Who was the best driver of the Australian Grand Prix weekend?

163 comments on “Who was the best driver of the Australian Grand Prix weekend?”

1. 

   Bernard (@bernard)
   28th March 2011, 21:07

   Perez, superb.
   1. 

      UKfanatic (@)
      28th March 2011, 21:22

      yes I would say perez but he raced with an illegal rear wing so I’ll have to pick Alonso for driving such a twitchy car to 4th place massa was far slower or Vettel cause of the lead to Webber anyway mclaren looks stronger than red bull believe in me
      1. 

         Adel (@)
         28th March 2011, 21:52

         The wing may have been illegal but this has nothing to do with the driver? Especially since it has been widely reported that this was none performance enhancing. He still out performed Kobayashi in an identical car and didn’t make any rookie errors!
         1. 

            infy (@infy)
            28th March 2011, 22:21

            As much as I enjoyed Parez’s drive and felt happy for him, I also could not vote for him, knowing he probably gained an advantage due to the wing. His team boss has said it was not performance enhancing, but of course he would say that! He is trying to win an appeal, and that is what he would base the appeal on.

            Considering they set the highest top speed, and the rear wing is the greatest factor when it comes to drag, I think it is evident that they had gained some sort of advantage.
         2. 

            ftgtt
            29th March 2011, 0:59

            kobayashi made one stop mor than perez,and still was cloe behind him ,so perez in overrated right now. Alonso was the best ,passed cars, was 9-11 in the first lap and almost got into the podium even though he made one more stop than hamiltn,vettel and petrov. last but not least he has 3-of the 5 fastest laps of the rae with the hard tires.
            1. 

               BBT (@bbt)
               29th March 2011, 8:32

               @ftgtt I agree over rated, rose coloured specs for a lot of people, its the good story / emotional aspect getting in the way of sound judgement (just like people saving they should not be DSQ, how anyone can say that it beyond me), I but it was still one of the best Rookie performances in recent times, respect to him for that.
            2. 

               Mike
               29th March 2011, 11:07

               You do realise the whole idea of a 2 stopper is to be able to make up the time by driving faster right?

               Perez made one stop, and made it work!
      2. 

         Andy W (@andy-w)
         28th March 2011, 23:20

         Sorry but Perez still drove a brilliant race and is deserving of praise, whether his car was illegal or not. I am sure we will find out if the illegality was performance enhancing or not by whether Sauber appeals or not… and how that appeal is treated if it is lodged.

         For me its joint honours for Perez and Petrov for driver of the day, both drove superb races and gave themselves high benchmarks to live up to this season. I think Petrov was my driver of the weekend, he set about practice and honed his car well enough to get 6th in qualifying and then made a great start and worked his way to third and then held of the attentions of both Alonso and Webber who were running fresher rubber than him. I was impressed by the way he talked to Martin on the grid and his obvious joy at his podium felt real… I would imagine that he is probably still no more than 5 foot away from that trophy at any time… thats if he has let go at all…

         Petrov has given himself a perfect start to the season and we will just have to see if he can carry on this form… Renault have a tendency to develop their cars quickly and effectively… if Petrov can maintain this form who knows he might find himself racing for race wins on occasion before the season is out, oh and before anyone talks about his rookie season, he did well… when he wasn’t making rookie mistakes. We have seen plenty of world champions make mistakes in their rookie seasons… not sure if Petrov is world champion material or not but he might be a Rubens or DC….
         1. 

            Michel S. (@hircus)
            29th March 2011, 12:36

            I’m in complete agreement. If the illegality is not found to be performance-enhancing, the least they could do is reinstate the drivers’ points and either give the team zero points, or fine them instead.

            If the team gets zero points, though, I wonder — do the other teams get moved up in the constructor championship? That’d be a headache to keep track of — for Sauber and every team behind them that gets constructor points in Australia, it’d no longer be the case that the sum of all driver points = team points.
   2. 

      Gambit
      28th March 2011, 21:34

      Perez of course!
   3. 

      ftgtt
      29th March 2011, 1:09

      perez is overrated, he wouldn’t have finished in the poitns if it wasn’t becuase there were at least 8 cars that had dnf’s ,the williams,the mercedez,the badly injured renault driven by heidfield,etc,etc,etc. Perez did only one stop while everybody else did at least 2 and kobayashi was just a few seconds behind him.also he gained an unfairadvantage over everybody by driving with an illegal rear wing.
      1. 

         unoc
         29th March 2011, 2:21

         Perez is slightly overrated currently, but since many saw him as a bit of pay driver he is bloody quick for that. A real driver.

