Who do you want to be F1 champion?

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Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica are separated by 12 points

With two rounds to go Lewis Hamilton has 84 points, Felipe Massa 79 and Robert Kubica 72.

Who do you most want to be champion? Were you supporting someone else earlier in the year? Cast your vote and explain your choice below.

Who do you want to win the F1 drivers' title?

  • No preference (3%)
  • Robert Kubica (38%)
  • Felipe Massa (24%)
  • Lewis Hamilton (36%)

Total Voters: 1,871

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Who did I vote for?

I cast my vote for Lewis Hamilton, simply because I still think the penalty he got at Spa was disgraceful.

Were Felipe Massa to win the title by the six points he gained on Hamilton thanks to that dubious decision, it would reflect badly on F1. Nor would it be very fair on Massa who, despite some mistakes, has clearly improved immensely as a driver in his three years at Ferrari and is a worthy championship contender.

Were it not for that penalty of Hamilton’s I’d probably pick Kubica as the driver I think deserves the title most: simply because I think he’s been the most consistent and quickest driver, and he’s made the fewest errors. As I wrote on Monday his defence from Kimi Raikkonen at Fuji was exceptional.

But the Spa penalty rankles with me, so Hamilton it is. Who are you rooting for?

Comments have been split across multiple pages. If you are having difficulty viewing the pags click here to see all comments.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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111 comments on “Who do you want to be F1 champion?”

  1. I want Felipe to win only because he drives the Ferrari. At the beginning of the season, I was hoping Kimi would show a fierce defence, a retivalised Kimster…but it never happened.

    However, I think Kubica would be the most deserving champion as well given his consistency and, dare I say, leading the charge of BMW as best of the rest – the other 2 drivers seemed to have committed championship-suicide at times in comparison.

  2. Hamilton – although I might as well say Nigel Mansell as it feels the same. :D

  3. I think; I am the only one ( so far ) to have voted no preference.

    Massa and Hamilton have both made mistakes; due to which Robert is still in the title hunt. The BMW now seems as bad as Renault was at the start of the year. His driving has been good.. no doubt; but if he is in the wrong team; It is tough to back him to win the championship.

    Anyways; after Michael left the sport; I only support Ferrari; and they seem close yet still favorites to win WCC.

    May the best driver win ! !

  4. I voted ‘No preference’, too. I’m a Ferrari supporter, but I’d rather see a good title fight with a McLaren or other driver winning, than a 2004-esque snorefest.

  5. Well very simpel, Robert (the Nose) Kubica. The Mc laren en Ferrari are superior to the BMW from Kubica and Nick (the beard) Heidfeld.

    It’s a shame for Ferrari and Mc Laren that with two races to go BMW can stil win both championships. To many much to many mistakes, and Kubica is just the better driver. and don’t throw it on expierience Hamiliton and Kubica have the same and Massa has even more.

    Well must i commit that races are very entertaining the last seasons.

  6. I want Robert Kubica or Massa to win because they deserve more than Hamilton, look at the video and dicede yourself why Hamilton dont deserve to win, he is lucky Kimi did not finish his race by crashing to his car.

    http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=CG6ZyQ7Xddo

    this video have not been shown on TV & also from F1 official website

  7. Roger Carballo AKA Architrion
    15th October 2008, 11:49

    Rob Kubica is my choice….
    Comes from Poland, no tradition about F1 there. Speed. Errors free. Consistency. Slower car than Ferrari or McLaren. And he was proven right about Lewis Hamilton (and Lewis made it clear with his in-track talk)…..

  8. schumi the greatest
    15th October 2008, 11:52

    I voted for hamilton. simple reason being since he came into f1 hes been the driver ive wanted to do well.

    i agree with what youre saying about kubica however, i think given a car capable of winning races consistently he will be a real challenger in the future because he doesnt seem to make mistakes (although hamilton only made 2 last year really, and look at this year)

    I think hamilton does deserve it however, his wins in britain and germany were brilliant absolutley top draw, his monaco win was another great drive as was his 2nd place in turkey. hes made mistakes in bahrain, canada (where he should of won), mangy-cours, hungary he wrecked his tyres again, monza wrong tyre choice in qualifying, japan we all know what happened there. but i think you have to remember he is only in his 2nd season and many other drivers who went on to win championships were hardly mistake-free in their first few seasons, schumahcer & alonso being good examples.

  9. I have put money on all 3 to be the champion throughout the season (when the odds were good for each one). But like you say if Massa wins by less than 6 points I think that would be terrible. I don’t want the championship to be decided anywhere but on track, so I want Hamilton to win.

    Kubica is also very deserving and it’s a shame that BMW didn’t listen to him when he was leading the championship earlier in the year as it’s very rare you get a shot at a championship, but if they managed to pull out all the stops (and Hamilton and Massa keep falling over each other) and manage to win either or both championships they would be very well deserved.

  10. I voted for Hamilton. I want to see him win it, if only to **** off the FIA/Stewards.
    .
    With Massa, I figure if he needs that much assistance from the powers-that-be to keep his championship challenge alive, then he doesn’t really deserve to be World Champion this year.
    .
    Kubica’s done an excellent job this season. Admittedly, I would find it completely hilarious if he did steal the championship from the other two.

  11. I voted for Hamilton, because he reminds me a lot of Mansell. Mansell was equally capable of making incredibly stupid mistakes, but you got the impression he gave 100% for every lap of every race.

    I don’t get that feeling with Massa. I feel he spends some of the time coasting around, or just giving up. He had really, really weak performances at Australia, Malaysia, Silverstone, Hockenheim, Singapore and Japan.

    Also I hold a grudge against Massa for that extra point gained by penalising Sebastien Bourdais for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Spa still rankles, but Hamilton was caught by a VERY strict interpretation of the rules (which if implemented consistently should be applied to half the field in every race).

