The tops and flops of 2010. The F1Grandprix survey

To definitively close the 2010 parenthesis, we are publishing the results of a survey involving the users of our Forum.

We asked our community to vote for the Tops and Flops of 2010, divided into categories, suggesting the most likely options. These are the results.

THE TOP - Link to discussion on the Forum
Among the five contenders for the title, the most voted was the New Champion Sebastian Vettel with 40% of the preferences, followed by Alonso and Hamilton with 20% each, and Button with 14%. He closes Webber with 5% of the votes.
The result is obvious but not too much, especially given the difference in votes between Sebastian and Fernando. Many, in fact, argue that the World Championship was won above all thanks to Red Bull, in light of some serious mistakes by Sebastian. The general performances of the other drivers (including errors) evidently did not impress our fans too much.

Among the other drivers, the most voted was Robert Kubica, author of a brilliant season at the wheel of Renault, with as many as 80% of the votes. Behind him Nico Rosberg (14%) and the debutant Kobayashi (6%).
Understandable result, especially in light of Polacco's performances this year.

As for the rookies, there was no history between Kobayashi and Hulkenberg. The Interlagos pole did not contribute to calming the preferences towards the Japanese (75% vs 25%). And indeed, Kamui gave us many last centimeter overtakes. With the Suzuka race alone he made us jump off the couch more than once. Deserved result.

The biggest surprise of the year for our users was Jenson Button. 41% of those taking part in the survey voted for English, while Mark Webber, in second place, obtained 37% of the votes, just one less than Button. Nico Rosberg was third with 22%.
Given the expectations at the beginning of the year, our users found Button and Webber's results unexpected. Only one vote 'rewards' Button, demonstrating that Webber's declining finish, despite his lead in the standings up to Yeongam, had an impact on the fans' opinion.

The best overtaking voted was also the most discussed. We are referring to the episode in Budapest between Barrichello and Michael Schumacher (27%). Followed by Kobayashi's maneuver on Alguersuari in Suzuka (22%).
Randomness. The riskiest overtaking of the year was voted best maneuver. In fact, among the options proposed, particularly noteworthy duels/overtakings were included (for example, the one between Button and Hamilton for first place in Istanbul). A sign that the "spectacularity" of the episode between the German and the Brazilian has most likely influenced the vote.

Among the most unexpected results, the Ferrarista own goal stands out with Alonso's seventh place in Abu Dhabi (51%). This is followed by Button's victory in China (15%), the controversial Ferrari double at Hockenheim (10%) and Mclaren's English win in Australia (8%).
Here too, beyond Ferrari's Arab patatrac, we note how Button's two victories were considered unlikely episodes.

Montreal is at the center of the best race and the best qualifying. Both won by Lewis Hamilton.
The Englishman's qualification (29%) was rated just above that of Hulkenberg at Interlagos (27%). Followed by Alonso's Monza Pole (22%). Having broken Red Bull's dominance on Saturday, and the particularity of the performance in Brazil in the wet conditions, were determining factors for our users' vote.
The Belgian GP in Spa follows Canada in the list of most beautiful GPs of the year (27% versus 32% for Montreal)
As we can see, in the first two places there are two old style tracks. Does he want to say something?

In the general evaluation of the best teams of the year (i.e. performance, team and driver management), Ferrari was snubbed among the top. In fact, Red Bull is in first place with 59% of the votes, followed by Mclaren with 34%. The Cavallino team came third with only 7% of the preferences. Although from a performance point of view the Red team was at the level of the Woking team (if not superior after the halfway point), the enthusiasts judged the latter's almost perfect management of strategies and drivers as better, compared to some a somewhat hot episode of the Massa-Alonso duo (overtaking in the pit lane in China, for example) and a devastating final choice of the wall. In first place, however, is Red Bull, which has experienced an internal struggle among its drivers worthy of the Bold and the Beautiful. The Austrian team obtained a clear majority of votes, once again a sign of the weight that winning the title has in the general opinion of fans and enthusiasts.

The 'extra' character of 2010 is, with a real vote, the Safety Car driver Bernd Maylander. On the other hand, with all the times we've seen him on the track...

THE FLOP - Link to discussion on the Forum
Despite what one might think, the driver who most disappointed the fans' expectations was Felipe Massa, with more than half of the preferences (55%). According to the highly predicted Schumacher with 38%, the debutant Petrov is third with 7%. Felipe undoubtedly had a bad season. Either for the tyres, or for the psychological after-effects of the accident, or for something else. But, considering the "weight" of the German champion, one could have expected a different result even thinking back to the various criticisms received during the year.

Schumacher, on the other hand, gets the vote for the most serious incorrectness, as you can imagine we are referring to Budapest. 70% for him versus 30% of the quadruple zigzag by Hamilton in Sepang, ahead of Petrov. In a year in which no major dangerous maneuvers were seen, it was quite logical that this was the one that would remain most in the memory.

Overtaking which turns out to be the most controversial moment of 2010 (54%) against 'only' 38% of the Hockenheim team order from the Ferrari pit wall. In third place, again the Englishman from Mclaren with the famous push to his car in Canada after the pole on Saturday (9%). However, we believe that Hockenheim will remain much more in the memory than Hamilton's maneuver. For timing and communication of the order given to Felipe.

The most boring races were, for our users, the last one in Abu Dhabi (41%) and the first one in Sakhir (35%). Two races in which there was actually little to take into consideration, starting with practically zero overtaking. Strange case, two tracks designed by Tilke, or rather commissioned by those who want to show lots of advertising on the bellies of the single-seaters.

The worst team could only be HRT, with 57% of the votes, followed by Mercedes defending the title with 26% and Virgin with 17%. And just calling it a team, in terms of organization, resources and management, is a compliment.

For the 'most serious driver errors' category, Mark Webber's spin in Korea (30%) on Alonso's broken chassis in Monte Carlo (29%) comes out narrowly. Substantially the 'weight' of the two episodes is identical. The Australian driver's mistake occurred at a key moment in the championship and with the tranquility of a good margin of points, while that of the Spaniard in the final free practice of the Monegasque GP prevented a possible victory. All in all, just about Webber's "success" measure.

Moving on to the teams' errors, plebiscite for the Prancing Horse's Abu Dhabi disaster, with 90% of the votes. It couldn't be otherwise. Serious error, the aggravating factor of which is the occasion of the last race.

To conclude with the Flops, Di Grassi was voted the worst rookie of 2010 (42%), followed by Petrov with 26% (on paper the number one suspect, who really saved himself with the good race in Abu Dhabi?) and by HRT drivers Senna and Chandhok.

We thus definitively close the curtain on the year 2010, to concentrate completely on the season now upon us with the presentations of the single-seaters which will begin in mid-January with the Lotus-Renault.

Alessandro Secchi (thanks to Gabriele Russo for his collaboration)
F1Grandprix.it