Statistical anomalies in motorsports.

[Liquid]

Due to Michael Schumacher's disqualification from 1st place for excessive plank wear at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix, is Damon Hill the only driver to win a race having never led a lap of that race? Schumacher led every lap of the race except lap 29 which Coulthard led.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Due to Michael Schumacher's disqualification from 1st place for excessive plank wear at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix, is Damon Hill the only driver to win a race having never led a lap of that race? Schumacher led every lap of the race except lap 29 which Coulthard led.

That was the 7th and so far last occasion it happened.

Statistics Drivers - Wins - Win without led • STATS F1

www.statsf1.com

 

[Liquid]

Thanks. I couldn't think of a time since then and wasn't sure about before.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Thanks. I couldn't think of a time since then and wasn't sure about before.

I had to double-check because I wasn't sure about Belgium 2008, but Massa did lead 4 laps non-consecutively as Hamilton and Raikkonen did their pitstops earlier.

 

[Liquid]

In 1994, the year with 46 drivers, driver changes were so frequent that the British Grand Prix followed by the German Grand Prix were the only two races that year to have the exact same entrants. Every other race that year had a unique entry list.

Spoiler: Further nerdy statistics

Notwithstanding 46 different drivers:

JJ Lehto, Andrea de Cesaris, Philippe Alliot and Eric Bernard drove for two different teams.
Johnny Herbert drove for three teams.
Alex Zanardi and JJ Lehto drove both numbered cars of a team; Zanardi the 11 and 12 Lotus, Lehto the 5 and 6 Benetton.

All this brings us to a total of fifty-four different driver entrants in 1994.

Fifty-nine if you want to count Martini and Alboreto driving the Minardi M193B and M194; Zanardi and Herbert driving the Lotus 107C and the Lotus 109 in addition to Zanardi driving the 107C as number 11 and 12

 

[Roo]

Johnny Herbert drove for three teams

In 3 consecutive races, no less. Other drivers have driven for 3 different teams in a season but I don't know of any who did so over 3 consecutive races weekends.

 

[Jimlaad43]

The last two versions of the Singapore Marina Bay circuit for F1 have had their race lap records set by cars that finished the race in 18th place
Kevin Magnussen at the 2018 Singapore GP (1:41.905)
Daniel Ricciardo at the 2024 Singapore GP (1:34.486)

 

[Har1MAS1415]

The last two versions of the Singapore Marina Bay circuit for F1 have had their race lap records set by cars that finished the race in 18th place
Kevin Magnussen at the 2018 Singapore GP (1:41.905)
Daniel Ricciardo at the 2024 Singapore GP (1:34.486)

That's quite the coincidence!

 

[Har1MAS1415]

Not so much an anomaly but, since Jake Hill has just won the 2024 BTCC title in car #24, can anyone think of any other instances of drivers winning titles in cars with race numbers matching the year they won the title?

(Aside the obvious, like Schumacher in '01, for instance)

 

[Liquid]

Matt Neal was #5 in 2005.

 

[Blitz24]

I know Gil de Ferran won the CART championship in 2001 in the #1 car, but I am not sure if that was due to a chosen number or a renumbering to follow F1 rules.

(It was a renumbering so this can be disregarded.)

Joey Logano won the Cup Championship in 2022 in car #22.
Bobby Hamilton won the Truck Championship in 2004 in truck #4.

 

[Har1MAS1415]

Joey Logano won the Cup Championship in 2022 in car #22.

Chris Smiley won the 2022 TCR UK title in car #22

Sam Hornish Jr won the 2006 IRL title in the #6 Penske

Paul Tracy was the 2003 CART Champion in car #3