  12. Is there a way to vote for anyone but Massa? If he wins it then fine, he’s won it and that’s the end of it but the guy has no racecraft. If he’s in clean air up the front then he can be better than anyone but as we have seen time and time again he is really poor when it comes to overtaking. His attempts to pass both Bourdais and Webber at Fuji were laughable. Also, how long did it take him to get past the tank that is the current Honda early in the race.. 5 laps, 6 laps perhaps. Terrible.

    Hamilton has great racecraft on his good days but can’t seem to keep his head and thus be consistent. This isn’t really surprising given his age, perhaps he will mature further in time and become a more rounded and more deserving champion. He certainly seems to have the ability anyway.

    Kubica has impressed consistently and his driving to hold off Raikkonen at Fuji was extremely impressive. If he wins then it will just highlight how low the standard has been this season, since he only has one win so far! However he seems like he would be a worthy champion given the circumstances.

    I voted for Hamilton.

  13. Am a Ferrari fan but really do not like Massa. Hamilton is not my type same as Kubica. Kimi or Alonso is my real bet but both out of the championship.

  14. Kubica. Simply because I’m from Poland ;-) so I support him the most, in addition he seems to be an excellent driver.
    Anyway, Massa improved a lot since the start of the season, while Hamilton is also an extraordinary driver, so probably all of them “deserve” to win championship at some point of their career.

  15. Disagree with diseased rat Massa has no racecraft – and I thought his move on Webber was brilliant , he second guessed Webber would squeeze him on the outside , dived inside , Webber still swung back , but he took the position anyway. He will win next two races , Lewis will have Kimi ahead in at least one of them , and Alonso will also be ahead in Brazil.

  16. I am really hoping neither Massa or Hamilton win this championship they both have been very poor both in and out of the car on different occasions this season.

    Kubica is by far a much, much better and more deserving winner this season than the other two and I really hope he gets it.

  17. I voted Kubica, although I am a McLaren supporter,I don’t think either Massa or Hamilton now have the consistency or the motivation to win both of the last races, and will throw them away in favour of Kubica, Alonso, Kimi or someone else. If these two have turned F1 into a tit-for-tat brawl, then neither deserve to win.
    Also, Hammy, though fast still needs to learn more race-craft to be a deserving Champion (and if you remember he only won GP2 by default – I think he should have stayed there another year and won properly). Massa, though fast still needs to learn to control himself better and not need the support of Old Schuey, Jean Todt and his engineer when he is racing.
    I think we will see Massa and Hammy take themselves out of contention again….

  18. I voted no preference because I don’t think any of them demonstrated what I look for in a world champion this year. But I want Lewis to get the championship. I hoped that he had learnt from the end of last year, but a few races this year showed otherwise. I think he’ll do better in the next two races though and be the next champion. Lewis for champion!

  19. I voted Massa. I think Massa has driven better than the others this year, certainly in the second half of the season, and has been let down by Ferrari – he should have won in Hungary and Singapore. If he’d got it together earlier he would already be champion.

    Hamilton is great on his day, but there are still too many mistakes, doesn’t seem to cope well under pressure or after a mistake and there are signs that he believes his own hype, which is never a good thing. He wouldn’t be undeserving, but I don’t think he deserves it as much.

    Kubica would be a nice surprise as champion, although it would be a bit like Alonso winning in Singapore – not necessarily undeserved, but achieved through luck and the circumstances (like the other two destroying their own chances).

  20. Hamilton. Even his non-fans must recognize F1 has been injected with a lot more excitement since he arrived. In terms of consistency, he probably deserved to win more last year, which would have been astounding, but was let down by McLaren in China and himself in São Paulo. I really believe that without the massive pressure on the McLaren team towards the end of the season, he wouldn’t have lost his cool. And this nervousness wouldn’t have continued into this season. (And before anyone says: Alonso would have been a worthy champion too in 2007.)

    Kubica and Massa have also driven extremely well this year. But nothing to compare overall, in my opinion, with Lewis’s performances at Silverstone, Spa and Germany – all brilliant wins (including Spa of course) followed by Monaco, Monza and even Turkey. This year when Lewis has win, he’s generally been even more dominant than last and had to work more to get the results. And personally I count the positives – all drivers can have off days, it’s what they achieve at their best that really decides it for me.

  21. I voted Kubica because even though Hamilton definitely has the talent to be World Champion someday, he simply made too many mistakes this year. And Massa owes too much to the best car on the grid and Ferrari International Assistance. Kubica on the other hand has come this far in an inferior car, by being consistent and avoiding mistakes. I’m a McLaren fan, but watching the Pole take the title would be my favorite end to the season.

  22. I have vote for Kubica just because he has the “cleanest curriculum”.
    Not speaking too much as Ham and (i think) with more charisma than Massa.
    And he’s friend of Alonso too :-)

  23. Ideally Hamilton. Kubica can have his turn next year (although a Kubica win this year would be something monumental and stunning). Massa can retire in a couple of years disillusioned and title-less, having been dropped by Ferrari for good drivers.

  24. No preference.

    For me, it’s not so much as who I want to win the championship (that place is reserved for Webber :D ), but who I think will win. If I think about it logically, Lewis has the best chance of winning the title. His skills are parallel to that of a true World Champion, in my opinion. And he has simply dominated when he plays his cards right. I don’t back any particular driver (apart from Webber, of course ;) ) but I believe Hamilton will win, with Massa and Kubica fighting to the end for second place. That’ll be a battle to look forward to! :)

  25. I vote for Massa!

  26. I voted for Massa, one because I am Brazilian and two because I think he deserves it. I think he’s been screwed by Ferrari too many times this season not to win. If it wasn’t for his team’s mistakes he would have a very comfortable lead right now. Also I disagree with what others say about if he doesn’t win by at least 6 points, it’s not his fault that the FIA is a bunch of political douche bags. His driving this year is what makes him deserve this championship, not Ferrari’s friends at the FIA.

