GRIDCRASHER
The Spoiler

Why Lewis won’t win Brazil but will win the Championship

October 31st, 2008 · 1 Comment

The Spoiler

Brazil GP, Sunday, 5pm (GMT), ITV1, Free £10 Bet

Lewis in Brazil

The big question in Brazil is what will Lewis Hamilton do if he finds himself behind Felipe Massa in Brazil. Will he sit back and accept being second-best for a day, or will his famed on-track aggression cause a major error chasing victory and throw away the Drivers Championship once again? Here’s some statistics compiled by chickendinner that suggest the Brit is unlikely to win in Interlagos but should still win the Championship:

» Hamilton has followed just one of his last seven race wins with victory in the following Grand Prix.

» More worryingly, only one of the last six have been followed by a podium finish.

» There have only ever been three British victories at Interlagos - the last of which came in 2001. In comparison there have been six occasions where a Brazilian has taken the chequered flag.

» McLaren have won in Brazil just once in the last six years. Over that period Ferrari have been victorious on three occasions, each time with a different driver.

» Massa won this race in 2006 and finished 1.493 seconds behind Kimi Raikkonen. He led for much of the race and may have challenged more in the closing stages were he not doing a job for the team.

» Kimi Raikkonen should also play a part in hampering Hamilton. The Finn traditionally finishes strongly and has taken more points in the last two races than in the previous six combined. He has finished in the top two at Interlagos in four of the last five years.

…but he should win the Drivers Championship

» Despite underachieving in races that follow victories, Hamilton’s average points haul in his eight post-win races is four points, which would be enough to win the Championship. Hamilton has finished in the four-point paying fifth position three times in his Formula One career - all after victories.

» Massa has only outscored Hamilton by seven points three times in 34 races - last year at the Nurburgring and this year at Bahrain and France. He hasn’t outscored him by that margin since June.

» Hamilton improved this season at all four Grands Prix where he missed out on the podium last year: Europe, Turkey, Belgium and China. He finished on the podium at all four with an average point improvement of 5.75. Considering he took two points in Brazil last year, he only needs a two point improvement to guarantee success.


Super special Grid Crasher reader offer:
Having a punt the final race of 2008? Get £10 of free no-strings-attached bets from Paddy Power right here. You’re welcome.

Tags: , , , , , ,

del.icio.us:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship digg:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship spurl:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship wists:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship simpy:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship newsvine:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship blinklist:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship furl:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship reddit:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship fark:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship blogmarks:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship Y!:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship smarking:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship magnolia:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship segnalo:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship gifttagging:Why Lewis won't win Brazil but will win the Championship

Posted: October 31st, 2008 by Ryan Bailey

1 response so far

  • 1 It's Hammer Time // Oct 31, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    Wow…hang on a minute…this article is offering statistical proof and offers as a conclusion a negative prediction of Mclaren and Hamilton and A Ludlow hasn’t a comment to make on it? Maybe they are in bed. Anyway, stats or no stats, come Sunday that Mclaren is gonna f**k off into the distance. Go Lewis!!!!

View comments in RSS feed