Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race - Hungary

[CarlosFerreira]

Time to kick off the IIDOTR discussion and voting for the Hungarian GP. Juts to remind everyone, this award

is based on the assumption that, at any moment in time, there is a non-zero probability that even the slowest, most inexperienced and least reliable of underdogs might win the race. That under every rock, there might be a gold nugget. This is the award for that first podium that we all celebrate, for the first win that everyone cheers to, for Force India's first points finish. This is the award, in short, for the driver or team that makes you go "Woah! Where did THAT come from?!".

Just remember: this is a feel-good award, that will focus on nothing but track action.

Let's hear it, people!

[Wizzie]

My candidates:
Usually Quick Nick Heidfeld: Put that beast of a car in 2nd in FP3
Sebastian Buemi: His 4th in FP3 has been noticed.
McLaren Mercedes: Looks like the top Mercedes powered team so far this weekend... a far cry from earlier this season

[BlindCaveSalamander]

Alonso should be mentioned as well, good job by him to get it up right to the front, if not the pole.

[Captain Hammer]

It's probably far too soon, but pieces of Barrichello's car were everyhwere today ...

[tristan1117]

Alonso on pole was a shocker for sure. However, we don't even need FIA fuel weights to tell he is running on fumes.

[alvaro3d]

Alonso on pole was a shocker for sure. However, we don't even need FIA fuel weights to tell he is running on fumes.

Maybe FIA lost the weights as did with q3 times and we will in suspense until race

But is very possible because this GP is sponsored mainly by ING

FORMULA 1 ING MAGYAR NAGYDIJ 2009

Remember: Spain 2008

[CarlosFerreira]

I'm gonna vote for Buemi, so far. OK, it's a great new piece of kit, that Red Bull, but still! 11th!

I'll reserve the judgement on Alonso until I see the weights.

[Pedro_Diniz]

Going with Buemi so far. Really hoped he'd make it into Q1 but 11th is still great.

[Wizzie]

Qualifying is now over and I'm going with Buemi for putting the Toro Rosso in 11th (now 10th)

[CarlosFerreira]

Some nominations:

McLaren, for an against-the-odds win. I remind you months ago people were discussing if the team could be banned as a result of the mess in Australia.
Timo "sideways" Glock. Slowly but surely, out of nowhere, great drive.
KERS. First, second and fifth.

[Waris]

It's predictable, but Lewis Hamilton. Man, that sure was an infinitely improbable win.

[RAK]

Lewis Hamilton. Coasted to his first victory this year.

[watka]

Lewis Hamilton easily. Honourable second to Glock for a great drive through the field. It's a shame that Toyota can't both qualify and race well.

[Enrique Bernoldi]

Yep, think Hamilton wins this round. Reminded me of Damon Hill's performance in '97, except, you know, without the bit where the car died on the last few laps.

[watka]

Yep, think Hamilton wins this round. Reminded me of Damon Hill's performance in '97, except, you know, without the bit where the car died on the last few laps.

The difference between this and Hill though was that McLaren were expected to be able to build a race winning car for this season, and Arrows never were.

[shinji]

It pains me to say it, but it's got to be Hamilton. That despite Kovalainen showing well too, so it was all down to the car. I'm not giving up that shread of anti-Lewis hope. Glock did very well again, doing what he tends to do. Randomly popping up in the points after qualifying badly.

[Enrique Bernoldi]

Yep, think Hamilton wins this round. Reminded me of Damon Hill's performance in '97, except, you know, without the bit where the car died on the last few laps.

The difference between this and Hill though was that McLaren were expected to be able to build a race winning car for this season, and Arrows never were.

True, but after the first race this season, McLaren wern't expected to win a race either!

[Chilled Phill]

Yes, but Arrows never really improved their car as much as McLaren did in the build up to the weekend.

Anyway, Arrows had an unfavoured Yamaha engine on Bridgestone tyres (making their début year, iirc) and the car had only scored a point (Hill at Silverstone) up to that point in the season.

[Pedro_Diniz]

Lewis I s'pose....

[Wizzie]

Even though I've never been a Lewis fan I'm going to have to nominate him as my IIDOTR candidate.

[Yannick]

Glock coming from far back to get into the points.

[CarlosFerreira]

I also want to post a vote for Alguersuari. All weekend, he didn't hit anything and kept it straight and true, if not as fast as you'd like. Beat probability there, I suppose.

This time around, I am closing the vote next Friday evening (31st July). It doesn't make much sense to keep it going until net race, in the third week of August...

[Alianora La Canta]

I'd like to nominate Glock for climbing up the positions unobtrusively. When I saw him 3rd at one point in the race (albeit out of position through pit stops) it was something of an eye-opener.

[Wizzie]

I'd like to nominate Glock for climbing up the positions unobtrusively. When I saw him 3rd at one point in the race (albeit out of position through pit stops) it was something of an eye-opener.

And the way he stayed to the back of Raikkonen (it was tyre assisted to an extent though) was particually note worthy.

[thehemogoblin]

Lewis Hamilton... *sigh*

[Ross Prawn]

Lewis's performance has looked on the cards since Monaco. Particularly on a high downforce track. The only improbable thing was that he didn't fling it off the track this time.

Has to be Glock. Great drive from the back.

[CarlosFerreira]

All right, time to close the poll and count the votes.

It was a very close vote this time around, and although the winner was predictable, he didn't quite make it as comfortably as you might reasonably expect.

But first, here's the who's-who:

NOMINEE VOTED BY
Nick Heidfeld - Wizzie
Sebastian Buemi - Wizzie
McLaren Mercedes - Wizzie
Fernando Alonso - BlindCaveSalamander
Pieces of Barrichello's car - Captain Hammer
Fernando Alonso - tristan1117
Sebastian Buemi - CarlosFerreira
Sebastian Buemi - Pedro_Diniz
Sebastian Buemi - Wizzie
McLaren Mercedes - CarlosFerreira
Timo Glock - CarlosFerreira
KERS - CarlosFerreira
Lewis Hamilton - Waris
Lewis Hamilton - RAK
Lewis Hamilton - watka
Timo Glock - watka
Lewis Hamilton - Enrique Bernoldi
Lewis Hamilton - shiji
Timo Glock - shiji
Lewis Hamilton - Pedro_Diniz
Lewis Hamilton - Wizzie
Timo Glock - Yannick
Jaime Alguersuari - CarlosFerreira
Timo Glock - Alianora La Canta
Timo Glock - Wizzie
Lewis Hamilton - Mr. the-"Note Spelling"-hemogoblin
Timo Glock - Rossa Prawn

And the winner is... with much sighing and eye-rolling... Lewis Hamilton. No surprise there, huh?

NOMINEE VOTES
Nick Heidfeld - 1
Sebastian Buemi - 4
McLaren Mercedes - 2
Fernando Alonso - 2
Pieces of Barrichello's car - 1
Timo Glock - 7
KERS - 1
Lewis Hamilton - 8
Jaime Alguersuari - 1

Note, however, the number of votes on Timo Glock's performance, almost toppling Hamilton. Buemi gets a few votes for his Qualifying prowess, only for the the probability to catch up with him in the race, and having a dismal, quasi-reject performance.

That's round 3. Against all probability , after a good start with lots of people voting, IIDOTR is now going to take a break, while waiting for the F1 circus ("guess who's the clown" is a great family game for those warm Summer evenings) to come back. A IIDOTR-2009 leaderboard will be posted sometime next week, as will be a proposal for the IIDOTY. Yup, there's gonna be one, tin-foil hat and everything. Can't wait for the result of that.

Cheers all, and thanks for voting!