  27. Who do you most want to be champion? Were you supporting someone else earlier in the year?

    I was taken by surprise by these words, cause I’ve been thinking exactly of that…
    I was backing Lewis since last year, and continued to do so after he lost his title at Shanghai (Interlagos was a disaster, too, but for me the real “abdication” was at China). I remember that overworn tyre, you could see the air inside it, so many laps wondering why the team wasn’t bringing him in, and get that damned four points he needed to end the year fighting for victory at Brazil without further worries…
    After the end I tried to see what little positive stuff could be unearthed from the appalling defeat, and I thought: “The experience, for sure. Never again they will make the same mistake!”
    This year it seemed perfect for a settling of scores. Montreal came as a surprise, but for me it was only a racing mistake every Clark, Prost or Schumacher in the world could have done, I felt he was too criticized for a small blunder. He seemed not completely recovered at Magny, but then that two amazing victories came, and I felt he had grabbed the title, if not mathematically, at least over his superiority, skill and confidence. Spa came as a shock, the win was stolen from him and I got very angry, and as Keith, I wanted him to win the title in response, and I prayed for rain in Monza, for I was sure it would give him victory. But again, an unjustifiable team (and driver) mistake put him back at the 15th place, and his spectacular race only yielded a paltry couple of championship points. Singapore was Ferrari’s big mistake and set the scene for the final blow that Lewis should deliver at Japan…
    And then Fuji came. I agree that the penalization was (as ever) unfair, but that is utterly irrelevant. Hamilton (and the team in a lesser way) have absolutely no excuses for destroying an opportunity to effortlessly increase the leading in at least four or five points. It was all too easy. Now I feel they are giving away the title again, and even worse, they are proving Lewis bashers right.
    If it all depended on me, I would give the title to Kubica, a consistent, fast, eager driver without a top-notch car. Perhaps the Woking boys some day can learn from their mistakes. Mr. Anthony Hamilton should be banned from the pitwall, and some experienced manager brought in his place, perhaps Niki Lauda.
    Seriously, I’m so angry, I really wouldn’t want the Briton to grasp the title.
    Sadly, Massa doesn’t deserve the WDC at all, even less than Hamilton. He’s a mediocre driver and, to make matters worse, has been consistently and unfairly helped from the FIA. But we all know that “deserving” or “moral” champions mean nothing in the sport world.
    So my preference now is Robert over Lewis, but never Massa.
    And I am pretty sure that Hamilton is so good that will be champion one day anyway, perhaps he will have enough experience to grab that 2018 season easily…

  28. Hamilton for the WDC. I believe he is the most worthy despite his mistakes. He has tried the hardest to win. Massa, no comment. Kubica did not have to really try at all. He’s been gaining from the mistakes of the Hamilton and Massa so do I deem him worthy? Not yet.

  29. Cameron aka. SkinBintin
    15th October 2008, 14:03

    I want Lewis to win, as he is a McLaren driver. Although, it still won’t entirly feel like he deserved it.

    I don’t want Massa to win. Because if he does, his accomplishment will be over shadowed by the means in which he seemed to make it (FIA Stewards ‘assistance’)

    I wouldn’t mind if Kubica won, but I wouldn’t be as happy as if Hamilton won. I feel Hamilton as more raw talent, and as such, should win a Championship first.

  30. I voted for Hamilton. I am a Hamilton fan but part of the reason was because of the way the FIA and the stewards have handled this season.

    Because of the FIA actions over a period of time I find myself wanting Ferrari to lose even when Kimi drives for them (I would rate Kimi as one of my favourite drivers).

    If Massa wins the WDC or Ferrari win the WCC then it has to be by more than 7 points (6 from Spa and 1 from Fuiji).

    I can see why people want Kubica to win, as he has been most consistent, but he has only won one race. People rightly mention Hamilton and Massa making mistakes under pressure, but Kubica hasn’t really been in the same position, he hasn’t been expected to win races let alone the Championship this year. A podium has been a good result for him, yet if Hamilton or Massa don’t get a podium it is a bad result.

  31. Massa is in the same situation Kimi was in last year. Time is running out, and this may be a last opportunity. Cars and drivers are getting faster, the competition is increasing. If he misses out now, next year he may be 5th. I think the title is slowly moving in Massa’s direction, you can tell from the way things are happening. Hamilton now knows he has to be careful, not to retain his lead, but to avoid penalties, because as it is now any incident that occurs on track will be ruled against him.

  32. I picked Lewis. He is a worth champ since he arrived at Formula 1 only few months ago. He fought fear less any of the best drivers out there, Kimi and Alonso, and beat them in equal terms. For his brave driving in the last laps of Spa or his win at Germany, he deserves the championship. Any of the others hasn´t show the same domination in a race as Lewis did at Germany or Britain. So, he deserves more than the other average guys..

    Jolene has a point about Kubica. I´m still waiting to see he chasing a win as mad as Lewis did at Spa or Alonso did at Germany in 2007. I still thinking he is a good diver, but no in the same level as Alonso or Lewis…

  33. I really don’t want Massa or Hamilton wins this championship, basically because I think none of them deserve it.

    For this reason I voted for Kubica, despite he shouldn’t have any opportunity given the car he has.

    Massa and Hamilton are not at the level of a F1 championship. Honestly talking, I think that maybe Hamilton will reach that point from the moment he can control his hot head. For Massa I doubt he can raise his level from “a very good driver” to “a real champion”

    Anyway, I still think that Lewis will win this championship despite this have not been asked…

  34. I voted for Hamilton, He lead the championship for 90 percent of last year and 100 percent so far this year. Yes he’s made mistakes (rookie mistakes) but this is only his second season. Kimi, Felipe and Fernando have made lots of mistakes in their first two years. The others better watch out when he finally does bag a championship, it’s the only missing part of his jigsaw.

