Schumacher is oldest driver on podium since 1970
2012 European Grand Prix stats and facts
Fernando Alonso scored his 29th Grand Prix win in Valencia, consolidating his position as the fifth most successful driver ever in terms of race wins. He needs two more to match Nigel Mansell’s tally.
It was his second win on home ground, the other coming in the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Alonso won from 11th on the grid. He has previously won from a lower grid position: 15th at Singapore in 2008, though we all remember the particular circumstances of that race.
20 races in the points for Alonso
Lewis Hamilton’s ejection from the race at the hands of Pastor Maldonado leaves Alonso as the only driver to have scored points in every race this year.
Alonso has now scored in the last 20 races in a row, a streak which began at last year’s European Grand Prix. He is four races away from equalling the record set by Schumacher, who finished in the points for 24 races in a row between the 2001 Hungarian and 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix.
For all bar two of the races in Schumacher’s streak, points were only awarded down to sixth place; for the latter two points were awarded down to eighth. For the duration of Alonso’s streak, points have been awarded down to tenth place. During that time Alonso has had a seventh and a ninth-place finish.
So we’re not really comparing apples with apples here. Nonetheless, Alonso’s consistency is highly impressive, and the cornerstone of his championship bid.
Vettel matches the greats
Sebastian Vettel claimed the 33rd pole position of his career, equalling the tallies of F1 greats Jim Clark and Alain Prost. Clark’s 33 pole positions stood as the record from 1968 to 1989, when Ayrton Senna beat it at that year’s United States Grand Prix.
For comparison, Clark set his 33 poles in a 72-race career, Prost started 199 races, Vettel 89. Vettel’s strike-rate is therefore much closer to Clark’s.
Only Senna (65) and Michael Schumacher (68) have set more pole positions in F1 history than Vettel.
Vettel led the first half of the race comfortably before retiring. He has now led the most laps of anyone this year – 119, followed by Alonso on 108.
Schumacher ends wait for podium
Following the race a stewards’ investigation raised the possibility that Schumacher might be stripped of his first podium finish since his comeback. Fortunately for him, nothing came of it.
He therefore kept the 155th podium finish of his career. His last came in the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, which he won, 100 races ago. However, Schumacher only started 48 of those.
Schumacher is the 11th different driver to finish on the podium this year – four more than there were in the whole of last season.
At 43 years and 173 days old, Schumacher was the oldest driver to step onto an F1 podium since Jack Brabham finished second in the 1970 British Grand Prix.
Two races prior to that Brabham poked fun at those urging him to retire by showing up on the grid wearing a false beard and resting on a cane. I think we need to see some similar antics from Schumacher…
More European Grand Prix stats and facts
Nico Rosberg set the fastest lap for the third time in his career – the last time he did so was in the 2009 Australian Grand Prix.
He now has as many fastest laps as father Keke, as well as Jochen Rindt, Tony Brooks, Bruce McLaren, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Chris Amon, Richie Ginther and (including the Indianapolis 500) Bill Vukovich.
It was Rosberg’s first fastest lap for Mercedes, and their tenth of all time. This was the first time the modern Mercedes team had set a fastest lap – their last was achieved by Stirling Moss at Monza in 1955.
Nico Hulkenberg scored his best F1 career finish to date with fifth place.
Maldonado collected his fifth penalty of the year. This was his second for a driving infringement, the other three were for gearbox changes. He’s already had as many penalties as last year, and just one fewer than the record of six set by Hamilton last season.
McLaren were the quickest team in the pits for the first time this year – and, not for the first time, one of the slowest.
Alonso, Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen are now the only drivers to have completed all 498 racing laps this year. The other Lotus of Romain Grosjean has covered the least: 293.
Review the year so far in statistics here:
- 2012 F1 championship points
- 2012 F1 season records
- 2012 F1 race data
- 2012 F1 qualifying data
- 2012 F1 retirements and penalties
- 2012 F1 strategy and pit stops
- 2012 F1 driver form guides
Spotted any other interesting stats and facts from the European Grand Prix? Share them in the comments.
2012 European Grand Prix
- Alonso is 2012′s eighth Driver of the Weekend winner
- European Grand Prix rated best race of 2012 so far
- Top ten pictures from the European Grand Prix
- Vote for your European GP Driver of the Weekend
- Schumacher is oldest driver on podium since 1970
Image © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo, Daimler/Hoch Zwei
sato113 (@sato113) said on 25th June 2012, 13:09
none of the points scorers lost a position over the race. they all gained at least one position (apart from Rosberg who started and finished in 6th.)
someone tell me when the last time this happened?
Bleu (@bleu) said on 25th June 2012, 13:24
It was first time since 2008 Brazilian GP since the driver won his home race. The longest such streak is between 1958 (won by Peter Collins) and 1962 British GPs (won by Jim Clark). Besides these two, the other time as there has been three years between two wins, is gap between 1995 European GP (Nürburgring, won by Schumacher) and 1999 British GP (won by Coulthard).
But then, nowadays we have a lot more races with no driver having home race. Since that Brazilian race, all Malaysian, Chinese, Bahrain, Monaco, Turkish, Canadian, Hungarian, Belgian, Singapore, Korean and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s have been held without a local driver with the exception of last year’s Belgian GP where Jerome d’Ambrosio was driving (and no one was believing that he would win).
thedamntyres (@icemangrins) said on 25th June 2012, 14:10
Geat result on a Sunday to be honest after Canada 2011…. Weber was mean though. He was trying to gain a position.