         D’Ambrosio wasn’t mentioned because he was in a back car doing nothing, but for a first race he kept it all together, no stupid mistakes, we don’t know about pace but he hasn’t far off

         But anyway…

         In Russia, Car drive you… to the podium… so Petrov
         1. 

            Scary Terry (@hatebreeder)
            29th March 2011, 3:42

            i voted for petrov n then read perez did just 1 stop! :O
            my vote for perez tho i voted for vitaly.
            tho an awesome 3rd place drive by petrov!
            1. 

               BasCB (@bascb)
               29th March 2011, 7:53

               LOL, I guess that evens up for me voting for Perez but feeling it might have gone to Petrov just as well.

               Both did a great job to show there is hope for the rookies of the last generation.
            2. 

               unoc
               29th March 2011, 9:10

               SO you’re voting on the best driver in a race you didn’t watch…. oookay
   4. 

      ALONSO4EVER (@alonso4ever)
      2nd April 2011, 21:27

      i would say perez but alonso is the one that was doing a lot of overtakes and gained a lot of places during the race
2. 

   DaveF1 (@davef1)
   28th March 2011, 21:07

   It was a toss up between Petrov and Perez for me but in the end I went for Sergio.
   1. 

      kaddison (@kaddison)
      28th March 2011, 21:09

      I had the same dilemma, but went with Petrov
      1. 

         Fixy (@)
         28th March 2011, 22:03

         Me too because he was exceptionally good in front of fast cars and especially for him it’s an important result. Perez was perfect but was anyway behind, obviously slower than others.
         1. 

            Ral (@)
            28th March 2011, 22:43

            Me too, but because I thought Perez would win in the end and thought Petrov deserved a good mention at least. ;)

            Both really impressed this weekend. Perez for obvious reasons, but I think Petrov really stepped up to the plate and a little soundbite from Ted Kravitz in his “Australia from the pitlane” video on the BBC website, is really why I voted for Petrov. In a conversation/interview with Kravitz, apparently Petrov quoted Webber and said “not bad for a number 2 driver”.

            Webber said it just to make a point, but Petrov really is just a second driver. Even Kubica’s replacement was brought in very specifically as Kubica’s replacement and Renault’s hope to stay in the running to compete at the front. And I think it shows Petrov’s mental strength to come out with the all-weekend performance he did, because remember he had been faster than Heidfeld every single session before the race as well.

            It was only after the race that Boullier finally made it a point to say “let’s just forget about what-ifs from now on and focus on Petrov and the job he did and we expect him to continue to do”. Again, to perform the way he did, while being treated very publicly as a second driver, to me really proves that Petrov has “grown up” and is, in the very best possible way, telling Renault “look here, look at me, I’m your driver too you know”. And to his credit, I think Boullier was listening.
            1. 

               TFLB
               28th March 2011, 22:56

               If Petrov did say that, I really hope they put it in the official race edit.
            2. 

               Ral
               28th March 2011, 23:24

               http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9436936.stm

               at 4:18 the bit about Petrov starts.
            3. 

               summers
               29th March 2011, 23:54

               @Ral
               “Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory.”

               Thank you BBC. Really.
      2. 

         jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
         29th March 2011, 3:24

         Same here, if we could pick our top three then Sergio would definitely have made it, but I felt that Petrov drove a very controlled race, good strategy and ended up on the podium and caused Renault to be 4th in Constructors
   2. 

      US_Peter (@us_peter)
      29th March 2011, 0:09

      Same dilemma for me. I went with Petrov just for his fantastic start and double pass into turn 1. Still neck and neck though, looks like my vote tied Petrov and Perez both at 93.
3. 

   James (@jamesf1)
   28th March 2011, 21:09

   It was close between Perez and Petrov, but Perez gets my vote. Drove a solid race, beat his team mate, scored points and had good pace, all in his debut race.

   Massa should be looking over his shoulder, because the bloke driving that in the Sauber could be in his seat next year if he maintains such excellent pace
4. 

   Tim
   28th March 2011, 21:10

   Obviously Vettel and Petrov.
   1. 

      bob80
      28th March 2011, 21:25

      Agree, although I’m not sure what happened to Webber. He was beating Vettel last year and when he lost it was often below 0.2 or even 0.1 s
      1. 

