It was Kimi Raikkonen who, at the beginning of the season, said about double points: "it doesn't matter, it's the same for everybody". But will it matter this week end in Abu Dhabi?
In 1982, the epically mustachioed Keke Rosberg won the championship in the final race by finishing fifth after having won only one race the whole season. One win may sound bad but, again in parallel to this year, it represented half the number of victories scored by rivals Didier Pironi and John Watson.
It was also a year marked by an astounding number of retirements: 152 retirements between the 26 point scoring drivers (because I got tired of counting), over 16 races.
By contrast this year there have been 72 retirements among all 22 drivers over 18 races. But it's the last possible DNF that might be the key. If that happens to one of the two Mercedes on Sunday, double points will have made no difference *.
*unless the DNF hits Hamilton and Rosberg finished lower than 5th.
Had Gilles villineuve not perished in 1982 , the ultimate DNF .... And completed that season , he likely would have been champion in 82.....with his son eventually becoming champion in 97 .... But as fate would have it Pironi to would be dealt his own bad luck and the dominant Ferrari of 82 failed to
ReplyDelete11 different race winners in one season. What a great season, minus the deaths.
ReplyDeleteI still think that '82 is the most F1-esque season of F1 history, but I wish i knew more about some of the other down-to-the-wire '60s seasons.
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