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Feature

AUTOSPORT.com's F1 season poll

It's that time of the year for AUTOSPORT's own to vote on the best driver and the most memorable grand prix of the year. Twelve voters took part this season. Each selected five drivers and three races, awarding the best driver five points, all the way down to one point for the driver in fifth place. The best race was awarded three points, all the way down to one point for the race in third place. Collecting together everyone's votes accumulated a list of the top drivers and top races of 2011, as well as the memorable events of the season. Here are the results and the voters' reasoning...

THE TOP DRIVERS OF 2011
Driver SS AC MG CB PE MB TD JOL BA JN KT DR ES AV Total
Vettel 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 70
Button 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 52
Alonso 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 46
Hamilton 2 2 1 2 2


2 2 2 2 2
19
Rosberg 1


1
2
1 1
1 1 2 10
Kovalainen




2
2





4
Webber

2 1









3
Di Resta





1


1

1 3
Schumacher






1





1
Sutil
1











1
Perez




1







1

THE TOP RACES OF 2011
Race
SS AC MG CB PE MB TD JOL BA JN KT DR ES AV Total
Canada 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 38
Monaco 2 2 1 1
1 1 2
2

1
13
China



1 2 2 1


2 2
10
Germany

3 2



2




7
Britain



2


1
2


5
Spain








1 1 1

3
Italy










3

3
Malaysia












2 2
Japan 1












1
Hungary
1











1
Turkey












1 1

Simon Strang (SS)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4 Hamilton; 5 Rosberg

Vettel was stunning this year. Mika Hakkinen told me in an interview for this website near the start of this campaign that Vettel, 'would have the advantage of knowing' and boy did he use it to devastating effect in the defence of his title. Those who have watched Button closely know how great he can be - this year a blend of maturity and intelligence spiced with ruthless speed saw him produce two of the best wins of his career in Canada and Japan. Alonso was utterly relentless, while Hamilton was genius at times, disappointing at others. Rosberg kept Mercedes in the money seats all year long while Heikki Kovalainen also deserves a mention for an outstanding season.

1. Canada; 2 Monaco; 3. Japan

Canada was quite simply breathtaking, and for entertainment value rates right up there with Japan '05 win or Monaco '82. Speaking of which the race at the principality was as closely contested as I have seen on the street circuit and had the potential to be a three-way dice to the flag had it not been red-flagged with six laps to go - robbing us of all the drama. Japan saw Button take an emphatic and beautifully-judged dry win that for me was as good as any I saw this year. Vettel's clever Monza win and Hamilton's victorious Chinese drama-fast also deserve mention.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Schumacher; 5. Hamilton

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

As it turns out I wasn't far off, but I misjudged Button's ability to outsmart and out-psyche Hamilton at McLaren. I also didn't expect Renault to tail-off so badly. I gambled on Mercedes growing stronger (but I might have been a year premature on that) and was eyeing the disappointing pace McLaren was showing in testing at the time - just goes to prove you shouldn't believe what you see in testing unless it's related to a Red Bull.

Adam Cooper (AC)

1. Vettel, Alonso, Button, Hamilton, Sutil

You'd have to be a bit contrary not to give Vettel number one spot. Second place is rather closer, but I'd just give Alonso the nod over Button. There's little doubt that Hamilton, Webber and Massa were outperformed by their team-mates, but his three wins just about earn Lewis a place. Sutil is the wild card here, but all things considered he did a pretty good job.

1. Canada; 2. Monaco; 3. Hungary

Canada was obviously a memorable afternoon in so many ways, made more so by Jenson's successful chase of Vettel. Monaco looked set to have a great finish, although it was spoiled by the red flag, while Budapest was another mixed-up race that had plenty going on.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Massa; 5. Rosberg

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

Well, I had Vettel as champion and Alonso as one of his main challengers! However, while I did at least say that McLaren would recover, like most people I didn't expect the team to be a force from the start of the season - but then I doubt Martin Whitmarsh thought that at the time...

