Alternate Alternate 1998 Championship

[James1978]

I've seen the alternative threads in this topic based on years with dominating teams/drivers taken out and points redistibuted, but I wanted to do a slightly different one to the one for 1998 which has already been done - I remember at university I had an e-mail from a mate joking that McLaren and Williams be disqualified from the 1998 chapionship for colluding on the 1997 Jerez GP, and also Michael Schumacher is kicked out due to deliberately trying to take out Villeneuve in the same race, and it ended with something like "Factories start pressing caps saying Damon Hill 1998 World Champion a year early"!

Then i said to him at the end of the year that he'd have been close, but would have been 2nd to Irvine, as everyone else above Hill in the final standings was a McLaren/Willams driver or Schumacher!

But what would happen if the points are redistributed? And also as a protest to Schumi being kicked out, Ferrari do not replace him and just run one car for Irvine!

I'll post it race-by-race......

[James1978]

Australia:

Only 5 drivers eligible complete enough laps to qualify for points, so no 6th place point awarded:

1. Irvine 10
2. Herbert 6
3. Wurz 4
4. Hill 3
5. Panis 2

[James1978]

Brazil:

Benettons dominate with only Irvine putting up any sort of challenge!

1. Wurz 10
2. Fisichella 6
3. Irvine 4
4. Alesi 3
5. Magnussen 2
6. Herbert 1 (he did enough laps to be eligible for points despite retiring with 4 laps left!)

Standing after 2 rounds:

1=: Irvine/Wurz 14
3: Herbert 7
4: Fisichella 6
5=: Hill/Alesi 3
7=: Panis/Magnussen 2

[James1978]

Argentina:

Goes by the formbook so far with Irvine just beating Wurz after a spirited battle!

1. Irvine
2. Wurz
3. Alesi
4. Fisichella
5. Hill
6. Barrichello

Standings:

1. Irvine 24
2. Wurz 20
3. Fisichella 9
4. Herbert 7 (ahead of Alesi becuase he had a 2nd in Australia)
5. Alesi 7
6. Hill 5
7= Panis/Magnussen 2
9. Barrichello 1

[James1978]

San Marino:

1. Irvine
2. Alesi
3. R Schumacher (wow, he gets off the mark way earlier than i thought he would have!)
4. Tuero!!!!
5. Salo
6. Hill (did enough laps to be classified)

Standings:

1. Irvine 34
2. Wurz 20
3. Alesi 13
4. Fisichella 9
5. Herbert 7
6. Hill 6
7. R Schumacher 4
8. Tuero 3
9=. Panis/Salo/Magnussen 2
12. Barrichello 1

BTW, I'll work out any ties at the end since I'm not that clever!

[James1978]

Spain:

Irvine and Fisichella crash while disputing the lead, leaving the spoils for Wurz!

1. Wurz
2. Barrichello
3. Herbert
4. Trulli (opening his account0
5. Alesi
6. R Schumacher

Standings:

1. Irvine 34
2. Wurz 30
3. Alesi 15
4. Herbert 11
5. Fisichella 9
6. Barrichello 7
7. Hill 6
8. R Schumacher 5
9= Trulli/Tuero 3
11= Panis/Salo/Magnussen 2

[James1978]

Monaco: The "wrong" Benetton wins for the championship as Wurz collides with...er...a Ferrari that he thinks is beside him but isn't.

Also Hill just about holds off Nakano for the final point (boo!):


1. Fisichella
2. Irvine
3. Salo
4. Diniz (yay!)
5. Herbert
6. Hill

Standings:

1. Irvine 40
2. Wurz 30
3. Fisichella 19
4. Alesi 15
5. Herbert 13
6. Barrichello 7 (ahead of Hill as his highest finish is 2nd to Hill's 4th)
7. Hill 7
8. Salo 6
9. R Schumacher 5
10= Trulli/Diniz/Tuero 3
13= Panis/Magnussen 2

[James1978]

Canada:

Easy win for Fisichella as his main two rivals Wurz and Irvine are delayed due to start pile-up:

1. Fisichella
2. Irvine
3. Wurz
4. Barrichello
5. Magnussen
6. Nakano

Standings:

1. Irvine 46
2. Wurz 34
3. Fisichella 29
4. Alesi 15
5. Herbert 13
6. Barrichello 10
7. Hill 7
8. Salo 6
9. R Schumacher 5
10. Magnussen 4
11= Trulli/Diniz/Tuero 3
14. Panis 2
15. Nakano 1

Only drivers yet to score are the two Tyrrells!!

[James1978]

France:

Goes to form as the top 6 drivers in the chapionship so far score all the points!

