Your Reject of the Year!

[shinji]

He was driving a Minardi that had been cobbled together in about a week, then had virtually no development, what did you expect of him?

To score 0 points?

To clarify my point, I took Shinji's post as suggesting that the Renault team was so bad that Alonso had his worst ever season in terms of results, without being at fault himself. Which isn't exactly true, because he had a worse season in terms of results at Minardi. Maybe he'll correct me on what he means.

My Renault nomination sort of meant everyone associated with Renault, including Alonso personally who had a poor year, even forgetting about Renault.

His season at Minardi was better than most people's seasons at Minardi.

Hope that clears things up.

[Tealy]

I don't think Honda would have been guaranteed one World Championship, much less two if they'd stayed. The Honda engine was nowhere near as good as the Mercedes, and the RA109 (as it would have been known) would have looked very different because the oil tank was a different shape; the BGP-001 had to be remodelled to accomodate the Mercedes engine, and for all we know, that may have actually been a blessing in disguise. The point is that they would have won races, but I don't think they would have dominated.

Otherwise, I have a new Dishonourable Mention: Everyone Who Isn't Brawn. Since their dual World Championships, a few more details have come to light about their situation at the beginning of the season:

- Button had to take a pay cut of five million pounds.
- Brawn was uncertain whether the team would make it to Melbourne a week before the race.
- Barrichello was paid on a points-basis that was capped at twenty-five points; he was also only signed for the first four races.
- If another driver came along with a sponsor, Barrichello would have to make way (the reason why he had to do it and not Button was because Button got in first).
- Their budget consisted solely of what Honda gave them.
- The team was not looked favourably upon to the point where Branson was paying them $250,000 per race, and he may have had the option to back out at any time.

By rights, Brawn GP shouldn't have existed. They should have faded into obscurity, and it would have been so if it were not for the excpetional circumstances that saw them abandon development of the RA108 because of the new rules. They shouldn't have existed, and yet they made it, and they were the class act of 2009. They made the Ferraris and the McLarens (and, on occasion, the Red Bulls) look very, very silly. Because Brawn have pulled off one of sporting's biggest comebacks, everyone not driving a Brawn (or working for Brawn) gets a Dishonourable Mention.

This I think explains why Barrichello was so annoyed after the German GP. By that point in the season his wages were capped and he could be ditched at any time. Add this to the fact that Button did not have to worry about this and his rant seems a lot more understandable to me.

Anyway my ROTY, got to be Nakajima for me. He was completely anonymous all year while Rosberg grabbed points at almost every race. He made no case to be signed up for next season and I won't be surprised if Abu Dhabi is his last GP in F1.

[Phoenix]

"Well, that's a fairly short debate Murray". At least in my case

Piquet for all the "Crashgate" stuff, and Nakajima for being pointless (literally) in his Williams.

[LukeB]

There is one more race, he might still get some points .

Piquet outdone his suckiness from last season, which is an impressive feat in itself. Even aside from his bitching and whineing, that alone has to "win" him this prestigious award barring something truly spectacular between now and the end of the season. It takes a special lack of ability that crashing your car into a wall is the only reason you keep a place in F1, a reprive from execution with which he done nothing except perhaps get even worse.
He did take Briatore with him though, so he does have his good points.

[CarlosFerreira]

Kazuki is going to win in Aby Dhabi. And make us all look silly.

[tristan1117]

Heikki Kovaleinen. What the heck was that. Collides with Fisi, leaks fuel and where was he after that?

[Tristan - I can't move this post now after your great post below! - Jamie]

[shinji]

Heikki Kovaleinen. What the heck was that. Collides with Fisi, leaks fuel and where was he after that?

Wrong thread. Good choice for this one though.