Mark Glendenning (MG)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Webber; 5. Hamilton

Hate to be boring, but I'm going to do it anyway. I can't find any argument for putting anyone ahead of Vettel, while Button was quick and consistent all year. Webber might seem like a surprising inclusion, but he was only outside the top four three times this year - two of those were fifth places, the other was the crash at Monza.

1. Germany; 2. Canada; 3. Monaco

All three were dramatic, but I've plumped for Germany to take the top spot over Canada on the grounds that I can't bring myself to declare a race with a two-hour stoppage as the most exciting grand prix of the year.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Massa

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. McLaren; 5. Toro Rosso

I'm pleased to have picked a step forward from Mercedes, even if I had them third instead of fourth. Massa obviously didn't live up to my expectations, but that's partly because Ferrari didn't either. And Toro Rosso? Well... you can't win them all.

Charles Bradley (CB)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Webber

Vettel was good last year, but great this term. Took all the new tyres/driver aids in his stride, and his ability on cold tyres (or were they?) to extend a lead to run out of DRS range in the early laps became his trademark. Button flourished and shaped McLaren into his team - his stock is higher now than even 2009. If only that Ferrari upgrade package had delivered the numbers it promised, Alonso could have taken the fight to Vettel. When the chance arose, he was awesome. If you ignore Hamilton's off-season distractions and Massa-magnetism, he produced some quintessential brilliance in 2011. Webber's Brazil victory might have come as an end-of-season tonic, but it was his three pole positions ­ Spain, Britain and Germany ­ that makes me think there's still hope for a title in Mark yet..

1. Canada; 2. Germany; 3. Monaco

Canada is surely the most remarkable race in recent memory as Button carved his way from last place to victory, having been caught speeding in the pits and collided with Hamilton and Alonso. Germany witnessed a rare Vettel error, although this didn't have a bearing on the outcome, this was all about Hamilton's overtaking genius. Down the inside of Webber? Around the outside of Alonso? Don't mind if I do! Okay, so we were robbed of the grandstand finish in Monaco because of the bizarre parc ferme rules, but the sight of Vettel battling to holding off Alonso (on fresher tyres) and Button (on even fresher tyres) was fantastic around the most famous street circuit of them all.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Hamilton; 4. Webber; 5. Button

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

I underrated Jenson Button in his second year at McLaren, and also incorrectly figured that Ferrari and Fernando Alonso would take a stronger fight to Red Bull. But I got the fact that Red Bull would bat-off the fresh challenge of Pirelli tyres/KERS/DRS spot-on, and also that Renault's driver line-up simply wasn't good enough to challenge the top-liners.

Pablo Elizalde (PE)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Button; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg

It would be hard to justify not putting Vettel on top after 11 wins and 15 poles on the way to his second title. Yes, he had the best car most of the times, but Mark Webber also had it and his numbers were not quite the same. Alonso said it himself: it was probably his strongest season in F1 to date and, for a driver who has achieved so much, that's no mean feat. He flattered his Ferrari nearly all season long and destroyed team-mate Massa again. Button is a close third because he put on some great performances to be Vettel's closest rival. Hamilton's season was full of ups and downs, but in reality it wasn't THAT terrible and it was just a case of lack of consistency coupled with too many crashes (mostly with Massa). Rosberg again managed to extract the best from a Mercedes that was far from a winning car and so he makes the top five.

1. Canada; 2. Britain; 3. China

The Canadian Grand Prix is the first race that comes to mind when thinking about the most entertaining of 2011; mixed weather, plenty of drama, and a last-lap pass for the lead making it a thrilling event. It's no coincidence that the British Grand Prix features high on my list, with some of the same ingredients. And I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but my third favourite race of the year is China, which completes a trio of grands prix not won by Sebastian Vettel.

Predictions:

1. Heidfeld; 2. Alonso; 3. Vettel; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Renault; 4. McLaren; 5. Mercedes

Well, Heidfeld didn't quite win the championship, did he? In fairness, I never expected him to win, as I wrote in my prediction before the start of the season. It's called the AUTOSPORT gamble for a reason... I went out on a limb with Alonso, though, and that didn't work out, as Ferrari was unable to deliver a car to match his talent. Red Bull did, however, and so my third pick - Vettel - ended up turning the season into a one-man show.

