F1 Fanatics have voted Sebastian Vettel as 2011 Driver of the Year.
The world champion was picked by 43.9% of readers when asked to name the best driver of 2011.
Jenson Button claimed second place with 27.8% of votes. Fernando Alonso was third with 16.2% of votes.
Last year’s winner Lewis Hamilton could only muster 20 votes, just six more than Heikki Kovalainen.
2011 F1 Fanatic Driver Rankings
- 2011 F1 driver rankings: 28-16
- 2011 F1 driver rankings: 15-6
- 2011 F1 driver rankings no.5: Lewis Hamilton
- 2011 F1 driver rankings no.4: Nico Rosberg
- 2011 F1 driver rankings no.3: Jenson Button
- 2011 F1 driver rankings no.2: Fernando Alonso
- 2011 F1 driver rankings no.1: Sebastian Vettel
Pass of the Year: Mark Webber on Fernando Alonso
Mark Webber’s pass on Fernando Alonso at Eau Rouge in Spa was voted the best pass of 2011. It was picked by 46% of readers.
In a bumper year for overtaking, Vettel took the runner-up place for his pass on Alonso in the Italian Grand Prix, which was chosen by 20.4%.
In third place was another pass on Alonso – this time by Hamilton in the German Grand Prix, as voted by 9.0% of you.
Previous winners
- 2010: Robert Kubica on Jenson Button in Valencia
- 2009: Kamui Kobayashi on Jenson Button in Abu Dhabi
- 2008: Felipe Massa on Heikki Kovalainen and Rubens Barrichello in Canada
Overtaker of the Year: Jenson Button
Jenson Button received the most votes for Overtaker of the Year, taking 28.8% of your votes.
It was a close-run thing behind him: Hamilton was runner-up with 19.9%, Webber third on 17.4% and Schumacher fourth on 16.2%.
Previous winners
2011 F1 season review
- The 2011 F1 season: The complete F1 Fanatic review
- Your 2011 F1 predictions revisited
- 2011 F1 statistics part 3: Stats and facts highlights
- 2011 F1 statistics part two: Vettel’s domination
- 2011 F1 statistics part one: car performance
- New 2011 rules produced best racing of last four years
- What F1 Fanatics really thought of the 2011 season
- Sebastian Vettel voted F1 Fanatic Driver of the Year
- F1 Fanatic’s article highlights of 2011
- Dominant Red Bull join F1’s top teams
Image ?é?® Red Bull/Getty images
sw6569 (@sw6569)
25th December 2011, 9:03
A good collective decision. I didn’t like him winning everything but Vettel was outstanding this year.
Merry Christmas to all you F1 Fanatics too – and Keith, go have some Turkey and Wine!
bananarama (@bananarama)
25th December 2011, 13:25
As a friend of mine put it: annoying but inevitable. Nevertheless Vettel was really good, greatly improved from last season, great in qualifying and champion, who else was to pick.. except Alonso ;-)
rapidroller (@rdave0803)
25th December 2011, 9:13
Well deserved for Vettel, he was exceptional this season.
Finally, merry christmas to all the F1 fanatics.
Fixy (@)
25th December 2011, 9:14
It’s a positive sign if the battle for overtaker of the year has been so closely fought!
Vettel was so flawless the real news would’ve been him not being nominated driver of the year!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
26th December 2011, 10:10
@Fixy COTD!
No way could you justify anything else.
BasCB (@bascb)
26th December 2011, 10:53
Exactly, actually its amazing that many people did not pick him for driver of the year. But many of those might have voted for someone else based on the expectation, that Vettel would win this by the same kind of margin he won the WDC this year anyway.
verstappen (@verstappen)
25th December 2011, 9:50
Still, I think Vettel-Rosberg at Blancimont was best. But I can live with this. Now all FIA / FOTA needs to do is quit DRS…
Mustalainen (@mustalainen)
25th December 2011, 18:35
@verstappen I agree, that overtake should have been top 3 at least! But one thing I’ve tried to remember is if Rosberg was on worse tires at that moment? Impressive anyhow..
Njack (@njack)
26th December 2011, 2:26
Vettel had pitted on lap 5 for new tires. Rosberg hadn’t.
Their respective lap times on lap 11 were 154.9 for Vettel and 2:00.8 for Rosberg. It looked nice but it was superior car and tire combo.
Outsider
26th December 2011, 3:49
Agreed. Vettel on Roaberg at blanchimont was the best!! I mean it’s pure madness to pass there!
Infi24r (@infi24r)
25th December 2011, 11:15
How on earth did Hamilton get anywere near the top of the best over taker? Webber done numerous amazing overtakes with only one collision, being with Felipe Massa (everyones favorite) at Monza. Lets not forget Webbers amazing drive at China and Monaco after he was screwed out of position with problems (KERS and Pit stop respectively)
I can’t even remember many significant overtaking moves by Hamilton this year, and if there was any they pale compared to his crashes.
Younger Hamii (@younger-hamii)
25th December 2011, 12:45
Silverstone – Overtaking down the inside of the most complete driver at a High speed corner that is damp/wet with Slicks should spring to mind.
Nurburgring – Opportunism at its finest from Hamilton,repassing Webber after being somewhat distracted by his Race Engineer & lets not forget Alonso again should we
Monaco – Though Schumacher gave him just enough room,Lewis’ desperation by passing down the rarest of corner;Saint Devote was another one & the controversial but yet completely unnoticeable by Fanatics,Lewis passing Massa through the Tunnel despite forcing him onto the dirty,dusty and punishing line of Monaco which once on your race is pretty much finished
bananarama (@bananarama)
25th December 2011, 13:19
Well, Alonso in Germany was against cold tyres and you can’t really count the one in the tunnel since Massas car was broken at that point anyway. And the pass on Schumacher was aided by the fact Schumacher made a bad shift up on the straight. In contrast to Button, Hamilton would probably have spent all race behind (as long as the stewards let Schumacher unpunished).
But all that put aside, one can’t argue that Hamilton is usually strong at doing aggressive overtakes.
rfs (@rfs)
25th December 2011, 14:13
Don’t forget about China. ;)
Younger Hamii (@younger-hamii)
25th December 2011, 12:49
I know this is a bit late but how can Hamilton’s overtake on Rosberg Australia last year not get Pass of 2010? –
https://www.racefans.net/2010/12/09/vote-for-the-best-f1-pass-of-2010/
GameR_K (@gamer_k)
26th December 2011, 5:51
McLaren was the only car with F-duct, remember?
F1fanNL (@)
25th December 2011, 14:18
“Hamilton was runner-up with 19.9%”
I LOL’d.
sato113 (@sato113)
25th December 2011, 23:15
nice! I can’t wait for the ‘rate the race’ review article.
sumedh
26th December 2011, 5:48
Why are there no pie-charts like last time?
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
26th December 2011, 10:12
Drivers of the year result is in the same order I would have put them, well, the top 3. It was close between Button and Alonso, but Button just nicked it for me.
BUtton over-taker of the year too, happy about it!