1. Irvine
2. Wurz
3. Alesi
4. Herbert
5. Fisichella
6. Barrichello

Standings:

1. Irvine 56
2. Wurz 40
3. Fisichella 31
4. Alesi 19
5. Herbert 16
6. Barrichello 11
7. Hill 7
8. Salo 6
9. R Schumacher 5
10. Magnussen 4
11= Trulli/Diniz/Tuero 3
14. Panis 2
15. Nakano 1

[James1978]

Great Britain:

Irvine and the Benettons pull further away!

1. Irvine
2. Wurz
3. Fisichella
4. R Schumacher
5. Nakano
6. Takagi

(Double points finish for Japan!)

Standings:

1. Irvine 66
2. Wurz 46
3. Fisichella 35
4. Alesi 19
5. Herbert 16
6. Barrichello 11
7. R Schumacher 8
8. Hill 7
9. Salo 6
10. Magnussen 4
11= Trulli/Diniz/Nakano/Tuero 3 (though Nakano is last on countback due to his points being a 5th and a 6th, the others still all have one 4th)
15. Panis 2
16. Takagi 1

(Only Rosset and Verstappen having replaced Magnussen yet to score!)

That second place in the alternate chapionship for Hill is looking a long way off at this point......

[shinji]

Really good work! Lovin' the Irvine lead/Nakano points

[James1978]

Glad you like it shinji!!

Austria:

Easy win for irvine after front-row sharers Fisichella and Alesi collide. Jordan score a double podium!!

1. Irvine
2. R Schumacher
3. Hill
4. Herbert
5. Wurz
6. Trulli

(Nakano missing a point by one place sadly )

Standings:

1. Irvine 76
2. Wurz 48
3. Fisichella 35
4. Herbert 19
5. Alesi 19 (Herbert ahead on countback with a 2nd in Australia)
6. R Schumacher 14
7. Barrichello 11
8. Hill 11 (Barrichello ahead of Hill again on countback with his 2nd in Spain)
9. Salo 6
10. Trulli 4
11. Magnussen 4 (Trulli's points are a 4th and 6th, Magnussen 2 5ths)
12= Diniz/Tuero 3 (1 4th)
14. Nakano 3 (1 5th, 1 6th)
15. Panis 2
16. Takagi 1

[James1978]

Germany:

Jordan dominate, but Ralf is annoyed as the team gave Hill a better one-stop strategy to his two-stop, when he was the leading Jordan driver in the championship (but not any more!). Plus he loses his home race! Fisichella just beats Irvine for best of the rest.

1. Hill
2. R Schumacher
3. Fisichella
4. Irvine
5. Alesi
6. Wurz

Standings:

1. Irvine 79
2. Wurz 49
3. Fisichella 39
4. Hill 21
5. Alesi 21 (Hill ahead on countback thanks to this win)
6. R Schumacher 20
7. Herbert 19
8. Barrichello 11
9. Salo 6
10. Trulli 4
11. Magnussen 4 (Trulli's points are a 4th and 6th, Magnussen 2 5ths)
12= Diniz/Tuero 3 (1 4th)
14. Nakano 3 (1 5th, 1 6th)
15. Panis 2
16. Takagi 1

[James1978]

Hungary: Easy win for Hill as leader Irvine's car breaks down in the early stages.

1. Hill
2. Alesi
3. Fisichella
4. R Schumacher
5. Herbert
6. Diniz!

Standings:

1. Irvine 79
2. Wurz 49
3. Fisichella 39
4. Hill 31 (he's certainly gaining on those Benettons!)
5. Alesi 27
6. R Schumacher 23
7. Herbert 21
8. Barrichello 11
9. Salo 6
10= Diniz/Trulli 4 (1 4th, 1 6th)
12. Magnussen (2 5ths)
13. Tuero 3 (1 4th)
14. Nakano (1 5th, 1 6th)
15. Panis 2
16. Takagi 1

[James1978]

Belgium:

More aggro from Ralf as team orders prevent him from attacking Hill after a large lead for Hill is wiped out by a safety car for Fischella colliding with Nakano when lapping him. The Benettons miss a golden opportunity to close the points gap to Irvine!

1. Hill
2. R Schumacher
3. Alesi
4. Diniz
5. Trulli
6. Nakano (who just scrapes enough laps to be classified after the safety car!)

Standings:

1. Irvine 79
2. Wurz 49
3. Fisichella 43
4. Hill 41
5. Alesi 31
6. R Schumacher 29
7. Herbert 21
8. Barrichello 11
9. Diniz 7
10. Salo 6
11. Trulli 6 (salo ahead on countback thanks to 3rd in Monaco)
12. Magnussen 4 (2 5ths)
13. Nakano 4 (1 5th, 2 6ths)
14. Tuero 3
15. Panis 2
16. Takagi 1

Irvine is therefore crowned champion in Belgium, even though Wurz can still tie on points with 3 wins and 3 DNFs in the remaining races for Irvine, Irvine has 6 wins so far and Wurz only 2, so will still lose on countback even if that happens (and we all know it doesn't).

