As we approach to the Final race in Brazil in just 13 days! I will start the review of 2011 with a Review of our new rookies who include: Paul di Resta, Sergio Perez and Tuna Pasta Bake aka Pastor Maldonaldo.
Feel free to send in your comments after you have read this.
Paul Di Resta - Force India-Mercedes - DTM 2011 World Champion
2011 started abit fast for Paul with him out pacing Adrian and both the Practice and Qualifying in the first two races along with his first two points in places he has only tested at. As the season kicked off for sure the battle for the Rookie of the Year rapidly started with him finishing in front of his much-more experienced team mate in the next 4 of the 8 races. He returned to the points later in the season in Hungary with 7th Place and kept on keeping on the pace of the cars of Mercedes and Renault for him to get more points including a fantastic 6th Place in Singapore with him being the best of the rest. He has a chance now to finish 12th in the Championship along with his teammate in 11th at this current moment.
Starts - 18
Wins - 0
Podiums - 0
Poles - 0
Points finishes - 7
Non-finishes - 2
Q3 finishes - 5
Points - 23
Paul di Resta has been a fantastic young brit and rookie for the past year with 23 points that is why I have given him the total of 9/10 for those points which he got and how quickly he got used to the tracks and then got points at.
Sergio Perez - Sauber-Ferrari - GP2 2010 Runner-Up
Sergio was a speedy one right from the word GO! with him only pitting once in Australia with a 7th Place and finishing ahead of his teammate Kamui and later for them to be DSQ from the race. He then didn't get his next points or first points till Spain just a couple of rounds later but then to be followed by the worst bit of the season ever with his crash at Monaco which looked like he had suffered a more greater injury than he did. He returned to the sport in Europe with a fantastic 11th Place on his comeback. He returned to the points in Great Britain with 7th Place and got 3 more points finishes in Singapore, Japan and India. He has a great chance of finishing 15th in the championship this year ahead of Sebastian Buemi.
Starts - 16
Wins - 0
Podiums - 0
Poles - 0
Points finishes - 5
Non-finishes - 5 (Not including the Practice only in the Canadian Grand Prix)
Q3 finishes - 3 (Including the Q3 in the Monaco Grand Prix as he finishes in the Top 10 in Q2)
Points - 14
Sergio Perez has been a great rookie but the thing which let him was the amount of retirements which he had throughout the season but the Crash in Monaco was the biggest problem because if that didn't happen it would be different of course. I have given Sergio the total of 7/10 because he has been a points-scorer in a few rounds and finished ahead of Kamui in the second half of the season.
Pastor Maldonaldo - Williams-Cosworth - GP2 2010 World Champion
At the beginning of the season I did think that Pastor would take the Rookies crown but I think that due to the Williams car being the slowest of the mid teams it wasn't his fault really. Pastor was the last of the proper rookies to score a point with him first scoring a point in Belgium but this would be much earlier if it hasn't been for Lewis Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix. Furthermore Pastor got 3 top 10 starts in the first 9 races and for a rookie that is great in his first full season. He was perfect in the Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying and Practice being the master of the rookies at that round.
Starts - 18
Wins - 0
Podiums - 0
Poles - 0
Points finishes - 1
Non-finishes - 6
Q3 finishes - 3
Points - 1
Pastor has been really been the reject rookie this season with only 1 point in those 18 races which we have had compared to Rubens 4 points. But I have given Pastor the credit of the car being at fault and I have given him 7/10 aswell as Sergio
Rookie of the Year - Paul di Resta - 23 Points - 9/10
Runner-up - Sergio Perez - 14 Points - 7/10*
Third Place - Pastor Maldonaldo - 1 Point - 7/10*
*Due to it being the same total I have given Sergio the runner-up slot due to having more points than Pastor.
In the next review of the Year, I will review the New teams of Virgin, Lotus and Hispania and rank them and the drivers!
See you then!
DJ Disco!