2017 Japanese Grand Prix Driver of the Day - VOTE NOW

Paul Jeffrey · Oct 8, 2017

Early start for most European countries so no spoiler image this time - but don't read the article if you don't want to know the result!

With the Japanese Grand Prix over and with it Lewis Hamilton's next world championship seemingly all but in the bag, who do you think deserves the award for RaceDepartment Driver of the Day?

Flawless up front but pushed hard by Red Bull and Verstappen, Hamilton has done plenty today to win favour amongst Formula One fans, or how about a plucky top 10 for Romain Grosjean after all his troubles this weekend? Or top six for Ocon and Force India? Plenty of good performances in Japan.

Vote now and leave a comments about who you think performed the best today at the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix.

formidable · Oct 8, 2017

Alonso and Verstappen.

paracletus · Oct 8, 2017

Sainz - Renault will be thinking "what have we done" after today's display

gamer19 · Oct 8, 2017

Where's Vettel ?

But seriously... he's taken another (team) blow with great dignity.

SennaHonda_1988 · Oct 8, 2017

Boring race like the last 3-4 races.... its time for hamilton to get some failures and seb to win. (tired to see him 1st in all races from lap 1 to the end and place his little princess hair etc....)

you just need to watch the start and the race is over after.. thats it you know the podium..

apex11 · Oct 8, 2017

When Nico beat Lewis a lot of the Lewis fanboys claimed it was a hollow WDC as Lewis had more car failures......hmmmmmm, wonder if they still think that now...

wombat999 · Oct 8, 2017

My 'Driver(s) of the Day' would have to be David Reynolds and Luke Youlden......

pcraenme · Oct 8, 2017

I assume driver of the day is to nominate the best performing driver in a race? And I see votes for Sainz (made a big mistake which cost him the race) and Vettel (retired early)?

Max was clearly the driver of the day. He overtook Ricciardo and if he was not held up by the 2nd driver of Mercedes (Bottas) and Alonso/Massa at the end of the race (blue flags anyone?), he may have won the race.

Paul Jeffrey · Oct 8, 2017

SennaHonda_1988 said:
Boring race like the last 3-4 races

Think you made a typo mate, should that world in bold be spelt years

Man current Formula One leaves me cold.

InsaneOzzie · Oct 8, 2017

Nobody gets my vote, as no-one really stood out, it was the usual procession. If anyone deserves a small nod it's Raikkonen he was the only one making passes that were worthy of a mention IMO.

The V8's @ Bathurst was far better viewing, at least their competitive

Would love to see some aero reforms, so we could see some genuine slip-streaming going on again, not this DRS assisted

because of the Vortexes coming from the front wings, which was a deliberate design to create masses of dirty air to stop slip-stream overtaking, and they call F1 a motorsport spectacle

gamer19 · Oct 8, 2017

wombat999 said:
My 'Driver(s) of the Day' would have to be David Reynolds and Luke Youlden......
View attachment 215814

In all honesty... never heard of those two. Sorry bout that.
But, if we already go there... then my "driver of the day" must be Kris Meeke.

MPortnoy · Oct 8, 2017

totheapex said:
When Nico beat Lewis a lot of the Lewis fanboys claimed it was a hollow WDC as Lewis had more car failures......hmmmmmm, wonder if they still think that now...

I wouldn't say it was hollow but Malaysia's Hamilton DNF due to car failure did cost him the championship, you can do the math yourself.
Back to this year, Singapore wasn't a car failure, that was Vettel's fault alone. In Suzuka, Hamilton was still faster in quali and got the pole before Vettel had any problems tho it could've been a good fight.
Without Ferrari's issues we'd have a more interesting championship for sure, but far away from a walk in the park for Vettel.

delpinsky · Oct 8, 2017

Driver of the Day's Vettel.
I didn't know whether to laugh, yell or cry when I saw him overtaken by everyone — trycicles and elderly people scooters included — as if he had a ballast in his car...

airwick · Oct 8, 2017

Vettel is the driver of the day.

MariA7X · Oct 9, 2017

Vettel is a joke, does not compare to Hamilton, Hamilton is the best of all time along with Senna, at the moment there is no pilot the height of Hamilton, so it will always be normal for him to win the championships.

Thang Nguyen · Oct 9, 2017

The opening rounds of the season are held in Asia, Vettel won 2 out of 3.

When F1 returned to Asia, he retired 2 out of 3.

What a reversal...

Maybe the destiny doesn't want him to win the title..

LeSunTzu · Oct 9, 2017

Maybe Ferrari could not handle the pressure as well as Mercedes.

apex11 · Oct 9, 2017

MariA7X said:
Vettel is a joke, does not compare to Hamilton, Hamilton is the best of all time along with Senna, at the moment there is no pilot the height of Hamilton, so it will always be normal for him to win the championships.

Had Lewis stayed at McLaren and Alonso had gone to Merc then do
You honestly still think Lewis would be winning races let alone WDC.... If you do then you are a clueless fanboy...

arniesan · Oct 9, 2017

totheapex said:
Had Lewis stayed at McLaren and Alonso had gone to Merc then do
You honestly still think Lewis would be winning races let alone WDC.... If you do then you are a clueless fanboy...

So true.

apex11 · Oct 9, 2017

arniesan said:
So true.

To take nothing away from Lewis, he ended up in the best car, that's racing, but to say he is so much better than everyone else because he is in the best car is slightly unfair. Bottas has proved that a mid pack driver can get into the best car and win races for example..
The true genius's are the Mercedes engineers and designers...
The Merc made Nico a WDC FFS! Its THAT good.