Matt Beer (MB)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Kovalainen; 5. Perez

There surely can be no other choice for the top spot given Vettel's relentless maximising of everything the season's benchmark car had to offer, while Button delivered his best F1 performance yet and Alonso was characteristically superb in relative adversity. My other two choices are deliberately left-field in a year when the top trio felt a class apart. Kovalainen was invaluable to Lotus and never wilted even with points out of sight, and Perez was the newcomer who surpassed expectations by the biggest margin.

1. Canada; 2. China; 3. Monaco

The ever-crazy Montreal race excelled itself this year with drama from the first to last moments - so much so that you could forgive the lengthy rain delay. The first time a dominant force is defeated is always memorable, especially when it happens in the style with which Hamilton overcame Vettel in China, while Monaco was more a case of what might have been.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button

1. Red Bull; 2. McLaren; 3. Ferrari; 4. Renault; 5. Toro Rosso

'Less daftness, more domination from Vettel', I suggested nine months ago, and that was pretty much spot on. I didn't see Button's superlative season coming though, and my excess of faith in Toro Rosso coincided with being rather too swayed by Mercedes' apparent testing struggles.

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Rosberg; 5. Di Resta

Tony Dodgins (TD)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Rosberg; 5. Di Resta

Vettel needs no qualification after a stunning season, and Button had a fabulous year too - the first time a team-mate has overcome Hamilton. Some of Alonso's commitment was spectacular - the starts in Barcelona and Monza for example - and you could build a case for him being second considering he scored more than double Massa's points in the same car. Rosberg is crying out for a front-running car and di Resta was excellent in his rookie year, although Sutil responded.

1. Canada; 2. China; 3. Monaco

Button's last-to-first place drive in Montreal was spellbinding stuff and Hamilton's Shanghai win was also great viewing, even if Vettel's strategy went out of the window thanks to radio problems. The strategy game - both intended and accidental - made Monaco truly fascinating in the closing stages. You couldn't have scripted it better - until we were robbed.

Predictions:

1. Alonso; 2, Vettel. 3. Webber; 4. Massa; 5. Rosberg

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

Was expecting more from Ferrari and, at the time the calls were made, McLaren was in a world of misery and couldn't do more than 15 laps before the exhaust turned to shrapnel. As Paddy Lowe put it: "The biggest pre-season nightmare since Rio '88 and early active ride at Williams!"

Jamie O'Leary (JOL)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Button; 4. Kovalainen; 5. Schumacher

There was nobody else who could have been number one, was there? Yes, he had the best car over the course of the season, but he made the very best of it too, and showed his growing maturity and confidence by dominating his team-mate in a way he was unable to in 2010. Jenson Button had arguably his best grand prix season to date - you don't beat Lewis Hamilton unless you perform sensationally - but I still believe that the McLaren was a significantly easier car to drive than the Ferrari, hence why Fernando Alonso's nine podiums and one win get him the nod for second. Heikki Kovalainen beat his team-mate in a manner nobody else managed, while Schumacher recovered from a poor 2010 to outrace Nico Rosberg whenever his front and rear wings weren't being savaged by recklessly-driven Saubers.

1. Canada; 2. Monaco; 3. China.

It was tough to choose between Canada and Monaco, but Montreal gets the nod because of the variety of weather conditions in play and Button's sterling charge from last to first. Had it not been for the late red flag, Monaco may well have edged it, the Vettel - Alonso - Button battle had threatened to go all the way to the chequered flag.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2 Alonso; 3 Webber; 4 Hamilton; 5 Massa

1. Red Bull; 2 Ferrari; 3 McLaren; 4 Renault; 5 Mercedes

Well I didn't do too badly, correctly guessing the positions of the Red Bull drivers. McLaren's last-minute design change pre-Australia was a key factor in elevating the team, and its drivers, ahead of the Ferrari men. I was disappointed in Renault, and fully believe that with a driver of Robert Kubica's level on board, it would have continued to develop its car far longer and beaten Mercedes as a result.

