Grand Prix Rejects

Felipe Massa's 2012 is a perfect example of this, He went from scoring only 22 points in the first half of the year to scoring the most points of everybody except Vettel including 2 podiums in Japan and Brazil

And to add to East Londoner's comment about Benetton dropping off in 98 Jordan did the opposite. They had a pointless first half of the season with a best finish of 7th for Ralf at Imola but had the fantastic 1-2 in Spa and to show it wasn't a fluke Ralf scored a podium in the dry at Monza (admittedly helped by the Mclarens having trouble but still it was in the dry)

Feel free to pick out a driver or a team who improved their performance either over a season, over a year or even in a career.

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote:And to add to East Londoner's comment about Benetton dropping off in 98 Jordan did the opposite. They had a pointless first half of the season with a best finish of 7th for Ralf at Imola but had the fantastic 1-2 in Spa and to show it wasn't a fluke Ralf scored a podium in the dry at Monza (admittedly helped by the Mclarens having trouble but still it was in the dry)

During the Monaco Grand Prix where both Hill and Schumacher had qualified poorly, Eddie Jordan held an emergency meeting with his technical team to force them to sort out the car for the second half of the season. I guess it worked, huh?

I've got a driver to throw into the mix; Nico Hulkenberg. He's shown that he's something of a slow burner over the course of a season, however this could partly be due to him having switched teams quite regularly. In all three seasons (including this one) that Hulkenberg's raced in, he's scored more points in the second half.

Jackie Ickx in 1970, at the halfway point of the season he had 4 points, by the end of the year he had 40, taking 3 wins and a 4th!

Alan Jones in 1979, coming into round 8 he had 4 points, again he ended the season on 40 points taking 4 wins from the last 6 races after Williams got to grips with the FW07 which can also be shown in the constructors championship, going into round 8 Williams had 10 points, at the end of the season they had 75!

A mention to every 80s teams favourite driver Andrea de Cesaris, who in 83 had a very believable 0 points after 9 races, however in the remaining 6 races he scored 15 points including 2 second place finishes and was very close to winning the Belgium Grand Prix!! After this normal service was resumed, he would never beat his 15 point haul again through a mixture of bad luck and stupidity, sometimes shocking levels of stupidity!!

Benetton in 2001
Jaguar in 2002
McLaren in 2004
BAR in 2005
Renault in 2008
Toro Rosso in 2008
McLaren in 2009
Sauber in 2010

March in 1988 were often nowhere during the first half of the year, but quite often were McLaren's main challengers in the 2nd half.

Jenson Button in 2006. Scored only 16 points in the first eleven races of the season. Scored 40 points and a win in the final seven.

Fernando Alonso in 2008; 13 points from his first 9 races, no podiums, 48 points from the last 9 races including 2 wins and a 2nd.

Berger in 1989, didn't he have retirements in all of his entered races until about round 10, the crash in san marino kept him out of Monaco as well iirc

gnrpoison wrote:Berger in 1989, didn't he have retirements in all of his entered races until about round 10, the crash in san marino kept him out of Monaco as well iirc

He didn't finish a race until Monza. He came 2nd in that race, won Portugal and came 2nd in Spain and then DNFed in all the remaining races! According to statsf1.com, his average finish in 1989 was higher than that of any other driver!

Kimi Raikkonen in 2004 - 8 points after the first 9 races, with a best finish of 5th in Canada. Second half of the season brought in 37 points, including a win, 2 second places and a third.

Brawn - went from a laughable farce in 2008 to the best team of 60% of 2009.

And in the reverse category, The good reverend last year. Won a race, and was fairly quick early, then let it all fall apart late.

Toleman in 1983?

Heading for a 3rd pointless season in a row (at least improving from a litany of DNQs in 81/82 to hardly any DNQs) then Derek Warwick scores in each of the last 4 races and then of course comes 1984 and a certain Brazilian newcomer...

Martin Brundle in 1993, DNF'ed in the first 3 races, scored 7 times in the remaining 13 and narrowly outscored team-mate Mark Blundell.

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 10:05 Martin Brundle in 1993, DNF'ed in the first 3 races, scored 7 times in the remaining 13 and narrowly outscored team-mate Mark Blundell.

Speaking of Ligier, they scored all 13 of their 1994 points in the second half of the season, their best result in the first half being a 7-8 finish in Barcelona.

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 14:23

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 10:05 Martin Brundle in 1993, DNF'ed in the first 3 races, scored 7 times in the remaining 13 and narrowly outscored team-mate Mark Blundell.

Speaking of Ligier, they scored all 13 of their 1994 points in the second half of the season, their best result in the first half being a 7-8 finish in Barcelona.

Did it start with a double podium at the German Grand Prix that year, or did they score before then?

And that was the time when Johnny Herbert raced for Ligier in one race...

dr-baker wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 18:28

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 14:23

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 10:05 Martin Brundle in 1993, DNF'ed in the first 3 races, scored 7 times in the remaining 13 and narrowly outscored team-mate Mark Blundell.

Speaking of Ligier, they scored all 13 of their 1994 points in the second half of the season, their best result in the first half being a 7-8 finish in Barcelona.

Did it start with a double podium at the German Grand Prix that year, or did they score before then?

And that was the time when Johnny Herbert raced for Ligier in one race...

Ligier didn't score at all in 1994 before the Hockenheim double-podium which came in what was the 9th round out of 16.

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 19:34
Ligier didn't score at all in 1994 before the Hockenheim double-podium which came in what was the 9th round out of 16.

Not a bad way to rectify the situation eh?

dr-baker wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 22:11

Har1MAS1415 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2023, 19:34
Ligier didn't score at all in 1994 before the Hockenheim double-podium which came in what was the 9th round out of 16.

Not a bad way to rectify the situation eh?

Not bad at all.

Does this only apply to F1?

Jaguar and Toyota in 2003 perhaps?

First half of the season, only 6 points for Jag and only 4 for Toyota, then they scored 12 points each in the 2nd half!

Jaguar had a better one in 2002. From barely qualifying ahead of Minardi’s (well Mark Webber’s car anyway) for most of the year to scoring the only non Ferrari-Williams-McLaren podium all year at Monza

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote: ↑19 Apr 2023, 21:18 Jaguar had a better one in 2002. From barely qualifying ahead of Minardi’s (well Mark Webber’s car anyway) for most of the year to scoring the only non Ferrari-Williams-McLaren podium all year at Monza

That's true, in Eddie Irvine's case, that is. PDLR failed to score and finished behind Alex Yoong on countback lest we forget.

gnrpoison wrote: ↑25 Sep 2013, 13:33 Berger in 1989, didn't he have retirements in all of his entered races until about round 10, the crash in san marino kept him out of Monaco as well iirc

Berger's 1991 season could count as well:

He racked up only 10 points and 5 DNFs in the first 7 races, including a run of 4 straight from Monaco to France.

From Silverstone onwards, he scored 33 points, including his first win since 1989 at Suzuka and only DNF'ed in Portugal and Spain.

Romain Grosjean in 2013.

After 8 races, he had 26 points and 1 podium, scored 106 points and 5 podiums in the remaining 11.

The late Will Hoy in the 1995 British Touring Car Championship:

After 14 rounds, he has only 51 points to his name and has yet to score a podium, letalone a win. His team-mate Alain Menu, by this time, has 3 Wins and 180 points.

In the remaining 11 races, the 1991 Champion finishes 8 times, all but once in either 1st or 2nd and secures 3 Wins in all to end up 4th in the Championship with 195 points.