multi21

2010 Formula 1 standings
Drivers' Championship
1. L. Hamilton 145 15. V. Petrov 6
2. J. Button 133 16. J. Alguersuari 3
3. M. Webber 128 17. N. Hulkenberg 2
4. S. Vettel 121 18. P. de la Rosa 0
5. F. Alonso 98 19. H. Kovalainen 0
6. N. Rosberg 90 20. K. Chandhok 0
7. R. Kubica 83 21. L. Di Grassi 0
8. F. Massa 67 22. B. Senna 0
9. M. Schumacher 36 23. J. Trulli 0
10. A. Sutil 35 24. T. Glock 0
11. R. Barrichello 29 25. C. Klien 0
12. K. Kobayashi 15 26. F. Fauzy 0
13. V. Liuzzi 12 27. P. di Resta 0
14. S. Buemi 7 28. S. Yamamoto 0
2010 Formula 1 standings

2010 Formula 1 standings
Constructors' Championship
1. McLaren 278 7. Williams 31
2. Red Bull 249 8. Sauber 15
3. Ferrari 165 9. Scuderia Toro Rosso 10
4. Mercedes Grand Prix 126 10. Lotus F1 0
5. Renault 89 11. HRT F1 Team 0
6. Force India F1 47 12. Virgin Racing 0
2010 Formula 1 standings


Generally speaking, the Evil Empire, also known as McLaren, has been technically better than anyone else in developing a car these past two seasons during the test ban era. Even though they didn't have the best car on the grid to start each season, their engineers have absolutely been fantastic at getting the car up to pace quickly. Is it no wonder the absense of Ron Dennis and his "stuffiness" in the day to day activities on the racing side been a breathe of fresh air to the team? Couple the fast McLaren cars with the always reliable helping hand of the FIA racing stewarts this years, and it's no surprise Hamilton and Button are 1-2 in the drivers points.

Red Bull is a team about to implode. The best car on the grid by almost 1 second a lap, yet they don't lead in either championship! Fragile car to start the year, but not the case anymore. No, it's the crashing and pushing by the teammates that both have a legit shot at the championship that has everyone wondering what will happen next. It's no secret that top management favors Vettel over Webber, but even with a new contract inked just weeks ago, Webber is not allowing himself to be a #2, and has said as much. Stay tuned, there is WAY more drama to follow here. McLaren has seen this before when Alonso and Hamilton were teammates and those 2 lost the championship.

Speaking of Alonso, Ferrari is none the better for having secured the services of what many believe to be the "best driver in F1". Yours truly would have eaten crow if he would have delivered to the Scuderia as was promised, but so far, Alonso has overpromised, underdelivered and continues to be the most overrated driver in Formula 1 today based on expectations and salary, costing both himself and his team valuable championship points (ie WCC revenue points). With Massa having suffered a near career ending head injury, it's amazing he is in an F1 car at all, but he is but a shadow of his former self and just having signed a 2 year extension, Alonso gets another weak teammate that will not challenge his #1 status within the team.

Mercedes GP: A team that probably thought it would be easier going having bought the winning team from 2009, but that car in 2009 was fading badly toward the end. Mercedes headquarters is unwilling to spend the Euros necessary to properly compete at the sharp end of the grid and it is a mystery how commited they are to the F1 program in general. Rosberg was in 7th place in points until yesterday and Schumacher is in 9th. Rosberg has done a great job with that car and coming off a 3 year retirement, Schmacher has shown brillance and sometimes old age depending on the race weekend after such a long layoff and a vast change in the "Formula" of the cars since he last raced.

Renault has done better than expected behind their brilliant lead driver Kubica. A calming force after the turbulent 2 stints at Renault by the emotional Fernando Alonso, Renault seem to have eased into a steady flow of development little by little with their rookie driver Petrov doing a good job considering he doesn't have the luxury of testing. But the point spread between the two drivers (83 v. 6) tells the story.

Force India, overacheiving while Williams is under acheiving, although their cars are looking racy as of late. If Kobyachi didn't DNF his first 6 races, they would be higher than their current WCC of 7th. Rubens is doing a workman's job in draging that car forward.

The STR with only 10 points is a disappointment as the junior Red Bull team considering how well they did last year.