Ben Anderson (BA)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg

Vettel was the absolute class of the field this year, while Button enjoyed arguably his most impressive season in F1. Alonso maximised what was easily only the third best car, whereas Hamilton didn't produce a vintage year but was still superb at his best. The Mercedes was often recalcitrant, but Rosberg dominated Michael Schumacher in qualifying in much the same way that Vettel bossed Webber this season.

1. Canada; 2. Germany; 3. Britain

They don't come much better than Canada: a stunning race that had a bit of everything. The Nurburgring was one of the few races this season where McLaren and Ferrari were genuinely able to fight Red Bull for victory, and it featured Hamilton's best drive of the year. Silverstone is memorable for a majestic Alonso performance, while Hamilton and Massa banged wheels on the final lap fighting for fourth.

Prediction:

I called the champion correctly (not difficult I know!) but failed to predict Button would do so well this year. I put Alonso and Webber ahead of Jenson (and in the wrong order), though Fernando came within a point of proving me right on the Webber score. I had Renault ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship, which I think was a fair call at the time, considering they had a fit Robert Kubica and a good car when my predictions were made.

Jonathan Noble (JN)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg

The top three are pretty much a no-brainer - with all of them doing an excellent job with the machinery at their disposal. Some may have viewed Hamilton's challenging year as reason to not rank him too highly, but when he was on form he was brilliant.

1. Canada; 2. Monaco; 3. Spain

Canada had it all: team-mate collisions, masses of overtaking, incidents, a mega charge through the field and a last lap swap for the lead. Sensational! Monaco and Spain may not have had as much overtaking, but they were exciting because of the tension throughout their events as they built up to climactic finishes - although Monaco was ruined by that red flag.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Webber; 3. Alonso; 4. Schumacher; 5. Heidfeld

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

The Red Bull Racing bit was the easiest to predict heading into the season, but two things stood out as surprises from what we saw in testing to what we ended up experiencing in the races: McLaren got itself back in the game after its disastrous winter testing, and Renault fell down the order as it struggled with development for its forward facing exhausts.

Kevin Turner (KT)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. di Resta

It's virtually impossible not to put Vettel at the top, given his season was probably one of the finest in F1 history. Button and Alonso also got the most out of their equipment more often than not and provided some of the best moments of the year. The top three were well clear of the rest, but Hamilton showed his raw pace on occasion and di Resta gave us enough glimpses of his talent to suggest he will be a force in future.

1. Canada; 2. Britain; 3. Spain

Thanks to Pirelli, the weather, DRS and KERS (probably in that order), there were several really good races this year. Canada stands out because pretty much everything happened and Button put in one of the truly great GP drives. Britain was also entertaining and showed Alonso was ready to take a victory when the Ferrari gave him a sniff. Picking Spain was difficult, but at a track that usually provides one of the most boring races of the year, we had Alonso's incredible start, some on-track overtaking during the pitstops, and Vettel's fine defence from a charging Hamilton in the closing stages. All in the dry!

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

Red Bull's level always looked high and Vettel was unlikely to get worse having won the title in 2010, so predicting the champion wasn't too difficult. Given McLaren's problems in testing, I underestimated them, particularly Button, who had probably his best year in F1. At the same time, I overestimated Ferrari and the team's ability to give Alonso a car with which he could fight for the title.

Dieter Rencken (DR)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Button; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg

Who but Vettel? The 24-year-old was on it even before the season started, being the only driver to delve into Pirelli's secrets, then carrying that momentum through to Sao Paulo. His was a simply stunning title defence. Alonso ranks second through his relentless pursuit of those with better kit. Button came of age two years after his title, exuding a calm which enabled him to notch up three wins and second in the championship. Hamilton takes fourth - narrowly ahead of Rosberg - but only through salvaging three wins, for the rest of his season was a dog's breakfast.

1. Italy; 2. China; 3. Spain

Most memorable race was, without doubt Monza, for Vettel proved with that audacious move on Alonso (!) he is no shrinking violet and able to scrap it with the best of them. China ran Italy close, not only for Hamilton's victory over Vettel, but Mark Webber's burn from the stern to third - forcing all to re-evaluate tyre strategies from then on in. Third goes to Spain through Alonso's glorious 20-lap opener on home soil.

