Who will win the incredibly close 2010 world drivers’ championship? (Poll)

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I said it last month and I’ll say it again: there is no F1 season in history that was as close as this one.

With just a quarter of the season left to run there are still five drivers in close contention for the title.

We could have an unprecedented four- or even five-way championship finale at Abu Dhabi. But who will prevail?

Mark Webber

Points: 187
Wins: 4

Lagged behind somewhat in the opening flyaway races but since the ‘European season’ began he’s clearly done a better job of racking up the points.

Not only has he won more races than anyone else but he’s brought home strong points on the rare days when an RB6 was not the best thing to have.

He may have the fastest car on the grid at his disposal but, as we’ve seen with his team mate, Adrian Newey’s creation is failure-prone. Webber is yet to lose a race finish because of a problem with his car and you have to wonder if the law of averages is going to catch up with him before the season is out.

Lewis Hamilton

Points: 182
Wins: 3

Until last weekend you could confidently say Hamilton’s season has been marked with a new level of maturity. One which had allowed him to maximise the points-scoring potential of his car while others were squandering theirs.

Then came his nightmare weekend in Monza – a questionable decision on set-up followed by a disastrous first-lap error. Was it a minor blip in form? Or was this the moment his journey to a second championship title was de-railed?

He certainly can’t afford another no-score, whether it comes from himself or his car, which has let him down twice this year.

Fernando Alonso

Points: 166
Wins: 3

Lost a lot of ground at Valencia at Silverstone but it wasn’t just these headline-grabbing moments that have cost him in the championship. Failure to make more out of his weekends in Melbourne, Shanghai and Istanbul have also held him back.

But in the last four races Alonso has done a much better job of converting the F10’s potential into points with two wins and a second place.

And he has one key advantage over his rivals: his team mate is there to help him, not win the championship for himself. That could prove extremely valuable in the final races.

Jenson Button

Points: 165
Wins: 2

Has generally been a couple of tenths of a second per lap off his team mate. He’s often responded by taking a different direction on race strategy or set-up and there have been times when it’s paid off in a big way.

He called crucial tyre decisions right in Melbourne in Shanghai and reaped the rewards, taking an early lead in the championship. At Spa and Monza he went a different way on car set-up and his Monza gamble certainly paid off.

Given that he hasn’t finished ahead of his team mate on the road since the Chinese Grand Prix it’s surprising that Button is only 17 points behind Hamilton. He’s far from out of it.

Sebastian Vettel

Points: 163
Wins: 2

There’s nothing but tough questions for Sebastian Vettel. He’s got the fastest car on the grid, but he’s fifth in the championship which is being led by his team mate.

Car failures, whether terminal (Australia) or not (Bahrain, Canada, Italy) are partly to blame. But careless errors are just as big a part of the picture: the safety car blunder in Hungary and the unnecessary crashes with Webber in Turkey and Button in Belgium.

Yes, he’s young – but he’s also got 57 F1 starts to his name so you have to ask when the mistakes are going to stop.

The outsiders

With 125 points left to be won Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica are mathematically still in contention for the title.

Realistically, Rosberg and Kubica don’t have the cars to compete. And Massa’s championship hopes ended when he pulled over for Alonso at Hockenheim.

Over to you

Who do you think will claim the championship? How many drivers will still be in the running at the end? And who are you rooting for? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.

Who will win the 2010 drivers' championship?

  • Someone else (1%)
  • Sebastian Vettel (4%)
  • Jenson Button (6%)
  • Fernando Alonso (17%)
  • Lewis Hamilton (26%)
  • Mark Webber (46%)

Total Voters: 3,239

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Read more: History repeating: The three-way championship deciders

Gap to championship leader

Image © Bridgestone/Ercole Colombo

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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297 comments on “Who will win the incredibly close 2010 world drivers’ championship? (Poll)”

  1. The Hundredth Idiot
    15th September 2010, 9:50

    I hate polls like this! The person who I could rationally say will win the championship is never the same as the person who I want to – JB, why do you taunt me so?

    1. Indeed, there should be an option “My head will explode if I even begin to imagine all the possible developments of the championship!”.
      It is so incredibly tight with so many possibilities that we can’t still predict anything, maybe after Japan it will become easier to pick two or three contenders, if one team (Red Bull in particular) can have a performance advantage, but if it stays this close – Who knows?

      One things for sure – This so far has been the best season I’ve ever seen, AB-SO-LUTELY FAAAAANTASTIC!

      1. mateuss – “One things for sure – This so far has been the best season I’ve ever seen, AB-SO-LUTELY FAAAAANTASTIC!”

        …what was all that fuss about after the Bahrain GP? I can’t quite remember.

        1. I think it was about how F1 is the most exciting sport in the world…… No wait…

    2. In boring subjects at school, I have been drifting off and going through every possible winner of 2010 in my head!

      The head is saying Alonso, the heart wants Hamilton, the gambler in me says Webber.

      1. actually hearts saying alonso, heads saying hamilton and nevermind webber

    3. Mark deserves to be champion and so does redbull but my heart wants Ferrari, anyway if Mclaren or Ferrari wins would be an huge scandal because of the badly hidden orders unlike other teams they didnt had codes and because of the mclaren valencia scam completly muffled by press and the way mclaren controled the fia

      1. What on earth do you mean by including McLaren in with Ferrari for scandal on TO?

        Ferrari is the only one who is proven to have used it to influence the 2010 WDC (although personally i think RBR was trying to in Turkey). McLaren “controlling” the FIA is laughable.

        1. I hear Ferrari fans saying this fairly often… I think it’s a ploy to deflect attention from Ferrari’s long list of shady dealings, past and present.

          1. List some for me please. Except for the ones related to team orders. & just because McLaren did not use team orders as blatantly as Ferrari did(Jenson asked to conserve fuel when fighting with Ham shortly after the Red Bulls’ collision) doesnt make their crime any lesser.

          2. The cars did have to save fuel in Istanbul. We all know the teams go to the grid with as little fuel in the car as they can get away with and that the drivers have to save fuel during the race. The McLarens had very little fuel left in their tanks at the end of the race. I mean, just look how fine they cut it in Canada – and that was only in qualifying!

    4. It was written in the great Books that Hamilton IS going to win the 2010 WDC! Any other way is Blasphemy!

  2. It should be Webber. Best car for the remaining circuits that are left and he has a small lead. However, we’ve seen how Red Bull can crumble before us when they should just walk it.

    Anything is possible.

    1. I agree. I would honestly want to see Fernando take the title, but it seems hard to beat the Red Bulls in the remaining circuits. This title is Webber’s title to lose, and a couple of pending mechanical problems might be responsible for losing the championship.

      1. Lets not forget the ‘number of engines used’ situation guys…..

        From this point on it could all get very…

        interesting

        1. Guys does this mean the Alonso has to do 5 races on his 8th engine? Or is he allowed to re-install the engine from Bahrain which was changed as a precation?

          1. He used the same engine in Malaysia which blew up.
            But for the remaining races, he can use his engines from previous races which were not very power hungry like Monaco (if that engine was there for only that race).
            Teams generally use new engines for Spa and MOnza so these engines can be used in the practice sessions for the remaining races.
            Last year Vettel survived the similar scare and even went on to win the he Abu Dhabi GP

    2. Agree it should be Webber and I think it will be.

      He’ll have the best car and has a race win over his team. What’s more crucial is that he doesn’t seem to make many mistakes.

      1. I should add that I’d not be at all disappointed if he does! :P

    3. Up to this point, Webber’s won the most races and has the most points, so on what we’ve seen of the season so far I think he’s the most worthy of the title. But it’s not over yet!

      This is when the pressure really starts to take it’s toll, when a driver is this close to securing a World Title, for some like Webber and Vettel their whole careers have been building to this moment. It makes you wonder how that pressure will affect them because we really don’t know how they’ll handle it?

      The other three contenders have already won World Titles, so having that experience is a valuable commodity. But I do wonder about Hamilton, because in ’07 and ’08 he did make crucial errors at critical moments, China & Brazil ’07 and then when he slid wide on the penultimate lap and lost that vital 5th place in Brazil ’08 that nearly cost him the total. Was that just the pressure of trying to secure that first title or like Schumacher is that title pressure always going to reoccur?

      Button also seemed to clam up towards the end of the season last year, but that’s probably because he was protecting a big lead. So makes you wonder how he can handle the pressure especially if he’s chasing the points lead.

      Despite the fact Alonso’s made a fair few mistakes this year, I think he’s the one with the most experience to draw on in title fights, he knows how to win Championships and has won 2 out of 3. So when it really comes to the crunch I think he’s the most likely to deliver.

      How lucky we are though, who knows what’s yet to come in the last 5 races! I can’t wait to find out the identity of the 2010 World Champion.

      1. My head and heart say Webber. In my head because if its true he will have the best car for the next 5 races and has shown over the last year what a gritty and dtermined driver he really is with brilliant drives in Monaco and Silverstone. My heart because of the situation with Vettel with regards to the Turkish and British GP.
        Hamilton could take it also depending on how Mclarens updates work in the next few races, would love to see Button win but unless webber and hamilton have an off day and he takes maximum points and is in contention in Abu Dhabi then its doubtful it hurts me to say.
        Vettel will have another DNF by the end of the season or a broken wing will lose him points and i think Webber deserves it more than Vettel this year.
        As for Alonso? Wins by more than 7 points and he deserves it. Otherwise a 100,00 dollars for the championship seems like a good investment

        1. I don’t get all these guys with their hearts set on Hamilton winning. The dude practically nicked the title from under Massa’s nose in 08 (with the help of blatant team orders no less) after having it nicked from under his own nose in 07.

          Great a driver that Hamilton is, and he has risen in my estimation immensely in the sporting manner he has conducted himself (e.g. on the podium at Istanbul), but still let’s have some cheering for a new winner people.

  3. I voted Lewis because i’m a huge fan… but i truthfully think Webber because of Neweys knack for designing an untouchable car.

    1. Hardly untouchable. In order to finish first, you must first finish. Newey’s cars (as the article said) have always been fragile, no matter what time he’s worked for.

      1. Webber’s car has been bulletproof all year and much more reliable than all other cars on the grid except for maybe Kubica’s Renault.

  4. Tough one.

    The maths say Webber
    My heart says LH
    My head says Vettel

    Yep, my head is weird, but let’s see, Vettel has done every single mistake he could possibly do. One can assume he wont anymore. Webber has pushed his luck with a lot of brio, but there is hardly anything between them, and they have the best car (by how far? That’s the question my heart is asking to know wether he is right). Vettel is bound to be more comfortable in a highly dominant car (ie : start on pole or P2) and with the team behind him, I believe the rest of the season is cut out to its strenghts (going fast with nobody in front). If Webber gets a DNF in the next 4 races (lets face it, there is 80% chance it will happen) and he manages to run clean simple races, the champ is his.

    1. LOL: “Vettel has done every single mistake he could possibly do. One can assume he wont anymore.”

      There is a (possibly mythical) story that you can predict the weather better than the Met Office by merely saying “Tomorrow’s weather will be the same as today”.

      On that basis, I think it will make for a better prediction to suggest that Vettel will make just as many mistakes over the next races as he has over the ones gone by.

      My heart wants to see Button close the gap up. My head says that Hamilton is more likely to do that, but in that case, I’d rather Webber won it.

      1. Yes i see your point, but i like to think Vettel (as does Hamilton and have already achieved Alonso, But and Webber), will learn from his mistakes.