[tristan1117]

I must read the topic names.
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(bangs head on table each time)

[shinji]

I must read the topic names.
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(bangs head on table each time)

(Desperately seeks details of tristan1117, fails, can't ring for ambulance and loses interest)

[Yannick]

Yes, I know I'm biased on this because I've been a Sauber supporter since the early 90s. But still, killing off the entry of their own team, the former PP Sauber KG, on a whim should get the BMW board of directors the ROTY award. Taking into consideration the lobbying for the budget cap that didn't happen, the lobbying for KERS that didn't work for them, especially in Bahrain, whereupon they dumped it never to be seen again, and last year's decision to not really fight for the drivers championship with Robert K and instead focus on this year's car, which was a dog, only adds up to giving the award to BMW.

Maybe they will be as lucky as Kazuki N. at the end of the season because F1 officialdom might still have an election fixing scandalm but Crashgate is essentially yesteryear's news and should be treated accordingly when it comes to this year's award.
Nelsinho's driving from this year and the publico-crapthat happened after his sacking does indeed have no precedency, though.

[noisebox]

I'd go for Toyota, solely for their shambolic Bahrain GP which they should've dominated. They also had a shot at wns in Belgium and Japan and blew it. This could and should've been their break through year.

Other mentions, 2009 aero rules - still very hard to overtake, the Tilke dromes - give me 18 races at Interlagos anytime and finally the testing rules which have stifled the development of new talent like never before. Next year we need a test day or at least a third car running at each GP.

[noisebox]

Or Nakajima - nil points in that car aint good...

[Cynon]

Gold: Crashgate and All of its Participants
Not quite as humiliating as the 2005 US Grand Prix, but very close. Renault lost their sponsors, and their prestige. They would be better off renaming the team to show they have a new image, but keeping the Renault name on the engines. Perhaps rebrand the team as Lada F1, with Renault Engines, with Petrov as lead driver...

Silver: Formula Elaborate Bluff
It could have been so much more...

Bronze: The Aerodynamic Rules
Double diffusers effectively killed the ability for cars to make passing moves. It is rather interesting where you have a series with 10 different chassis and little overtaking, but you then have series with 1 chassis and lots of overtaking (referring to GP2). Teams should not be allowed to build the cars so they cannot be passed -- or make cars that handle better in dirty air.

[Winterspring]

Or Nakajima - nil points in that car aint good...

But he did get screwed over by his pit crew twice and Australia then sun got him which indirectly was Bernie's fault. Look Nakajima even though he hasn't scored as at least done decently in that he got a few 9th places and made it into Q3 a couple of times.

Heikki I think after the first few races where he retired a lot, I think dented his confidence badly, so maybe I wouldn't see him as a reject this season that much.

Politics will have to be the reject of the year and who knows what politics will happen during the election or after and we had the double deck diffuser, Crashgate, Mosley, FOTA - FIA war and so on.

Overtaking I think is a bit exaggerated in that only a few drivers actually try to overtake like Alonso, Lewis, Kimi, Webber and Jenson in the early parts of the year and the latter parts, some drivers don't really feel the need to overtake because of pit strategy and all that so I don't really blame the cars and Tilke's creations.

[CarlosFerreira]

I hope politics doesn't get it. It's too depressing.

[ferret]

Nelson Piquet doesn't deserve to be a reject. It's an insult to Kazuki Nakajima and Heikki Kovalainen to be included in his company.

That being said,

3 Sebastian Vettel, for being a poor loser.
2 Franz Tost for getting rid of Sebastien Bourdais and signing Jaime Alguersuari.
1 Honda.

[jackanderton]

Wow, where do I begin...

Jonathan Legard- An incredibly boring commentator who cannot watch anything happening on track without instructing us to 'remember' a similar event that happened earlier this season, despite the fact that we can all remember, and remembering isn't making our viewing any more enlightening. Boring droning voice, no chemistry at all with Martin Brundle, they may as well be sat in two seperate rooms- albeit, Legard should be in the one without any wires leading to the sound department.

Flavio Briatore and Renault- Lost in a huge political poker game. Defeated in the dark arts of underhand backstabbing lying and cheating and political manouvreing by the grand master Max Mosely. Outed for cheating, ran a divisive team with a terrible car and a driver only there due to his own monstrous ego. Attempted to form a breakaway series with FOTA to force Max Mosely out of the FIA but failed to convince and the elaborate bluff was called.

