Average grid position after Bahrain

[Schummy]

After Bahrain, average grid positions are:

M.Schumacher 0
Barrichello  1.33333
Montoya      2.33333
Button       4.33333
R.Schumacher 5.33333
Webber       6.33333
Trulli       7
Coulthard    9.33333
Sato         9.66667
da Mata      9.66667
Raikkonen   10.6667
Massa       10.6667
Fisichella  11.3333
Panis       12.3333
Alonso      12.6667
Klien       13.6667
Heidfeld    14
Pantano     15.6667
Baumgartner 16.6667
Bruni       17

Discounting the best and the worst results (to avoid "flukes") the ranking would be:

M.Schumacher 0
Barrichello  1
Montoya      2
Button       5
Webber       5
Sato         6
R.Schumacher 6
Trulli       7
Raikkonen    9
Coulthard    9
da Mata      9
Massa       10
Fisichella  11
Klien       12
Panis       13
Heidfeld    14
Pantano     15
Alonso      16
Baumgartner 16
Bruni       17

In this last case, average for each team is:

Ferrari  0.5
Williams 4
BAR      5.5
Jaguar   8.5
McLaren  9
Sauber  10.5
Toyota  11
Renault 11.5
Jordan  14.5
Minardi 16.5

Ferrari reigns clearly, with Williams and BAR make the top group. The Macs have problems, and Renault is penalized by Alonso's very bad qualifs so far. I'm glad to be Jaguar is finally doing well and it's sad to see Eddie Jordan's teams down just with Minardi.

[Schummy]

Just in case someone wonder how MS can have an average position of zero , I'm counting grid positions from 0 (pole) to 19 (last).

[Jukebox]

a 1-2 for ferrari! funny tho how sauber with all of it's package can't get to grips to the BS tyres

sakhir circuit was just magnificent! a contrast of the track n it's surroundings....a great change

[Armco Bender]

The way its going, I think Mr Schumacher will still be on zero at Brazil

[freud]

Schummy - I cant really distinguish between the current driver standings and the rankings that you have given. Basically all you are doing is averaging out the grid positions of each driver using very simple stats, which will always end up with the chronological order of drivers exactly the same as their current rankings.

I have doubts about the utility of this ranking and how it might be useful in interpreting driver performance by any means.

[Rubinho]

Originally posted by freud
Schummy - I cant really distinguish between the current driver standings and the rankings that you have given. Basically all you are doing is averaging out the grid positions of each driver using very simple stats, which will always end up with the chronological order of drivers exactly the same as their current rankings.

I don't think so. This is an average of the drivers' QUALIFYING positions (i.e. how well they do in the second session on Saturday). I will not yield the same results as the WDC rankings as these (as I'm sure you know) are based on RACE finish positions.

How useful these stats actually are is questionable but then again most of the metrics used around here are a bit dodgy, fun none the less though!

[freud]

No, what I meant to say was that he is averaging out the grid positions but for what? Alright if he had given us a table with two columns:

- avg grid position
- avg finishing position

then it would've been useful as we could actually see whether qualifying at a good position, on average, has afected driver's finishing position or not?

Even that, it doesnt require a rocket scientist to know that if you qualify better you hve more chance of finishing better.

[Schummy]

Grid positions usually shows the "pure" perfomance of cars (and driver's one-lap skill). Race positions are affected by reliability, driver errors (in so many laps, ONE driver error can through the car out of the race or in a very back position), crashes and hits with/by other competitors, etc...

I think that if FIA had to make a purely car raw perfomance championship, it would be thru a qualiication session format (a bit like in hill climbing and short rallies).

Nowadays, parc ferme rule (and thus strategic decisions about fuel and tyres) makes it less clear than two years ago, but it somehow goes on telling what cars are "fast" and what cars are "slow".

One driver/car who does better in WDC ranking that in grid positions means that it/he has mainly a good reliability/lack-of-incidents in race days. If the car/driver is better in grid positions than in grid, it shows the opposite.

Obviously, this kind of data is just a part of the whole story. No one statistic can tell us what is going on with teams driver, but can give us some insight in some aspects.

And, above all, ... it is fun for the freakies who love numbers

I hope Ferrari is not so dominat in the rest of the season or else this and other kind of stats will be redundant (aaargh!)

[Adam43]

Great stuff Schummy. Thanks.