        1. Like your description Tango! Like you, my heart says LH. My head says Webber as I stick with Vettel crumbling under pressure – he must win, win, win, second realistically to get the championship (unless Webber DNFs, and I’m not sure that’s an 80% chance).

          But if Ferrari are right about being competitive at the next couple of circuits, it’s all up in the air…

          And have McLaren got their high speed cornering sorted with the latest update (due at Singapore, I think)? Or has Newey found another loophole to pull out about 6secs a lap?! (don’t worry, I don’t blame the guy – he’s a genius! Love the ‘ideas factory’ he seems to create around him).

          Will Alonso crash again if he’s not racing at the pointy end?

          Will Red Bull suddenly back Vettel completely and give Webber an Austin Healey to race in?

          The options are unending.

          BRING IT ON!!

        2. Unfortunately, one of Vettel’s worst traits is simply that he’s very rough on his machinery, compared to Webber or Massa. Overcoming a collection of bad habits demands that he UN-LEARN as much as he learns. You don’t see a driver rise above this overnight.

  5. It is hard to decide since all of first five are able to get the CS. It is going to be hard battle between LH and MW but my cash is on Hamilton. r

  6. I reckon Alonso or Button. Both have been in this position before and both are very smart drivers. The only thing which will peg back Alonso will be his engine situation and the only thing which will peg back Button will be Hamilton.

    I get the feeling that Hamilton wont manage to take the title this year, I think he’s genuinely under threat from Button – who has shown that he is a top driver. Many criticised him has being average in a top car. His performances this year have blown that arguement out of the water to my mind!

    1. Hamilton has outperformed Button this year.
      He has out qualified Button 9 to 5 and is 17 points ahead in the title race.

      Button is too inconsistent in qualifying and this will be the nail in the coffin. You can’t be qualifying 6th or lower if you are going to walk away with the title, the competition is too close.

      I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the other four won it, but I would be shocked if Button did. He is the only one I can’t see walking away with it even though I do like him and rate him as a driver. I just think the competition is too tough this year and due to his driving, he can’t hustle the car when it isn’t performing exactly as he wants it at a circuit.

      1. But come race day, Button has made fewer mistakes, and the mistakes he has made have been less significant and costly. Button, in fact, has made more inspired moves and decisions come race day.

        1. and if the McLaren pit crew hadn’t left that thing on Jensons car before Monaco, JB would likely be level on points with Lewis and Mark too

          1. and if vettel hadn’t crashed him in Spa, and if he hadn’t lost his steering wheel display in Malaysia (can’t remember if malaysia or somehwere else). He’s the most unlucky person on the grid, yet always manages to hold on to whatever he can.

            Damage at nearly every race that isn’t hsi fault, none of the crashes this year are atributable to him. i think it’s fair to say that anything can happen, and these five drivers all have a good chance…

          2. Nice argument, but I have to hear about Lewis’s retirement in Spain almost every GP from the wife. “He was running 2nd, last lap!” :)

          3. Button was starting in 8th place. Assuming he’d actually held that place he would only have scored 4 points.

          4. Jenson had fallen to 11th or 12th at the start in Monaco, he was running out of the points when he retired. I doubt he would have finished any higher than about 9th. If he loses the championship by 2 or 3 points, then you can say that Monaco cost him. But he would no way be level with Hamilton and Webber now if he hadn’t had that problem.

          5. @KateM

            The only reason for Button faling back after the start in Monaco was the bungy thing left stuck was already cooking his engine.

            He could have finsished somewhere from 5-8th place.

          6. Yeah but Hamilton’s had 2 car failures in Spain and Hungary, costing him probably 33 points.

          7. @patrickl

            In most races, he has improved during the race, so that is in fact not as likely as you’d think.

            – He has not had a worse endresult than start besides his two DNFs (none of them his fault).
            – He has ended up at the same position thrice (As far as I remember)

          8. but then in Monaco you rarely improve unless the competition crashes or breaks down. In this case Alonso leapfrogged past a lot of people because of the safety car too.

        2. I doubt how many calls were his and how many were down to his race engineer. Most strategic decisions are the brainchilds of the engineers.

          1. In a dry race, a call on when to pit will usually come from the pit wall because they can keep an eye on the traffic behind a driver and ensure he comes in at the optimum moment (in theory, anyway).

            But in mixed wet/dry conditions it’s often down to the driver to decide which tyres are best for the state the track’s in. With the caveat that the team can keep an eye on what others are doing – so if someone gambles on an early switch to dry tyres on a wet track, or vice-versa, if he starts popping in purple sectors they’ll let the driver know immediately.

            But again that comes back to there being at least one driver on the track who’s made a brave call and reaped the reward. At Melbourne that was Button.

  7. Head says Webber.

    Heart says anybody but Alonso. The championship has been so tight that there’s a very real chance that Alonso will win by six points or less. And if that happens, Ferrari will have successfully undermined one of the best seasons of racing with their team orders stunt. It would be enough to provoke me into tuning out permanently.

    1. I agree regarding Alonso, although in the event he wins I won’t be turning out, I’ll just be disappointed.

      1. Oops, I meant tuning out.

    2. Oh please, like you’ll really tune out. I’m not crazy about what happened at Hockenheim, but I think that too much has been made of it. Massa was effectively if not mathematically out of it, not least because he has been slower that Alonso all season. Both McLaren and RedBull have this season at least once acted in ways that in their intent basically amounted to team orders (even if they were disobeyed). That the results were different or failed to achieve their intended aims is beside the point – it’s the intent to affect the outcome of a race that matters, or at least that’s what should matter, though perhaps that’s difficult to pinpoint in regulations. Massa could have stood his ground, just as Webber and Button have done. Enough with the moral indignation already.

      1. Yeah. You don’t know me that well, do you. If Alonso wins the World Championship by less than six points, I’ll stop watching. If he wins by seven or more, then I’ll keep going with it because even if the German results were reversed to have him listed as second, he would still win the title.

        1. Just wondering if you stopped watching F1 from 2000-2004, and in 2008, when Heikki let Lewis by at the German Gp… Lewis did win that championship by a point. So how many seasons have you missed due to team orders?

          1. Well actually i all but stopped watching in 2002-2004, a large part of that due to the way Ferrari (and the FIA) went about winning). Luckily i picked it up again to see an amazing 2005 and a 2006 where Ferrari were overcome by Alonso in the Renault.

            But i must say i hated instances where i felt Fisi had to move over to let Alonso past. The Heiki-Lewis thing in 2008 did not bother me, as it was just as logical if not more so as Heidfeld letting Kubica pass to go on and win it in Canada.

          2. Even the WMSC wouldn’t have penalized McLaren for Hockenheim 2008 (if they actually had given a team order) since the race result wasn’t changed. Hamilton would have overtaken Kovalainen anyway. Regardless of team orders or not.

          3. Just wondering if you stopped watching F1 from 2000-2004, and in 2008, when Heikki let Lewis by at the German Gp… Lewis did win that championship by a point. So how many seasons have you missed due to team orders?

            I never had the chance to watch it full-time until the middle of the second half of 2008. Before then, I was lucky to get the Australian Grand Prix and tape the odd race in our time zone if the VCR was free and I remembered to. While I’ve brushed up on everything that happened, it was always something that happened on the other side of the world.

          4. At Germany ’08 there wasn’t even any damning evidence over the radio, and only the most irrational of Hamilton-haters would think Hamilton wasn’t capable of overtaking anyway.

            In 2000-2004 meanwhile, the only two controversies (at the same circuit) occured in seasons won by far more than whatever number of points the number one driver was gifted by the number two.

          5. Kov letting pass Ham was as logical as Alo passing Massa. Both team orders, even if no readio messages published in 08, and that because the stewards didn´t decide to investigate.
            The key question in 2.008 to compare both situations: would have Ham had time to pass further drivers (Piquet, Massa) if Kov would have fought his position? Remember, just 1 point ahead at the end of the season…

          6. @patrickl

            “…since the race result wasn’t changed.”

            You are contradicting yourself already there. First you agree that team orders where deplayed in 2008, resulting in Heikki letting Hamilton by. Then you announce that it did not change the result!

            The below three observations describes how that changed the results:
            1. When Heikki LET LH pass, at that moment the result was changed once.
            2. Nobody knows what the outcome of an overtaking maneuver would be either. Potentially the drivers could crash with each other and non of them would finish that race.
            3. If LH would spend a few laps behind Heikki, he would have lost time, making it less probable LH would WIN the race. Had he not won that race, he would not win the championship either

          7. I don’t understand all these people who use the 2008 example. They were on different strategies! You don’t have to be a teammate to let someone through in that situation! Why risk a crash defending against somebody that you’re not really racing!

          8. quattro, you need to read a little bit better.

          9. The key question in 2.008 to compare both situations: would have Ham had time to pass further drivers (Piquet, Massa) if Kov would have fought his position?

            LH passed Piquet for the lead with 7 laps to go. If your eyes worked in the year 2008, you’ll have seen Kovalainen’s dismal performances did not suggest he was capable of holding off a faster teammate on a different (faster) strategy for 7 tours of any circuit.

          10. With eyes wide open I witnesed Kov blatantly letting pass Ham. If your brains work you’ll have to admit that we are all speculating here, including you “Kovalainen’s dismal performances did not suggest he was capable of holding off” (Alonso has also been quicker than Massa throughout the whole season). And that’s all we have been left with: speculations because of not investigating

      2. now also massa has a chance if he takes a win with top 3 or 4 fails to score..

    3. Though I won’t stop watching, I’m with you about the anger of Alonso winning by less than 7. Me personally, I’ll just refuse to acknowledge he’s champion if that’s the case. It’s 7 points he never earned. I don’t hate Ferrari, but their behavior this season has been despicable and left any chances of me being a fan this year far behind.

      1. I’m also in the “anyone but Alonso” camp.

        Last year’s championship was devalued (to a non-zero percentage of fans) because Button was guilty of nothing more than driving a superior car – yet that is a perfectly legitimate way to go about winning.

        If Alonso wins by those 7 points, I suspect many more will feel that this year’s championship is devalued – and this time it would be an illegal way of going about it, punished by a trivial £64k.

        If I were Alonso, I would feel ashamed of winning in this way – in my heart, it would never sit as a truly deserved title. Just like winning the 2008 Singapore GP would never feel truly deserved.

        And I agree that this would be a most unsatisfactory conclusion to an otherwise excellent year.

        Some people will label me as an Alonso-hater, or a Ferrari-hater, but the truth is that I give my respect to those drivers & teams that *deserve* their titles.

        1. “I give my respect to those drivers & teams that *deserve* their titles.”

          Hear, hear

        2. The question is “u r not Alonso” and ALonso isnt the team owner.
          “Deserve” is a word which has a huge meaning. All the people who arer saying that they ll stop watching F1 if Alonso wins by less than 7 points, I advise them to even stop watching this great sport even if he wins by more than 7 points.
          Your hate towards Alonso is far greater than for this sport and F1 is run my teams and not indivudual car drivers.
          Ferrari’s decision to let Massa pass Alonso is absolutely right keeping in mind the amount of money top teams spend on running 2 cars on the track. THEY DO IT FOR WINNING. Ferrari clearly gave team orders unlike Red Bull where suddenly Vettel sensed engine failure for 1/2 a lap.

          Get a life guys. Noone will stop watching F1 if there favourite driver doesnt win.

          1. you mention the word “sport” quite a lot, yet your favourite driver is the most unsportive active character in world sport at the moment, arguably. He’s doesn’t care one yota about “sport” only about winning,what with the nature of all the scandals he’s involved in.

