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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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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