Predictions:

1. Alonso 2. Vettel; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button

1. Ferrari; 2. Red Bull; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

Tipping Alonso was risky, for all hinged on Ferrari getting it right. That said, I qualified my prediction thus: "Tyres are this season's joker: get them right and you're smiling; screw them and its 'good-bye title', so the team that gets the rubber equation right will take it" - and who could have foreseen the Scuderia would get it so utterly wrong and Vettel so devastatingly right?

Edd Straw (ES)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg

It's impossible to place anyone other than Vettel top of the list. He was brilliant in qualifying, silenced the doubters who claim that he can't overtake - and did it at 160mph on the grass at Monza - controlled the races like a veteran of 15 seasons and was never willing to ease off simply to consolidate his position. Button and Alonso both had brilliant seasons, but the former shades it because he did so against a very strong team-mate and made himself the team's go-to guy. Hamilton's troughs were horrifically low, but his peaks remain high and there was enough class there to nick fourth ahead of the ultra-consistent Rosberg.

1. Canada; 2. China; 3. Monaco

A wet dry race, some great racing, a charge from Michael Schumacher, some controversial clashes and Button's last lap pass on Vettel meant that Montreal had everything. China, too, was a race that ebbed and flowed and was always gripping, as well as producing another late pass for victory. I suspect that Monaco, had the red flag not intervened and allowed drivers to change tyres, would have topped this list - and maybe been one of the greatest finishes in grand prix history - but Vettel would have taken a hell of a lot of beating given how cleverly he was driving on fading rubber.

Predictions:

1. Vettel; 2. Webber; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Heidfeld

1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

I did put a disclaimer on my predictions saying that they would almost certainly be wrong, but based on what we knew at the time, they weren't too bad even taking into account the presence of Nick Heidfeld. It didn't take a genius to predict a Vettel/Red Bull double but what the predictions from many of us remind us is that McLaren headed into the season in serious trouble and Renault looked like potential race-winners. Also, it is an indicator of just how well Button did this year after playing second fiddle, albeit not by much, to Hamilton last year.

Andrew van de Burgt (AV)

1. Vettel; 2. Button; 3. Alonso; 4. Rosberg; 5. di Resta

Vettel's driving was as flawless a performance from an F1 driver over the course of a season as I've ever seen (and I've been watching for over 30 years). How anyone can doubt that he's from absolutely the top drawer of the talent pool completely baffles me. Button showed he can win in a McLaren when it's not raining, while Alonso was mega at the starts although I felt his commitment sometimes waned later on. Di Resta's rookie season was very impressive, while one day Rosberg will find himself in a winning car surely.

1. Canada; 2. Malaysia; 3. Turkey

Canada had everything, Malaysia was a proper cut-and-thrust battle, while Turkey had more overtaking than your average NASCAR race. For one weekend only, F1 went temporarily insane. Like the good old Hockenheim slipstreamers, it's good to have something different on the calendar regardless of what the naysayers moan about, and I'll miss it next year.

Predictions:

"I expect to see domination of epic proportions this year from Vettel - like last year but without the mistakes and bad luck."

What can I say? I WAS RIGHT. End of.

What we had predicted for this year:

THE 2011 DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP GAMBLE
Pos Driver SS AC MG CB PE MB TD JOL BA JN KT DR ES AV Total
1. Vettel 5 5 5 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 66
2. Alonso 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 4 5 3 4 55
3. Webber 3 3 3 2
3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 40
4. Hamilton 1
2 3 2 2
2 2
2 2 2 2 22
5. Massa
2 1


2 1





6
6. Heidfeld



5



1

1 1 8
7. Button


1
1

1
1 1

5
8. Schumacher 2







2



4
9. Rosberg
1

1
1






3

THE 2011 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP GAMBLE
Pos Team SS AC MG CB PE MB TD JOL BA JN KT DR ES AV Total
1. Red Bull 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 69
2. Ferrari 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 56
3. McLaren 1 1 2 3 2 4 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 33
4. Mercedes 3 3 3 1 1
3 1 1 3 2 1 2 1 25
5. Renault 2
2

2 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 25
6. Toro Rosso

1

1







2
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