were the choice of which one to retain alongside Alonso (presumably) to be based on this season's performances it would be game set and match to JB. However, next year they'll be 34 and 35 respectively, which is starting to look a bit geriatric alongside the likes of Verstappen and all the new young hotshots. Looking further ahead, I'm sure they'll go for a young gun (Mag) to complement Fernando's experience. But JB can leave with his head held high. Who knows, he might get an offer from a half-way decent team, but if not I hope he quits while he's still ahead, reputation-wise.

In some stuff from Suzuka Jenson seemed quite confident he would be at McLaren next year so I wouldn't write him off at all.
Some good drives all afternoon (evening?) like Hamilton (superb), Vettel (revived, like of old) Ricciardo (great again), Button (Brilliant decision making and way above the car) Hulkenberg (revivied after recent slump) and Gutierrez, who at one point looked like he would bring home points for Sauber but it all went pear shaped towards the end.
Button though, did the most with what he had so gets the DOTR.

[Neil22]

Vettel, with kudos to Daniel too.

[Mekola]

The health of Jules Bianchi is more important than the race... So I voted Bianchi definitely.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Great drive by Lewis, especially that overtake on Rosberg and another solid performance by Riccirado but I'm going to give it to Button for that tyre call. He's done it in the past and he did it again. A shame all that good work was hampered by a lenghty pit stop, when they changed all 5 wheels.

It would have been interesting to see what he could have done, in the remaining laps of the race, after he pitted for wets.

[Clive]

Jenson for me, outperformed his car and made good tyre change choices etc. Excellent.
Thoughts obviously go to the other JB, get well Jules.

[Aysedasi]

Close between Hamilton and Button, but Jenson did well enough to deserve it. If I were a God-fearing man I'd be praying for Jules like everyone else, but that's not what the poll is about.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Close between Hamilton and Button, but Jenson did well enough to deserve it. If I were a God-fearing man I'd be praying for Jules like everyone else, but that's not what the poll is about.

As a 'God Fearing Man' I will be praying for Jules.

Bauble.

[JeremySmith]

Why do you fear God ? He loves us...

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Why do you fear God ? He loves us...

Fear can also be defined as respect.

[Tucky]

JB for proving to McLaren that he's definitely worth it.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Why do you fear God ? He loves us...

Christians tell me the fear of God is not about being afraid of him but respecting and being in awe of him..... Or are you just being provocative Jeremy?

[JeremySmith]

No mate I did not intend to be..I believe that he does, and all God asks is that we love him in return...

[Razzzor]

Hamilton for successfully transplanting pubic hair onto his head. A few races ago he was looking pretty cool, but now he's looking a bit silly.
http://cdn-0.motorsport.com/static/i...s-hamilton.jpg

And Mansell, for constantly interrupting and cutting off Vettel while he's trying to give his thoughts to Jules. At first I thought maybe he's being given a hurry-up himself in his earpiece... but Nige then just runs his own mouth about unimportant rubbish about it being great to stand with 3 champions (er... actually there's only 2 nige).

But seriously, gotta give it to Button this time. Perhaps his last great drive in F1 if he retires this year. Once again in the rain he proves how he can master these conditions. Unlucky to miss the podium.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Hamilton for successfully transplanting pubic hair onto his head. A few races ago he was looking pretty cool, but now he's looking a bit silly.
http://cdn-0.motorsport.com/static/i...s-hamilton.jpg

And Mansell, for constantly interrupting and cutting off Vettel while he's trying to give his thoughts to Jules. At first I thought maybe he's being given a hurry-up himself in his earpiece... but Nige then just runs his own mouth about unimportant rubbish about it being great to stand with 3 champions (er... actually there's only 2 nige).

But seriously, gotta give it to Button this time. Perhaps his last great drive in F1 if he retires this year. Once again in the rain he proves how he can master these conditions. Unlucky to miss the podium.

Standing with 3 champs? Yep 3. Lewis, Seb and Me! (Nige)

[BertMk2]

Button gets the nod from me as well - went for the inters early and made them work (unlike the other driver that pitted at the same time ). Kept it clean the rest of the race and scored some useful points for the team - and comfortably beat his teammate. Good drives from the Red Bulls too with some nifty overtakes on the Williams in particular.