    Kubica and Vettel are great drivers too, and the future looks good for compitition.

  35. Derek – Actually it’s not been Hamilton all the way this year. Raikkonen led after Bahrain, Spain and Turkey, Kubica led after Canada and Massa led after France.

  36. I voted for Hamilton. I know both Massa and Kubica have probably made less mistakes and been more consistent overall, but that’s just boring! Hamilton has been interesting to watch, and it’d be a sweet victory after some bad steward decisions too.

  37. I think that result of this voting is a little bit distorted – as it is limited to English readers Lewis has higher chance. Although going for Polish or Spanish version (I am reading one of them) distortion would be much much higher. It does not even make sense to ask such question.

    Anyhow, it is wonderful to see how human’s brains could be manipulated – how they find different justifications and how the same situation, gesture or joke could be perceived depending on emotions.
    It looks like I am also distorted, I am voting for Kubica

  38. Sorry Keith, my wife accuses me of selective memory too!!

  39. Being an English-language site, there will probably be more British voters. But it is not “limited to English readers” in any way – no-one is excluded from voting. And over two-thirds of readers of this site are from outside the UK.

    That said, when we did a poll of most popular drivers, Hamilton wasn’t in the lead even before there was a mass influx of Polish voters. And when we did a poll on most popular teams, McLaren were third.

  40. Lewis, Lewis, Lewis, Lewis and Lewis again. Lots of reasons really:-

    1. He has brought a breath of fresh air and excitement into F1
    2. He is gorgeous
    3. He is great for the sport
    4. He is gorgeous
    5. He has won the most thrilling races this year
    6. He is gorgeous
    7. He has been ganged up on and bullied by many of the drivers so I want him to win morally as well
    8. He is gorgeous
    9. He has suffered unjust penalties this year so I want to see him with a smile on his face again
    10. He is gorgeous
    11. It would **** off Alonso
    12. He is gorgeous
    13. He could then enjoy his winter with PCD Nicole
    14. He is gorgeous
    15. And finally, I want him to win because he’s gorgeous.

  41. Nick Caulfield
    15th October 2008, 15:55

    Hamilton is the only one who has brought me to the edge of my seat (and possibly also to the edge of despair). I don’t really dislike Massa – he has said some ill-considered things, mostly pretty inconsequential – but watching him drive does not make me emotional.

    However, I could never favour a ferrari driver during the current situation with the FIA. Fernando at #26 above points out that this is not Massa’s fault and may not even be ferrari’s (in fact I have developed some regard for Stefano Domenicali during this year). That notwithstanding, without the points that Massa has gained in controversial decisions and the ones he failed to lose (Bourdais’ penalty should have gone to Massa and the Valencia pit lane fine should have been a penalty) he would be behind Kubica in the standings now.

    …and Kubica – has got more out of his car than anyone expected and if he wins from where he is, he will deserve it but after the way I have followed the ups and downs of Hamilton’s season, I would find a Kubica victory a little bit of an anticlimax.

  42. No preference. Mediocre champ this year whoever wins.

  43. It’s interesting that Kubica has more fans than Massa, there ain’t much Tifosi here. Anyways, I too voted for Kubica, a cool , composed, no nonsense formula specialist

  44. the exact same pole is on f1.com with quite a different result.

  45. I would want Lewis to win, but unfortunatly, F1 isn’t what it used to be.
    These old people governing the sport are failing misserably.
    It has been nice the last 35 years, but I will no longer spend my Sundays on this…

  46. Of the three, I voted for Kubica because he has made the least amount of mistakes than Hamilton and Massa and he has managed to stay in the championship hunt, despite an inferior car compared to the Ferrari and the McLaren.

    But who do I want to be F1 champion? Vettel, no question ;)

  47. I voted Hamilton. He’s made a lot of mistakes but if he were that bad he wouldn’t be leading the championship. Also, I’d rather see a driver push the limit and make mistakes than a driver like Heidfeld that simply brings the car home.

    I think comments about Kubica being the cool consistent guy are nonsense. He doesn’t have anywhere close to the kind of pressure Lewis and Massa have and nothing to lose. One day he will be leading the championship and then we’ll see how he performs.

  48. hamilton doesnt deserve it, he’s driven like a ***** all year and made more mistakes than anyone else in the field. the only reason he’s 5 points ahead is from massa’s team failures (pit lanes and blown engines).

    It’s also the only reason kubica is right there, with the ferrari problems and all of hamilton’s mistakes, kubica has just picked up the crumbs all year.

    You don’t deserve a title for picking up crumbs, or for the most incidents.

    massa does deserve it. look at his history, a history of an erratic driver, who makes mistakes, overdrives, a constant number 2 driver, he’s put in the effort to work on his personal development as a driver, learn the car and team more and work on being a better driver in that car.

    a driver that used to give up when he was down, a driver that was never aggressive when on the offensive or defensive now is.

    his personal development is really showing, he’s beating his WDC teammate kimi who’s on 10x the salary he is on.

    hamilton has done almost 2 full years in formula one and you think he’d learn from his mistakes last year and during the season, the same mistakes massa was making, massa has learnt, and hamilton has made 3x the number of mistakes this year alone, it’s racing, not a sprint, he needs to drive the race all 2 hours not 10 minutes or the first corner.

    i like the underdog, and from massa’s history he is the underdog, the dedicated number 2 driver and he has worked hard to get where he is, in contention with 2 races left.

    hamilton never did the time at a lower team or as a test driver, he’s come in like a spoiled brat and it’s showing in his driving, forcing drivers off the track (like glock in monza) and disregarding other drivers track position (vettel in france), among other just rude and dangerous driving which many drivers frequently comment on.