            About Vettel it’s rubbish.Dont even try no one buys it. Did you watch the race? Have you heard Vettel on the radio? Yes he would do such a big spectacle to help Webber for sure… Besides a temporary failure has happened before in F1 many times. Remember Brazil 2007?

            I’m supporting Webber for the WDC, but if it’s not him then anyone but Alonso. And yes if he wins by less than 7 points I will stop watching after 17 seasons in which I watched every race.

            I don’t hate Alonso, I hate unsportiveness and it’s represented in F1 by Alonso unfortunately.

          2. At the same time, is the first time I see a car recovering from engine problems, in half a lap…

          3. It wasn’t an engine problem, it was a stuck brake.

          4. As I see it, if Alonso manages to win this years championship (by any number of points), it will make him definitely one of the absolute greatest in F1 history.

            He has already achieved alot and is rated by his fellow colleagues as the best driver on the grid. Winning this year’s championship given all the misfortunes he has had (equipment failing, safety car situations putting him at end of field and a couple of miner mistakes) would be HUGE. When also considering the pressure that some media has tried to put on him and the fact that he does not have the most competitive car out there would make it even more sweet.

            I was amazed by him in Monza. He handled this media driven (team order) campaign so calmly and maturely and did an outstanding week-end. Pole, race win and fastest lap! I have to say that my respect for his ability AND personality is even bigger now than what it was in previous seasons.

          5. Your hate towards Alonso is far greater than for this sport and F1 is run my teams and not indivudual car drivers.

            I don’t hate Alonso. I’m fairly neutral towards him. I don’t particularly like him, but I don’t particularly dislike him, either. And if the situation was reversed and it was Massa who was in the championship hunt and had won the race in Germany because of Ferrari’s actions, I’d be saying the exact same thing: I wouldn’t want Massa to win, and that if he did win by six points or less, I’d turn it off. Our issue is with Ferrari, not Alonso. He just happens to be the man at the front.

            And if Alonso does happen to win by six points or less, then I’ll still maintain that he doesn’t deserve it. Because it means he didn’t win the champion on account of driver skill – he’ll have won it because a race was fixed in his favour. It’s very unsporting.

          6. Keith, Vettel did report engine problems to engineers over the radio. It might have been brakes at the end, or it might have been nothing, but it did look “strange”.
            I could speculate further saying that it looked so “strange” that the team backed up and changed strategy to avoid comparissons to the Ferrari case, moreover taking into account that Webber lost so much time in overtaking Hulk.

            The main reason I dont think there were team orders is that in my opinion Vettel is still considered nº1 in the team, it still looked suspicious though…

        3. I am a Webber and Red Bull fan, but have no problem with what Ferrari did. It was against the rules, and they should have been punished harder, but team orders will always be part of F1.

          If at the last race Vettel has no chance of becoming WDC and Webber is behind him, most people will assume and hope that Vettel would let Webber by. Ferrari did it with 6 races to go, the other teams will all do it in the last two races, and the audience and other drivers will expect it. It should make no difference that Ferrari did it earlier in the season, it is simply because there was a clearer gap between Alonso and Massa at that time.

          1. actually Ferrari did it with 9 races to go. And yes that makes a difference.

          2. and because the British and German press have done such a big case out of it. Other team/driver nationality, and we wouldn´t be speaking about this

          3. I saw coverage of it on American sites, Australian sites, loads of other countries. People were outraged because a race was fixed, they wouldn’t care if it was Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren or anyone else doing it. You think there wouldn’t be uproar if Mercedes had Rosberg pull over to let Schumacher win?

          4. In that case probably, only because Schumi but have been involved in another case again.

            I don´t think it would have been an uproar if Button would have left Ham pass, Im actually quite sure of it, so it has happened with Ham this season in various not investigated/ non punished cases (that we have discussed before). The case of the safety car in Valencia at the top, that would have been a huge uproar in the media, and actually was in the Spanish (obviously, Spanish media has very little influence)

          5. @chemakal,

            Actually we do not need to speculate whether there would have been “an uproar” in case Button would let LH pass. Hamilton’s previous team mate let him pass in 2008. I do not remember Brittish & German media (those who has been so outspoken about the Ferrari move) making a big deal of that and hence no FIA investigation. That is why I am naming it “media driven”. And, I guess that is one of the occasions that Ferrari boss was reFfering to when talking about “hypocrisy”.

          6. It doesn’t matter how many times you say it, Hockenheim 2008 was not the same thing as Hockenheim 2010.

          7. @Keith Collantine

            I never said it was the same. All I am saying is tha t just like the Ferrari move in Germany 2010 looked like a team order, the Mclaren move in Germany 2008 also did. I am not comparing the circumstances and I feel that it should not be needed as long as (all) team orders are forbidden and should be punished.

            I have thought several times before that “this is my last reply to posts about this subject” and I am thinking the same right now. This time I will be.

          8. Of course it wasn’t the same thing. Here a number of big differences:

            1. No media uproar in 08. No investigation as a result, so we wont know if there were any radio messages/ team orders.
            2. It influenced the race positioning and tittle final standings, Kovs move gave Ham the opportunity to catch up to other drivers. I’m not saying determinated but influenced (Ham might have done it even with Kov fighting position). Just 1 point difference at the end!!
            3. Ferrari’s move did not have any effect on other drivers positioning/points. Just on Ferrari drivers.

            Keith, we’ll never agree on this. I would say that it was a similar case but no sanction in both cases, so both legal, so Ham a legitimate 08 WDC, and hopefuly Alonso a legitimate 10 WDC :-)

          9. @Keith Collantine

            I just want to add that, although we do not agree on this, I really appreciate that you are (given you are a Mclaren fan ;) ) not censoring my and others posts similar to the one you commented on. I respect that and think it makes your forum/site much better than other well known/more established forums. Even if it is not 100% neutral all the time it is close enough. :)

          10. I’m not a fan of any one team, nor have I ever said I am. Don’t try to put words in my mouth.

            My concern in the team orders debate is not to try to put down Ferrari – I’m concerned about the damage done to F1’s reputation by having a race that was quite blatantly fixed; worse, the sport’s governing body admitting it was fixed and then choosing not to give the individuals concerned a worthwhile punishment.

          11. Well, if your concern (and mine) is about F1s reputation you may agree with me that the individuals to be punished have to be Massa and his engineer; not “what” but “how blatantly” got investigated/sanctioned because team orders as such are considered common use to all teams.

          12. @chemakal,
            I got another innocent post (targeted to you) censored yesterday, just so you know. Funny it happened when I appreciation for Keith Collantine “not censoring” opinions.

            @Keith Collantine
            Lighten up, at the end of the day it is only cars, driving around and around and around…And people having different opinions about their behavior when they are doing just that.

          13. To the people thinking that ALL team orders should be punished regardless of the impact they have on a race or its validity on a race- by that logic teams should not be allowed to tell drivers even when to pit or order them to put in fast/slow laps depending on strategy and others cars’ strategies. Germany 08 was so far removed from Germany 10 and Austria 02(?) that it is barely worth remembering, other than for the amazing drive Hamilton did to outclass everybody even after handing them a massive early advantage. It was one of the best races of the year!

            When letting a driver through is common sense for a team and does not simply swap the finishing position of 2 drivers then it is not in contradiction of the intended meaning of the rules. Unfortunately it is difficult to word such a rule so that it’s intended meaning is clear, and therefore we get jokers seriously thinking Germany 08 was unjust and created an unworthy champion.

            @quattro
            ‘Lighten up, at the end of the day it is only cars, driving around and around and around’

            I think if any of us cared that casually none of us including you would be posting quite so much ;) And you forget that for Keith in particular it’s his career, and for me it’s an intended (but unlikely) career.

    4. I wish I had read the post prior to voting, I voted Hamilton but I would have voted Alonso. Now I am pulling for Alonso 100%.

      1. Wow, a tit-for-tat reply?

        Even I’m not that petty.

        1. Apologies, no intention of being petty. I am being sincere, I really do want Alonso to win the championship.

          It would be even more gratifying if he won it and had to have team orders issued to Massa in 2 or 3 of the final races. Just how I feel about the team order belly aching.

          1. What annoys me about the whole thing is that hes in that position because Ferrari never gave Massa a chance. He’s been branded the number 2 driver now. People were saying that he wasn’t keeping up, but do you seriously think that of the two drivers Massa would be the first one to receive new gear?

    5. “It would be enough to provoke me into tuning out permanently”

      That would be awesome.

      1. It would be more awesome if Ferrari disappeared overnight.

        1. haha i think you will get your wish Prisoner Monkeys,
          no more new engines 10 grid penalty for using a extra one, i can see them loosing it.

          go Webber.

    6. the most unlucky guy……..haha.
      what you guys will tell about massa….the most unlucky guy in the whole of 2010..affected in one or another way in almost every race barring the last few..

    7. During the tyre debacle at the USGP I was so mad that I swore I would never watch F1 again.

      (I watched the next race.)

  8. The head says… Webber. This year has shown he has the nous and maturity to take it to the topmost level and has a car that stays under him – literally in some cases.

    The heart says… Webber. He is Captain Australia after all. And we all know that the hero always wins in the end.

    1. Nice one. I also think / feel / guess it could be Mark Webber this year. He is driving excellent races, makes sure to get some points in all races but Valencia.
      The only worry is technical gremlins or errors setting in now.

      Hamilton let it get to him, that Button outsmarted him and drove without mistakes in Monza. He must keep his cool or lose out.
      Button is pretty far behind, i think he would need some interesting weather and a lot of Luck to make it, but i would not bet against him doing it. Vettel has made to many mistakes, and often has problems with the car, i do not think this is his year quite yet.

      If Alonso keeps racing like he did in Monza, he might get the title. But I hope he does stay in the fight but not win it in the end because of Germany.

      1. Webber is the only driver out of the lot who has performed well all year. At times of extreme pressure he went out and nailed qualifying with last-gasp laps, kept his cool in races and at times when he didn’t have the best car (like at Monza) he made the most out of it by *overtaking*

        His starts have let him down, but I am lead to believe that has something to do with the car and clutch settings which should be fixed by the next race.

        When the highlights reel of this season is shown, there will be clips of Hamilton stacking it into the wall and into Massa accompanied with “Hamilton saw his title chances slip with errors”, there will be similar clips for Vettel, and the other highlights will show Webber beating his highly-fancied team-mate, overcoming the odds set against him with team favoritism, to not only win more races than anybody else, but to do it using less engines and with only a single DNF (so far).

        Keith should have mentioned the engine situation in the post, because it does have a bearing. Webber took his 6th engine at Monza, while Alonso is on his 8th and Hamilton et al on their 7th.

        There is also consistency. Webber has finished in the points (9th at worse) in every race other than his incident in Valencia. His qualifying performances get him up the right end of the grid which means that he can avoid a lot of the mess with midfield cars in the opening laps, and also avoid being held up in the crucial first stint (usually). Button, Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel all have the problem of not being consistant enough in qualifying, which usually results in them starting on the third row or worse, where they are in the middle of the scrap in the opening corners and the opening laps of a GP.

        Webber has shown that this year even when he has car problems in practice, he can use his experience to get the car close to the front in qualifying with little practice and little setup time.

        I really don’t want to jinx webber, but it is hard to look past him based on performances this year to date. I expect him to own Singapore and Brazil with straight out pole-to-flag victories, and to finish in the top 4-5 in the other races, hopefully building a decent buffer in time for the last race.

