RainMeister

[Roamy]

Who is the top driver in F1 in the wet.

I am thinking
Hamilton and Alonso and perhaps a slight edge goes to Hamilton

What say you all.

[steveaki13]

Depends a bit on the car obviously but I think Hamilton has shown he can reach a higher level in the wet.

Also Vettel is OK in the wet. He dominated in the Toro Rosso in Italy back in 2008.
And won last years China race easily as well.

One other option is Sutil.
He only ever got near the points for Force India prior to this season in the wet.
Mind you even when having a good wet race, he usually binned it.

[Robinho]

i think Hailton and Vettel are probably the best. Alonso is right up there and Sutil does always seem to shine in the wet. Button also goes very well in the slightly wet/dry where he seems to have a good feel for the conditions.

Petrov is rated highly in the wet, but has blotted his copybook in slippery conditions. Rubens always used to be well suited to the wet too.

[Firstgear]

Button also goes very well in the slightly wet/dry where he seems to have a good feel for the conditions.
I was going to say Button as well. If he can get himself far enough behind the leaders to force the team to make a strategy call out of desperation instead of common sense - then he can be deadly. :D

[F1boat]

Lewis and Jenson.

[Sleeper]

I'd say its a three way tie between Hamilton, Button and Alonso.

[N4D13]

Vettel, then Hamilton and then, Alonso. Vettel won Monza 2008 on a Toro Rosso and then even managed to overtake LH at Interlagos the same year.

[Big Ben]

I suspect Vettel. Sutil seems to be good too. Hamilton and Alonso are doing alright in the wet but Vettel seems better.

[donKey jote]

Wettel :p

[edv]

Heidfeld

[Tazio]

I don't rate Fred that high as a wet weather driver. Overall talent wise he is in am exclusive group at the top, but he has had some very bad moments in rain.
Wasn't it Suzuka or Fuji where he crashed heavily in the wet in the McLaren destroying his shot at the championnship that year.
Anyway neither him or Massa are great rain racers IMO.

[steveaki13]

In the past Rubens was quite a wet weather master.

Pole at Spa in 93 in the Rain.
Led the 99 French GP in the drizzle
Won in a wet/dry race in Germany 2000.

[Roamy]

we should find out this weekend

[Arjuna]

Massa :)

[gloomyDAY]

Vettel. I was all smiles when he passed Hamilton at Brazil '08 on the last lap.

Then, Glock slid off the road.

[Tazio]

Vettel. I was all smiles when he passed Hamilton at Brazil '08 on the last lap.

Then, Glock slid off the road.
At a dive bar in downtown San Diego.

I thought I was going to have to request as "crash cart" at the end of that race as you were hyperventilating severely and hysterical—soldier! :s ailor: :p : ;)

[gloomyDAY]

At a dive bar in downtown San Diego.

I thought I was going to have to request as "crash cart" at the end of that race as you were hyperventilating severely and hysterical—soldier! :s ailor: :p : ;) :D What?! It was a good race.

[Tazio]

:D What?! It was a good race.

Yes it was!
Knock-on admitted he soiled himself!
As well as others :dozey: :)

http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130332&highlight=Did+you+soil+yourself

[F1boat]

Won in a wet/dry race in Germany 2000.

with dry tyres!!!

[Ent]

I don't rate Fred that high as a wet weather driver. Overall talent wise he is in am exclusive group at the top, but he has had some very bad moments in rain.
Wasn't it Suzuka or Fuji where he crashed heavily in the wet in the McLaren destroying his shot at the championnship that year.
Anyway neither him or Massa are great rain racers IMO.

It was Fuji where he binned it. In that race, both Webber and Vettel were doing very well in the wet, respectively 2nd and 3rd with both catching leader Hamilton before Vettel ran up the back of Webber behind the safety car.

[Ranger]

Depends on the car - some cars have better mechanical grip than others.

This year it is McLaren that is good in the wet, last year it was Red Bull.

This still matters a lot more than the driver.

[wedge]

I don't rate Fred that high as a wet weather driver. Overall talent wise he is in am exclusive group at the top, but he has had some very bad moments in rain.
Wasn't it Suzuka or Fuji where he crashed heavily in the wet in the McLaren destroying his shot at the championnship that year.
Anyway neither him or Massa are great rain racers IMO.

He aquaplaned. S**t happens when the track is drenched.


Vettel. I was all smiles when he passed Hamilton at Brazil '08 on the last lap.

Then, Glock slid off the road.

When you're forced to run a low DF spec car then heating up the tyres will be a greater problem.

[fandango]

I would think that Hamilton is the best overtaker in wet conditions, so he must have the best pace. Vettel has excellent pace too. The thing about the wet, though, is that it's never straightforward. The conditions change so much, so the thinkers in the car and on the pit wall can use this to their advantage.

Alonso is good in the wet if his setup is good. Then he can drive within the limits of grip and use good strategy. It's when he has to push and take risks with a not-quite-perfect setup that things go wrong.

How does Webber usually do in these situations?

[jens]

Depends on the car - some cars have better mechanical grip than others.

This year it is McLaren that is good in the wet, last year it was Red Bull.

This still matters a lot more than the driver.

Well put. :)

Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Webber, Heidfeld, Kubica, Button, Barrichello, Sutil - all of them have had great wet weather drives, when the car is prepared excellently for the slippery conditions they have faced in the race.

To analyze their whole careers, Schumacher is probably above others as he had loads of great races, but he also has dared to gamble on setups and strategies more than others.

[ioan]

It's funny how people keep mentioning Alonso even though his had plenty of times when he crashed during wet races.

[ioan]

I would think that Hamilton is the best overtaker in wet conditions, so he must have the best pace. Vettel has excellent pace too. The thing about the wet, though, is that it's never straightforward. The conditions change so much, so the thinkers in the car and on the pit wall can use this to their advantage.

Alonso is good in the wet if his setup is good. Then he can drive within the limits of grip and use good strategy. It's when he has to push and take risks with a not-quite-perfect setup that things go wrong.

How does Webber usually do in these situations?

Webber is quite good in wet races, I would say at least one notch above Alonso.

[Roamy]

Webber is quite good in wet races, I would say at least one notch above Alonso.

no big deal if it rains Schumi is just going to drive off and leave everyone behind :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Valve Bounce]

If it's wet, I'm betting on The Bunsen to burn them off.

[Big Ben]

If it's wet, I'm betting on The Bunsen to burn them off.

I think it´s in changing conditions where he thrives... he´s always slow enough to say "wtf.. let´s go nuts.. I can´t do much worse than this"

[Valve Bounce]

Just found this at autosport:

"It is the first time since the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix that a qualifying session has had to be abandoned and shifted back to Sunday.

Qualifying for the 2004 event also took place on 9 October, and it was Michael Schumacher who secured pole position on Sunday."

[ioan]

no big deal if it rains Schumi is just going to drive off and leave everyone behind :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I'm quite sure that you won't be laughing anymore if that happens! :D

[wedge]

Depends on the car - some cars have better mechanical grip than others.

This year it is McLaren that is good in the wet, last year it was Red Bull.

This still matters a lot more than the driver.

Very true.

Remember how Webber round Button in the high speed corners in Shanghai last year like a hot knife through butter.

[Wim_Impreza]

we should find out this weekend

No, again they didn't drove in the rain.