  49. Bobby KUB is my man. the most consistent and error free driver, except for that aquaplaning thing at rainy Silverstone but who didn’t skid there. had his share of good luck (Montreal where Ham smashed into Kimi) and bad luck (taken out by Nakajima in Aus and the recent drive thru penalty b/c of the stupid SC rule). Put him in a Ferrari or Mclaren and he’s kicking everybody’s butt. nice personality, no nonsense kind of guy, great judgement.

  50. I voted Kubica. Both Lewis and Massa are in good teams and have good cars but still leader is leading only with 84 points. Kubica still in hunt of championship with incompetent car.

  51. I voted Hamilton as well. Yes, he’s lacked the consistency of certain champions of the past, but so have all the other front runners this season. His raw pace is undeniable. But it’s his drives in difficult conditions (Monaco, Silverstone, etc) that settled the question for me. His consistency will develope with time.

    Plus I think Max will enjoy a McLaren victory about as much as recieving a cactus up his backside. Go hamilton

  52. Kubica seems like quite a nasty piece of work to me: rude to his engineers, ganging up on Lewis. Plus he’s only won one GP and only through luck. Kubica is the least deserving of the 3 IMO.

  53. I voted for Hamilton, because the powers of F1 doesn’t want him to win, so that will **** them off.

  54. S Hughes – I can’t imagine how you got that impression, he seems a perfectly nice guy to me. He criticised Hamilton the other week but it seemed fair comment to me and he’s entitled to his opinion.

  55. Kubica. Because he’s been the best of the three.

  56. Kubica is a nice bloke for sure, but it’s very hard to see any real passion driving him on to be an F1 great (he seems to moan a great deal too which I dislike). Saying that, he sure drives well, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

    But a WDC with one or two wins just wouldn’t be right. I vote for Massa, but only just….. or maybe lewis!

  57. S Hughes (post 40 and 52) you missed Kubica’s most despicable flaw. He’s just no as gorgeous as prince Lewis, right? (at least by your standards)

  58. I’m rooting for Kubica.

  59. I voted Kubica. I’ve been impressed with his speed and developing maturity and as others say in so many words, it’s surprising that he’s even in contention, even with an outside chance. Hamilton’s speed has always impressed me but I’ve doubted his maturity. Meanwhile, Massa has frankly surprised me this season. But Kubica has come a long, long way, and I’d love to see that rewarded.

  60. First of all, i’d like to say that driving-wise, this championship has had a high level so far this year. Perhaps not in pure racecraft (though it can be debated as well, considering some of the stunning if rare overtaking manoeuvres we’ve seen this year), but in the way people are more able to keep their cars on the track while performing excellent lap times.

    I mean remember the likes of Mansell, damon Hill or Jacques Villeneuve. Their reliability was not as good as the 2008’s championship contenders. Maybe races are more boring, but it’s not related to the drivers’ skills in my opinion. Just look at what they were doing in GP2 before coming to F1.

    And the car’s performances have been much closer those last years than ever, so you basically have more dangerous opponents than, say, in the 1990’s when at best two teams were able to perform a win in fair conditions. That forces the top team’s drivers to face a tougher opposition (for example Vettel, Alonso, Heidfeld…)

    Just all that in reaction to the people who said any of those three contenders would be unworthy.

    As for my choice, I picked Robert Kubica. He’s very fast, and above all shows humility !! And seems to have a nice personnality. His driving skills I think are stunning if not totally fulfilled yet. I am as well waiting for him to win a race after a tough battle to settle my judgement on him. But heart talks (I have to say I’m not Polish either)!

    Whoever wins, I hope he will end up the year on a high and prove he’s a worthy champion. And may the final results not be biaised this time!

  61. Hamilton got my vote. It has been a bit of a messy season in parts, but I prefer drivers that go all out to win. I’d like to see him put in a dominating performance or 2 in the last couple of races as that would confirm him as a worthy winner. Lets not forget China will only be his 35th GP (I think) and he’s only a kid. He’s bound to make mistakes, especially under the intense scrutiny he’s had since starting F1.

    I just don’t rate Massa as a top driver. He’s very quick on his day, no doubt, but he struggles in the wet and that’s just not good enough for a World Champion.

    Kubica, a good driver who’s capitalised on others mistakes and been consistent. But I don’t really think that’s good enough for champion.

    Next season I’d love to see the top 4 drives go to Lewis, Kimi, Alonso, Kubica with a straight fight to the finish. Not going to happen, but would be great to watch!

  62. I voted for Felipe, ‘cos I’m brazilian and we don’t have a champion since Senna’s days. I like Hamilton’s style and he deserve WDC too, but Felipe deserve more than him, ‘cos he made less mistake than LH during the season.

  63. I agree w/ IDR completely. Neither Lewis or Massa deserve to win this title, on merit. They have both made several mistakes. But they happen to have to 2 best cars. The driver who really deserves this championship is Kubica because, as Keith said, he has been the most consistent, error-free driver who has always driven a lesser car to its limit and has always pushed the team to improve the car at maximum pace. He believes he can win this, and as long as he is mathematically alive, he can.

  64. Just to complement my remark, I also think that Felipe needs to win by more than 7 points ( 6 from Spa and 1 from Japan ) to be a genuine WDC.

  65. Keith, I get that impression because of the way he talks to his engineers on the radio. I can’t imagine Lewis talking so sternly and rudely. I also think the way he is weighing into the Lewis criticism which is always sparked off by Alonso, is quite unpleasant and smacks of ganging up. That is just my opinion and I just don’t get a good impression of him at all. I would love to be a fly on the wall of those poker parties …

  66. charlie, oh yes, thanks for reminding me. Kubica is deffo not as gorgeous as the Prince. But that’s not why I don’t like him.

  67. I voted Kubica because I think that unlike the other two he’s driven the consistent, disciplined races of a champion, hindered largely by a slower car. If either of the other two got it, I’d feel that they had got it despite their driving rather than because of it.

