[tiereenny]

Several candidates as usual.

Kubica - IMO the best driver of the season this season. He's the only one, who has been both consistently quick and hasn't made stupidities.
Heidfeld deserves praise! His pace after passing Barrichello was very good, also considering the one-stop strategy. He is gradually climbing out of the hole, where he has dropped this season.

Kubica really has been excellent this season. Despite Heidfeld coming through the field well from where he started he seemed pretty gutted about Kubica beating him.

[saerensenatljn]

Kubica really has been excellent this season. Despite Heidfeld coming through the field well from where he started he seemed pretty gutted about Kubica beating him.

He said in the conference: "with the two of us being on different strategies... let's just say I didn't make life difficult for him [Kubica]".

He did well for the team, if he had kep Kubica behind, he would have won the race, cost BMW valuable points, and probably also cost himself his next year's contract. He made a very logical decision to let Robert pass, and I'm sure in the process bought his team's respect.

The fact remains though, that Nick now has about 150 GP starts, and no wins. He is not young anymore, he is 31 or 32, and I'm sure is desperate for that first win.

That explains his contradictory body language on the stage.

[unishisse]

Kubica, drove to near perfection today

(HM)
Massa, even after a disaster in the pits with the fuel, he came charging back to 5th, and the pass on Rubens and Hekkie was fantastic)
Vettel, starting in the pits and still coming in 8th, hes a champion in the making once he gets a better ride.
Glock who even though had a bad screwup with a handful of laps left held Massa at bay to get 4th

[Gromiaaborn]

Kubica for 2 reasons:

1. The ability to see a red light.
2. Driving a flawless race and being on pace all weekend.

[WhiliaStelt]

Not the last lap, the 4th lap before the end!

which is why I wrote in the last laps, not in the last lap

[bomondus]

Kubica
Massa
Heidfeld
DC
Vettel

[soprofaxel]

Massa had a good race after Ferrari fluffed it again in the pits/strategy but for the sheer moment of winning his first race and driving superbly it has to be Robert Kubica

[HonestSean]

Kubica - faultless

Heidfeld also raced strongly and did a great job to secure the BMW 1-2.

DC gave a good answer to his critics.

Nakajima & Barrichello deserve an honourable mention.

Massa great pass, but why was he battling for minor points?

Piquet - poor again, saved only by his team-mate spinning out as well.

Hamilton - donkey of the day.

[haudraufwienix]

Massa great pass, but why was he battling for minor points?

Because he got some idiots in his team?!
As I said in the other thread (overtaking move of the year) some people will never acknowledge how good he really is, even when it is obvious, instead they will come with questions like "but why was he battling for minor points?", when it isn't his fault at all.

See jens, I told you!

[soprofaxel]

ioan, I am no fan of Massa but the last 2/3 races he has shown some very good racing qualities and atleast endeared him (to me)..I may not become his fan overnight but surely I like it when people show they are determined to fight no matter how bad the car/strategy/position in race. (like Alonso)

I agree totally that Ferrari have stuffed his chances in 2 races now...with the bad strategy once and now with faulty fuel rig (not really anybody's mistake except the manufacturer of those rigs unless it was error on the fueller's part)

So I do agree that Massa is showing more maturity at the same time showing his speed (which isn't contested actually, but that he lacks some race skills and makes mistakes often which he has removed in the past few races)

[HonestSean]

Because he got some idiots in his team?!
As I said in the other thread (overtaking move of the year) some people will never acknowledge how good he really is, even when it is obvious, instead they will come with questions like "but why was he battling for minor points?", when it isn't his fault at all.

See jens, I told you!

ioan, it's a question that I didn't know the answer to. That's why there was a question mark. "Idiots in his team" doesn't help me, and if you'd read the other thread you mention you will see my comments about Massa's pass.

Instead of bashing, how about discussing

[BV6lwvXf]

Because he got some idiots in his team?!
As I said in the other thread (overtaking move of the year) some people will never acknowledge how good he really is, even when it is obvious, instead they will come with questions like "but why was he battling for minor points?", when it isn't his fault at all.

See jens, I told you!

