2016 Formula 1 season, week 9
I was out of town and missed the race when it happened, and got it on the Tivo a couple days late. Lots of stuff to unpack here. First, the Mercedes guys really need to figure out how to stop crashing into each other. Second: Button, Grosjean, and Pascal Wehrlein(?!). Third: this is three races out of the last four where Kvyat's wheels have literally come off. Then: another tyre explosion, and a whole bunch of kerbs blowing up suspension parts. Lastly (and I do mean lastly) Rio Haryanto, which is all the more depressing, given #2.
Competing for the championship, barring them continuing to crash into each other:
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes): 153 (5 wins, 5 podiums)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 142 (3 wins, 6 podiums)
The field:
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari): 96 (5 podiums, in 8 starts)
Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari): 96 (4 podiums)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull): 88 (1 podium)
Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso/Red Bull): 72 (1 win, 2 podiums)
Valtteri Bottas (Williams): 54 (1 podium)
Sergio Pérez (Force India): 39 (2 podiums)
Felipe Massa (Williams): 38
Romain Grosjean (Haas): 28
Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull/Toro Rosso): 22 (1 podium, in 8 starts)
Carlos Sainz, Jr. (Toro Rosso): 22
Nico Hülkenberg (Force India): 20
Fernando Alonso (McLaren): 18 (in 8 starts)
Jenson Button (McLaren): 13
Kevin Magnussen (Renault): 6
Pascal Wehrlein (Manor): 1 (2 DFLs - both of the races Haryanto did not finish)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren): 1 (in 1 start)
Esteban Gutiérrez (Haas): 0 (7 finishes, best 11th)
Jolyon Palmer (Renault): 0 (6 finishes in 8 starts, best 11th, 1 DFL)
Marcus Ericsson (Sauber): 0 (6 finishes, best 12th)
Felipe Nasr (Sauber): 0 (8 finishes, best 12th)
Rio Haryanto (Manor): 0 (7 finishes, best 15th, 6 DFLs)
At this point, it's hard to tell whether the Sauber or the Manor is the more terrible car, but it is clear that Haryanto is the more terrible driver. Halfway through the season, things are beginning to sort themselves out. There's an interesting race between 1 and 2, that depends on strategy and not being stupid. There's an interesting race for 3-through-6 between world champions in red and goofy upstarts in blue. Team-wise, Williams and Force India again seem to have 4th and 5th locked out, respectively. And after that, there's all kinds of interesting racing between the STRs, the McLarens, and the Haasen. I'd say something about Renault and Sauber, but neither of them ever do anything important enough to get on TV, so I know nothing.
Competing for the championship, barring them continuing to crash into each other:
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes): 153 (5 wins, 5 podiums)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 142 (3 wins, 6 podiums)
The field:
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari): 96 (5 podiums, in 8 starts)
Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari): 96 (4 podiums)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull): 88 (1 podium)
Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso/Red Bull): 72 (1 win, 2 podiums)
Valtteri Bottas (Williams): 54 (1 podium)
Sergio Pérez (Force India): 39 (2 podiums)
Felipe Massa (Williams): 38
Romain Grosjean (Haas): 28
Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull/Toro Rosso): 22 (1 podium, in 8 starts)
Carlos Sainz, Jr. (Toro Rosso): 22
Nico Hülkenberg (Force India): 20
Fernando Alonso (McLaren): 18 (in 8 starts)
Jenson Button (McLaren): 13
Kevin Magnussen (Renault): 6
Pascal Wehrlein (Manor): 1 (2 DFLs - both of the races Haryanto did not finish)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren): 1 (in 1 start)
Esteban Gutiérrez (Haas): 0 (7 finishes, best 11th)
Jolyon Palmer (Renault): 0 (6 finishes in 8 starts, best 11th, 1 DFL)
Marcus Ericsson (Sauber): 0 (6 finishes, best 12th)
Felipe Nasr (Sauber): 0 (8 finishes, best 12th)
Rio Haryanto (Manor): 0 (7 finishes, best 15th, 6 DFLs)
At this point, it's hard to tell whether the Sauber or the Manor is the more terrible car, but it is clear that Haryanto is the more terrible driver. Halfway through the season, things are beginning to sort themselves out. There's an interesting race between 1 and 2, that depends on strategy and not being stupid. There's an interesting race for 3-through-6 between world champions in red and goofy upstarts in blue. Team-wise, Williams and Force India again seem to have 4th and 5th locked out, respectively. And after that, there's all kinds of interesting racing between the STRs, the McLarens, and the Haasen. I'd say something about Renault and Sauber, but neither of them ever do anything important enough to get on TV, so I know nothing.