[sato113]

2007-2013

Vettel – 29 wins
From pole: 22 (76%)
From 2nd: 5 (17%)
From 3rd or behind: 2 (7%)

Hamilton – 21 wins
From pole: 11 (52%)
From 2nd: 6 (29%)
From 3rd or behind: 4 (19%)

Alonso – 17 wins*
From pole: 5 (29%)
From 2nd: 3 (18%)
From 3rd or behind: 9 (53%)

*and many more pre-2007!

[the_sigman]

Seasons with bad cars since 2007
Alonso 3
Hamilton 1
Vettel 1,5

Still Vettel’s record is quite impressive.

[Jon Sandor]

You’re done your sums wrong. Vettel won from “3rd or behind” twice, not once.

In any case here is some historical context for you.

1984 – 1991
Ayrton Senna – 33 wins (and three WDC’s)

From pole: 28 (85%)
From front row: 31 (94%)
From 3rd or behind: 2 (6%)

[Nathan]

So then, which one would you like to have in your own private F1 team, besides a fine no2 ?? You can pick _only_ one of them.

[the_sigman]

I am between Alonso and Vettel. Vettel is a better qualifier and Alonso more consistent.

[Ben Needham]

@il-ferrarista , that’s an interesting question and in many ways it depends on the car. If I owned Red Bull for example, I’d happily keep Vettel, as he’s proven himself apt at leading from the front in a strong car. If I was a midfield team with the option to sign any of the three, I think I’d take Hamilton as he’s more of a fighter, dragging the car to it’s maximum potential + a bit! … and as for Alonso, he’s an absolute all rounder but the other two are better long-term prospects…

[sato113]

sorry there was bound to be a mistake ;) think i’ve fixed it. he has 21 pole wins, not 23.

[Kingshark]

Damn, Alonso needs to start winning a lot more again. It’s hard to believe that he still hasn’t won a WDC since 2005-06. Although in all fairness, he did finished runner-up 3 times from 2007-2012, consider it a Stirling Moss effort.

As for Hamilton and Vettel; Lewis had the better car in 2007 and 2008, Vettel had the better car since 2009 (though in 2012 McLaren was quicker, Red Bull was superior altogether). Overall, both have done a genuinely equally good job; although I’d have to give a nod to Vettel, as he hasn’t yet blow a whole season like Lewis did in 2011.

[Journeyer]

For more historical context:

1985–1991
Alain Prost – 28 wins
From pole: 5 (18%)
From 2nd: 7 (25%)
From 3rd or behind: 16 (57%)

Ayrton Senna – 33 wins (thanks to @jonsan for this!)
From pole: 28 (85%)
From 2nd: 3 (9%)
From 3rd or behind: 2 (6%)

2000-2006
Michael Schumacher – 56 wins
From pole: 31 (55%)
From 2nd: 14 (25%)
From 3rd or behind: 11 (20%)

2007-2013
Kimi Raikkonen – 11 wins
From pole: 3 (27%)
From 2nd: 3 (27%)
From 3rd or behind: 5 (45%)

My basic analysis on this:

1. Senna’s wins-from-pole statistic is insane (85%) and only Vettel comes close (76%). And yet, Vettel gets flak for only being able to win from pole while Senna doesn’t.
2. Schumacher and Hamilton have similar wins-from-pole numbers (at 55% and 52% respectively), but Schumacher has 5 titles to Hamilton’s 1. It seems that, for all of Hamilton’s reputation as a great qualifier, he needs to get on pole a little more often to have more chances at winning.
3. Take a look at Alonso’s stats. Of the drivers I posted above, whose stats does it resemble the most? Alain Prost. It’s quite remarkable how the two are so alike. Kimi Raikkonen is also very similar to them in this statistic.

[sato113]

@journeyer nice one. although dont you need to change ‘from front row’ to ‘from 2nd’?

[Lucas Wilson]

@journeyer

I’ve always thought that Alonso was a bit like Prost. Albeit a rather nicer version :-)

[Juan Pablo Heidfeld]

Crazy how often Alonso has won from behind, highlights his and Ferrari’s weakness: Qualifying.

[Journeyer]

@sato113 Changed. Ta! :)

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