4 Races In

[yurp 0]

Is this the most balanced start to a season we've had for ages?

4 races down and variety of faces on the podium is wonderful for a non-partisan follower like me.

I'm having a great time.

4 different drivers have won races

4 different teams have won races

8 different drivers have filled the 12 podium spots

6 different teams have had podium finishes too

3 races have been won by 3.3, 2.2 and 2.1 seconds (with one win from Button Rosberg by 20 seconds).

And not just that but the racing has been action packed too.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Is this the most balanced start to a season we've had for ages?

4 races down and variety of faces on the podium is wonderful for a non-partisan follower like me.

I'm having a great time.

4 different drivers have won races

4 different teams have won races

8 different drivers have filled the 12 podium spots

6 different teams have had podium finishes too

3 races have been won by 3.3, 2.2 and 2.1 seconds (with one win from Button by 20 seconds).

And not just that but the racing has been action packed too.

Order will be restored soon enough... and the order is...

1. Red Bull... get use to the finger again folks

2. Mclaren

3. Lotus (the suprise)

[JHS18 0]

3 races have been won by 3.3, 2.2 and 2.1 seconds (with one win from Button by 20 seconds).

And not just that but the racing has been action packed too.

Ey? Thought Rosberg won by about 20 seconds as well, or did I just imagine that?

[dribbler 6]

It's all good.

[LabradoRacer 2]

As an F1 fan, exciting season, yes.

As a Schumi fanboy, downright miserable season.

[yurp 0]

Ey? Thought Rosberg won by about 20 seconds as well, or did I just imagine that?

Sorry - mixed up - Rosberg by 20, Button only won by 2.1 seconds.

[Quiet One 15]

Yeah, you saved me yet another rant. I think MSC is at least partially right. We are enjoying the benefits of a purposedly crappy tire. As Steve said, it just adds a complexity layer that somehow has always been there so if F1 is all about driving skills and speed we might as well get rid of KERS, DRS, fuel, pitstops, teams, etc. I bet MSC didn't mean it that way, he just wants something "in the middle". And, as usual, that "middle point" is not the same for him, for you, for me and for Nicole Scherzinger. In all fairness, he owes at least 2 of his WDCs to the tires being a factor big enough to make the Ferrari's faster than anything else.

[The Shadow 0]

What the hell is wrong with Mclare?. Even last year they did better than this. Being underdogs and all

[Massa 0]

Start/Finish Differential:

(Includes every race, regardless)

Vergne +21

Di Resta +19

Alonso +16

Pérez +15

Räikkönen +14

Glock +14

Petrov +6

Senna +5

Karthikeyan +5 (three races only)

Vettel +4

Pic +3

Webber +2

de la Rosa +2 (three races only)

Massa 0

Kovalainen 0

Hülkenberg -5

Ricciardo -5

Hamilton -6

Kobayahsi -6

Maldonado -10

Rosberg -11

Button -22

Grosjean -28

Schumacher -33

Why do I put that there? It just shows how much of a change we've seen from qualifying to the race (and doesn't show a whole lot about the drivers since it includes car-related retirements; I do like that Kobayashi, and he's someone I actually like, is the "greatest overtaking of all time since ever" and is actually going backward on race day). That's a good season, to me.

But I also think we're headed back to reality in Barcelona. Vettel was handed the series lead and they're not going to give it up. All McLaren had to do was stretch it out longer. I hope it's interesting. I really do.

[Quiet One 15]

Start/Finish Differential:

(Includes every race, regardless)

Vergne +21

Di Resta +19

Alonso +16

Pérez +15

Räikkönen +14

Glock +14

Petrov +6

Senna +5

Karthikeyan +5 (three races only)

Vettel +4

Pic +3

Webber +2

de la Rosa +2 (three races only)

Massa 0

Kovalainen 0

Hülkenberg -5

Ricciardo -5

Hamilton -6

Kobayahsi -6

Maldonado -10

Rosberg -11

Button -22

Grosjean -28

Schumacher -33

Why do I put that there? It just shows how much of a change we've seen from qualifying to the race (and doesn't show a whole lot about the drivers since it includes car-related retirements; I do like that Kobayashi, and he's someone I actually like, is the "greatest overtaking of all time since ever" and is actually going backward on race day). That's a good season, to me.

But I also think we're headed back to reality in Barcelona. Vettel was handed the series lead and they're not going to give it up. All McLaren had to do was stretch it out longer. I hope it's interesting. I really do.