         F1iLike
         29th March 2011, 9:52

         Just the first race.. I’m sure Webber will be closer and sometimes beat him. Vettel has the upperhand but Webber shouldn’t be this far off.. No one should to his team mate.
5. 

   irishlad (@irishlad)
   28th March 2011, 21:10

   Cant really look past Vettel, he has beeen unreal this weekend, putting Webber to shame, in Quali and in the race too.

   Big mention to Petrov and Perez also.
6. 

   James (@jamesf1)
   28th March 2011, 21:11

   Also, do Karthikeyan and Liuzzi qualify for this vote, as they didnt even qualify for the race? Or are these polls judged on the whole weekend? =s
   1. 

      James (@jamesf1)
      28th March 2011, 21:12

      Nevermind, I can answer my own question, just need to read more carefully next time
7. 

   newnhamlea1 (@newnhamlea1)
   28th March 2011, 21:11

   had to be Petrov for me, what a way to prove the doubters!
   1. 

      newnhamlea1 (@newnhamlea1)
      28th March 2011, 21:12

      d’oh, *prove the doubters wrong!

      any chance of an edit button anytime soon?
8. 

   Zadak (@thezadak)
   28th March 2011, 21:12

   someone is going to vote for Karthikeyan just to be funny, just wait.

   Petrov for me
9. 

   Cole (@cole)
   28th March 2011, 21:12

   As the question was who was the best I had no doubt:

   Vettel. Superp quali, good start (remember with no kers) and flawless drive.

   If the question would have been who impressed me the most, would have probably gone for Perez and Petrov.
10. 

    Harry Palmer (@harry-palmer)
    28th March 2011, 21:12

    I was tempted to vote for Karthikeyan, but in the end Perez just nicked it!
    1. 

       TommyB (@tommyb89)
       28th March 2011, 21:48

       Karthikeyan was pretty bad. As for worst drive of the race I have no idea what Rubens Barrichello was playing at.

       For a guy who’s been in 36% of all F1 races, he drove like a rookie all weekend.
       1. 

          Ben Needham (@ben-n)
          28th March 2011, 22:13

          Worst driver was, I agree, Rubens Barrichello… mistake in Qualifying and 2 huge clangers in the race – he deserved his penalty and I hope he had a long hard think… and i’m a big fan of his!

          BUT – Mark Webber runs him close… my prediction pre-season of him being destroyed by Vettel is coming true very quickly.
          1. 

             John H
             28th March 2011, 23:44

             Rubens may just be passed the tipping point now. Let’s see how the season unfolds, but he drove a little like my grandad on Sunday, destroying sidepods left right and centre.
             1. 

                Hare (@hare)
                29th March 2011, 1:55

                Past the tipping point? No chance.. that’s one race. he needs to have 10 bad races to merit that accusation.
             2. 

                Mike
                29th March 2011, 11:34

                Blimey you guys are quick off the mark, if he’d have made the pass you’d all be saying how great he is!

                It’s like Kobayashi only the opposite!
             3. 

                Michel S. (@hircus)
                29th March 2011, 12:41

                Well it’s not the first time Rubens was involved in controversial overtaking maneuvers. Sometimes he’s at the receiving end (e.g. almost getting shoved to the wall by Schumacher last year) but more often he’s the one attempting irresponsible passes.

                Remember his early races with Brawn in 2009? When he was using his car like a tractor, shoving everyone out of the way?
             4. 

                John H
                29th March 2011, 13:03

                Hare, re-read this please:

                “may just be passed the tipping point now. Let’s see how the season unfolds”

                note the word ‘may’. There is no accusation here.
11. 

    dennis (@dennis)
    28th March 2011, 21:14

    Hard between Vettel’s flawless drive and Petrov’s “underdog” podium. Went for Vettel, still.

    And completely disagree on Alonso… Yes, he was indeed unlucky at the start, but he only “fought” back after Button eliminated himself and Massa would have moved over eventually, anyway. Not to mention Webber’s bad day. He inherited a lot of points this weekend again. Definitely not driver of the race material.
    1. 

       infy (@infy)
       28th March 2011, 22:27

       Compared to Vettel who had a second a lap quickest car on the grid, who started first and cruised to win. Compared to Lewis, who started second and cruised to second, in the second quickest car?

