Fourth Driver of the Weekend win for Vettel

2013 Singapore Grand Prix

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The top three in the Singapore Grand Prix driver of the weekend result replicated the actual podium – albeit in a slightly different order.

Sebastian Vettel topped the pole for the fourth time this year with more than double the number of votes of second-placed Kimi Raikkonen.

Fernando Alonso was voted third and therefore makes his seventh appearance inside the top three of the season.

1. Sebastian Vettel

Started: 1st
Finished: 1st

Vettel once again dominated the weekend, topping every session with the exception of first practice and first qualifying. He was untouchable in qualifying and pole never looked in doubt.

If there was an imperfection in Vettel’s weekend – it was the start. Nico Rosberg got a run on him and took the inside line for turn one, but out-braked himself and handed Vettel back a lead he would never relinquish.

Vettel’s future team mate Daniel Ricciardo did him no favours at all when he crashed at turn 18, bringing out the Safety Car and eliminating Vettel’s lead.

But neither this nor a brake vibration later in the race could stop Vettel cruising to his seventh win of the season and third ‘grand slam’ of all time.

Even Alonso’s blinding start or Raikkonen’s 13th-to-3rd result can’t take the vote away from Vettel. He completely embarrassed the whole field this weekend. His race management, especially the safety car restart, was brilliant and his race pace was just ridiculous. A third ‘grand slam’ well earned.
Lewis McMurray (@Celicadion23)

If this was ‘driver of the race’, I would have a tough time choosing between Vettel, Alonso and Raikkonen. Luckily this is ‘driver of the weekend’, which made my decision to vote Vettel much easier.
@Andae23

The driver who got ‘grand slam’. This happens so rarely that I don’t see how any other driver could be named Driver of the Weekend.
Len (@Lunara)

2. Kimi Raikkonen

Started: 13th
Finished: 3rd

After suffering back pains in qualifying due to an ill-fitting seat during practice, being down in 13th on the grid was no huge surprise for Raikkonen.

While Raikkonen didn’t get a great start Lotus used strategy to perfection to get him some clear air. Another good strategy call to pit under the Safety Car – and an excellent pass on Button in the latter stages of the race – secured him a fantastic podium, made all the more impressive considering his back pain.

Raikkonen:

– Back pains.
– Poor car for the weekend
– Overtook Button and managed his tyres properly.
– 13th to 3rd.

He wins this for me. Enough said.
@Krichelle

Vettel was undeniably great (perfect?) the whole meet, but the Driver of the Weekend in my book was (once again) Kimi Raikkonen. By making the best of what could have been a very sour weekend (what with a bad back and dirty laundry on the line), and through an exciting mixture of skill and luck, Raikkonen blazed through the field to capture a podium place from an inauspicious 13th starting position.

Not perfect, but epic under the circumstances.
@Ferrox-Glideh

3. Fernando Alonso

Started: 7th
Finished: 2nd

Alonso was left unsurprised by the lack of pace on Saturday leaving him only seventh on the grid. Ferrari made the same call as Lotus however – to pit under the Safety Car – and this duly helped him to his third runner-up spot in a row.

Alonso’s start was amazingly great, even for him. He immediately erased all doubts about needing help from Massa or team orders. It was fast, clean and he ended up taking the best line into the first corner. That is how you do it. He also did well for the rest of the race.
@Bullmello

2013 Driver of the Weekend results

RaceFirstSecondThird
Australian Grand PrixKimi Raikkonen (51.2%)Adrian Sutil (17.9%)Jules Bianchi (13.6%)
Malaysian Grand PrixMark Webber (34.2%)Sebastian Vettel (17.4%)Nico Rosberg (13.6%)
Chinese Grand PrixFernando Alonso (47.0%)Daniel Ricciardo (18.2%)Kimi Raikkonen (15.6%)
Bahrain Grand PrixSebastian Vettel (32.2%)Paul di Resta (17.8%)Fernando Alonso (11.9%)
Spanish Grand PrixFernando Alonso (61.4%)Felipe Massa (10.8%)Kimi Raikkonen (10.5%)
Monaco Grand PrixNico Rosberg (54.3%)Adrian Sutil (22.2%)Kimi Raikkonen (9.6%)
Canadian Grand PrixSebastian Vettel (36.8%)Fernando Alonso (24.6%)Jean-Eric Vergne (14.0%)
British Grand PrixLewis Hamilton (52.5%)Mark Webber (18.4%)Fernando Alonso (10.2%)
German Grand PrixSebastian Vettel (39.2%)Romain Grosjean (27.6%)Kimi Raikkonen (15.9%)
Hungarian Grand PrixLewis Hamilton (63.9%)Kimi Raikkonen (12.4%)Romain Grosjean (12.0%)
Belgian Grand PrixFernando Alonso (39.1%)Sebastian Vettel (38.5%)Jenson Button (6.9%)
Italian Grand PrixNico Hulkenberg (48.4%)Sebastian Vettel (28.6%)Fernando Alonso (9.3%)
Singapore Grand PrixSebastian Vettel (53.9%)Kimi Raikkonen (25.7%)Fernando Alonso (12.3%)

2013 Singapore Grand Prix

Browse all 2013 Singapore Grand Prix articles

Image © Red Bull/Getty

21 comments on “Fourth Driver of the Weekend win for Vettel”

  1. Well deserved!

    1. But if we give driver of the weekend based on results only we deny the efforts of those working with lesser funding and machinery, and of course make the poll irelevant.
      That said, it was a massive display of superiority by the best driver/car/team package.