        1. No question, logically Webber is the given champion especially when considering the nature of the remaining tracks. What I think tell against Webber is:
          1. Vettel is still in hunt…veery dangerous
          2. Webber is starting to feel the heat. I noticed that at the start/first lap of Monza. Did you see how cautious he was at turn 1? He had already decided not to take ANY risks. The result was three cars passing him at turn 1, that was NOT due to the bad start but to Webber braking waaay to early.

          If he manages to get pole in three of the remaining races (and manages to avoid vettel at lap 1) he will be unbeatable. If not, I do not think he will win.

          1. I think Webber bought a more cautious attitude to Monza because he knew that he didn’t have the car to win. You can bet that when it comes to Singapore he will find his old self again and will be throwing the car into the first corners and go back to his ‘come near me and you will meet the barrier’ style of driving.

        2. I really hope that webber does win, but what worries me is his performance in australia. When he got there he was pressured massively to win it, especially given how competitive the car was. It was hardly his finest drive thats for sure.

  9. I’d like Webber or Lewis to take it. I think as long as he doesn’t make horrid mistakes or have any bad luck I have to put my money on Webber as I don’t think McLaren can give Lewis a RedBull beating car, although Webber’s recent starts off the line are worrying.
    I think the opposition is too strong for Button to deliver, he is inconsistent, especially in qualifying and a couple of 5th and lower row grid spots will take him out of contention.
    Vettel could be the dark horse, if he suddenly put it all together and started driving flawless weekends.

    1. I just dont think Button is good enough. This year, Button has driven to the best of his ability, and more times than not he has been very lucky. In spite of those efforts, he lies 4th in the WDC.

      I think Button can give 130% every race but will still come up short. If you just dont have the pace and talent of Lewis and Fernando, what are you going to do???

      1. If you just dont have the pace and talent of Lewis and Fernando, what are you going to do???

        Gain points through taking calculated risks with strategy and setup. Like with the 68 points he gained in three races where he’s done that (Australia, China, Italy).

        1. yeah, it’s kinda eerie considering all the Prost comparisons that have been made. Hell, look at Adelaide ’86 when Prost snagged it from 3rd.

          You just never know. This year especially.

      2. yup ur dead right

  10. I’d love it to be Button – a victory for strategy, consistency, experience and style.

    If not, I’d like it to be Hamilton – because no-one takes a car and wrings its neck like he does, although as we’ve seen sometimes it all goes wrong.

    But it’ll be Webber. The fastest car, the coolest head, and I think he has a growing feeling that this year “his time” has come.

    1. Tom M in Australia
      15th September 2010, 12:51

      I feel exactly the same way!

      1. Agree. It is Webber’s title to lose. If he does not win then it has to be Hamilton. That guy has been very consitent this year.

  11. The head says Webber but the heart says Hamilton. Hamilton will be kicking himself after the mistakes (set up and crash) in Monza and he will be out to right the ship in Singapore. My respect for Button and Alonso is great, but I’d really like to see one of Webber or Hamilton take it this year.

    As for Vettel, well honestly think he has yet to show the maturity and composure needed to be a WDC.

    1. “Hamilton will be kicking himself after the mistakes (set up and crash) in Monza”

      We have see that before. Further mistakes came as a result of “kicking himself”. Not cool enough under pressure…

  12. Webber is certainly the favourite but my money’s still on Hamilton. I think the new flexi-tests will hurt Red Bull the most and whilst they’ll still have the best car, apart from at Suzuka we won’t have a track that exaggerates that advantage like we saw in Spain and that advantage is usually maximised over one lap in qualifying – often we’ve seen the Red Bulls challenged on race pace. Places like Korea and Abu Dhabi might not be walkovers; both might see Red Bull faster over the whole lap, but they begin with massive long straights that could see them vulnerable at the start.

    The fact that Webber hasn’t really dominated his team-mate the way Hamilton has over Button means Mark is more under threat from losing points by his team-mate beating him. Without Hamilton taking risks last weekend we might not be suddenly so much more confident about Button and Alonso’s chances.

    As for Ferrari, I think that being a better all-rounder might hurt them more than help them. We don’t know if they’ve still got better downforce than McLaren, but if they do their straight-line speed isn’t as good; in one area Red Bull will trounce them, and in the other McLaren. Even with a Ferrari faster than the McLarens, we might see them beaten by Red Bull on qualifying pace only to then be mugged by McLaren on track position on the day. One bad result would hurt Alonso’s chances more than anyone.

    On a last point, I disagree this is the closest season ever. In 1982 11 different drivers won a race and the top 4 finished within ten points of each other and was incredibly tight over the last few races. Admittedly Pironi should have been champion but for his accident, but “should have” rarely flies in F1!

    1. I’m not exactly sure how Webber hasn’t really dominated over Vettel, but then Hamilton has over Button.

      Webber is leading the world championship, and has won four races (most likely would have been five if Vettel hadn’t of crashed into him in Turkey), Vettel has won two races. That seems pretty dominating to me. Not mention he has also won races in the chassis that Vettel rejected as not being good enough.

      On the McLaren side Hamilton has won three races (would have been two if he wasn’t gifted the win in Turkey, maybe even one if you also consider what would have happened had he hit the wall in Belgium, which only missed by the tiniest of margins), Button has won two races, both of which he pretty much dominated.

      If anything race results suggest that Hamilton isn’t really dominating Button at all, rather he’s just been lucky on the odd occasion.

      1. I would agree Webber’s dominated over Vettel much more than Hamilton has over Button.

        I think Lewis and Jenson have learnt plenty from eachother this year. All Webber’s learnt from Vettel is that the man’s a pillock and has screwed up his championship hopes from race to race with such blatant plonkerdom. Webber’s kept a cool head and sure, he didn’t get off to a great start but he’s won over his team and has emerged as a solid and frequent race winner.

        1. I tend tot agree on that as well. And from what i read (BBC, on Jenson outsmarting and being flawless) about Lewis losing his cool especially because of Jenson being quicker in Qualli and making a better setup choise made him so pushed up he went into the race all pumped up to get back to the front.

          It shows he is getting just a little bit of the star driver being shown the ropes syndrome. Not yet throwing his toys out of the pram, but a bit of a crack it is. Vettel has the same with Webber beating him consistenly now.

        2. @Electrolite…

          “All Webber’s learnt from Vettel is that the man’s a pillock”

          Nice, had to stifle a chuckle at that in the office!

      2. To use your Turkey example, Vettel was going to win that race, and they would have three wins each by now.

        Webber has only dominated Vettel through a combination of Vettel’s mistakes (fair enough) but also for once Webber not having had the lion’s share of reliability troubles, certainly not whilst running at he front.

        Webber may be ahead of Vettel on points, merit, and ability, but in a straight fight there’s very little between them. Meanwhile more often than not in a straight fight Hamilton has beaten Button on the track many a time. Discounting Spain and Hungary, Monza was the first time Button finished ahead of Hamilton since China. That’s pretty telling.

        Stats don’t prove everything and I wasn’t comparing them by the stats alone.

      3. I think he means in qualifying and in races when McLaren hasn’t been on the pace, Hamilton has done better.

      4. not true,button was gifted the 2 races he won.

    2. “We don’t know if they’ve still got better downforce than McLaren, but if they do their straight-line speed isn’t as good; in one area Red Bull will trounce them, and in the other McLaren”

      This makes absolutely no sense as Ferrari was faster than McLaren at the latter’s best track, Monza, and way faster still at high downforce tracks like Hungary and Germany.

  13. Head and heart say Webber but knowing my luck it will be Hamilton just to prove me wrong and my dad right. (He’s still very English and wants Hamilton to win, and by all rights I shouldn’t be supporting Webber as he is a citizen of our most fierce competitor, damn you NZ for not having any F1 drivers)

    1. Wow a Kiwi supporting an Aussie… That is very good of you! I began the season expecting little more of Webber and Red Bull than last year, but as he has won more and more races, I have really got behind him and have even found myself sharing his joy as he crosses the line. I really want Webber to win! I think he is the favourite.

      1. Yep, I think he finally has the car to win it this year

  14. Hamilton will do it he stops taking foolish risks. I thought he was more mature this year, but he seems to be on a mission to prove me wrong. He needs a solid manager to keep him on track.
    Webber could win if he gets a reliable car under him, he has the guts and determination, he thrives when challenged and this year, it is very challenging. I don’t want Alonso to win despite his advantage of being the chosen one, he has a temper and it will cost him if things go slightly wrong.

    1. He’s made one mistake all year man, if he hadn’t been let down by his car in Spain and Hungary he’d be way out in front. On a mission to prove you wrong, I ask you, guess this proves the phrase your only as good as your last race.

      An he may well have learnt from that mistake, he threw his hands up straight away and took all the blame, sign of maturity prehaps?

      1. Quite righ Scribe. Hamilton has made one mistake, and has been let down by the car twice. The way he handled the Monza incident was a sign of his class. He could have jumped out of his car and made the “your crazy” hand gesture in an attempt to deflect some of the blame…but he didn’t, he said it was his fault and moved on. 10/10.

        1. 1 mistake? come on, early season qualy was dismal. but i agree, hamilton has been driving well this year. Go Webber!

        2. But being let down by your car (or team for McLaren in Monaco in Buttons case) is pretty evenly spread between the front runners, with only Vettel getting a bit worse off and Webber a bit better off.

          So it really is up to the driver making the most out of the car he has and the choices made in the races.

    2. Come on give the guy a break! Hes made one mistake all year, compare that to Vettel/Webber/Alonso. There’s no doubt in my mind that Hamiltons been the best driver and deserves the title. But F1 doesn’t work like that, it’s a combination of man and machine and it looks like Webber is the best placed to take advantage.

      1. Agree Hamilton has driven well .. but lets not forget that he is a choker. Wait till he throws away the title in the last couple of races.

        1. huh? a choker thats silly, people say the most ridiculous things about Hamilton as though they were fact.

          In his first season he and the team collectivley threw it in China, AS A ROOKIE!

          In his second in the typical way of things he was faster but less consitant, when he was on form no one could live with him, victories by over a minute, thats insane.

          He didn’t have anything to choke on last year, an this he’s had one bad weekend, ONE where the car has been better than the result he delivered. Thats incredible, choker my left rear cheek.

          1. I’m not a Hamilton hater, and I have respect for his speed and race craft, but I guess fanboys will never want to see the truth.

            Glad you mentioned 2007 China, and not to mention how he almost threw it away in Brazil 2008 by sliding wide and letting Vettel through. He got lucky with the Glock situation, otherwise he would have thrown 2 titles away in two years.

            Almost throwing away 2 titles in the 2 two years in which he had a competitive drive…in my books… classifies him as a choker.

          2. Yes, the rubbish chocker slipped in the wet, in the delightfully ordinary and easy to handle situation of a faster car unlapping himself letting a faster car who been preassuring him for lap after lap through WHAT A CHOKER, and what a fanboy I am for saying so.

            A Chocker is Tim Henman, who goes out because under preassure he seizes up. Hamilton has made few enough mistakes under preassure not be classified as a chocker, his junior titles his relative inexperiance and his amazing lack of mistakes under preassure, again remarkable compared to the others makes you singing off as fact his chokerness just a bit iritaiting.

            It clearly hit a nerve if you had to resort to calling me a fanboy.

          3. Thats where you are wrong. Tim Henman just never had the skill to win a grandslam, and therefore, never did. Lewis on the other hand, has done everything right all season, and gets into the crucial races, and then throws it away. That is what a choker is.

