Brazilian Grand Prix: The Stakes

The ranking in the drivers’ championship matters less than that of the constructors’ championship, as it is the latter that determines the amount of television rights the teams will receive. However, both on the drivers’ side and the constructors’ side, there are still things at stake for some participants on the grid.

We will therefore, through this article, present to you the stakes of the Brazilian Grand Prix – the final round of the 2011 Formula 1 season. We will analyze these stakes from the perspective of both the drivers and the constructors, as well as from a statistical point of view.

Who will finish runner-up in the 2011 World Championship behind Sebastian Vettel: Button, Alonso, or Webber?

If Sebastian Vettel has already been crowned for several races, the battle behind the German driver is tight. Three drivers are still in the running for the honorary title of World Vice-Champion: Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, and Mark Webber. The McLaren driver is currently best placed, having scored 255 points in the 18 Grand Prix held, giving him a 10-point lead over Alonso and 22 over Webber.

He seems best positioned to retain this “first loser” spot given his good form and the competitiveness of his MP4-26 in recent races. However, Fernando Alonso still has a chance to snatch this spot from Button, which would be an impressive performance from the Spaniard who has, with his Ferrari, what is considered only the third-best car on the grid.

It is difficult to exclude Mark Webber even if he is further behind because in the event of both his rivals retiring and with a victory, the Australian driver could edge out both men to finish behind his teammate.

Which team, Sauber or Toro Rosso, will finish in 7th place in the Constructors’ Championship?

The Sauber team long occupied the 7th place in the constructors’ championship just behind Force India and ahead of Toro Rosso. However, in recent races, the Swiss team has slowed down, which has allowed its Italian rival to catch up and Sahara Force India to pull slightly ahead. The Indian team has a 15-point lead, which should be enough to maintain its 6th place, although it prefers not to dwell on it for the moment.

Sauber currently has a one-point lead over Toro Rosso, but the team based in Faenza has scored 24 points in the last 8 races compared to only 7 for Sauber. The STR6 seems more competitive than the C30, but with anything possible in qualifying as well as the race, nothing seems really decided.

Even though finishing 7th or 8th might seem insignificant, this is not the case because it is the constructors’ championship that determines the bonuses linked to television rights that the teams will receive. Although the FOM does not disclose the amounts paid to the teams, some observers have estimated the difference between 7th place and 8th place to be several million euros, which is significant for “small” teams like Sauber and Toro Rosso.

Which of Team Lotus, Marussia Virgin or HRT will finish as the best of the “new” teams?

Team Lotus, Virgin, and Hispania Racing have been present in Formula 1 for two years already, but they are still considered new teams due to the significant gap with the others. This gap has reduced this season, notably for Team Lotus, but these three teams are still not able to fight for a top 10 in races and thus score points.

In this battle for secondary honors, it is Team Lotus that seems well on its way to retaining its honorary title as the best of the new teams ahead of HRT and Virgin. For now, Tony Fernandes’ team is leading its rivals thanks to Trulli’s 13th place finishes in Australia and Monaco, and Kovalainen’s in Monza.

Behind, we find the Spanish team HRT thanks to Liuzzi’s 13th place in Canada and finally Marussia Virgin, which never did better this season than a 14th place—both in Australia and Canada, thanks to Jérome d’Ambrosio each time.

Will Sebastian Vettel improve the record for the most pole positions achieved in a season?

Sebastian Vettel has equaled Nigel Mansell’s record of 14 pole positions in a season that dated back to 1992. The Red Bull driver will have the opportunity on Saturday to break this record and make history as the driver with the most pole positions in a single season.

The reigning double world champion will, however, have to contend with the two McLaren drivers, who have been in good form for several weekends already, if he wants to continue leaving his mark on Formula 1 history.

Will Mark Webber succeed in winning a Grand Prix this season?

During the 18 Grand Prix held this season, only four drivers climbed to the top step of the podium – Sebastian Vettel 11 times, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton three times each, and Fernando Alonso once. Therefore, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa are missing from the roster, as they did not manage to win a single race in 2011.

Massa doesn’t have the car to win with Ferrari, and even if he wants to give it his all in front of his home crowd, there is little chance of seeing him win the race on Sunday. Mark Webber is clearly behind Sebastian Vettel this year, but the Australian would like to win a race this season, and this weekend will be his last chance.

These past two years, he has seemed at ease on the Sao Paulo track – winning in 2009 and finishing second last year behind Vettel. Mark Webber would therefore like to continue this good Brazilian momentum to finish the year on a high note.

Who between Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher will be the highest placed Mercedes GP driver in the drivers’ championship?

From a purely accounting perspective, it is Nico Rosberg who could be designated as the best Mercedes GP driver this season because he is ahead of Michael Schumacher – 83 points against 76. But with such a small gap, the positions could reverse at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.

If we consider the best result of the two men, it’s Schumacher who takes the advantage thanks to his 4th place in Canada, compared to a 5th place as the best result for Rosberg this season in China and Turkey. The seven-time German world champion is beaten by his younger teammate partly due to retirements – 5 for Schumacher versus 2 for Rosberg – but not in terms of the number of finishes outside the points – 2 for Schumacher and 3 for Rosberg.

This final race of the 2011 season could therefore confirm Nico Rosberg as the best Mercedes GP driver this year, or Michael Schumacher if the kaiser manages to turn the situation to his advantage on Sunday at Interlagos, on a circuit where he has shone in the past with 4 victories in 1994, 1995, 2000, and 2002.

Who between Sébastien Buemi and Michael Schumacher will be the driver with the most overtakes in 2011?

According to calculations made by Mercedes, Sébastien Buemi is the driver who has made the most overtakes this season – 112 in 18 races. He narrowly leads Michael Schumacher, who has made 111 overtakes since the beginning of the season.

The Brazilian Grand Prix will therefore be an opportunity for the German driver to try to outpace his young Swiss rival in securing the honorary title of the driver who made the most overtakes in 2011. Unlike the Yas Marina circuit, the Interlagos circuit is more conducive to overtaking – especially when the weather plays a part – and with the addition of DRS this season, it should offer more spectacle and therefore more overtaking opportunities.