Lotus is the best of the rest and it appears they are genuinely trying their best to bring their car forward with 2 veteran drivers.

HRT and Virgin may not even make it to the season finale with funding problems.

enduro911

Agree re: Mclaren.

Kind of agree about RB. I haven't decided what I think is going to happen, and I'm not positive I even agree about management permanently favoring Vettel, just temporarily because they think he got screwed with reliability issues early on.

Agree re: Ferrari except of Alonso being completely overrated, I'd say only by this year's performances.

Agree re: the rest

A.Wayne

Petal ! Stoolmacher has shown brillance ....

Where's the part about Schumacher being a dismal failure, F***king up Mercedes, ripping them for 30 million and forcing Brawn back into retirement.

multi21

I wrote "overrated" based on expectations and salary. They fired Kimi, paid off his $29m salary left on his contract and paid Fernando and ungodly sum of money to come to the most storied race team in history.

What Alonso has produced since is absolute ****! His on track performance between jumped starts in China and crashes into walls before qualifying in Monaco and mental mistakes that lead to his backpedaling from non-points paying positions is just unexcusable for what he is being paid. (It's hard to remember all the StrekStrekStrekStrek ups he has had because it's seems like every race weekend.

In short, Alonso should wear a mask because he is robbing Ferrari of their money.

And to all the Alonso Ballwashers, I said if Alonso delivered the WDC and WCC, I would eat crow. That is clearly not happening. Some on this board said he would bring Ferrari down with him. I said he was a cancer within a team. I don't know or think he has been a cancer from what we've seen from the outside looking in, but based on the radio conversation where he didn't want to talk to his team again over the radio until the race was over is a clear sign that he just can't deal with adversity, even when it's self inflicted.

ltc

OK, you've used your one and only one Schumacher reference per thread .....

multi21

Mercedes is not a top team. They bought a independent team owner who bought it from a defunked Honda team for $1. Brawn hit is right last year with the double diffuser, but that is one in a million. Trust me, mercedes has made more money from the publicity of Schumacher signing with them than Schumacher has made with his contract.

A.Wayne

^^^ Pete,

That is about as limp as one can get without being a Eunuch....

agdamis

Pete - Appreciate the comments. I think Alonso and Hamilton are the two best in the field but also the two biggest head cases. Hamilton has cried on the radio like a little bitch plenty of times this year. I do not think either of them is a cancer they were both too head strong to be on the same team. Fernando is struggling mentality this year as nothing is going right and it is leading to big mistakes and bad decisions. These guys are all under huge pressure to deliver. I am still in Alonso's camp as he has delivered some of the best drives I have ever seen particularly the epic battles with Schumacher in the pre-retirement era. I think if there is anyone who can mount a come back it is Alonso.

Honorable mention this year is Weber who has delivered in spades for Horner and RB. Kubica continues to be one of my absolute favorites and Button for proving to everyone that if take care of the car and be patient good things will happen. As far as Vettel goes, great talent still a kid.

Land Jet

Good one Pete. It's too bad his equipment isn't better because he is a talented driver, regardless of the chaos he caused at his last two teams.

Vettel, for all his potential and ability is not showing much maturity. Rash decisions and recklessness, a champion do not make. Webber seems to have come into his own and has the self control and experience, plus equipment, to go all the way, although I did think his running up the back end of the Lotus at the last race was avoidable.

Hamilton is a brilliant driver and his car is up to the task. Never have liked Button and don't really think he is on par with the above mentioned 4, but he is in the right car at the right time.

Kubica has the talent but Renault will have to improve their car if he is to have any chance.

I don't think the rest of the pack has much chance.

A.Wayne

+10 ................

RajDatta

Looks like some people will never get over the fact that Kimi was canned to make room for Alonso. They will do whatever it takes to make Alonso look bad.
Most of the OP is spot on except for when the emotions/hatred take over..

agdamis

Thank you Mr. Wayne

A.Wayne

We now know it was not Alonso, but ferrari's call regarding the penalty last weekend .....

multi21

Please remove 1 mistake from Alonso's ledger. The team screwed up at Silverstone by not listening to what Whiting was telling the pit wall and immediately giving up the position.

jenk12m

I agree with most of the OP, good job kubica with the car he has