            Henman never had a match in his control to lose, except for when he lost to Goran, and that was due to the multiple breaks that happenned during the match.

          4. Tim Henman would get himself into positions to make an impact on matches then invariably loose the big points, hence choker. An if loosing to Goran wasn’t choking I’d like to know what is.

  15. Alonso – I said it from the start, I was saying it 4 races ago, I’ll say it again now.

    1. I want him to win as well, but he would need to put in 5 stellar performances, and have fortune favour him as well.

      I wouldn’t put my money on it.

      1. Well…
        He is stellar!

        1. You got that right… ALONSO, 100%. Having a full-time #2 will help. Certainly didn’t hurt the beloved (or hated) MSC.

        2. He is stellar when things are going his way. But since the first flyaways, he just seems to fall apart and start waving his hands everywhere the minute that they don’t.

        3. Alonso has his best ever opportunity to back up his credentials as a double world champion. If he does it, even non-Alonso fans would have to give him credit as being a brilliant driver.

          It will come down to the Ferrari. Monza wasn’t the best measure of where that car is right now, so Singapore should be a good indicator on Alonso’s prospects for the remained of the year. At worst, they are just a bit slower than McLaren – nothing that good setup and good driving cannot overcome.

          1. Agree with that. Ferrari brought developments to Belgium but we will not see it until Singapore, mainly comparing to Redbull and flexibility car changes.
            The big problem for Ferrari, no new engines left…

      2. You say that, but it might be a good idea! My mate made a mint on Kimi in 2007!

    2. bye bye chippie….that will never happen…by alonso haters

  16. As an Australian I can’t say anyone but Webber. Only two other Australians have ever won a WDC: Jack Brabham (3 times, last in 1966) and Alan Jones in 1980. It will be 30 years to the day (not quite) since an Australian last won the Championship if Webber can win the WDC in 2010.

    Realistically though I think it will be very close between Hamilton, Vettel and Webber. I can’t see Alonso challenging for the top five spots any more because both Ferraris have reached their maximum engine allocation, but I also can’t help thinking they wouldn’t be so stupid as that and have something (more rule breaking, ha!) up their sleeves to counteract it.

    Hamilton and Vettel are kind of similar this season; they’re either really on form or really off form.

    Button is the defending WDC, but both he and Webber are the ‘dark horses’ of this years’ Championship.

    Coincedentally this is my first season of following F1 ‘full-time’ and it seems I couldn’t have picked a better season for it!

    May the best man win!

    (but I hope it’s Webber!!!)

    1. Well they are up to their eight engine, but us I understand they can still shuffle them all around and put an older engine in. Maybe its just a way of managing their engines for the season, maybe they are in trouble, only time will tell, as far as I remember they have blown only one engine.
      But if they are not strong in Singapore or Japan, I would exclude them from the contenders list.

  17. Hamilton has been by far the best driver this season, especially if you take into consideration the three times he’s lost points due to events out of his controll, these being Australia, Spain and Hungary.

    Monza was a bad error, but the preassure he created for himself was monumental and thats possibly what made it his worse weekend of the year. He set Spa and Monza as races he had to win an after winning the first the preassure ramped up for the second.

    I think it’s Webbers title to loose but Hamilton could well push him close, I think we must be glad for Hamiltons bad luck and third fastest car, if not for that he’d have blown the feild away by now.

    1. I’d have to agree. I can’t help thinking that if Alonso or Hamilton would have been in a Red Bull this year, it would be done and dusted by now.

      1. I think that with Button in a Red Bull this year it might be in the bag as well this year. And what if Massa would have blitzed the field in a RBR from pole position, he might have it done as well.
        That said, RBR did throw a big load of points out by bad team desicions, including the pit stop strategy in Melbourne, China and incidents in Turkey and to an extent Silverstone as well.

      2. I think if Redbull had Alonso and Hamilton as drivers it’d be a mad 1988 style super two way with recriminations and total domination of both Saturday and Sunday.

  18. As a betting man it’s got to be Webber, as a fan I would love Hamilton to win. He’s easily been the best driver, he had a disatsrous weekend at Monza, but that’s nothing compared to the mistakes that Vettel/Webber/Alonso have made. Hes also been consistently quicker than his team-mate.

    But he simply doesn’t have the best car, if Webber has a few solid weekends he should bring it home comfortably.

  19. I voted Webber, because I think he’s hungriest, most consistent, and has the fastest car, but I really hope Button proves me wrong.

  20. One thing you can say with a degree of confidence is that in most seasons its going to be Lewis and someone fighting for the championship.

  21. I’m still betting (hoping) on Hamilton to take the WDC.

    9 out of 10 races have been “Red Bull territory” this year. Driver errors, poor team strategy and reliability problems seem to have undercut their potential though.

  22. I don’t think anyone has been perfect.

    Apart from Malaysia qualifying Webber was only getting bad headlines before Europe came. There’s this sense of justice about him this year though. That he’s finally stringing everything together and managing to beat the boy wonder. I think it’ll be Mark who is champion.

    Lewis has had his off qualifying days, outbraked himself at Bahrain and potentially lost a podium, ninned the car in Germany and then had the Monza mistake(s). He has been the most consistent butn looking back at his mistakes now I think that says a lot about then others.

    Alonso- if he wins I’ll be amazed. This year has just been “what if” with all those lost points. However, the fact he’s still in it when he really shouldn’t be means I can’t just brush him off.

    Seb- dubbed ‘crash kid’. Amazing quali and Monza showed he can work a race well and he can fight through the field like Silverstone but there’s just this feeling that it isn’t quite his time. He could well get pole and win every single race from now though as he bjust has that potential.

    Jenson- shouldn’t win due to lack of pace but with the pressure and choas of the last few rounds who knows? He’s had his share of bad luck this season too.

    1. Nice and acurate analysis Steph, although i have a nudge Jenson might get a lucky/clever win in some chaos in say Singapore or a rainy Interlagos or so.

    2. I think you’ve overstated Hamilton’s mistakes and swept Alonso’s under the carpet a bit, but you’ve summed it up nicely, I agree.

      1. I haven’t forgot Alo’s mistakes it’s just there are so many I couldn’t be bothered if I’m hoenst. There was China and then M<onaco was the worst.

        Also, I added this

        "He has been the most consistent butn looking back at his mistakes now I think that says a lot about then others."

        Just so I didn't have to go into all the other mistakes as it would take forever :P

        Thank you! I do feel karma/luck/whatever will pay Jenson back at some point.

  23. Red Bull should win the title but they have not dominated despite having the most competitive car. Webber has shown much more maturity and should win the drivers title.

    I fancy Hamilton to push right until the end and could possible pip Webber at the post. McLaren have for me been the most consistent, even though their car has not been the fastest they continue to improve mostly through Lewis really ringing out every last drop of performance from the car.

    Alonso will also push really hard from now on and if the front guys continue to make mistakes the way Lewis did last weekend he has an outside chance of getting it, but Ferrari have been up and down this season and I don’t see them settling down to any performance consistency.

    My heart says
    1. Lewis Hamilton
    2. Mark Webber
    3. Fernando Alonso

    My Head says
    1. Mark Webber
    2. Lewis Hamilton
    3. Jenson Button

  24. I think it will be Webber in the end.

    But in a totally childish “neener-neener” way, I would like it to be either Button or Alonso. Button because of the countless people saying he lucked into his championship and Alonso because of all the people still going on about either Hockenheim or with sour Kimi/Santander-grapes. I’d almost count myself among the latter even, as a Kimi fan ;)

  25. If Vettel wins in Singapore, I think he will take it.

    Monza was such a big race for him after recent events, and after his problem he handled it all superbly to go on and take a big gamble and go on such a stint to finish ahead of Webber which was vital.

    His confidence will now be back to a degree, and he’s now also in a position which I think he is more comfortable in: no expectation upon him, the underdog.

    He also has the experience of that last 5-6 races of last year where he was the strongest driver in terms of results along with Hamilton IIRC, when he was in a similar postion to now with Button having such a lead to lose.

    That said it will be so close between him and Webber that I wouldn’t be surprised about Webber beating him, and Webber will be on it in Singapore certainly to give more momentum for the final 4 races and if he were to win I think he would then kill off Vettel’s chances, but I can see Vettel pipping him, and with that further confidence boost and it putting more pressure on Webber also, he will beat him over the rest of the season too in my opinion.

  26. I voted Hamilton, but honestly I’d be equally happy to see Webber take it and even happier if Button was to take it. However I really don’t think Jenson will prevail…

  27. Money’s on Webber, Want it to be Hamilton.

  28. Heart says Webber or Button. Webber deserves to win for the same reasons Jenson did last year – great driving, proves the critics wrong, annoys the naysayers.
    Button deserves to be the first British back-to-back champion, if for no other benefit than to confirm how good he is and rub Hamilton’s nose in it. :)

    I don’t think there’s any way of “thinking” through who might win – it’s too close, and too many upsets and switches have already happened this year.

  29. Right now i´ll say:
    1- Webber
    2- Hamilton
    3- Alonso
    4- Vettel
    5- Button
    I´ll go for the title win with the Webber, but sureally we will need another poll like this after the next gp.

  30. For various reasons, I find it difficult to wholeheartedly cheer for any of the main contenders – aside perhaps from Button, who has limited the effects of his shortcomings, capitalised on his strengths and generally kept his nose clean, though he’s by far the least ‘exciting’ candidate. I like Webber but he has needlessly thrown away points, though not as many as Vettel. I’ve always enjoyed Hamilton’s driving style, but that Monza brain-freeze was, well, no comment.

    Ferrari has owned the development race in the second half of the season and my completely unscientific prediction is that they will continue to do so – so Alonso wins.

  31. Its a funny season, it is so close in the standings but I don’t think it is actually that close. There are no more McLaren tracks, and I remember how they did just 3 races ago in Hungary. I think Hamilton could be 10 points out front now and I still wouldn’t fancy his chances.

    I say that as a Hamilton fan. He definitely deserves it but the car isn’t good enough this year I think.

    Ferrari are too far away from Red Bull, who are (in my opinion) about to take charge again and blitz the rest of the season.

    I am confident that come South Korea, everyone will be talking about how Webber cannot POSSIBLY lose the title to his teammate.

  32. hope it will be alonso. it would be an incredible finish, as he was almost out of the title race few races ago.
    It would be nice for webber though. he deserves it after so many unsuccessful years.
    hamilton? well he still has to prove he can fight until the last race. 2007 and 2008 have shown that he could be ridiculously bad under pressure. and this year is the tightest ever…

  33. I don’t really see how Hamilton can be confidently stated as the best driver of the season, given that he didn’t really turn up until six or seven races into the year. Since then he has driven well (Monza excepted) but if he continues to make mistakes under pressure, as he did in 2007 and 2008 at this stage of the season, he stands no chance.

    Red Bull will still have the fastest car on most circuits so the smart money has to be on them. Their biggest weakness is that they have never won a title before – their inexperience in that regard has shone through earlier in the season and may yet do so again. Provided they can keep it together, however, I can foresee Webber wrapping up the championship.

    Button and Alonso have to be the outsiders, but both have won before and can do so again. Really Ferrari have to hope for bad luck from other teams if they are to mount a realistic challenge, but Alonso is more than capable of taking advantage of that if it does happen. Button is more likely to have to rely on his teammate’s errors to establish himself as a genuine contender, otherwise, as far as McLaren’s driver equality policy is concerned, he will quickly find himself somewhat less equal than Lewis.

