Comments on: 2008 Australian GP facts & stats

By: Alianora La Canta

Alianora La Canta — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:20:30 +0000

The current requirement to be classified as a finisher in an F1 race is to complete 90% of a race distance, though as the Ginther example proves, it used to be a lot smaller percentage.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:49:27 +0000

The key to victory is having Will Power.

Yes of course, it seems I forgot about Scott Speed, (just like Red Bull.)
Dick Trickle. That’s even better then the names is Talledaga Nights.

By: Clive

Clive — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:31:53 +0000

I think that Australian driver in Champ Cars (I think – I don’t follow these things closely) has the best name of all for a driver – Will Power. Says it all, doesn’t it?

By: Gman

Gman — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:08:39 +0000

Quite amusing take on the American names- for those of you who keep an eye on NASCAR, did Trickle ever win a Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup race? Speed is probably one of the best names in that catagory- he was gone before I really started to follow the series, hopefully some other American will come and stay a little longer and go a little further in the F1 ranks in the next few seasons.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:59:06 +0000

Wow that’s a topic all of it’s own isn’t it? How about Scott Speed?

And of course American racer Dick Trickle. Could only ever be a NASCAR driver or a venereal disease.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:42:38 +0000

As a side point, When you give your kid a name like Richie Ginther, he is either going to be a motor racing ace or a porn star! What a moniker!
Not as good as Stirling Moss, but pretty good.
Anyone else want to nominate great motor racing names?
Villeneuve?

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:58:48 +0000

The limit on the amount of the race you had to have completed in order to be a classified finisher has changes as well.

Flicking through some old results at random I see Richie Ginther was sixth in the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix despite only finishing 70 of 100 laps and pushing his car across the line…

By: Clive

Clive — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:54:07 +0000

Quite right, Francois – the points are only handed out to classified finishers. Usually these reach down well into the teens – to 14th and 15th places, for instance – but occasionally, as happened in Australia, fewer cars actually cross the finish line than there are points available and then classification becomes important. If, for instance, all the cars that retired in Australia had gone out before 75% race distance, they would not have finished and the points for seventh and eighth places would not have been awarded. Which I think is fair enough. But to get to within two or three laps of the finish and be awarded nothing as a result, even though technically you were in a points paying position – well, that just strikes me as a little unfair.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:39:23 +0000

Yeah but I quoted where he qualified mate, not where he finished!

By: Architrion

Architrion — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:36:42 +0000

I think you have an error, Fred finished 12th the 2001 Aus Grand Prix, as you can see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Australian_Grand_Prix#Classification

That was an impressive debbut, one lap before the Fisichella’s Renault…. that sure hearted Flav, because the guy was already hired by him.