A Few 2012 Drivers Statistics

**schmenke** · 11th Jun 12, 17:48

A few statistics to ponder...
All figures are up to and including the Canadian GP.
These figures are as per my calculations based on statistics, um, borrowed (

) from the official Formula One website.
Feel free to correct anything that may seem incorrect, or append

.

Drivers standings as per the old 10-6-4-3-2-1 points system:
Sebastian Vettel 25
Lewis Hamilton 24
Fernando Alonso 24
Mark Webber 22
Nico Rosberg 19
Jenson Button 16
Romain Grosjean 14
Kimi Räikkönen 12
Pastor Maldonado 10
Sergio Perez 10
Kamui Kobayashi 3
Felipe Massa 1
Paul di Resta 1
Bruno Senna 1

Average starting grid position (DNQs excluded):
Nico Rosberg 4.7
Mark Webber 4.9
Lewis Hamilton 5.7
Romain Grosjean 5.7
Sebastian Vettel 5.7
Jenson Button 6.4
Fernando Alonso 6.9
Michael Schumacher 7.7
Kimi Räikkönen 9.4
Kamui Kobayashi 10.9
Felipe Massa 11.9
Paul di Resta 12.6
Sergio Perez 12.9
Nico Hulkenberg 12.9
Daniel Ricciardo 13.1
Pastor Maldonado 14.3
Bruno Senna 14.6
Jean-Eric Vergne 17.0
Heikki Kovalainen 18.4
Vitaly Petrov 18.4
Timo Glock 20.6
Charles Pic 20.9
Pedro de la Rosa 21.0
Narain Karthikeyan 23.2

Average classificaion for races finished (i.e. DNFs excluded)
Romain Grosjean 3.8
Lewis Hamilton 4.4
Fernando Alonso 4.6
Sebastian Vettel 4.7
Mark Webber 5.0
Nico Rosberg 6.6
Kimi Räikkönen 6.9
Sergio Perez 7.7
Kamui Kobayashi 8.6
Paul di Resta 9.6
Michael Schumacher 10.0
Pastor Maldonado 10.8
Jenson Button 10.9
Nico Hulkenberg 11.0
Felipe Massa 11.3
Jean-Eric Vergne 12.6
Bruno Senna 13.0
Daniel Ricciardo 13.3
Timo Glock 16.8
Vitaly Petrov 17.2
Heikki Kovalainen 17.5
Charles Pic 18.8
Narain Karthikeyan 20.0
Pedro de la Rosa 20.3

Average number of positions gained/lost relative to grid position.
Calculated as the average of the difference between final race classification (DNFs excluded) and grid position (DNQs excluded).
Sergio Perez 6.5
Jean-Eric Vergne 4.4
Timo Glock 3.7
Romain Grosjean 3.0
Paul di Resta 3.0
Narain Karthikeyan 3.0
Charles Pic 2.8
Kimi Räikkönen 2.6
Nico Hulkenberg 2.5
Michael Schumacher 2.5
Fernando Alonso 2.3
Lewis Hamilton 1.3
Pedro de la Rosa 1.3
Vitaly Petrov 1.2
Bruno Senna 1.2
Sebastian Vettel 1.0
Kamui Kobayashi 1.0
Heikki Kovalainen 1.0
Pastor Maldonado 0.2
Mark Webber -0.1
Felipe Massa -0.2
Daniel Ricciardo -0.5
Nico Rosberg -1.9
Jenson Button -4.4

Most DNFs
Michael Schumacher 5
Romain Grosjean 3
Charles Pic 3
Kamui Kobayashi 2
Pedro de la Rosa 2
Pastor Maldonado 2
Vitaly Petrov 2
Narain Karthikeyan 2
Nico Hulkenberg 1
Timo Glock 1
Sergio Perez 1
Heikki Kovalainen 1
Bruno Senna 1
Daniel Ricciardo 1
Felipe Massa 1

Drivers who have failed to finish on the lead lap, i.e. finished at least one lap behind for all races completed (DNFs excluded):
Charles Pic
Heikki Kovalainen
Narain Karthikeyan
Pedro de la Rosa
Timo Glock
Vitaly Petrov

Other statistcs available upon request

**steveaki13** · 11th Jun 12, 18:03

Originally Posted by schmenke

Other statistcs available upon request

How many times has Jenson Button got on the radio and moaned.