    I wonder if there’ll be another massive Polish storm arriving on the site to take Mr Kubica’s poll result into the stratosphere?

  68. I chose Kubica because I believe that he deserves the title most for playing calm and cool,like a professional,plus I back BMW all the way.Massa and Hamilton seem to fall apart at the seams when the going gets tough.If he doesn’t win it this year it will be soon.Just sit back and let Hamilton and Massa cock things up Kube, and sneak in the back door!

  69. It’s also the only reason kubica is right there, with the ferrari problems and all of hamilton’s mistakes, kubica has just picked up the crumbs all year.

    You don’t deserve a title for picking up crumbs, or for the most incidents.

    You also dont deserve the title for allowing your rivals to pick up your crumbs, if your really want to win the sandvich (plus 120 meats) then I suggest you eat with your mouth closed.

  70. S Hughes (post 40 and 52) you missed Kubica’s most despicable flaw. He’s just no as gorgeous as prince Lewis, right? (at least by your standards)

    LMAO, indeed, not sleeping with a member of a girl band means you are not worthy to hold the crown of F1 Champ.

    Although surely his Piquet/Alonso eyebrows balance off the worthy champion motif.

  71. @ S Hughes, you gotta be female right. I remember you said you had a kid so I’m picking you’re not a gay man…

    Would explain all the gorgeous calls…LOL!!

  72. I voted for Hamilton because he and McLaren have the most consistent, relative to Ferrari anyway, and he has put in the best individual performances. If you look at Kovy’s work in the same car, you know the guy is a class apart.

    But, I consider it close: Kubica might be the most remarkable driver this year. He has destroyed Heidfeld, the one-time other-Kimi. The idea that he is still in this thing with 2 races to go is phenomenal.

    Regarding Hamilton’s copy book, he does often drive like he has to be in the lead at every corner. For every Hockenheim or Silverstone, he does a Fuji or Bahrain. He’s a Montoya, but faster.

  73. Hamilton obviously.

    Just add up the plusses and minusses:
    + Monaco (brilliant couple of laps to create a lead for a pitstop)
    + Hockenheim (great show to recover from a messed up strategy)
    + Spa (small mistake at the start, but brilliant race in the wet, almost humiliating Raikkonen in the process)
    + Silverstone (just stunning, almost lapping teh entire field while others were sliding all over the place)
    0 Monza (this is both a minus for his qualifying mess, but a plus for the race with a lot of brilliant overtaking)
    – Canada

    The list for Kubica:
    + Canada (a bit lucky that Hamilton knocked Raikkonen and himself out, but still)
    + consistent
    – Silverstone
    – a bit invisible (not much overtaking, no exceptional speed, he just seems to run his laps at a good pace)

    and for Massa:
    + Most pole positions
    + Bahrain (when everything goes his way he’s fast)
    + Turkey (when everything goes his way he’s fast)
    – Malaysia (simply spinning out on his own)
    – a bit of an underwhelming performance (in what is undoubtetly the fastest car on the lineup)
    – Add some water and he’s gone (Monaco, Silverstone, Monza)
    – Add a car in front of him and he stays behind it or runs into it while attempting to “overtake” (Melbourne, Singapore, Fuji

  74. I voted for Hamilton. Kubica is consistant, yes, but you don’t really see him ever go for it and put it all out there (and I don’t mean just being reckless here, I mean driving with real passion).

    His defence in Fuji was admirable, but that’s just one race in 16 starts. For every Fuji, there is a Silverstone. Also, one win does not for me justify a WDC, even if he does have an inferior car – it’s just the silly 8pts for second place system. Just my opinion, but I fully understand why most posts here want him to win it.

  75. Eric M:

    “Plus I think Max will enjoy a McLaren victory about as much as recieving a cactus up his…”

    Now you got me confused, does it mean that he will actually enjoy a McVictory?

  76. “Now you got me confused, does it mean that he will actually enjoy a McVictory?”

    Heh heh. I suppose you can’t put it past Max to enjoy something like what I described.

  77. I voted Lewis… he deserved the title last year but stolen by Kimi just on the last race…..
    He have the champ potention and will be the next legend after schumi and tiger woods
    Go Lewis… keep in mind that FIA will always trying to avoid u from being the champ…..
    Prove them wrong…

  78. Can I just remind everyone that Keke Rosberg won the WDC in 1982 with only one win, and I have never heard it suggested that he was not a worthy winner……

    What I do find sad is the amount of people whose votes were influenced by the meddling of the FIA in this years contest. Not that people may have changed their minds, no, but that the meddling has occured to such a level in the first place. Speaks volumes about the state that F1 is in, doesn’t it?

    Having said all of that, I voted for Ro-bert Koo-bit-sa. Quick, consistent, a delight to watch and not error prone. What could be more worthy than that?
    But really, as long as Flippy & FIA-arrari doesn’t win it, I’ll be happy with whoever. And that is coming from a non-Polish McLaren fan.

    Oh and BTW, Ro-bert Koo-bit-sa absolutely cracked me up when I met him at the 2007 Oz GP. He has a wicked sense of humour that one. I’ve liked him ever since.

  79. dispite being in an inferior machinery Kubica is still in the hunt for the championship. he has done more with less, than his rivals. he made the least ammount of mistakes and showed some great driving skills (eg. robert vs kimi in japan), while being a good sport.

  80. Agreed that Kubica was the driver of the year, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that, while he made fewer mistakes, he also was under much less pressure than Hamilton or Massa, who I support, because he was the most improved driver of the year, because he’s brazilian, and made one of Formula 1’s greatest nations happy again, because now we have a driver, despite his imperfection, that is worthy to support.