       Also, its the start of a new year with new tyres. Ferrari has not yet decided on which driver to throw their weight behind. It is a well known fact that they will wait until a certain part of the season before deciding who to support. They would have let the two race it out, because at this point it is any ones season to win, and eliminating one of their drivers from contention in the first race makes very, very little tactical sense.
       1. 

          JerseyF1 (@jerseyf1)
          28th March 2011, 22:38

          It is a well known fact that they will wait until a certain part of the season before deciding who to support

          The first race?
       2. 

          dennis (@dennis)
          28th March 2011, 23:51

          Ferrari generally makes very little tactical sense.
       3. 

          BasCB (@bascb)
          29th March 2011, 7:58

          Personally I think Alonso already has the upper hand on his team mate.

          Massa was really good from the startline and a great defence from Button. But after that he just slowed, let Alonso past (to do a good inlap) and never really saw his teammate again until after the race.
12. 

    alonsodz
    28th March 2011, 21:15

    Perez first race outstanding 8)
    Alonso fight legendary ;)
    1. 

       John H
       28th March 2011, 23:49

       Perez was indeed outstanding, but Alonso ‘legendary’ is perhaps a little strong.

       I’d like to put a word in for Di Resta – a point on debut is a decent achievement.
    2. 

       Todfod (@todfod)
       29th March 2011, 9:02

       ‘legendary’ is a bit much. If he caught upto Petrov and overtook him, then it would have been legendary.
13. 

    newnhamlea1 (@newnhamlea1)
    28th March 2011, 21:16

    In fairness Karthikeyan never actually crashed.
    1. 

       David-A (@david-a)
       29th March 2011, 4:28

       Unlike his countryman in the Lotus
14. 

    Robert Graham Briggs (@rgbsf)
    28th March 2011, 21:18

    Sergio Perez by a country mile!
    1. 

       mateuss (@mateuss)
       29th March 2011, 20:14

       This is very unfair, everyone is voting for Perez because most of the readers are Mexican and this is a Mexican site… No wait… ****, thats not right!

       But on a serious note – I was truly stunted by his performance, at one point he set purple S2 and I thought ‘his tyres are going, he must have cut the fast chicane’ but he kept replicating the times and was often on the pace with the leader, putting in lap times similar to people on three stops, I’am still amazed by this.
       1. 

          mateuss (@mateuss)
          29th March 2011, 20:16

          *stunned
15. 

    Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
    28th March 2011, 21:19

    Perez, Perez, Perez.

    No one else came close to putting in as remarkable a performance as he did.
    1. 

       Bartholomew
       29th March 2011, 23:41

       Perez will be driving a Spaghetty Special by next year, if Kubica is not fit
16. 

    The_Pretender (@the_pretender)
    28th March 2011, 21:20

    Some great drives all around. Vettel was in a race of his own, he was ominously perfect all weekend. Hamilton split the Bulls and managed the gap to Petrov to keep his car running. Perez did the unthinkable and one-stopped, but also showed real pace on a great debut. But man of the race has to be Petrov, who would have predicted this after Korea last year? He put in a great lap under the pressure of qualifying a single flying lap in Q3, made a superb start (seems to be his trademark doesn’t it), was consistent all race and completely deserved his podium finish.
17. 

    Steph (@)
    28th March 2011, 21:21

    I put Petrov but he only really gets it because I’ve let my heart rule as my head can’t decide. It’s always a big achievement to bag a first podium and after last season his controlled display was really impressive. Vettel and Hamilton also did the maximum but they had a slightly easier time of it than Petrov given their cars and experience. Alonso’s fightback was brilliant but his bad start stops him from getting it for me. I really nearly went for Perez as he was mighty too especially as he chose a completely different strategy which most would have thought wasn’t possible.

    I was also impressed with Rubens move on Kobayashi he was driver of the moment when he pulled that off but then he completely wrecked it and had a fairly erratic weekend. Race craft wise I was impressed with Massa for holding off Button as usually his defending isn’t his greatest asset but his tyres were gone so he ditched them for a late stop which just seemed a daft strategy to me.
    1. 

       Maciek (@maciek)
       28th March 2011, 22:15

       Nice analysis!
    2. 

       Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
       29th March 2011, 5:53

       It seemed daft to me too Steph, shame out favorite driver didn’t try and stay out and fight with Perez the way he did with Button at the beginning of the race :(
    3. 

