Vote for your 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Driver of the Weekend

33 comments on “Vote for your 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Driver of the Weekend”

1. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   26th November 2017, 20:49

   Bottas easily for both DOTW and DOTR.
2. 

   LosD (@losd)
   26th November 2017, 21:02

   No one reaaaalllly stands out. While it’s getting so frequent so it’s not really that special anymore (which I guess tells a lot of good about his consistency), I went with Alonso for getting all from the car.
   1. 

      The Skeptic (@)
      29th November 2017, 9:00

      I went with Fernando for being the only driver to pull off a genuine overtake ion the whole race – in a slower car!
3. 

   Kribana (@krichelle)
   26th November 2017, 21:13

   Valterri deserves this hands down.
4. 

   Philip (@philipgb)
   26th November 2017, 21:21

   Despite Eddie Jordan talking rubbish, Bottas took pole, led every lap, and resisted pressure from Hamilton without cracking. His best weekend to date and a glimmer of hope he won’t just be a rear gunning number 2.
   1. 

      hobo (@hobo)
      27th November 2017, 15:10

      @philipgb – If you’re speaking figuratively, disregard. But Bottas did not lead between his and Hamilton’s pit stops.

      I do imagine Bottas will be allowed to race Hamilton next year, but unless he unlocks a new level he will remain a number 2 driver (imo).
5. 

   Patrick (@paeschli)
   26th November 2017, 21:39

   Can someone explain to me how Stroll has the sam=e amount of Votes as Massa?

   Anyway, I voted Hulkenberg. He was the only driver who was really under pressure to perform ahead of this race and he managed it perfectly.
6. 

   dutchtreat (@dutchtreat)
   26th November 2017, 22:10

   Sorry,
   but Lance Stroll is one of the worst drivers I have ever seen. Please Williams, dump this guy asap….
7. 

   WheelToWheel (@lolzerbob)
   26th November 2017, 22:31

   Kind of confused how Hulkenberg has so many votes, considering he earned a 5 second penalty due to his fault, so it can’t have been a perfect race. Anyway, i voted for Bottas, he was perfect this weekend.
   1. 

      Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      26th November 2017, 22:54

      @lolzerbob His P6 finish gave him P10 in the WDC and P6 for Renault in the WCC. I’m not so sure the penalty was 100% his fault.
      1. 

         Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
         27th November 2017, 9:46

         But his drive was not perfect on the whole. As he cut the corner and didn’t give the place back and only got a tiny penalty. Then he ran wide again later in a corner and cut it to pass Grosjean. But he did give it back this time. But running wide twice and breaking the rules once isn’t enough to be driver of the weekend IMO. Without these mistakes, his drive will have looked far better. That said, his finishing position was good.

         About the penalty he got, Perez pushed him wide (which can be done), but instead of rejoining the track where he should have, he flawed it and gained an advantage by cutting the corner. That is to me what makes it his fault. And as overtaking is difficult here, that penalty was effectively meaningless. As he still got past Perez and pulled away over 5 seconds. Given how difficult it is to overtake here, it is unlikely he will have managed to get past so quickly if it wasn’t for that illegal overtake.
   2. 

      Philip (@philipgb)
      26th November 2017, 23:03

      How many places did that penalty cost him?

      How many positions did cutting the corner gain him?

      It was unsporting, but it delivered a result.
8. 

   ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
   26th November 2017, 23:49

   Stroll?? Really??
   1. 

      FreddyVictor
      27th November 2017, 8:05

      I’m guessing thats an ironc vote !
      I agree with @dutchtreat‘s opinion of him ….
9. 

   Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
   27th November 2017, 0:48

   Vettel. Good work also by Bottas, Hulkenberg.
10. 

    KnGS (@)
    27th November 2017, 0:50

    Wehrlein out qualified and beat his teammate. The racing he and Magnussen had made a 2/10 a 3/10. Didn’t give it to KMag as, unsportsmanlike behavior while being lapped.
    1. 

       Phylyp (@phylyp)
       27th November 2017, 6:57

       @godoff1 – I didn’t feel as bad for Sauber before as I did yesterday when I saw their 2016 engine beaten by Haas’s 2017 engine. I cannot wait to see where they end up next year with a current power unit.
       1. 

          KnGS (@)
          27th November 2017, 11:09

          With a lineup of Wehrlein and Leclerc, well. They’d be point scorers even if their car isn’t. Ericsson is a decent driver who may match Wehrlein on pace but racecraft is Wehrlein’s forte. What a difference another F1 team could make. Drivers who deserve a seat like Wehrlein, Kvyat and Giovinazzi could race in F1. Williams must really need money if they need Stroll in a seat.
11. 

    GeeMac (@geemac)
    27th November 2017, 9:10

    Bottas, hands down. Pole position, race win and fastest lap all have his name next to them at the end of a weekend when everyone expected one of the four time world champions to take the spoils. He did a very, very good job and I can only hope that this gives him a massive confidence boost going into next season.
12. 

    Godwin Joseph (@godwin)
    27th November 2017, 9:26

    Bottas!
13. 

    Aaditya (@neutronstar)
    27th November 2017, 10:03

    I can’t help but think Hulkenberg was trying too hard in the race. Onboard footage from one of his later laps in the race showed him locking up twice in three corners…and of course, there were those off-track excursions involving turn one on lap 1, turn 11 with Perez, and later in the race with Grosjean.