  81. I completely agree with Keith. The Spa incident will rankle with me for a very long time, in its sheer disrespect for everything the sport stands for. I felt the same after the 2002 Austrian Grands Prix and the 2005 U.S Grands Prix, totally hollowed out.
    At the beginning of the season, I was rooting for Hamilton and McLaren in general. After the off track scandals of 2007, and the way inwhich their year came apart at the end, I felt they deserved a break.
    Felipe Massa has surprised me this season, with his remarkable turn around from such a disastrous start. He has really taken the fight to Raikkonen, in a competitive car, and has led Ferrari’s title charge for large swaths of the 2008 season. Recent stewards decisions have curried alot of peoples opinions against Massa and Ferrari, but there is no denying that Massa has improved. However, when he does make mistakes, it is painfull to watch.
    Now, as the season comes to a close, Kubica has emerged from the shadows and is a serious contender. I believe both Hamilton and Massa would be foolish to
    underestimate Kubica’s capabilites. The composure he displayed in holding off Raikkonen at Fuji was sublime, and highlighted perfectly what both Massa and Hamilton ‘did not’ do during the same event. Composure is key, and this guy has it. In many ways, it is 2007 all over again. Everybodys focus is on two drivers, yet it maybe the third guy who takes the prize at the end.
    My instincts tell me Kubica will be champion, Hamilton second, Massa third.

  82. Kubica – the Polish underdog…….

  83. But sadly i think it is out of his reach with only a couple of rounds to go

  84. CD-
    “…do not like Massa. Hamilton is not my type same as Kubica. Kimi or Alonso is my real bet but both out of the championship….”

    CD, i’m with you! totally Kimi or Alonso…

    Hey, why don’t just bring back Montoya? He drives aggressive too but with brain attached! i like his aggressiveness.. enjoyed when see him mess with Micheal! unlike the brainless Hamilton! let the Master Juan teach him how to be aggressive in good way & kick his butt after that!!

  85. Patrickl

    You forgot to put a “+” in Hungary for Massa. IMO, he did a perfect start and race up to the moment the engine blowed. The best one from him as a driver, I think.

  86. Many intelligent comments above , as usual , but unfortunately still too many still whinging about Lewis getting penalties and Massa being favoured by FIA. I ask myself and wish that will stop , but realise it won’t until Lewis wins the championship . So , as much as I support Ferrari and Massa to win , I hope Lewis wins then whingers can RIP.I’m not as into the final result than I am seeing exciting races during the season .

  87. I JUST DONT LIKE MASSA.
    So i will vote for Hamilton.

  88. formulaone.com is running the very same poll, right now Massa is leading from Kubica there, Lewis is third by quiet a margin.

  89. Dorian, it’s the 21st century man. I could be male, I could be female, I could be gay, I could be straight. Who cares eh? Lewey is still gorgeous and a worthy champion. I am so nervous for him, I think I will need therapy this weekend. Although I want him to win more than I’ve ever wanted anyone to win anything ever before, I have a sinking feeling …

  90. As Haas commented, the same poll is on formula1.com. Amazingly more people vote for Massa there.

  91. The power of the media…..one must remember that Hamilton can indeed wrap up the title this weekend

  92. Voted hamilton but when i think about all of that it’s obvious that neither he or massa deser the title

  93. @ S Hughes. Quite right, was just curious, certainly wasn’t being judgemental… ;-)

  94. Pasta Massa is my choice,
    Kubica Second, he would be worthy just for his consistency.
    Raikkonen is my third choice pending an out of this world penalty on Hamilton LOL.
    that’s just to annoy the hell out of the hamisupporters here. haha

    but i’ll be honest he’s spicing up the competition, and for that i respect him. he’s like the nerd in school that everybody picks on, but still he gets to rank first, well that last part is pending….

  95. Apostole,

    I don’t like Massa either, and I am not a fan of Lewis either, but for different reasons. I don’t think Massa, as a driver, is worthy of this or any other title. I don’t think Lewis, as a person, is worthy for this title. He is a far better driver than Massa. And that’s why I like Kubica. He is an excellent driver and a decent person. Keeps his mouth shut and drives consistently at a high level, w/ clearly a lesser car.

  96. Hey ALL,

    My pick would have to be hamilton for 2 reasons:
    First of all I am a huge Mclaren fan but second of all I think Lewis is trying harder than any of the other guys around. I was pretty pissed after his mistake in Fuji but whatever said at the end of the day i appreciate the fact that for hamilton the concept of being overtaken is too hard for him to stomach. hes more from the old school which is so ****ing entertaining for us fans. I mean his races at Silverstone and hochenheim were real pleasures to watch. I like flair and reckless moves rather than watching a snorefest and the title being won with just consistency. Anyway thats just my opinion.

  97. Ade

    I agree totally. Hamilton fans will claim unfair treatment but the penalties he has incurred have at least kept things interesting. I think it is still too early for him to win. He needs more time to mature and actually listen to himself, not just say the words everyone wants to hear, only to go and do something completely different on the track. His goal always seems to have been to get to F1 – why would he be so keen to reach the top so soon? There would be no challenges left apart from Schumacher’s seven titles and he’s only 23! I say let him learn his trade a bit more first – as Damon said “the win(s) will come to you”

    Massa does not deserve to be WDC this year. Whilst I do not claim to be able to do what they do, his wins have not been hard-fought battles and his misdemeanour list is too long. To have gained points from the Powers-That-Be rather than your own talents on the circuit(s) speaks volumes. The Bourdais debacle you referred to made my blood boil, especially as the net result is likely to be that Bourdais will be dropped by the team for next season which seems unfair when he has been improving.

    Kubica, possibly unfairly, appears to be portrayed by the media as arrogant. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad trait in a racing driver, it does not always aid you to win additional fans. His consistency has been the key to his points total – something Lewis should bear in mind as this was instrumental to his position last year, not the number of wins or winning at any cost. Whilst I recognise him as one of the talented drivers, I’m personally not a big fan.

