Statistical anomalies in motorsports.

  • Thread starter Carbonox
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The 2020-21 Formula E season is the one to beat comfortably. Going into the final double-header, 18 drivers were mathematically able to win the title. In the first of the double header, only 4 drivers were knocked out, meaning 14 drivers went into that final day with a chance of winning the title.
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After a start line crash eliminated two title contenders, the race was basically between De Vries and Dennis for the title until Dennis threw it away.

Despite 14 drivers being able to take the title, the championship leader ended up winning it by finishing 8th somehow, as the total randomness of the 2020-21 season reared it's head again and 1st to 5th in the race results were held by drivers not in contention.
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For context, De Vries won the title with 99 points out of a theoretical total of 450. The group format for qualifying mixed the grids up massively, and the chaotic racing that the Gen 2 cars encouraged just all reared their heads that season to make consistency impossible and entertaining races.

Gen 2 Formula E was the best era
Been reading up on the 2020-21 FE season.

Sounds a bit like the 1982 F1 Season, minus the tragedies, obviously.
 
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I know there have been a few videos posted on Youtube about the 1992 Cup season, but this one came out just three days ago and is good as always.
 
Okay, is this anomalous or coincidental?

In the 1986 British Saloon/Touring Car Championship, the late Tony Lanfranchi entered 3 rounds in a Vauxhall Nova and there are a few reoccurrences of multiples of 8.

His 1st and 3rd races each had 16 entries (In each case, he started 16th and last), his 2nd had 32.

He would have started 32nd (if he'd been 1 place lower) and finished 24th in his 2nd race and he would have scored 24 points in his class, if you take away the 2 bonus points for setting the fastest lap on his class. His on-the-road finishes also add up to 24 (He came 11th at Snetterton and 13th on-the-road at Silverstone, only to be promoted by the disqualification of 7th placed Brian Chatfield's Ford Capri).

Not to mention winning the title in his class as he was the only entrant in his class to do more than one race all season.

He also inherited the title in his class in 1983, despite only scoring a quarter of original winner Steve Soper's tally (68-17). He wouldn't even have inherited any wins if the TWR Rovers had been excluded a la Tyrrell in 1984.
 
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Here's a question.

Longest gap between double podiums?

Team Enstone hadn't had one since Korea 2013 until last weekend's Brazilian GP.

(Excluding teams that left and came back, that is!)
 
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Ligier in 1980 and 1994.

Edit: Just checked, they had one in 1985 so that isn't longer.
 
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If you're including team purchases with no regard to physical location, then Tyrrell's 1-2 at the 1976 Swedish GP to Brawn's identical result in the 2009 Australian GP will be tough to beat.
 
Roo
If you're including team purchases with no regard to physical location, then Tyrrell's 1-2 at the 1976 Swedish GP to Brawn's identical result in the 2009 Australian GP will be tough to beat.
Good grief! Yes! Of course! Forgot about Tyrrell gradually evolving into Brawn (and now Mercedes obviously).

That always throws me because BAR were treated as a new entry, rather than a continuation of Tyrrell.
 
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Marco Andretti seems to appear in various Indycar crash compilations with his car upside-down a lot. Can we get a full list of the times he has flipped an Indycar and does anyone else come close to his total?

Indianapolis 2007
Mid-Ohio 2007
St Petersburg 2011
Portland 2018
 
Marco Andretti seems to appear in various Indycar crash compilations with his car upside-down a lot. Can we get a full list of the times he has flipped an Indycar and does anyone else come close to his total?

Indianapolis 2007
Mid-Ohio 2007
St Petersburg 2011
Portland 2018

If only looking at IndyCar, he's probably first. If you want to look at NASCAR as well, probably Ryan Newman or Rusty Wallace would have him beat.
 
Not sure if anomaly or just incredible.

The last time Max Verstappen finished outside of the points, he was 18 years old, he is now 27.
 
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button both clinched their first titles by finishing 5th in Brazil.

The championship was decided in Brazil every year of the 2nd half of the 2000s.
 
Okay, is this anomalous or coincidental?

In the 1986 British Saloon/Touring Car Championship, the late Tony Lanfranchi entered 3 rounds in a Vauxhall Nova and there are a few reoccurrences of multiples of 8.

His 1st and 3rd races each had 16 entries (In each case, he started 16th and last), his 2nd had 32.

He would have started 32nd (if he'd been 1 place lower) and finished 24th in his 2nd race and he would have scored 24 points in his class, if you take away the 2 bonus points for setting the fastest lap on his class. His on-the-road finishes also add up to 24 (He came 11th at Snetterton and 13th on-the-road at Silverstone, only to be promoted by the disqualification of 7th placed Brian Chatfield's Ford Capri).

Not to mention winning the title in his class as he was the only entrant in his class to do more than one race all season.

He also inherited the title in his class in 1983, despite only scoring a quarter of original winner Steve Soper's tally (68-17). He wouldn't even have inherited any wins if the TWR Rovers had been excluded a la Tyrrell in 1984.
17 points must be the lowest points tally for any champion in any series in the year they won the title, be it in their class or outright, or at least one of the lowest.
 
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