Gotta love Kimi when he went for the Champagne rightaway… he doesn’t miss a beat
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 26th June 2012, 13:17
@icemangrins I think Webber was just alert. It’s natural to assume that one driver is going faster than you when he shouldn’t be if his DRS is open.
Fixy (@fixy) said on 25th June 2012, 15:45
Most definitely, considering the dominance of the F2001/F2002/F2003 GA compared to its competitors; the 150° Italia was only the 3rd fastest car last year and the balance in this year’s performances shift the most merit to Alonso, in my opinion.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 26th June 2012, 13:18
@fixy I think you’re right. Alonso has more to work against certainly, though Ferrari are improving quite well.
Damon (@damon) said on 25th June 2012, 18:00
Now how’s that for a stat:
Never before have the podium finishers alone generated as much stats as in this race!!!!
Aditya Banerjee (@) said on 26th June 2012, 7:06
LOL +1
paulgilb (@paulgilb) said on 25th June 2012, 18:12
I believe the last time that 2 drivers who started the race outside the top 10 both ended up on the podium was Japan 2005 (Raikkonen went 17th to 1st, Alonso went 16th to 3rd).
Schumacher’s span of podium finishes is now over 20 years (easily a record), and indeed 2 of the drivers on the podium (Schumacher and Raikkonen) both scored their first podium over 10 years ago (I’m guessing some of the Schumacher-Barrichello podiums would be the previous instances of this).
Bullfrog (@bullfrog) said on 25th June 2012, 18:51
6 different winners in the last six races, first time that’s happened since 2012…we’re still on a good run.
Also, I wonder how many front wings Williams have broken this season? Must be near a record now.
Gridl0k said on 25th June 2012, 19:23
Umm that’d be 7 winners in 8 races, future boy…
JerseyF1 (@jerseyf1) said on 25th June 2012, 23:48
I think you’ll find bullfrog’s statistic simple enough to check Gridl0k, it is indeed 6 winners in 6 races which is probably a rather overlooked fact! If Grosjean (or Perez etc) can win at Silverstone we’re back on a 7 in 7 winning streak (though that’s not as special since the previous 7 in 7 was a record for the first 7 races of a season, not for an overall run of races).
I think the most important point is that, as @bullfrog say’s
Gridl0k said on 25th June 2012, 19:01
It’s now getting weird that we still haven’t ever had Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton together on the podium.
evolutionut (@evolutionut) said on 25th June 2012, 22:18
is that true?
plutoniumhunter (@plutoniumhunter) said on 26th June 2012, 0:43
Wow. I think so.
Enigma (@enigma) said on 26th June 2012, 19:37
It is true.
Neel Jani (@neelv27) said on 25th June 2012, 20:33
I love Schumacher’s pic being framed in the champagne
themagicofspeed (@) said on 25th June 2012, 22:41
On Schumacher being the oldest podium finisher –
You know what, good for him. It goes some way to shutting up his doubters, indeed on here in the past i have heard some folks say he should be moved aside for a younger driver etc etc. Congratulations to him. I think we can all agree he is no longer the lean mean championship winning machine he used to be in his prime but for a 44 year old to be as fit as he is, still able to drive a Formula One car and stick it on pole (a la Monaco, let’s not forget he was technically the pole sitter) and mix it with the best drivers of a generation, i feel is something to celebrate. From the moment i saw him promoted to third with only a few laps left, and with my favourite driver set for victory, I started celebrating early :)
Drop Valencia! said on 9th July 2012, 15:05
He’s not the oldest podium getter, but I like your sentiments.
RonanC (@ronanc) said on 26th June 2012, 18:35
Not sure if anyone’s mentioned it yet but by finishing on the podium Schumacher pushes up the record for number of podium finishes to 156. It’s testament to Schumacher’s first career that almost anything he achieves in this comeback breaks the highest records in the entire history of F1.
? said on 27th June 2012, 3:01
The driver who finished 3rd is, at Ferrari, the predecessor of the winner’s predecessor, who finished 2nd! And there’s another team that all 3 podium finishers has driven for: Toleman(well, sort of)!
mikey-mike said on 27th June 2012, 10:58
I thought the fact schumacher made a comeback was both ballsy and a testament to his love of competition as he could have easily rested on his laurels, but he took the chance knowing it would likely mess up his stats and he still wanted to do it. Good on him for getting back up there this year, i think hes the best of all time and in his current form theres no reason why he couldnt go another few years. With a little luck on his side I could see him winning an eighth wdc
Erivaldo moreirra (@erivaldonin) said on 28th June 2012, 23:07
Vettel,Alonso and Hamilton
everytime one of them started from 5º,
wiom the race
ztjackson (@ztjackson) said on 3rd July 2012, 9:48
I don’t think I’ve seen this one anywhere: Schumacher has now had podium finishes in world championship events in three different decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). The only other drivers I’ve found who have accomplished this feat are Riccardo Patrese (1970s, 1980s, and 1990s), Jack Brabham (1950s, 1960s, and 1970s), and Bruce McLaren (1950s, 1960s, and 1970s).
Nelson Piquet almost made the list with podium finishes in the 1980s and 1990s, but his only podium finish in the 1970s was at the 1979 Race of Champions, a non-championship event.