I think after Turkish GP I wrote somewhere that if Massa performs well in Monaco and Canada, many people would be ready to change their opinions about him. It looks like he would have needed a race win from both circuits to change it quicker! But I have a feeling that at least it has changed a bit.

For Massa it seems really hard to prove himself as a top driver in the eyes of F1 fans, probably something to do with the legacy of his past (got beaten by Heidfeld and Fisi, also struggled at the start of '06). A driver, who impresses straightaway (Hamilton), gets also a good reputation straightaway and finds it easier to keep it even after mistakes.

It has often looked so that the capabilites of a driver are about clear at least after 2-3 seasons and if a driver isn't rated as a potential star by then (like Rosberg or Vettel are highly rated now), then it's expected that this driver will be average for the rest of his career. No-one rated Massa close to a top-tier back in 2005. But every human being is a different person and it seems Massa has been capable of turning himself around in a later phase of his career. Reminds me a bit of Mansell to be honest. How many would have believed during his Lotus days that he would ever become a WDC contender? But at the end of his career he was quite a highly rated driver, from what I guess if Massa continues to impress, then folks can't continue denying his skills forever.

[haudraufwienix]

ioan, it's a question that I didn't know the answer to. That's why there was a question mark. "Idiots in his team" doesn't help me, and if you'd read the other thread you mention you will see my comments about Massa's pass.

Instead of bashing, how about discussing

Did you watch the race?
If yes that you would have seen he pitted twice in 2 consecutive laps, and that sent him to the very back of the grid.

The fuel rig malfunctioned, however the team strategists went with the wrong conservative strategy.
I don't get them, in Monaco they went with a wild one fueling him to the end at his first stop, here they went with a very conservative one keeping him on 2 stops when he was the last one.

How is he supposed to do any better than he did yesterday when his strategists keep screwing him every time something unusual happens. Why is that BMW always have the right strategy in unusual conditions?!

[HonestSean]

Did you watch the race?
If yes that you would have seen he pitted twice in 2 consecutive laps, and that sent him to the very back of the grid.

Thanks, that's answered the question I asked. I missed the explaination about the fuel rig problem swtiching between ITV & 5Live commentary, so obviously that explains how he ended up where he did.

[HaroldMY]

I'll go with Felipe too, he was so Schumacheresque! A pitty for that botched pitstop and the no good strategy (again).

What a surprise

I thought this was quite a dissapointing race from Massa, certainly one of his worst this year. Why?
1) In qualy he was clearly slower than Kimi
2) In race Kimi put times that Massa was never able to get anywhere close to, even with free track and little fuel.

Schumacheresque it was not at all. His pace was pretty dissapointing, even against the Toyotas at the end.

I also don`t understand why you say his strategy men screwed him, I think it is pretty obvious Ferraris fuel tank is not big enough for one stopper at Canada from the lap Massa had his fuel from.

My pick: Kubica.

[N1bNXuDb]

Kubica has to have it, he did everything he needed to when presented with a chance to win a race - great job.

Massa had a great drive too, perhaps drive of the day, if not driver of the day?

DC being in the right place to capitalise on the chance of a podium and nursing home a sick car

[tiereenny]

Massa had a great drive too, perhaps drive of the day, if not driver of the day?

Kovalainen and Massa were pretty much invisible for the first half of the race. They both really should have been higher, and if not for his superb pass, probably would not have been mentioned. Would you agree?

[haudraufwienix]

I also don`t understand why you say his strategy men screwed him,

I agree, that's your problem, you just don't understand.

[haudraufwienix]

Kovalainen and Massa were pretty much invisible for the first half of the race. They both really should have been higher, and if not for his superb pass, probably would not have been mentioned. Would you agree?

No, Massa went from dead last (not his fault) to 4th and than again from 7th to 5th within a couple laps.

Kovalainen, however was totally lost in yesterdays race.

[tiereenny]

No, Massa went from dead last (not his fault) to 4th and than again from 7th to 5th within a couple laps.

What I meant was that even before he was dead last he didn't appear to be making any in-roads from his starting position. Certainly lower than I expected.