    Although I think the penalty he got was fair and his pace in clear air was excellent, his race was rather scruffy when battling with other cars. As a Hulk fan I’m glad he got sixth, but I also wish he had done so cleanly (I’m pretty sure there was no malice in his move over Perez, however, contrary to what Force India seem to be implying). So, the end result is bittersweet for me.

    I gave the vote to Bottas…there’s not much more he could have done. A perfect job.
    1. 

       nase
       27th November 2017, 20:56

       @neutronstar

       I can’t help but think Hulkenberg was trying too hard in the race.

       The result says: Hard, but not too hard. There was no way he could’ve finished any higher than he did, while Sainz’ race showed that the competition from P7 onward (if Ricciardo hadn’t retired) was pretty stiff. Yes, his race wasn’t perfectly clean (especially considering how he got ahead of Pérez), but maybe he wouldn’t have had the same result without pushing the car outside of its comfort zone, even if he ended up overdriving a little.
14. 

    Aaditya (@neutronstar)
    27th November 2017, 10:07

    Sorry for the stilted grammar…maybe I should really proofread before posting a comment.
15. 

    hahostolze (@hahostolze)
    27th November 2017, 10:32

    Hulk.
16. 

    Dewald Nel (@ho3n3r)
    27th November 2017, 11:58

    I’m not a fan of Alonso the person, but the driver is just ridiculous. That car shouldn’t be near fighting a Williams, but somehow he does it most weeks.

    I think other drivers should be frightened of what he can do next year if the Renault engine is the most improved compared to the others.
    1. 

       Phylyp (@phylyp)
       27th November 2017, 14:24

       @ho3n3r – interesting to see how many of us there are – who are somehow turned off by Alonso’s personality, but can’t help but admire his racecraft. The guy is like a knife, or a running chainsaw. Even if his qualifying is compromised, he ends up making places in the race. If only he’d not burned his bridges…
       1. 

          Dewald Nel (@ho3n3r)
          27th November 2017, 14:32

          Martin Brundle said during one race weekend that the reason he is where he is, is because of [whatever thing he said then, plenty of examples].

          If it wasn’t for 2007 and all his snarky, demoralising radio messages, he would probably be next to Hamilton in the Merc by now.
17. 

    BigJoe
    27th November 2017, 12:00

    Alonso
    I imagine he would have found it much easier to win in the Mercedes then place the Honda where he did.
    1. 

       Phylyp (@phylyp)
       27th November 2017, 14:25

       Ha ha. If he were in the Merc, Alonso would have won the on-track race and the Esports race at the same time.
18. 

    ILuvSoundtracks (@)
    27th November 2017, 14:17

    Valtteri Bottas
19. 

    Gary
    27th November 2017, 16:28

    Lance Stroll; his Dad deposited another $2.0 million in Williams’ bank account.
20. 

    montreal95 (@montreal95)
    28th November 2017, 13:37

    Hulkenberg for me. Absolutely perfect all weekend and he gave Renault an extra few million to play with next season.

    Bottas was also excellent and beat Hamilton fair and square.
    Vettel got the maximum out of the Ferrari.
    Alonso was another contender for DotW with another top notch performance in the McHonda
    Perez and Ocon did the usual good job for FI
    Massa was very good in his final race weekend, humiliating Stroll.

    Which brings me to awful performances: Stroll leads that list with a pathetic weekend.
    The STR boys hadn’t exactly covered themselves in glory either.
    Ericsson has been thoroughly dealt with by Wehrlein for 2nd straight race. Pity he’s the one with the bigger chance to stay in F1
21. 

    PJA (@pja)
    1st December 2017, 20:15

    No drivers really impressed me this weekend as if often the case when I don’t enjoy the race, and if I were to give individual drivers marks out of ten then at most there would be an 8 but there wouldn’t be any 9 or 10s.

    While I do not think that any driver was outstanding there were obviously still some who were better than the rest and so I chose Bottas as my driver of the weekend with Hulkenberg second.

    Bottas didn’t do anything wrong this weekend and he managed to achieve the hat trick of pole, fastest lap and race win.

    Some people were trying to big up his performance because he beat Hamilton in a fair fight, however it seemed that it was more a case of Hamilton underperforming than Bottas having an exceptional weekend.

    Just like the other time that Hamilton won the title before the end of the season his level dropped in the subsequent races. If he had not already sealed the championship I do not think he would have crashed in qualifying in Brazil and that he would have got pole in Abu Dhabi.

    But Bottas still got the job done this weekend and you can’t blame him if others don’t perform to their best.

    It was vital for Renault in the constructors championship to score points this weekend to finish ahead of Toro Rosso and the millions extra in prize money that will bring and Hulkenberg delivered being best of the rest in qualifying and the race.

    The stewards should have made Hulkenberg give the place back when he overtook Perez by cutting the corner instead of the five second penalty at the pit stop, this enabled Hulkenberg to pull a big enough gap to maintain the position after the pit stop and so to render the penalty meaningless.

    I suppose you could give credit to Hulkenberg for not voluntarily giving the position back knowing that either the stewards would order him to do it or the time punishment would be such that he could overcome it, just as he did.

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