Well, you can always extract some interesting info from these useless statistics

Let me choose a random driver. No, seriously, it can be any driver! I will just close my eyes and place a finger anywhere on that list. I'm not peeking...hah, Alonso! Who would have guessed! I mean, what are the odds?

In any case, you need to factor in the starting place (it's not the same saying you overtook no cars when you started all races from pole, after all). Who has the most impressive starting position-to-places gained ratio?

You would never guess!

That's why Ferrari is building a cathedral for the guy in the middle of the Vatican.

[Delta 0]

The next GP is at Barcelona, and that will, in my opinion give the truest sense of where everyone's at. It's a circuit you simply cannot manhandle a bad car around. I just hope what we saw at Bahrain isn't a sign that Red Bull are going to start dominating again.

[Jean Todt 4]

.

As a Schumi fanboy, downright miserable season.

[Jack Acid 0]

Have to think this will still come down to Red Bull and McLaren....I just don't trust Mercedes' tires and can't see Lotus sustaining race after race.

[Wez 0]

Is this the most balanced start to a season we've had for ages?

4 races down and variety of faces on the podium is wonderful for a non-partisan follower like me.

I'm having a great time.

4 different drivers have won races

4 different teams have won races

8 different drivers have filled the 12 podium spots

6 different teams have had podium finishes too

3 races have been won by 3.3, 2.2 and 2.1 seconds (with one win from Button Rosberg by 20 seconds).

And not just that but the racing has been action packed too.

Could I just make a note here that only three teams have won... Mclaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Alonso.

Ferrari deserve absolutely zero credit for the Alonso victory!

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Could I just make a note here that only three teams have won... Mclaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Alonso.

Ferrari deserve absolutely zero credit for the Alonso victory!

yeah, he jumped out and put the wheels on himself in the pits... and commanded the temperatures to drop so that dog of a Ferrari could come alive

[Guest]

Ferrari deserve absolutely zero credit for the Alonso victory!

Half right is still wrong I'm afraid!

The weather and Sauber deserve ALL the credit for that one.

[freaky2 1]

You still have to be there to make the best of the weather. Sauber did all they could, which was almost enough. Massa was being Massa in the other Ferrari around 15-ish. Yes, that one was definitely Alonso's victory. Let's just not forget that he couldn't have won it if he had been racing in the footmobile, even if his car doesn't help lots.

[Rainmaster 7]

Could I just make a note here that only three teams have won... Mclaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Alonso.

Ferrari deserve absolutely zero credit for the Alonso victory!

A good point well made, I think.

[dribbler 6]

Could I just make a note here that only three teams have won... Mclaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Alonso.

Ferrari deserve absolutely zero credit for the Alonso victory!

There were many elements involved with that Alonso victory. The car, the weather, the driver and the tyres. The car may have been the weakest link, but still an essential one.

Just enjoy the fact that in F1 2012, something like that can happen. It's making the season very special indeed.

[AleHop 0]

Ferrari did a good job with the strategy and the pit-stops. The rest was Alonso's. But the most amazing thing is that he managed to compete with that car. You always need a bit of luck in that type of race.

[Delta 0]

Looking at the differences between Massa and Alonso is enough to tell you what difference he really makes. In Formula 1 you usually do win as a team, but there are still some circumstances under which luck plays it's hand and that's usually rain.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

Think it has been helped by lower number of rule changes, allowing teams to close the gap on the leaders. An argument, if there was ever for more rule stability.

That and funny tires...

[yurp 0]

And now 5 races in - 5 winners - 5 winning cars - 2 first time winners and another win by only 3 seconds.

The WDC and WCC are being very tightly contested too.

Fun fun fun.

I know there's plenty of complaints about excessive tyre deg. but that doesn't bother me. The drivers will adjust and it's the same for everyone - they just have to learn to treat their tyres well and plan their strategies so they have the option to pit early if the tyres degrade too much.

My only reservation remains DRS. It has never seemed in the spirit of racing to me and I really don't think it's necessary any more - we'd have plenty of passing and enjoyable, close races without it.

[Quiet One 15]

And now 5 races in - 5 winners - 5 winning cars - 2 first time winners and another win by only 3 seconds.

The WDC and WCC are being very tightly contested too.

Fun fun fun.

I know there's plenty of complaints about excessive tyre deg. but that doesn't bother me. The drivers will adjust and it's the same for everyone - they just have to learn to treat their tyres well and plan their strategies so they have the option to pit early if the tyres degrade too much.

My only reservation remains DRS. It has never seemed in the spirit of racing to me and I really don't think it's necessary any more - we'd have plenty of passing and enjoyable, close races without it.

Indeed.

[Rainmaster 7]

+1 Indeed.