Honda- Pulled out on their first driver's and world championships. Spectacularly reject-worthy.

BMW- A shocker of a car, a driver unwilling to put in the hard yards at the back, trying to tell the FIA what to do 2 races before announcing they were withdrawing from the sport. The driving force behind KERS, yet having to scrap it on their own car while watching McLaren and Ferrari develop it successfully as the season progressed. A huge step back from last year. Fair-weather team. Hopefully the guys down at Sauber can salvage what they can and develop a new car next year with a new name.

Toro Rosso--A terrible year yet they still weren't that far behind Force India in the points. However that masks the season's story. The decision to fire Bourdais and shove young Alguersari in the seat hasn't worked because he's obviously struggling to keep it on the road never mind drive the damn thing. Meanwhile Buemi has rarely been in the mix, out-driving his team mates and showing a level of competency that defies his years, but the car hasn't had any speed, and the updates seemed to only prolong the status quo rather than improve their position. The middle season in particular the whole team looked ragged and even though they are the one of the most respectable tailend teams of the past 20 years, their actual existence seems pointless, particularly seen as how none of the drivers will possibly supplant Webber or Vettel.


REJECT DRIVERS:

1. Romain Grosjean
2. Jaime Algersuari
3. Kazuki Nakajima
4. Luca Badoer
5. Heikki Kovalainen
6. Nelson Piquet Jr
7. Giancarlo Fisichella
8. Robert Kubica

[Henrique]

There, It's official! Nakajima was the only F1 driver in 2009 who participated in all races and didn't score a single point. He owns at least a place in the podium.

[CarlosFerreira]

There, It's official! Nakajima was the only F1 driver in 2009 who participated in all races and didn't score a single point. He owns at least a place in the podium.

Although I agree, he wasn't desperately rejectful today, just a bit slow.

Renault still deserves today's nomination, for me.

[LionZoo]

There, It's official! Nakajima was the only F1 driver in 2009 who participated in all races and didn't score a single point. He owns at least a place in the podium.

As much as it pains me, he probably should take out the award.

[Valrys]

There, It's official! Nakajima was the only F1 driver in 2009 who participated in all races and didn't score a single point. He owns at least a place in the podium.

As much as it pains me, he probably should take out the award.

He should probably get bronze, as although he scored no points, other than being a bit slow, he's not really done anything particularly rejectful

[Captain Hammer]

I don't think Nakajima deserves it.

No, I'm going to give a nomination to Japan: Nakajima sucked. Toyota have no idea why they're still in Formula One. Suzuka was decided before the first corner was over. The only bright spot was three points for Kamui Kobayashi just now. Man up, Japan. At least you were interesting when Sato represented you.

[Salamander]

I don't think Nakajima deserves it.

No, I'm going to give a nomination to Japan: Nakajima sucked. Toyota have no idea why they're still in Formula One. Suzuka was decided before the first corner was over. The only bright spot was three points for Kamui Kobayashi just now. Man up, Japan. At least you were interesting when Sato represented you.

Not to mention that Honda pulled out of F1 at precisely the wrong time. Although I think Kobayashi's performances redeem them somewhat.

[DemocalypseNow]

My ROTY Podium:

1st Place: Renault
Obvious really. Getting themselves banned because of Nelson Piquet Jr. crying wolf as revenge for getting sacked. How bathpluging pathetic. He needs a big cup of man the bathplug up. Their crap performace all year seals the deal, and Grosjean is like a dog trying to chase his own tail. Constantly spinning.

2nd Place: Kazuki Nakajima
Awful. Simply awful. Has well and truly cemented his place in history as an F1 Reject. How he even got a drive this year amazes me. And his crash with Kobayashi was simply rejectful as well. Goodbye Kaz, nobody will miss you...

3rd Place: Donnington Park
What a farce that was. I don't think I really need to explain it really. Tom Wheatcroft's death compounds our misery, he was probably fed up of Simon Gillett screwing up all his hard work over decades in the space of a year.