    The short answer is I don’t know! But if I had to rank the drivers in terms of their likelihood to win the title, I’d say: 1) Webber; 2) Hamilton; 3) Alonso; 4) Vettel; 5) Button.

    1. Yeh, didn’t turn up:
      – Was 4th on merit and 3rd on track in the third best car in Bahrain.
      – Made up that huge gap in Australia and was about to overtake Alonso before Webber rammed into him
      – Charged through the field in Malaysia, higher than his 3 other rivals who did, including passing his team-mate on pace
      – In the madness of China managed to finish 2nd, if the race had gone one for one more lap he might have had the victory due to Jenson going off and cooling his tyres too much.
      – Was running 2nd on merit (Vettel had his brake problem after the pit-stops) before freak wheel failure
      – Car never suited Monaco and just got the job done finishing behind the dominant Red Bulls, Kubica and Massa

      One silly mistake in German practice and his only major one this weekend, down to an error of judgement rather than his championship lead being under threat (his main rival was way behind him).

      You can make the case for anyone else being better, but that’s the one for Hamilton.

      1. In Australia he may well have made 2nd if the team hadn’t brought him in, he had the laps and the skills. He had third in the bag, I couldn’t see Massa overtaking him.

        1. “In Australia he may well have made 2nd if the team hadn’t brought him in, ”

          ” and was about to overtake Alonso before Webber rammed into him”

          To be fair that is guess work.

          1. Sure but he definatley had third.

  34. Hmmm,scratches head then ass;)
    Webber for me,but…….
    Seriously though,if the Red Bulls are as good as they say they will be for the final races it’s Webbers to lose.

  35. Schumi the greatest
    15th September 2010, 12:58

    i voted hamilton because i think vettel and webber will take points off eachother in the last races where i dont see jenson doing that to hamilton!

    surpirsed vettel hasnt come in for more tick this year…i remember 08 hamilton getting slaughtered after the japanese gp and other mistakes he made. If vettel had used the cars performance to maximum effect hed be top..hes had the most poles this year too.

    Its been a strange season…red bull are miles ahead on most tracks for 1 lap pace but then either mclaren or ferrair peg them back abit over a stint…throw in the catalogue of errors from vettel, alonso and early season webber and the slow starting hamilton.

    its been great to watch…but what i think has emergered is that hamilton is probably the most complete driver on the grid now…he’ll always make a mistake now and then because of the way he drives but he has matured alot since 08.

    Vettel needs to take a leaf out of his book and jenson to be fair has done well to stay in touch considring since ound 4 hes been nowhere near hamilton really.

  36. jeez its not robots! of course they make mistakes, feel the pressure. thats the fun! Give me a Giles Villeneuve over a Niki Lauda anytime.

    Lewis certainly does feel the pressure and the team perhaps make bad choices on his behalf when perhaps a Button would lead the teams decision making. But saying Lewis made mistakes in 2007 when he was a rookie and lost the WDC by a point and in 2008 when he won it is a bit harsh ! im glad you werent my Geography teacher !!!

    1. I’m going to assume that was a response to me…my broad point was that Hamilton has often lost his head under pressure (e.g. failing to negotiate the pit entrance properly in China ’07 or flat-spotting his way out of contention at the start in Japan ’08). Some other drivers actually perform better under pressure – for example Raikkonen’s late-season performances in both 2005 and 2007. Alonso too often pulls out his best performances when he is under pressure off the track.

      For Lewis it could be something that will disappear as he gains experience, but his blunder at Monza suggests he hasn’t quite got over it yet.

      1. But then did you see Raikkonen’s late 2008 campaign? That’s when Raikkonen was really under pressure. He crashed in Spa and he crashed in Singapore.

        Perhaps Alonso is a better example yes. On the other hand Alonso has made such a huge number of mistakes this year already, what to contribute that too then?

  37. Webber
    Alonso
    Hamilton

    That is what the maths say ignoring the fly aways at the beginning of the season, which are too long ago to be taken into consideration.
    Various scenarios always seem to have Alonso and Hamilton less than 5 points apart come the end.

    Barring no DNF or ‘Out of the points’ finishes from competitors Webber is the only one that can afford a DNF (assuming at least to wins in the remaining 5 races, surely most think that will happen).

    It might be close now, but the swing / importance of each race really kicks in now.

    I’m not sure it will end up close at all.

    But hey its been a crazy session anything can happen and it has been, so…….

    After the next two races the certainly of prediction will be increase dramatically .

  38. Although I don’t find myself ever strongly affiliating myself with a driver/team I would like to see Mark Webber do it. He’s not going to be around in the next few years and like JB, he’s had to struggle to the top. He’s kept his cool several times after things have gone against him (Turkey, Valencia, Silverstone) so he deserves it.

    Having said that..keep the battle open as long as possible!

  39. That should on been at least 2 wins for Webber.

    And Alonso vs Hamilton battle could end either way around.

  40. It’s incredible how the results match the order of the Championship: Webber the most voted, then Hamilton, Alonso, Button and Vettel.

  41. Interesting stat alert:

    In Italy the top 5 championship contenders finished in reverse order:

    Championship before Italy: 1 HAM 2 WEB 3 VET 4 BUT 5 ALO

    Italy race: 1 ALO 2 BUT 4 VET 6 WEB DNF HAM

    A nice way to make the final races even tighter! Do I detect the invisible hand of Bernie in this outcome?!?!?

    No.

    Thank you and goodnight!

  42. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the RB6 might be the fastest car on the grid at most tracks, but made to look faster than it is because of Vettel and Webber’s crazy single lap speed (i’m talking about their ABILITY, not the car). When McLaren and/or Ferrari suddenly look as strong on race day, and RBR don’t finish 1-2, all of a sudden they’re throwing points away. That discredits everyone involved – Hamilton, Button and Alonso for brilliant drives, as well as Vettel and Webber for assuming their package is so quick, a monkey could pilot it to victory.

  43. Bernie Ecclestone has put his hand on Webber’s head – probably cos this is likely to be his last chance to win (age) and needs the aussie’s to stay on board!

    And if Bernie says so…. thus (in F1) it will be!

  44. i said alonso from the start………whats good enough for martin brundle is good enough for me!

    i bloody hope i’m wrong though……c ‘mon lewis!!!!

  45. Logically I voted for Webber, as he has the most points, and strongest car for at least three out of the next five circuits. However, a decade of tradition dictates that either Alonso will win as the winner of the first race, or Button will win as winner of Australia.

    1. For most of the last decade the first race has been in Australia, hence the correlation there…

  46. WEBBER – if he can get the team to support him, he’ll have the best chances. RB will have to take a decission after clearly having supported Vettel throghout the season. Also, lets see the outcome of the flexibility test that cause changes in the RB cars together with the problems in the start lane. Will they be that strong for the last GPs?

    HAMMILTON – see if he can deal with the pressure this time. Monzas outcome for him starts reminding 2007. In my opinion, he stills has to prove he’s mature enough for such a close season ending (especialy when Fernando is very close behind)

    ALONSO – Ferrari coudln’t profit from the car developments in Belgium , proved very strong in Monza and I think has got the car to make it, with Massa stealing points from the other contendants finishing in the podium. Alonso is the best driver under pressure (and without, drivers pol)

    VETTEL – Give him low chances unless the car is far more competitive than Ferrari or MacLaren, and the team sticks with him in detriment of Webber

    BUTTON – he will have chances if Hammilton fails

  47. I voted for Webber as he has the most points is in the best car and I want him to win as he has only got another year or 2 left (unless he goes to another team).

    Also Alonso has already used all of his engines so next time he changes he will take a 10 place grid penalty. I don’t think he will be able to keep going with the engine he has now for the next 5 races espcially since it has just done Monza.

  48. red bull have the quickest car,mclaren have the most reliable car, ferrari have the best driver. so its all to play for

    1. Don´t quite understand why people keeps tipping Red Bull as an unreliable car and Mc Laren as super reliable. Specially when they have retired in the whole season the same as Mc Larens in the last three races!

      1. Retiring and crashing (or being crashed into) aren’t the same thing, Cole! :o)

      2. Reliability != Retirements

        Hamilton retired at Monza because he drove the car into Massa. Button retired because he was speared by Vettel. Neither are reliability issues. In the last 3 races there is only one (for McLaren) caused by car reliability.

        Looking in the opposite direction, RB have suffered reliability issues that have caused them problems without causing a retirement. Vettel’s “locking brakes” at Monza cost him 2 places at the time, his loss of power at Bahrain cost the win, yet Oz was the one that caused a retirement. The wing incident at Silverstone didn’t cause RB anything in the race, but it certainly cost something in team harmony.

        1. Still actual retirements due to mechanics = more for Mclaren. NOT RBR. Fact.

          1. And two of the three from Red Bull were crashes aswell:
            -Vettel against Webber (not very clever though).
            -Webber against Kovalainen.

          2. They have still lost massively on the reliability. You don’t need to retire to have a mechanical failure. Vettel have had a lot of problems with the car, he has just been able to nurse it home on several occasions and still score but he have lost an awful lot of points because of it.

          3. They all have problems with the cars. it;s just that Vettel always whines about every little thing going wrong. Button does that too though.

  49. I still think the Drivers Title will be decided by which team wins the development race, so I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the five main contenders won.

    If the relative performance of the three teams doesn’t change too much for the final races I think that Webber should win the title barring any major mistakes and Red Bull should clinch the Constructors Championship

    At this point the only negative points against Webber and Red Bull are their lack of Championship winning experience compared to their rivals.

    Although Alonso has the support of his teammate the big question mark hanging over him is if he will have to use a ninth engine or if Ferrari can manage the situation until the end of the season.

    As for McLaren I just don’t think they will have the car to do it in normal race conditions unless Red Bull and Ferrari mess up.

  50. I don’t know. Logically, it should be Webber because he has the best car. but He has not shown steady perfomance even it’s steadier than Vettel. Hamilton is more constant than Red bulls, but he doesn’t have the best car. Ferrari car seems like more balanced in various circuit than Mclaren, but generally not fast as Red Bull.

    So, Logically Webber is the most favorite title contender, but nobody knows he will make more mistake or not. or Red Bull will makes mistake. If Red Bull fails to prevent their bad habits, or fail to maintenance their perfomance, Hamilton is the most favorite. Alonso has reasonable car, and usually known as very constant driver but not this year.

    So, I won’t suprise everybody choose Webber, but I’ll bet money on Alonso.

  51. Yes, it’s incredibly close, but somehow just not that exciting for me. Nothing as good as ’86, or even ’07. I think Webber should win it, because he’s ahead and in the best car. I hope Hamilton does win it. Anybody but Alonso.

  52. either Webber or Alonso will win in my opinion. Hamilton has blown his chances at Italy

  53. Is Alonso allowed to use some of his past engines for the upcoming races? Like the engine he used in Germany and Hungary.

    1. Yes, he (alonso) has still 3 or may be 4 avalaible engines ;-)
      And i think he will win, bad luck has to go now to others…

      Cheers.

  54. Too many variables. All the talk are about the drivers, but there are hundreds of personal working night and day to improve their cars performance. A new front wing or a slight change in the diffuser and one team can gain the extra tenths needed to win races. There are still five more “first curves” to come with its dangerous wheels and uncontroled cars to change what would be a “piece of cake” race. I have no single clue.
    Thanks God!!!

  55. Due to the drag induced by Weeb’s butt-chin, he shall not win the championship.

    And short of Sanho Human Service buying the Yam the championship, I think Louise will win it all.