**Mr Alca-Tazizzle** · 11th Jun 12, 19:32

I've got a request. Give us those stat's including DNF's

**pettersolberg29** · 11th Jun 12, 19:42

From those stats it looks like an even more impressive start to the season from Grosjean. A shame the DNFs have spoiled it otherwise he might be right up there in the championship.

**schmenke** · 11th Jun 12, 20:00

Originally Posted by Dr Giacomo Rappaccini

I've got a request. Give us those stat's including DNF's

I'll work on it

I excluded the DNFs because a driver's potential is more evident without them. Take the example of Grosjean as mentioned above.

**Firstgear** · 11th Jun 12, 20:59

Originally Posted by pettersolberg29

From those stats it looks like an even more impressive start to the season from Grosjean. A shame the DNFs have spoiled it otherwise he might be right up there in the championship.

If Grosjean were a baseball player, he'd be the big homerun slugger. He either hits it out of the park, or gets struck out.

**GravettFan99** · 11th Jun 12, 21:20

Originally Posted by Firstgear

If Grosjean were a baseball player, he'd be the big homerun slugger. He either hits it out of the park, or gets struck out.

Exactly what I'd have to think. He has shocked with how well he is doing, my original first impression of him in F1 was quite low. As far as he has come, he's doing quite well, either retire or score a top-five result...I never expected that.

**Mr Alca-Tazizzle** · 11th Jun 12, 22:01

Originally Posted by schmenke

I'll work on it

I excluded the DNFs because a driver's potential is more evident without them. Take the example of Grosjean as mentioned above.

Potential is the operative word there.
If he is that good (which he may be) he would have a lower rate of attrition. I'll get back to you when the new stats are out. I have a pretty good idea who will rank at the top

**schmenke** · 11th Jun 12, 22:50

Originally Posted by Dr Giacomo Rappaccini

Potential is the operative word there.
If he is that good (which he may be) he would have a lower rate of attrition. ...

Not necessarily, a DNF could be the result of mechanical failure, puncture, or an incident not the fault of the driver. This is why I excluded them.

Originally Posted by Dr Giacomo Rappaccini

... I'll get back to you when the new stats are out. I have a pretty good idea who will rank at the top

Yep, including DNFs would result in the same order as the current drivers standings

The other statistics I posted are pretty much meaningless if DNFs are included

.

**Malbec** · 12th Jun 12, 09:15

Originally Posted by GravettFan99

Exactly what I'd have to think. He has shocked with how well he is doing, my original first impression of him in F1 was quite low. As far as he has come, he's doing quite well, either retire or score a top-five result...I never expected that.

Or the Lotus is incredible, Grosjean is pretty good but Kimi is disappointing?

**N4D13** · 12th Jun 12, 10:55

I'm impressed to see Rosberg so high. He's been qualifying well this season, but, seriously, is he the best so far?

It says a lot that the best qualifier so far this year has an average grid position of 4.7. Quite telling, isn't it?

**schmenke** · 12th Jun 12, 15:41

Originally Posted by N4D13

...It says a lot that the best qualifier so far this year has an average grid position of 4.7. Quite telling, isn't it?

It is, but keep in mind that Lewis' average of 5.7 is skewed because he started 24th on the grid at the Spanish GP due to a penalty.
Had he retained pole position his average would have been 2.4.

**Mr Alca-Tazizzle** · 12th Jun 12, 16:20

If you retire at the first turn in races where your car is not suited anyway than all the stats are useless. Bahrain and Canada he excelled. It is no secret that the "Artist's formerly known as Renault" are characteristically very good in this hot dry environment. So I bet Timo Glock or HK could have done the same pace If they had that car.Kimi is rusty but it doesn't show really how much. Do you understand the picture I am painting now?

**Malbec** · 12th Jun 12, 17:32

Originally Posted by schmenke

It is, but keep in mind that Lewis' average of 5.7 is skewed because he started 24th on the grid at the Spanish GP due to a penalty.
Had he retained pole position his average would have been 2.4.

Perhaps a better indicator would be average qualifying position. There have been plenty of drivers this year receive gridplace penalties, many of them for gearbox changes which is hardly their fault.

**schmenke** · 12th Jun 12, 18:07

True. Michael Schumacher had a similar situation in Monaco.
I'll gladly compile the revised stats if someone can share a link where I can find the complete data.