Dishonourable mentions: Luca Badoer for wasting his best ever opportunity to escape reject status, Max Mosley for almost writing F1 off the face of the planet mid-season, McLaren for Liegate and their similarly horrendous early season form, BMW Sauber ditto McLaren minus the scanals and Toyota for not making the most of their car at the start of the season, failing to win a race still. And finally Honda for pulling out of F1 in what would have been their best season ever in the sport. Idiots!

[shinji]

Has to be Renault. Employing two of the most inept drivers of the recent past within one season, while also demoralising one of the greatest to such an extent that he doesn't do anything positive of note over the whole season. Not to mention Crashgate and nearly getting banned from Valencia after the loose tyre. A mess.

[watka]

Just realised that Nakajima does qualify for reject status due to him a solitary 6th as his best result.

[bduddy]

Has no one else realized that only drivers are supposed to get ROTY?

Anyway...
1. Nelson Piquet Jr.-probably deserved it more last year, as that's when he actually did the deed, but oh well. The entire affair was reject-worthy...
2. Kazuki Nakajima. No points? Seriously? Yeah, the Williams wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. His performance was, though.
3. Giancarlo Fisichella. First half of the year was disappointing, then switched teams after a race he could have won and did absolutely nothing.

Dishonorable mention: Luca Badoer, Roman Grosjean, Jamie Alguersuari. None had enough races to, IMO, be in the top three, but none of the above did anything in their time here.

[shinji]

Has no one else realized that only drivers are supposed to get ROTY?

Honda's a driver? That's news. http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/2007/review/index.html#roty

[CarlosFerreira]

Has no one else realized that only drivers are supposed to get ROTY?

Honda's a driver? That's news. http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/2007/review/index.html#roty

Didn't Williams get it as well?

[Salamander]

Has no one else realized that only drivers are supposed to get ROTY?

Jamie and Enoch changed the rules in 2006 so Williams could take ROTY.

[thehemogoblin]

FINAL OFFICIAL FINAL STANDINGS (in my opinion)

3rd- BMW Sauber- You bailed on Kubica's 2008 try for the championship for this? Plus, you boned up on the Concorde Agreement, leaving yourself out of F1 for next year. WTFG guys.

2nd- Kazuki Nakajima- You went the entire season and didn't score a single point. Your countryman has matched your career-best result in his second start, and you've had two full years in F1. You're truly a reject.

1st- Nelson Piquet, Jr.- You broke Renault... and you didn't score a point this year... and you broke Renault. Enjoy racing trucks.

[Valrys]

2nd- Kazuki Nakajima- You went the entire season and didn't score a single point. Your countryman has matched your career-best result in his second start, and you've had two full years in F1. You're truly a reject.

To be fair, Kazuki got that career best result in his second start as well.......

[thehemogoblin]

2nd- Kazuki Nakajima- You went the entire season and didn't score a single point. Your countryman has matched your career-best result in his second start, and you've had two full years in F1. You're truly a reject.

To be fair, Kazuki got that career best result in his second start as well.......

Shh.

[FullMetalJack]

3. Giancarlo Fisichella. First half of the year was disappointing

I could not disagree more, he had a decent season up until he moved to Ferrari.

[Winterspring]

3RD Place: Heikki Kovalainen: Should have done better with McLaren but he at least scored some points and did have some bad luck in the start which I think dented his confidence.

2ND Place: BMW Sauber: Ditched Kubica campaign in 2008 to work on 2009, didn't go well and then call it quits and then Nick and Robert start showing form. They should have stuck with it

1ST Place: Renault: Crashgate, Flav, Piquet, Romain having no idea in a race, Alonso not doing so well. Yeah everything went wrong for them

[Phoenix]

Undoubtedly Renault:

-The Crashgate affair, which costed the team losing Briatore and Symonds, as well as its sponsors.
-The pathetic outings of Piquet and Grosjean.
-Alonso being completely jaded with hopeless machinery and constant mishaps in strategy and pit stops.
-The pig ugly R29 with its squarey nose and fintail.
-The determination of the Renault chairman to carry on another season.