  2. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    2nd October 2013, 11:29

    Well deserved earned.

    I expected Kimi’s and Alonso’s percentage to be a little higher though considering they’re pretty much the two most popular drivers.

    Good to see people’s bias didn’t affect this (too much). Lol, if I were bias, i would vote Lewis every GP even if he DNF’s. lol

    Anyway, congrats Vettel, utter domination.

  3. Not a very surprising result!

  4. In a 3-2-1 points system this is how the Driver of the Weekend poll looks after 13 races out of 19. Tie-breakers decided by better ‘finishes.’

    Vet 18
    Alo 15
    Rai 11
    Ham 6
    Web 5
    Ros 4
    Sut 4
    Hul 3
    Gro 3
    Ric 2
    diR 2
    Mas 2
    Bia 1
    Jev 1
    But 1

    Oddly enough, the standings reflect the real championship standings closely, especially in the top-tier, but still two points of notice: one, Vettel, Alonso and Raikkonen are head and shoulders above the rest in 2013, and two, Hamilton appeared on the list only twice, but won both times.

    1. Also, there is a healthy margin between the top three, so it seems quite obvious from this list which of them performed the best, 2nd best, 3rd best as well.

      1. BTW Vettel only gets 14 points..

        1. Sorry 16…

          1. Sorry 18…
            my bad

  5. Here is a quick summary of the Driver of the Weekend theoretical Championship standings.

    The Biggest crowd pleaser so far has been Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix with 63.9%
    The lowest margin for a top three position has been Jenson Button with 6.9%

    DOTW Championship – Calculated via Percentage

    1.Sebastian Vettel – 246.6%
    2.Fernando Alonso – 215.8%
    3.Kimi Raikkonen – 140.9%

    4.Lewis Hamilton – 116.4%
    5.Nico Rosberg – 67.9%
    6.Mark Webber – 52.6%
    7.Nico Hulkenberg – 48.4%
    8.Adrian Sutil – 40.1%
    9.Romain Grosjean – 39.6%
    10.Daniel Ricciardo – 18.2%
    11.Paul di Resta – 17.8%
    12.Jean-Eric Vergne – 14%
    13.Jules Bianchi – 13.6%
    14.Felipe Massa – 10.8%
    15.Jenson Button – 6.9%
    22.Sergio Perez – 0%
    22.Esteban Gutierrez – 0%
    22.Pastor Maldonado – 0%
    22.Valtteri Bottas – 0%
    22.Charles Pic – 0%
    22.Giedo van der Garde – 0%
    22.Max Chilton – 0%

    COTW Championship – Calculated via Percentage

    1.RedBull Racing – 299.2%
    2.Ferrari – 226.6%
    3.Mercedes – 184.3%

    4.Lotus – 180.5%
    5.Force India – 57.9%
    6.Sauber – 48.4%
    7.Torro Rosso – 32.2%
    8.Murussia – 13.6%
    9.McLaren – 6.9%
    11.Williams – 0%
    11.Caterham – 0%

    ———————–

    DOTW Championship – Calculated via conventional Championship point system of 25 for 1st and so on.

    1.Fernando Alonso – 156
    2.Sebastian Vettel – 154
    3.Kimi Raikkonen – 121

    4.Lewis Hamilton – 50
    5.Mark Webber – 43
    6.Nico Rosberg – 40
    7.Adrian Sutil – 36
    8.Romain Grosjean – 33
    9.Nico Hulkenberg – 25
    10.Daniel Ricciardo – 18
    11.Paul di Resta – 18
    12.Felipe Massa – 18
    13.Jean-Eric Vergne – 15
    14.Jules Bianchi – 15
    15.Jenson Button – 15
    22.Sergio Perez – 0
    22.Esteban Gutierrez – 0
    22.Pastor Maldonado – 0
    22.Valtteri Bottas – 0
    22.Charles Pic – 0
    22.Giedo van der Garde – 0
    22.Max Chilton – 0

    COTW Championship – Calculated via conventional Championship point system of 25 for 1st and so on.

    1.RedBull Racing – 197
    2.Ferrari – 174
    3.Lotus – 154

    4.Mercedes – 90
    5.Force India – 54
    6.Torro Rosso – 33
    7.Sauber – 25
    8.Murussia – 15
    9.McLaren – 15
    11.Williams – 0
    11.Caterham – 0

    1. Nice work. Judging by the DOTW championship standings, I’d like to have the season scored this way. Be a bit of a fight it seems.

    2. Strange that with the 25-18-15… points system, Alonso edges Vettel, whereas with a 3-2-1 points system, added up above, Vettel holds a clear advantage.

      1. Funny how it does that! I’m sure there is a science behind why they have the points system they have now, but I’d rather not know, it could ruin the ‘magic’ of how it works.

        1. Well a quick look shows Vettel has made 5 (4 1st & 1 2nd) appearances and Alonso 8 (3 1st, 1 2nd & 4 3rd) appearances…

          1. And Vettel only has a 1 point lead..

            *Vettel has 2 2nd finishes = 6 in total

          2. Sorry I’m completely wrong here

    3. Indeed, great work @prof-kirk!

      That’s unpheasiable though @nick-uk, it’d be far too ambiguous realistically!

      1. @vettel1 Oh I know. I was only joking really haha.

      2. It’d be nice to have one not car dependant, but the only realistic way of doing that would be a spec series which would be horrible @nick-uk ;)

  6. Well deserved.

  7. On balance, I’d say personally I’ve found the ratings to be pretty accurate this year on the whole. The only major exception I feel is Malaysia.

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