Podcast 195: Bahrain Grand Prix 2016

Our coverage of the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

More Fun with Cars: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Hosts: Jim Lau & Robin Warner

Podcast 194: Australian Grand Prix 2016

Our coverage of the 2016 Australian Grand Prix

More Fun with Cars: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Hosts: Jim Lau & Robin Warner

Podcast 193: Formula 1 2016 Update

Our update ahead of the 2016 Formula 1 season

More Fun with Cars: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Hosts: Jim Lau & Robin Warner

Podcast 192: Formula 1 2015 Review

Our review of the 2015 Formula 1 season

More Fun with Cars: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Hosts: Jim Lau & Robin WarnerJamey Price

Photos from the race we discussed at Circuit of the Americas:

IMG_4274 IMG_4273

Podcast 191: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2015

Our coverage of the 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Battle of the Finns for Fourth. For Reals!

The 2015 Formula 1 season wraps up this weekend in Abu Dhabi, but Lewis Hamilton already claimed the driver’s championship, his third, a month ago. What’s worse, Rosberg and Vettel also secured second and third place, respectively.

But fourth! Well…

Fourth in the championship is undeclared and could prove both exciting and important. Call it the battle of the Finns. Valtteri Bottas currently holds the mark by a single point. Kimi Raikkonen, his countryman and oldest driver on the grid and 2007 Formula 1 World Champion, has 135 points and, based on Friday free practice times at least, the quicker car. The elder of the two also has a second place finish in Bahrain. The best Bottas managed this year is third, which means a tie in points falls Raikkonen’s way. It couldn’t be closer.

The graph below shows every possible outcome.

Points Matrix2015cropped

They could finish 111 different ways. Green goes to Bottas, which happens in 56 cases, blue means Raikkonen triumphs, 55 chances of that. The numbers in the boxes equal the margin of victory (Raikkonens are negative because of the math I used).

Actually three drivers could claim the most coveted available spot. Felipe Massa, currently sixth, is 18 points behind Raikkonen. But for Massa to take it, he’d have to win the race and have the good fortune of both Bottas and Raikkonen finishing seventh or worse. Not impossible, though the rule of probability effectively throws him out, so we’re back to Finland.

Okay, my money won’t bet on either one winning the race, but just about any other result is plausible. One of them on the podium even creeps towards likely. All things considered, Raikkonen stands with momentum, the faster car, and more resourceful team on his side. I think he’ll take it. But, if Bottas holds position and finishes the season in fourth, he may very well join Vettel in Ferrari red in 2017.

-Robin Warner

Podcast 190: Brazilian Grand Prix

Our coverage of the 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix

Podcast 189: Mexican Grand Prix 2015

Our coverage of the 2015 Mexican Grand Prix

Podcast 188: United States Grand Prix 2015

Our coverage of the 2015 United States Grand Prix

Podcast 187: Russian Grand Prix 2015

Our coverage of the 2015 Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix

Motorsport For Enthusiasts.