    For personability, Massa should win
    For consistency, Kubica should win
    For respecting the fans, Hamilton should win
    So I’ll say none of the above

  98. For me Hamilton should be champion.

    Kubica as champion would be ridiculous. He has only been on the podium 7 times all season and is only there because of the mistakes of others and the penalties.

    Massa should be pretty much out of it by now but the stewards decided that the only time in history that an unsafe pit release would not get a drive through was him at Valencia so he gained a few points over Lewis there. They also decided that he won Spa despite ever looking like being a threat so he gained another handful of points there and of course he drove into Bourdais at Fuji and was given another point there. On one day he drove into two drivers and still gets points at the end of the race.

    With remotely honest stewards Lewis should have a lead of around 18 points by now. If you wanted to be really pedantic you could argue that the only reason he hit Kimi in the pits in Canada was because Kimi had been incorrectly released and was parked illegally there. He should have been sitting behind Kubica and not behind him. That was Lewis would have had a gap to go into when he did something stupid and could probably have rescued a point or two after the drive through he would have received. But I don’t want to be accused of being pedantic.

  99. Steven Roy, totally correct assessment.

  100. Keith, I would like to complain about post no. 99. This website he quotes is a hate site and it really has no place on a civilised debate and site like this one. Would be pleased if you removed it. Thanks.

  101. Hey I agree with S Hughes with regard to Hamish’s post.

  102. I really hope Kubica can pull off a “Kimi”.
    Massa and Hamilton have made far too many mistakes to be
    the champions

  103. Totally agree with Hamish.Put Kubica in a car which is
    in the level of Mclaren and Ferrari,then Kubica would
    outpace Hamilton by a countrymile

  104. I agree that Hamilton was screwed out of a win this year…..but,
    I can’t believe so many people think Kubica is not a worthy champion.Sure has been there to pick up on others mistakes when they overcooked it but,isn’t that what this sport is about,using your brain and thinking several moves ahead.Kubica was hard at work in a car that should not have been championship material.

    KOO-BEETS-SA !!

  105. I really want Lewis to win because he’s the best racer on the grid (probably not the most consistent driver). And if he wins it this time I think he will be calmer and better in the seasons ahead.

    And because it will annoy that plonker Carlos Miguel

  106. Robert Koo-bit-sa!!!

  107. Bobby K is now leading the charge over at F1.com…..

  108. If you take away the penaltys given to Hamilton this season the you have the name of the 2008 F1 world champion

  109. There are a few who think, Lewis is being hamstrung by the FIA and other authorities. However one must remember, Schumacher won a couple of championships despite the best efforts of authorities to screw him out of them. ’94 title is widely acknowledged around the world(outside UK of-course), where he did whatever he could to stay in hunt till the last race(was dq’d from a couple of races for no reason, result confiscated for no good reasons). I’am sure that Hill fans will have something to say about it. However, my opinion is… Michael was still on track ahead of Hill and Hill should have waited till next corner/ straight to take the lead than rush in the corner. There’s only so much room to get a corner right. Lewis has shown us that in France and now in Spa, in-turn he got 2 penalties handed out to him. Anyhoo, point is, Lewis still has a lot to learn, including humility. I think it is his pride, that is letting him down(anyone who thinks the same?) He needs to get his head out of you know where and try to look at actual reasons why he lost the championship in ’07. McLaren supported him alright, FIA let him off hook on more than one occasion, what more could they have done to make Lewis win? “Nothing!” Lewis blew it. He’s at it again and in my opinion he is less deserving than the other two in the hunt. Mind you, am not questioning his talent yet, i’ve not made up my mind beyond him being “fast”. “How fast”, “how good”, there are niggling doubts, which he seemingly doesn’t help. Lewis, year round has had the benefit of fast and reliable machinery and what he has done with it, is good but not excellent. Michael, Fangio, Prost, Ayrton(Lewis’s Idol ironically), they all would have and have obliterated the competition, whenever they had the chance. Case in point is Schumi’s championship years 2002, 2004. Have we forgotten 1989(15 wins for McLaren)??? Oh, am an Indian by the by, so have no vested interest, not associated with any teams or FIA, in case you wondered.

    Kubica, he did well to hold station and win a race when he could. Won points on a regular basis. No doubt about the fact that BMW is somewhat inferior in performance to Ferrari and McLaren, even if just as or a little bit more reliable machine than the competition. In all, he has done a considerable job to stay in the hunt. Does he deserve it, in case he stumbles upon it? As the saying goes, “you have to be there to take advantage of luck”, he deserves it 100%, at least in my view.

    Massa, his year was riddled with false starts at the beginning of the year. Then back to back wins and in the middle of the year back to back wins again. There are no two ways, about him making a poor start in the season, then a very bad case of driving in Silverstone. However, i think to castigate him on the basis of that alone, will be foolish. His superb performance in Hungary and Singapore GP, put paid to by a blown engine and a faulty fuel rig, robbed him of valuable points. More than Hamilton, he has lost points which do not reflect well on his abilities and performance this year. Overall, he could have done better, but he still has done enough in my books to “deserve” the title. Not as much as Kubica though, but Massa deserves it indeed.

    So my ranking of preference would be…
    Kubica
    Massa
    and must i choose Hamilton??? Don’t get me wrong, he’s good, but others are doing a better job with what they have.

  110. Let’s face it Ferrari want tyo win by hook or by crook they have the FIA working for them to. Massa the crasher is out there to day knowing that he can nudge Hamilton of the track without to much of a penalty, it they win this way it is a hollow victory just like last year. Let’s see if I’m right. Ferrari are jelous of Mclaren and the team drivers,Alonso also hates so much he is going to help Massa. Under this pressure Hamilton win today he deserves to be World Champion. For sure Ferrari will be running a very light fuel load maybe enough for 10 laps if Mclaren are smart they will run a 8 lap fuel load to ensure Massa does not shunt Hamilton on the first corner, Maybe Ferrari should put Bull Bars on the front of Massa’s car.

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