  56. I want & think it will be Webber as he deserve this. All the circuits that they will race from now on will favour their car & he is the coolest guy out there.He just need to stay calm. Vettel will make his mistakes, Mclaren have both drivers for the title just as 2007 so they aren’t my bid, Alonso is probably the safest but I doubt he will.

    1. Didn’t Webber retire at Singapore last year? Brakes?

      1. Yes he did, not sure what’s the point you want to make? If you say that the team have brakes problem still I favour them as they did a good job in Canada & Italy,tracks which are bad on brakes.

        1. Only mentioned cos I can’t remember his record at Singapore apart from last year DNF.

          No other reason. Although Vettel had a brake stick at Monza, I don’t believe they have a problem with brakes

          1. I think Vettel had a brake problem in Australia, though I remember Brembo claiming there was no problem on their side, so maybe an excuse from RBR to not admit that Vettel spun off from the lead with no pressure from behind. Just a hunch.

          2. It’s true that Webber don’t have a good record in Singapore as in 2008 he finished 14th.

  57. vettel’s to lose:-been saying it all season.

    If i could choose a WDC right now on who i think was the best driver/car combo for the whole season, it would be Jenson, with webber and hamilton both a strong 2nd.

    I will not vote in this pole because I gave up prediciting the WDC being that it’s so tight. All we need now is massa to get within 20 points of the leader before brazil and we have a 3 way team fight for both championships.

  58. Just answer this question…..

    Will Webber win 2 – 3 of the remaining races?

    If so that gains him 14 or 21 on the next nearest competitor assuming the same person finishes 2nd….

    That would make a 35 pt(he gets 2 more wins) or 42 pt (he gets 3 wins) gap for say Alonso to pull back over 2 – 3 races.

    So in conclusion that makes the title as good as his if he wins 2 – 3 out 5, if that happen only Hamilton we realistically have an outside chance.

    1. Whoops, I should of read that before I posted, but I’m sure you get the point.

    2. I don’t think the Weebernaught will win two or three of the remaining races. Perhaps one.

  59. Nobody believes Kub can do it?

    Ok… But his race with Rosberg is very interesting !

  60. Havent read through all the posts, but It remains to be seen if the recent changes to the regulations has closed the gap from red bull to the remaining contenders. Both Spa and Monza have been relatively low downforce tracks so Singapore will be the “show-and-tell” of where the true pace really is after the new regs. Would be great for the gap to close to nil and it be left not to the cars or development, but the best driver Winning the championship. And of course a little bit of luck.

  61. I’m gonna say lewis because i dont think weve seen the best of him this season we know how well he can race. Singapore seems like a track he does well on and because it is so close in the standings a driver with big balls is needed.

  62. This, has so far been the best season and the title is goin to the best racer..as below…
    Ofco’s, Lewis Hamilton!, is winning the title.
    JB, cant, bcoz he can’t beat Lewis consistently,
    Webber might have a chance, BUT Lewis is too, too good for him.
    Alonso,? Nah, for the same reason as JB…
    Vettel , has missed the bus…

    The title is going to the best overtaker….. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE

  63. Lol @ the poll. Its the same as the drivers championship standings!

    Anyway here’s what I think:

    Webber is obviously in the best position after getting back the championship lead, and the Red Bull should be utterly dominant at the next 3 tracks at least. However, if Vettel (who is naturally faster than Webber) can pull himself together for a final charge he could beat Webber in a couple of races and take vital points from him. I don’t think he will win the WDC this year after all that has happened but I think he will be a spoiler.

    Hamilton IMO has had the best combination of speed and consistency out of the top 5, but a DNF this past weekend when Red Bull was off the pace would have killed his title chances if his car doesn’t get up to the speed of the Bulls and Ferraris in the next few races. I think his car might challenge for a win at Yas Marina with its long straights, but by then it might be too late.

    If Alonso stops making mistakes and his car can stay close to the Red Bulls and ahead of the Mclarens, he could have a chance of leapfrogging Hamilton at least. But Ferrari isn’t the ultra-efficient winning machine it was with Schumacher and the dream team, so I wouldn’t bet on it. I think at least one more thing will go wrong for Alonso.

    As for Button, I don’t really see how he can defend his title. The most he could hope for is to leapfrog Lewis if Hamilton has a couple more no-scores like at Monza, but I don’t see Lewis’ luck taking such a downswing. And as I said earlier with Lewis the car may or may not be up to it.

    So, at the end of the season I think Webber will win, however it’s so competitive and there are so many variables that will come into play: the cars’ form, the drivers’ form, the weather, the tyres, the other drivers, the stewards, inter-team politics, and that magic ingredient, luck.

  64. Alonso. The F10 now looks good on all type of tracks. Weigh in the driver factor (Alonso is worth at least 2-3 tenths on the average track) and you have the F10 slightly ahead of the RBR. I don’t like where McLaren is going. I think Lewis can’t win it in this car. It will be between the RBR pair and Alonso, and the best driver in F1 will win it again.

    1. “Alonso is worth at least 2-3 tenths on the average track”

      Over Vettel, Button, Hamilton and Webber? I don’t think so.

      1. He did bring over 6 tenths to a McLaren car tailored for Hamilton in 2007.

        1. That’s what he claimed (and you believe), and he still lost.

  65. It’s a toss up between Hamilton and Webber. It’s good driver in brilliant car, versus brilliant driver in good car.

    1. I like the simplicity of the summary DaveW, and have to agree. On voting I’d struggle to split the two.
      I would also position JB as the cool head who performs extremely well under pressure, which might just serve him well in the emotional last few races…

  66. Younger Hamilton
    15th September 2010, 19:07

    Some People are just saying ALONSO!!! because he won the season opener but NO it doesnt matter THIS Season, which has been so Exciting so far.I think Mark’s got the best chance of delivering the titles for Red Bull Lewis,with his new level of maturity and capability of outperforming the car and his aggression will be a good package of delivering.I Expect in three races to come down to 3 drivers mathematically able of winning the title which i think will be Mark,Lewis and Fernando the final Battle in Brazil maybe take it into Abu Dhabi.Like who i obviously always gunned for the title is Lewis

    1. Take Webber out of the equation. He simply is a mediocre mistake-prone driver. If RBR wins the WDC, it will be Vettel … but he will have to overtake Alonso to do it.

      1. Err, how can you call Webber a mistake-prone driver, and then tip Vettel as the RBR driver to emerge on top in the same sentence? Do you not see the irony in that post?

        1. He ended up being right and you were wrong.

  67. Alonso has the race craft, experience and the car under him to make it happen, so I voted for him. I’d love to see Webber win it but I fear he may struggle under the pressure especially considering his team clearly favours his team mate.

    In the final analysis I don’t care who wins it as long as it’s not Vettel.

  68. Younger Hamilton
    15th September 2010, 19:19

    Looking at the Data,Lewis has held the champioship lead for the longer than any of his title rivals from Canada to Germany

    1. Indeed. This simple chart is really a masterpiece by Keith.

      It is striking that, since Race 4, he has been the most consistent front runner. All the talk about Newey’s captured alien technology car has masked that. He began really to establish himself from Turkey until the EBD debacle in Britain, and the Dunkirk in Hungary. But, after that terrible massacre, he laid a devasting seige of Spa. His pecadillo on Monza is really just another of the few blips in his run that have failed to dislodge him from the front of the pack.

      Anyway,one or more of the top 5 will stuff a wall or meet some other disaster in Singapore and Keith will have to do a new poll.

    2. Lewis is a brilliant driver, but won’t have the car in the last 5 races to be able to rack up the points needed to win this WDC. It will be Alonso or Vettel, and something tells me it will be a 3rd title for the best driver on the grid.

  69. Anyone but Alonso!

    1. Anyone but Hamilton :)

    2. You are in for a disappointment, I am afraid.

  70. I would like red bull to win it, preferably Mark, if they throw this WDC away with the car advantage they had for much of the season, it would be tragic. Still, I can totally see it could happen !

  71. Logic says Alonso with the best all-round car and a sidekick ready to sacrifice himself, although my heart dictates Webbo for the win. Hamilton’s chances will be hampered by McLaren’s policy of NOT having a number 1&2 drivers, so Button may ‘steal’ some valuable points from Lewis. Vettel will probably have some DNF’s on the way.

    1. I agree, I think Hamilton/McLaren will just lose out by backing Button and Hamilton to the end. Though I’ll applaud them for it.

    2. Dou you really believe that McLaren hasn’t got #1 and #2 at this moment on the championship? One thing is what they allways say and another what they allways do. Of course when they do it they don’t do it in the same way as Ferrari, but they do.

      1. At the moment, we have JB having races where he can genuinely beat LH, and vice-versa. So yes, they are going to allow both to fight for wins and the championship until one is mathematically out of contention.

  72. Heart says Hammy. Head says Webber.

  73. For Hamilton to win the title it’s going to take 5 heroic races, but damn i hope he does. If Alonso wins it from where he is then my reaction is likely to be “wow this dude’s a beast, how did he pull that off!” I dont think Button & Vettel have a chance anymore after Spa, even if Button managed a 2nd in Monza. This is Webber’s to lose but i so hope Lewis gives him a good fight.

    1. Webber just doesn’t have it. He will find a way to screw this up, even w/ the advantage of having one more fresh engine than anyone else. Just watch.

  74. I can see any of these five drivers winning the championship: the two current best drivers, Hamilton and Alonso, with their talent; the two most consistent drivers, Webber and Button, by avoiding excessive mistakes; and the erratic talent, Vettel, from a combination of suddenly not making mistakes and being sat in the best car.

    So who? I see Webber, maybe a bit sadly, getting outdriven by Vettel in the last races. Alonso should remain competitive now after a poor first half of the season. That leaves sorting out Hamilton and Button. Two factors edge towards Button: better strategy and less mistakes. Can Hamilton really get rid of the pattern we saw in 2007, 2008 and at Monza of throwing away huge points at the end of the season?? He has NO room for mistake now surely. I think this is the real crux of the championship. If Hamilton avoids mistakes, he can snatch the title from Red Bull. If not, we could see Vettel put together a string of wins and beat both him and Webber. But mixed in all this is a series of position and point shuffles between the Red Bull and McLaren drivers that could see Alonso sneak past, with Massa’s help (or hindrance) thrown in.

    So, I really hope Hamilton, but my guess – contrary to just one race ago! – is Fernando Alonso for the title. By just a few points.

  75. Hamilton. RBR was untouchable at Hungary, but that was their bespoke track. Since then we have new flex tests, and I think it will kill a lot of advantage they had up ’till then. Also, since then both Ferrari and McClaren have been improving their updates. Now they both sport effective blown diffusers and F-ducts. I think RBR has a rude surprise in store for them.

    Expect RBR, Ferrari, and McClaren to all have similar pace with some sections favoring one team, other sections favoring others. I suspect the cars are pretty evenly matched, and it’s all down to drivers.

    As such, I’ve got to go with whomever has the best combination of desire, talent, and maturity, and that puts Hamilton at the top with Alonso nipping at his heels. We’ve seen Alonso v Hamilton in similar cars, and it was clear who the better driver was. I’ve been most impressed with Alonso’s maturity, and he’s really got the fire in the belly, but I dunno if that’s enough.

    Webber and Button would be deserving champions, but I honestly don’t think they have the pace of the other two. Vettel has the pace, but he’s still bouncing from pillar to post – give it another year or two for him.