       BasCB (@bascb)
       29th March 2011, 8:02

       I think Petrov really showed just why it makes sense to keep rookies when they show promise but are mistake prone in their first season.

       He really stepped into the void at the team to grab his chance and show there is a very good driver in him.

       I agree on you about Massa. Very good start to the race, after that he did not battle Alonso (makes sense Alonso needed a good inlap to get past Webber) but strategy was not really their strong point. And they looked like they were really struggling on the tyres in Melbourne
       1. 

          Steph (@)
          29th March 2011, 11:18

          Thanks Maciek!

          Adam I don’t think Massa could have stayed out as he would have lost more time given the condition of his tyres (no clue how Perez made it work). It all could have been planned better.

          Agree with you BasCB.
18. 

    HounslowBusGarage (@hounslowbusgarage)
    28th March 2011, 21:21

    Either Perez or Petrov. I finally voted Petrov, but could have voted Perez.
    Funny; no one’s voted Heidfeld.
19. 

    f199player (@f199player)
    28th March 2011, 21:22

    Other than Vettel it had to be Petrov. Fantastic drive
20. 

    MattHT (@mattht)
    28th March 2011, 21:23

    I’m gonna say Petrov. Every drive is a pressure drive for him, and that was a cool display in Melbourne.
21. 

    TommyB (@tommyb89)
    28th March 2011, 21:24

    Best – Vettel.

    Most surprising – Petrov and Perez.
22. 

    Brandz (@brandz)
    28th March 2011, 21:27

    Narain Karthikeyan!

    it had to be done..
23. 

    judo chop
    28th March 2011, 21:27

    It’s got to be Vettel. He was fast and flawless. Hamilton’s was excellent but his duff start is minus for him (although he was on the dirty side). Perez was outstanding but this is about best driver not best debut or best rookie.
24. 

    disjunto (@disjunto)
    28th March 2011, 21:31

    Easily Perez, going completely against the grain, keeping decent pace throughout the race and only pitting the once.

    Hope this is a trend and wasn’t just complete, having 1 driver that’s able to double the life of the tyres would make for an interesting season.

    On top of all that, it was his debut race… amazing. Pity the Sauber wing was illegal, he’ll have to come back strong in Malaysia
25. 

    Icthyes (@icthyes)
    28th March 2011, 21:42

    Of the weekend, it has to be Vettel. What sealed it for me was putting those soft tyres through a heat cycle in qualifying, very forward-thinking if it was his decision.
26. 

    dyslexicbunny (@dyslexicbunny)
    28th March 2011, 21:47

    Debated between Petrov and Perez. Went Petrov.

    I have a hard time voting for Vettel and it’s not just because of the car. Given his raw pace, I expect him to own Webber.

    My only really problem is that the article is titled ‘Who was the best driver in the Aussie Grand Prix?’ while the poll asks ‘Who was the best driver of the Australian Grand Prix Weekend?’ Can we get something consistent?

    I honestly don’t care about any of the practices in terms of best driver. Teams are mainly testing components and looking to get more data. Qualifying is relevant but only because it establishes where you start. Last I checked, you don’t get points for qualifying. So in my opinion, the article title is what it should be.
    1. 

       Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
       28th March 2011, 21:58

       It should have said ‘weekend’ in the headline too. Changing it now.
       1. 

          Palle
          28th March 2011, 22:17

          Keith – its unfair You have an edit button;-) I think Jenson would have liked to have not one but 2 buttons more than Lewis in the cockpit this race.
       2. 

          dyslexicbunny
          29th March 2011, 1:21

          NP Keith. Unfortunately, I liked it the other way but it’s historically been weekend. Oh well.
27. 

    bosyber (@bosyber)
    28th March 2011, 21:48

    I was really impressed with the rookies Perez, and also with DiResta; Maldonado didn’t have a car to show much it seemed. Petrov did very well and was impressive. Hamilton too, after a bad start. But Vettel, much as I find it a bit boring to see him drive away again unchallenged (“not an easy race” sure), just stunned in qualifying, and had a spotless race, with a great first set of laps and kept it cool and controlled.
    1. 

       Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
       29th March 2011, 5:58

       Yes I’m starting to get used to seeing Vettel dominate like that, it’s really starting to remind me of another, slightly more successful racer from Germany ;)
       1. 

          BasCB (@bascb)
          29th March 2011, 8:04

          Hm, A daunting perspective.