[James1978]

Italy:

A wonderful homecoming for Irvine at the home of the Tifosi, and stepping up to the plate to win in his teammate's enforced absence! The Jordans draw ever closer to the Benettons!

1. Irvine
2. R Schumacher
3. Alesi
4. Hill
5. Fisichella
6. Takagi

Standings:

1. Irvine 89
2. Wurz 49
3. Fisichella 45
4. Hill 44
5. R Schumacher 35
6. Alesi 35 (Ralf has had 4 2nd places and Alesi only 2!!)
7. Herbert 21
8. Barrichello 11
9. Diniz 7
10. Salo 6
11. Trulli 6 (salo ahead on countback thanks to 3rd in Monaco)
12. Magnussen 4 (2 5ths)
13. Nakano 4 (1 5th, 2 6ths)
14. Tuero 3
15. Panis 2 (1 5th)
16. Takagi 2 (2 6ths)

[James1978]

Luxembourg:

Another win for Irvine, but crucially both Benettons beat Hill in their battle for 2nd in the championship.

1. Irvine
2. Fisichella
3. Wurz
4. Hill
5. Alesi
6. Barrichello

Standings with just Japan left:

1. Irvine 99
2. Wurz 53
3. Fisichella 51
4. Hill 47
5. Alesi 37
6. R Schumacher 35
7. Herbert 21
8. Barrichello 12
9. Diniz 7
10. Salo 6
11. Trulli 6 (salo ahead on countback thanks to 3rd in Monaco)
12. Magnussen 4 (2 5ths)
13. Nakano 4 (1 5th, 2 6ths)
14. Tuero 3
15. Panis 2 (1 5th)
16. Takagi 2 (2 6ths)

[James1978]

Japan:

Surprise, surprise another dominant win for Irvine. Crucially, Ralf Schumacher's engine failure stops teammate Hill from catching either Benetton driver for 2nd/3rd in the championship by clearing out a position.

1. Irvine
2. Hill
3. Alesi
4. Fisichella
5. Wurz
6. Herbert

Final Standings:

1. Irvine 109
2. Wurz 55
3. Fisichella 54
4. Hill 53
5. Alesi 41
6. R Schumacher 35
7. Herbert 22
8. Barrichello 12
9. Diniz 7
10. Salo 6
11. Trulli 6 (salo ahead on countback thanks to 3rd in Monaco)
12. Magnussen 4 (2 5ths)
13. Nakano 4 (1 5th, 2 6ths)
14. Tuero 3
15. Panis 2 (1 5th)
16. Takagi 2 (2 6ths)

And no, I'm not going to work out who's last between Rosset and Verstappen on countback.

[James1978]

So I was wrong, Hill would not have been second to Irvine after all!

More curiosities:

I didn't do a constructor's championship becuase Ferrari had only one car, but Irvine's points equal the two Benetton drivers put together which means Ferrari would have won it on countback, with Jordan 3rd and Sauber 4th.

What also staggers me in this is how well Alesi does in the points, he's up there well in the points in nearly every race even though he only scored 9 points in the real championship (and below Ralf).

Also Panis being beaten by BOTH Minardi drivers!!

[Waris]

That was interesting. Thanks

[Nessafox]

nakano and takagi get points, whooooo


interesting to see how good both bennetons and both saubers did.

0 poins for verstappen... magnussen wasn't so bad after all 't seems

[James1978]

The other alternative championships I was thinking of doing based on a similar theme were 1997 without Michael Schumacher only (as he was kicked out because of Jerez-gate), but I had originally thought the race results would be revised rather than him being able to keep his wins/placings, it was such a rubbish punishment really!

When I was originally told about the news I got excited thinking Barrichello/Stewart was going to win Monaco and Fisichella/Jordan would win Spa!

Also 2007 with the McLaren drivers expelled from the championship (rather than just the team losing its constructors points). Though if it were up to me I would just have expelled Alonso.

[dr-baker]

Though if it were up to me I would just have expelled Alonso.

This IS entirely up to you - why not just expell Alonso and redistribute the points - be interesting to see whether Raikkonen or Hamilton has more to gain from this...

[James1978]

Though if it were up to me I would just have expelled Alonso.

This IS entirely up to you - why not just expell Alonso and redistribute the points - be interesting to see whether Raikkonen or Hamilton has more to gain from this...

Think I'll do both actually, since Alonso did play a part in the whole deed, it would actually bear some relevance to do it either way!

[dr-baker]

Though if it were up to me I would just have expelled Alonso.

This IS entirely up to you - why not just expell Alonso and redistribute the points - be interesting to see whether Raikkonen or Hamilton has more to gain from this...

Think I'll do both actually, since Alonso did play a part in the whole deed, it would actually bear some relevance to do it either way!

Wanted to suggest both, but didn't want to overburden you so soon... Looking forward to the results!