The "Top Dog" for Malaysia is...
- Published on Apr 11th, 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 - not having a stupid beard, for instance (not looking at anyone in particular)...
It has to be...Heidfeld
The second Renault driver to claim the prestigious Top Dog award in two races but, this time, it's the one we were all expecting.
After a great start by both Renault drivers, only one of them proved calm, cool and collected enough to run through to the finish (just as an aside, we believed in you Vitaly. We believed. Never again will we be hoodwinked in such a manner). Here's a hint. He's small, German and just looks really friendly.
For someone to come into a team at fairly late notice to drive a car designed without his input, Heidfeld's performance in Australia was still well below par. From such an experienced driver, we expected more.
In Malaysia the contrast could hardly have been more stark. From sixth on the grid, he shot past Webber's Red Bull (although, to be fair, who didn't?), Button, Alonso, and Hamilton at the start to be challenging for the lead.
From then on it was Heidfeld at his best: quick, consistent and unflappable. He managed, in changing conditions and a plethora of pit stops, to bring the car home on the podium. Yes, had Hamilton not lost all pace in the final part of the race and yes, had Alonso not broken his nose on Hamilton's rear end (cheeky Badger) then he wouldn't have come home third, but he'd put himself in a position to take advantage of precisely those sort of mishaps.
As the man himself said: " It's another great result...and it's clear the team has taken a big step forward this year.” While we might disagree with "a big step forward", it's clear the team as a whole have got off to a good start. Nick seems as though he'll be picking up the points - can Petrov step up and do the same without one-race-on, one-race-off syndrome?
Comments and Discussion
Firstly, good call, Ben. Secondly, huge respect for using 'hoodwinked' in an article.
Cheers Jimmy, I try, I try. I think I was a bigger fan of "plethora of pit stops".
Chuffed to bits here
There was a few outstanding drives in the race. Vettel and Webber for overcoming their KERS issues. Kobayash for being Kobayashi. All have been eclipsed by Quick Nick, well deserved for his race performance AND for the uneducated comments that he should be replaced after Melbourne. Who knows, his first win could happen this year?
Heidfeld drove beautifully yesterday but wasn't driver of the day for me
I think Vettel just pipped them.Mclaren were right there in qualifying with the Red Bulls and Vettel yet again pulled out a simply stunning lap and then in the race he controlled it very nicely without the KERS.
honourable mention to Webber also
Vettel is suffering from his own speed. He's so comfortable that it's not catching the eye, and that's costing him Top Dog status. As we all know full well, Seb likes to take the big four from a race weekend: pole, the win, fastest lap and Top Dog. This will be eating at him, I'm sure.
LOL @ Jimmy for the big four! As a consolation, give Vettel the Lap
.
Dog, for lapping the other drivers
Hats off to Heidfeld for this race. I was one of the `uneducated' ones
calling for Heidfeld's head after Melbourne. I still stand by my view
that Senna should be in the Lotus Renault -:).
As a side note, I see a pattern developing over the last 3 races:
Renault playing tail-gunner for Red Bull. In this weekend's race,
Heidfeld effectively prevented Lewis from having a fair go at Vettel
during the first part of the race. I don't see how that is helpful in
the interest of an exciting battle for the WDC, unless the Renault
drivers themselves aim to win it as well (unlikely).
Nick, I'm proud of you. Fantastic race and well deserved prize!
You're being a bit harsh towards Petrov I think. He most certainly is the only one to send his car flying on a bump (from the top of my head I remember. Hakkinen, Schumacher (the fast one) and Glock doing it, all in Australia). It happens.
You know before the race I was wondering if moving the pole side was a good idea. The track was swept of marbles before the race anyways and guess what almost everyone on the "new dirty side" got a better start than their "new clean side" counter parts
At least it seemed that way to me not even counting renaults because they just came out of somewhere else lol. (I think the good start came from their gear ratios)
I think they had it set up to not take advantage of drs in the race because heidfeld was so quick out of the hairpin onto the straight. He was gaining seemingly multiple car lengths in the first 200 meters which you could say is similar to what happened at the start the start ^^
As for the rudderless russian I love him even more after his brief trip on genii airways hope he's ok though.