          I hope Lewis and Fernando takes the battle to him then. I would really hate to see a team be as much up front again.
          1. 

             Pink Pirelli
             29th March 2011, 10:56

             Agree with all of the above. Quite a few contenders for DOTW, all for varying reasons. Although I can’t vote for some reason, I think I’d have to give it to Petrov. Although he was not under much direct pressure from Alonso, he drove a fantastic race in a car that was far inferior to those around him.
28. 

    f1matty (@f1matty)
    28th March 2011, 21:53

    Had to choose Petrov. After a difficult season last year and only just staying on, then a difficult winter effectivly being promoted to number one driver at last minute at the age of 23, just incredable. He strolled into the first race with such swagger, style and carmness it looked easy for him. He was also over joyed with the podium, saying he would sleep with the trophy!

    However credit where its due, Perez did an abnormal job with those tyres, and he will be brilliant (touch wood) all season!
    1. 

       Duchess (@duchess)
       29th March 2011, 0:37

       While I agree with your comment, Petrov is 26 not 23. :)
       1. 

          f1matty (@f1matty)
          29th March 2011, 8:02

          oops! Thanks ;)
29. 

    frussel
    28th March 2011, 21:55

    Sin dudo, es Perez.
30. 

    mcmercslr (@mcmercslr)
    28th March 2011, 21:55

    Me with
    Biased fan hat on: Lewis Hamilton
    Surprised result hat on: Vitaly Petrov
    Strategic clever hat on: Sergio Perez

    Went for Perez as he deserved his result of P7. Shame about the DSQ but rules are rules. Well done perez though
    1. 

       Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
       29th March 2011, 6:00

       Great style in which to answer mcmercslr!
31. 

    Russell Gould (@russellgould)
    28th March 2011, 21:56

    I had to give props to Vitaly Petrov, who made Nick Heidfeld look bad all weekend long. And who has the most experience motoring on those Pirellis? Even Alonso rudely dismissed Petrov as a championship contender. Perhaps after a couple more races of him staring and Vitaly’s rear wing will result in ‘Nando singing of Petrov’s skills in hope of an easy pass!
32. 

    robbiepblake (@driftin)
    28th March 2011, 21:58

    Almost went for Lewis or Sergio simply for their amazing ability to nurse the car but still keep it extremely quick but had to go for Vettel. He was utterly dominant, as the BBC kept saying and repeating throughout the weekend.
33. 

    butterdori (@butterdori)
    28th March 2011, 22:02

    Petrov and Perez showed outstanding driving.

    But I will have to vote Vettel on this one. He was simply supreme.
34. 

    AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
    28th March 2011, 22:08

    Perez for me. It was either him or Petrov.

    It makes me happy enough just to have the choice :D
35. 

    Biggles (@)
    28th March 2011, 22:11

    Like a few, I was between Petrov and Perez.

    Perez had a stellar first drive, and worked magic with the tyres. But Petrov qualified superbly, played a good game at the first corner, then put together a solid race.

    Petrov for me.

    Anyone going German GP by the way?!
36. 

    Ivan Vinitskyy
    28th March 2011, 22:16

    I cannot rate Petrov higher than Lewis or Vettel. He has driven a good race, but it’s good because it’s Petrov. We expect him to perform badly since did that, all of last season. His third is shocking although the car is strong, but let’s see how he does in other races.

    I would rate Hamilton the best driver of this weekend. Great qualifying and even with damaged car he was only 20sec behind the leader. Considering the difference of laptime in quali, 0.8sec, that is a very good result. Vettel clearly did all he could have done but I just see him driving the best car by far and this is best driver poll so he doesn’t deserve it, car deserves the prize.
    1. 

       robbiepblake (@driftin)
       28th March 2011, 22:37

       He has driven a good race, but it’s good because it’s Petrov

       Exactly why I didn’t even consider him at all. It was a good race but if it was Button I doubt people would be falling over themselves.

       Don’t get me wrong, I quite like Petrov, he drove well and kept out of trouble and I was really happy for him but I’m not going to let the fact that he’s only in his second year cloud my judgement. If the question was ‘who was the most improved driver from last year’ then I’d definitely say him in a heartbeat but Perez, Alonso, Button and Hamilton all drove better considering their circumstances and Vettel just flattened everyone with sheer speed and perfection.
       1. 

          mateuss (@mateuss)
          29th March 2011, 21:39

          Just what I thought about the improvement, Petrov definitely could be the most improved driver, but then again, he kind of had to, just to reach what is thought to be the minimal requirements for a Grand Prix driver.
37. 