**Malbec** · 12th Jun 12, 19:00

Originally Posted by schmenke

True. Michael Schumacher had a similar situation in Monaco.
I'll gladly compile the revised stats if someone can share a link where I can find the complete data.

Thanks.

Actually I find the stats very informative, especially to illustrate that there really is no dominant car or driver either in quali or the races.

**jens** · 13th Jun 12, 13:24

It is also interesting that after 7 races the championship leader has only 25 points (24 by pre-1991 system) with the old points system.

Sometimes current season is compared with 1982 as people are wondering, whether we could get as many as 11 winners over a full season.

Also in that season Rosberg won the WDC with only 44 points (over 16 races), which is an amazingly low score. Perhaps we won't be far from that this year.

Although I suspect big teams will start getting big points more consistently from now on...

Also one more comparison. WDC standings after 7 races since the new point system for top 10.

2010
1. Webber - 93
2. Button - 88
3. Hamilton - 84
4. Alonso - 79
5. Vettel - 78

2011
1. Vettel - 161
2. Button - 101
3. Webber - 94
4. Hamilton - 85
5. Alonso - 69

2012
1. Hamilton - 88
2. Alonso - 86
3. Vettel - 85
4. Webber - 79
5. Rosberg - 67

Basically the same drivers have been at the top in all three years, but interesting, how completely different has 2011 been to 2010 and 2012. Despite Vettel's dominance, other top drivers were scoring as many points as they have in other seasons, despite having no chance at the WDC itself. Hamilton has had virtually identical starts into the season on all three occasions (84/85/88 pts). And each time he has won precisely one race during the first seven as well.

**ShiftingGears** · 13th Jun 12, 13:36

Originally Posted by jens

It is also interesting that after 7 races the championship leader has only 25 points (24 by pre-1991 system) with the old points system.

Sometimes current season is compared with 1982 as people are wondering, whether we could get as many as 11 winners over a full season.

Also in that season Rosberg won the WDC with only 44 points (over 16 races), which is an amazingly low score. Perhaps we won't be far from that this year.

It seems a hard feat to match with the general reliability of the cars being greatly improved. Despite the standings being so close, none of the top 6 have suffered a DNF yet - in contrast, in 1982 there wasn't a single driver who finished more than 5 races after the first 7 rounds. However the FISA/FOCA boycott influenced that as well.

**schmenke** · 13th Jun 12, 15:58

1982 was a horrible year with the death of both Gilles Villeneuve and Ricardo Paletti who, incidentally died on June 13th, 30 years ago today, at the Canadian GP

Pironi suffered a serious, and career-ending, accident putting him out of the championship race, resulting in Rosberg winning the WDC with only one race victory during the season

.

**Wasted Talent** · 14th Jun 12, 12:39

Originally Posted by jens

It is also interesting that after 7 races the championship leader has only 25 points (24 by pre-1991 system) with the old points system.

Sometimes current season is compared with 1982 as people are wondering, whether we could get as many as 11 winners over a full season.

Also in that season Rosberg won the WDC with only 44 points (over 16 races), which is an amazingly low score. Perhaps we won't be far from that this year.

Although I suspect big teams will start getting big points more consistently from now on...

Also one more comparison. WDC standings after 7 races since the new point system for top 10.

2010
1. Webber - 93
2. Button - 88
3. Hamilton - 84
4. Alonso - 79
5. Vettel - 78

2011
1. Vettel - 161
2. Button - 101
3. Webber - 94
4. Hamilton - 85
5. Alonso - 69

2012
1. Hamilton - 88
2. Alonso - 86
3. Vettel - 85
4. Webber - 79
5. Rosberg - 67

Basically the same drivers have been at the top in all three years, but interesting, how completely different has 2011 been to 2010 and 2012. Despite Vettel's dominance, other top drivers were scoring as many points as they have in other seasons, despite having no chance at the WDC itself. Hamilton has had virtually identical starts into the season on all three occasions (84/85/88 pts). And each time he has won precisely one race during the first seven as well.

Excellent, shows that over a longer period the better drivers in the better cars are at the top of the rankings, but the individual races have been far more interesting than 2011 because of the current rules and tyres.

Only the Maldonado win was left-field, but he was fast in qualifying and the race and din't get a win just due to luck, just that everything fell into place that weekend for him.

WT