The Top Dog for China is...
- Published on Apr 18th, 2011 by Benson Jammichello"Hot Rod or Hot Dog" is our regular post-grand prix column where we review all of the driver performances in that race. As part of the process, one driver is declared as Badger's "Top Dog"; it's not necessarily the winner and, to be honest, it could be for anything - even driving into the wrong pit box...
It has to be...Hamilton
That was a bit of alright, wasn't it?
An entertaining race with a number of great drives and, even as this article is being written, we're still not sure who we're going for. This is live Badger decision making. Exciting, isn't it?
Yes, the overtaking had a frisson of artificiality about it, but it's overtaking and means that (should it continue) the races are always changing. Let's just hope that there continue to be races where the teams at the top continue to take different strategy decisions.
We think the Top Dog it could be any one of Hamilton (he won, innit?), Webber (a great drive from the back), Massa (beating Alonso should never be underestimated) or Rosberg (a very solid performance, that, in weaker races, would probably have been enough).
Who to go for?
<Time for a pause, a tea break in the Sett and a think>
Right, we think it has to go to Hamilton. To be honest, it was either him or Webber, but Hamilton's drive was so good and, when added to the fact that he's the first to beat Vettel this season, he has to take the prestigious Top Dog prize.
From his car being repaired in the garage and then still on the grid, to jumping Vettel at the start and passing any number of people throughout the race (including his team mate - always a tricky one), Hamilton once again showed that he and Kobayashi are the most incisive passers in F1. He also won a race in which he didn't just have the fastest car and wasn't able to simply motor round at the front without a care in the world (not looking at anyone in particular, Mr. Vettel...)
The three stop strategy worked so well for him because he was, throughout most of the race, on tyres that allowed him to take the fight to those around him. Now, you can't run that sort of strategy unless you know your driver is a) quick, b) has the ability to overtake and c) is able to manage his tyres. Thankfully, Hamilton managed all three.
A great performance, a well deserved win and, hopefully, the start of a season-long battle with Vettel's Red Bull.
One last point - and it's just a teeny tiny request Lewis - please get rid of that stupid beard. You have a jawline. Use it.
Graphic by Unlap - the superb motorsport-themed threads company
Comments and Discussion
Ha ha! Beard ..
a lot of hamilton's overtaking didn't use the DRS either. respect!
Hamilton also gets top marks for his yellow helmet and red overalls.
I'm going to have to disagree! The insane performance put in by Webber in the second half of the race won it for me. given ten more laps, maybe even 5, and he'd probably have won the thing he was so quick.
Hamilton was ace, but for me Webber edged it in terms of comebackability (that#s an official word by the way!).
Ellen: quite
Adam: I think from now on (or at least this season) we're going to start categorising overtaking differently. With/without any driver aids etc.
Willi: Red, yellow - I'm colour blind so goodness only knows what I'm seeing.
Richard: I thought carefully about Webber, but I think most of his passing was done on tyres so much faster than his competitors that Hamilton shaded it. And he won, which always counts for something.
Lovely controlled aggression for Lewis. Passed his team mate too...top drive in what is clearly not the best car.
A good choice as Lewis had a rep for destroying his tyres early on in his career. Considering that is Button's forte, credit to the younger Brit for adapting his style to suit the new regs. After all, that's how champions are made.
does anyone know why the mclaren drivers had red overalls on saturday and the usual white ones on sunday?
Euan, according to http://www.formula1.com (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/4/11943.html) they "wore distinctive black and red overalls as part of a new Hugo Boss marketing initiative."
As ever in F1, it's all about the money.
Don't be too cynic. I, for one, liked the red overalls, esp. with Hamilton's yellow helmet. It's nice to see those colors within a McLaren ... again
. PS Sorry to hear about your color blindness.
I think his strategy of saving his tyres in qualifying will set a new trend for all drivers only doing one run. This could mean if a driver messes up his one lap he will be down in tenth with no advantage over any one else
Yes this will change Q3 with most drivers choosing to do 1 run to save tyres, and probably all at the same time at the end getting in each others way.
If your gf was Nicole Scherwhatever and she said she got hot over stupid beards, you'd have a stupid beard.
Good to know what your stance on that one is, Dave
Dave, as the proud possessor of a beard I can honestly day that if I was asked to shave it into a thin strip along my jawline, I would refuse. It looks daft.
This drum will keep being banged until he does something about it.
What if he grows it out and puts pink beads in it? We'd be harking back to the glory days of the 'panic handle' beard.