  76. i have to say as i have said from the beginning, i still believe hamilton can win it and i’d LOVE to see him win it, this is webbers to lose, for me he just seems to lose his cool head towards the end of the season and things start going wrong for him. vettel i think is second likely to win, i think he can close the gap before the end.. after all the is still 125 points left to pick up, as for alonso i think he has a good chance but button.. i dont see him really closing the gap, for me he seems to have dropped of form a bit. but this is just my view on it, im sure someone else might think diffrently :)

  77. am i the only one getting a feeling that mclaren will be nowhere? i don’t know what it is but i just don’t think they’ll do very well. maybe cause i get the feeling most of the remaining races are red bull territory as they were last year. i think ferrari will be the dark horse. i just hope red bull can get their strategy and reliability right, if so, they should be cruising to both titles, hopefully with webber.

  78. Honestly, I just want it to be over, the tension is killing me. I will be inconsolable if Webber doesn’t win it. On the same token, I can’t even begin to allow myself to hope that he will. Therefore, I voted for Vettel ;)

  79. Webber will win it.
    Go the Aussies

    1. The Romans, they go the house

  80. Hard to predict a winner from the contenders, but anyone that’s superstitious can’t help but see the similarities between 2008 and this year.
    In 2008, Spain won the UEFA Euro Chamionship, Nadal won the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympic tiles. Hamilton won the WDC.
    In 2010, Spain won the World Cup, Nadal won the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
    You know what comes next…

    1. Alternatively, this year Spain’s winning a whole lot of stuff……? ;)

      GO WEBBER!

  81. I would think either Alonso or Webber.

    In a way i would prefer Alonso to win as it would infuriate so many people here :)

    1. How brilliant would that be?!!

    2. Especialy wiht less than 7 points ahead…

      1. oh yeah, now that would be great !!

  82. ANYONE not in a Ferrari or McLaren this year, so that would leave Webber. (Vettel is too erratic.) BUT only if he can manage to overcome his dismal race starts!

    Default choice would be Button, if only for his wise decision to move to McLaren.

    I have to admit an Alonso win amidst a flurry of thinly disguised team orders to Felipe would leave us all with a winter’s worth of controversy to yak about.

    1. They wont need those orders again.
      IN Germany, Ferrari gave team orders in the race because they dint expect Massam to take the lead. Alonso was .4 sec quicker than Massa in quali. THe only threat to Alonso was Vettel.
      IN the coming races, Massa will be atleast 2 places down to Alonso. Massa can help Alonso to win this title by taking points from others and not by giving points to Alonso. He ll not have that chance again.

      1. ya sure massa will not have a chance to give points to alonso…but massa will take out points from alonso by finishing ahead of him.wait and watch buddy…..

        1. he he. I respect ur affection for Massa but plz be realistic.

          1. i respect ur affection for alonso too…but it will happen..

    2. Not only the race starts, see how it affects RedBull not having passed the flexibility checks with teh consequent changes on the cars… We’ll see if they have that advantage said for the last 5 races

  83. i hope hamilton takes the title…on a straight fight with webber in abu dhabi,if ham misses webber takes it…that will be the end i hope…byee to button and vettel in brazil itself..good luck next time…as far as alonso…he will never win,he will retire without a championship in ferrari thats for sure…but there is still a lot to happen in 5 races including i wish massa to score a win with top 3 or 4 to score nothing puttin him on title fight too….

    1. “Alonso will retire without a championship in ferrari thats for sure”

      Thats a big call mate.

    2. Uh! Would you bet some money on Alonso never winning the tittle with Ferrari. That’s a big gamble!
      I think Webber is the one that has his last chance this season… I would rather bet on that..

      1. the confidence that webber will not have chance in the future makes us clear the opinion about webber in your mind..so you are betting on him….
        the same thing i feel about alonso..he started well in ferrari,but will fade in the end as kimi that i can bet….
        lets see………………

        1. Webber is 34, the others all in their 20’s. That’s why, realistically, this is Webber’s last chance.

        2. I would rather bet on Webber not being a champion ever if I was you, and not on Alonso!!! that’s what I ment to say. You might have your clear opinion, I have been Alonso fan since he started, and double fan since he drives for Ferrari.

          1. lets see mate..hope we enjoy this and future championships…iam a fan of massa mate,so i hope alonso doesnt win for ferrari…..

  84. If Red Bull don’t win both championships then they have themselves to blame. It will be 100% their own fault for being poo poo

  85. Ive never understood this “im a fan of…” what happens when they leave F1 or become jacques Villeneuve? What happens if the team you “support” leaves F1 or does a Williams??

    Ok if you’re 10 fine, i liked Alan Jones at 10 but im not 10 anymore and this isnt football. Racing only works if its a good race, whomever wins is almost beside the point.

    The reason F1 wrings its hands over the spectacle is for exactly that reason. The English Premier League dont change the rules every year because in that sport, loyalty to a team is all. But in F1 if Michael Schumacher wins its only dull if he strolls to lots of easy victorys.

    You’ll probably enjoy the sport much more if you can appreciate the Vettels, Alonso’s and the Hamiltons regardless of your nationality. Watching Alonso in full aggressive flight is a fantastic sight to see and nothing that he or his team has ever done will colour that view.

    1. That’s why you should be a fan of a few different drivers and teams.

      My preferences (drivers not ranked)
      Teams: McLaren, Force India, Lotus
      Drivers: Lewis, Button, Webber, Sutil, Rubens, Heikki, Kubica

      That being said, I don’t hate the other teams/drivers. I’m not fond of Vettel or Alonso but I respect their skills on the track and want them to be in the fight, if only to push the other guys at the top. I just want there to be a good, hard-fought race because that’s what we’re there for.

  86. Great question, interesting read! :)
    My heart says Hamilton but my fear says Webber. I think Hamilton and Webber are a little bit higher on the WDC ladder than the rest simply because of they have more points. Hamilton’s chart has fewer gaps to the leader, he has been fairly consistent, and didn’t really mess it up until Monza, which opened up the championship beautifully. Bernie must be greatly thankful. Webber on the other hand had a rough start but pulled a great string of wins, and if RBR gives him a reliable car he should have it under his hands.

    Hamilton has this awful habit of wrenching our hearts and making us wait till the very last race and the very last minute of the race! I don’t know if my heart can handle that stress again, but I certainly hope he doesn’t do that again! So he will never be out of contention unless it’s mathematically impossible.

    Vettel, JB, and Alonso need Webber and Hamilton to screw up, and the tables will turn their way, but as for now I’d say it’s mainly between Webber and Hamilton.

  87. Please God let it be Mark!
    But I will be happy with anyone except Lewis the liar.

  88. I think the extravagant support for Webber is happening due to a slight hate of Vettel.

    Red Bull is the best car of the season, but sadly, but neither driver has lived up to the potential of the car.

    Vettel’s mistakes have been glorified enough already. But please look at Webber. His qualifying in Bahrain, race in Australia, Valencia, Hockenheim, start at Belgium, Monza, Malaysia have all been terrible.

    My tip for the title will definitely be Hamilton, has soundly trounced his team-mate in qualifying and has only lost out to his team-mate when his team-mate has made some outlandish strategy choices.

    But my heart will always beat for a Ferrari driver. Say what you want, but Ferrari is the only team that realizes that Formula 1 is a business first and a sport later. You can’t have $500M pumping down the drain just to uphold over-rated human values like ‘sporting attitude’ and ‘self-righteousness’.

    With the remaining circuits favoring Red Bull, if Red Bull’s speed is compromised due to stricter FIA tests, then Ferrari will have the fastest car till the end of the season. It would cap off a brilliant comeback by a team which was over half-a-second behind at half-way stage – Turkey.

    1. the australians here help as well….GO WEBBER!

    2. and if you’re going to have a bitch about webber’s qualy, you must be fair and do the same with hamilton’s. none of the top 5 drivers have been bulletproof this season and that’s the reason the championship is so close.

  89. This is a no brainer really Weber ofcourse! he drives solide and is still fast.

  90. Is everyone forgetting that Alonso has used his 8 engines already and with the last one having just done Monza he will want a new engine for the last 5 races. He could recycle one of his older engines but that brings the added risk or him not being able to finish a race. I would be surprised if he didn’t take a 10 place grid penalty before the end of the season.

    I voted for Webber, because I want a red bull to win would be nice for the last 4 years to be won by 4 different constructers.

    1. That will be the major obstacle for Alonso, although Ferrari engines seem to be quite reliable, Fernando will have to be careful and he might not be able to push all what he needs to (would the FIA allow to switch engines with Massa as RedBull did with Webbers frontwing??? jeje, joking).

      Also Redbull will have to prove the car is still fast with the car changes after flexibility tests!

      Can’t wait. We have a great season ending coming!!!!

      1. Hasn’t Vettel used up his allocation of engines as well? I seem to recall he blew a couple up earlier in the season.

        1. I think Vettels got 1 new engine and Webber 2

  91. I’ll stick with Lewis who has a magical ability sometimes. But if my super-glue for a super-guy comes unstuck – then Webber. Why? I have so much respect fort that guy getting into a race car again after his airborne aerobatics at Valencia. That takes some guts.

  92. Its so close im tied between Webber and Alonso this season has topped the amazing 2007 one i think

    1. Thoroughly agree Sutil.M, it’s between those two.

  93. Heart says Alonso, head says Webber…and I really like Mark, he’s a great guy…and a great friend of Alonso, BTW.

    Vettel and Hamilton are too impulsive.

    Finally, about Button..he may win, only if they let him try (still doubt they will unless Hamilton’s errors are so blunt and obvious he gives the team no choice). JB has proven to be cool and intelligent without the PR bulls*** that surrounds almost everything in F1 these days. I’ve learnt to appreciate his wisdom in 2010.

    1. Exactly right on the Button observation, not to mention his risk in moving to McLaren in the first place.

      But I’ve also come to appreciate the growing maturity of Hamilton in how is handling this season and getting on with Jenson.

      I was pulling for Alonso since he was winning his titles with Renault and when he was fighting Lewis and Ron at McLaren.

      It was fascinating watching him attempt to keep up with Button at Monza through the twisties, fabulous car control, on the edge lap after lap. He truly earned that win; or McLaren may have lost it by pitting first? Either way it’s what helps make F1 tops in my book.

  94. My bet is Mark will be taken out by Seb in one of the 5 final rounds remaining. I dont think Seb will plan to do it he will push to make up the lost points at some point duringa race (At the start likely) and take Mark out, This will open the way for eith LH of FO. Either way RBR will fall short in 2010

  95. I want Webber to Win, (1st most expected)
    I would also not mind if Button clinches It,
    If Alonso does claim the title, would be a dream title for Ferrari
    Massa winning would be an epic comeback story,
    Lewis Hamilton winning would be Mehhh (2nd most expected)
    and Vettel would be even more Mehh (least expected to take it… too much errors under pressure)

    but over and above, I am keeping my options open to who the exact driver would win, but in my heart and Mind, i think Formula One itself will be the ultimate winner this year as it has been an Epic Title race…

  96. The news of the Engine amounts may put alonso on a disadvantage but can webber make use of it? to be honest i think Alonso is going to win no webber

    AHH i cant decide!!!

  97. I personally think Webber’s going to take it; He has a substantial lead over Vettel, and Webber has a good chance of winning Singapore, and Suzuka.

    Don’t think McLaren will be strong here, and Alonso has no fresh engines left.

    Brazil should be Red Bull territory too, although if Korea does go ahead… then I dunno.

    Mclaren should theoretically be strong at Yas Marina, although there’s too many circuits to favour Red Bull.

    Whether they fully take advantage of this, is yet to be seen; We all know what can happen. :L

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