    Maciek (@maciek)
    28th March 2011, 22:23

    A few worthy candidates, but had to go with Perez. To come in and do what he did, the way he did it in his first F1 race in a mid-field car….? It’s the feel-good story of the weekend, with Petrov a close second. Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso all drove exceptionally well though.
38. 

    davey (@djdaveyp87)
    28th March 2011, 22:25

    Purely for dominating the whole weekend I had to vote for Vettel. Perez & Petrov did a fantastic job, and Hamilton did a decent job too.
39. 

    Palle
    28th March 2011, 22:30

    I hoped for Petrov continuing where he left, but I didn’t believe in it. I hope Alonso will get so fed up with the sight of Petrovs rear wing this year:-)
    But I think most of the F1 community did their utmost to entertain us all in the very best way this weekend – a memorable start to a hopefully great season.
    I’m sure the next races will supply us with further surprises and a new pecking order. Don’t write of Heidfeld, Mercedes or Williams just yet.
    As all the new rules and tires have made life more difficult for the average F1 team and driver, I’m generally very impressed with most of the rookies, esp. Perez and I’m pleased with Saubers success. Whatever they pay James Key, it is not enough: his switch from Force India seems to be the ‘key’ to the transformation of both teams or is it coincidental?
40. 

    foleyger (@foleyger)
    28th March 2011, 22:36

    I went for Petrov as he was facing massive pressure this weekend. He had a great start to get to 3rd and had a very comfortable race. Perez was superb as well it must be said. 1 stop on those tyres was impressive
41. 

    Mads (@mads)
    28th March 2011, 22:36

    Had to take Vettel, as he was just faultless all weekend, and made Webber look like a tortoise. Incredible. But it was a very close call between him, Petrov, Perez and Lewis. Though i eliminated Perez since his car was deemed illegal, so i will wait for next race to see if he had a speed advantage because of it (I know I know, he was still stunning! but it was tough as i say! so i had to eliminate some of them on something), and Lewis because he had such a poor start. Only saved by his KERS button. Petrov.. absolutely stunning. And great to see a new guy on the podium… I would have loved to have two votes today because it was a really close call. A very hard choice indeed.
42. 

    Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
    28th March 2011, 22:40

    Kimi! Just kidding, I went for Checo Perez.
43. 

    Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
    28th March 2011, 22:45

    Don’t forget that Sergio Perez is part of Ferrari’s Driver Academy. If Massa fails to meet Ferrari’s expectations this season, who knows, the impressive Perez could be racing in scarlet overalls as soon as next year.
    1. 

       BasCB (@bascb)
       29th March 2011, 8:06

       I must say that thought occurred to me yesterday.
44. 

    Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
    28th March 2011, 23:04

    The wing controversy does not permit me to vote for Perez, thus I went with Petrov.
    1. 

       Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
       28th March 2011, 23:07

       Oh and taking into consideration last year’s events, I wouldn’t put my money on the fact of both Red Bulls being exactly the same.
       1. 

          Laranja Mecanica
          29th March 2011, 12:44

          Even if Both RBRs are exactly the same, they may be built around one of the drivers’ strenghts and weaknesses, so it’s not equal anyway (no prize por guessing whose).
          1. 

             Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
             29th March 2011, 15:34

             Indeed.
45. 

    chaostheory
    28th March 2011, 23:05

    Hamilton, I thought it was all over for him after I saw his cars floor, but he made it; second – Alonso: a pleasure to watch; Vettel was impressive, but after hearing that he had no KERS I felt cheated (I dont know why, but I feel that KERS is disadvantage, besides – KERS should be used by all teams, or by none, I thought there wont be a 2009 repeat).
46. 

    Hare (@hare)
    28th March 2011, 23:08

    As I thought, between Perez and Petrov.. I went for Petrov, but could have equally have gone for Perez.. and perhaps he edges it. He did a brilliant job. They both did.
47. 

    Hare (@hare)
    28th March 2011, 23:16

    How come the bar for drivers with 0 votes, is bigger than the bar for the drivers with 1 vote? Seems to be a glitch in the matrix ;)
    1. 

       Alex Bkk (@alex-bkk)
       28th March 2011, 23:42

       Looks fine to me… But then again, I live in the Twilight Zone.