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[zurich_allan]

So everyone is today talking about Vettel, and rightly so!! And every year, there are those sad, unlucky individuals that everybody forgets all about - the nearly men, those that were just one step away - the poor sod that finished a step below the CHAMPION!! So today we have a 4 x WDC crowned - I wonder how many multiple time runners up we have?!? Well let's got back for the last 30 years and see....

1983 - Alain Prost
1984 - Alain Prost
1985 - Michele Alboreto
1986 - Nigel Mansell
1987 - Nigel Mansell
1988 - Alain Prost
1989 - Ayrton Senna
1990 - Alain Prost
1991 - Nigel Mansell
1992 - Riccardo Patrese
1993 - Ayrton Senna
1994 - Damon Hill
1995 - Damon Hill
1996 - Jacques Villeneuve
1997 - Heinz-Harald Frentzen (*Schumacher had more points but was DQ'd from the championship)
1998 - Michael Schumacher
1999 - Eddie Irvine
2000 - Mika Hakkinen
2001 - David Coulthard
2002 - Rubens Barrichello
2003 - Kimi Raikkonen
2004 - Rubens Barrichello
2005 - Kimi Raikkonen
2006 - Michael Schumacher
2007 - Lewis Hamilton
2008 - Felipe Massa
2009 - Sebastian Vettel
2010 - Fernando Alonso
2011 - Jenson Button
2012 - Fernando Alonso
2013 - Fernando Alonso (*Season in progress)

So looking at multiple WDC runners up in the past 30 years we have:

4 - Alain Prost
3 - Nigel Mansell
3 - Fernando Alonso (If he retains second place in 2013)
2 - Ayrton Senna
2 - Damon Hill
2 - Michael Schumacher (*If not for 1997 DQ would be 3)
2 - Rubens Barrichello
2 - Kimi Raikkonen

Some interesting points to note in the list:

- In the 11 seasons between 1983 and 1993, Alain Prost was either 1st or 2nd in the WDC for 8 of those seasons (and he only raced in 9 and 3/4 of those seasons!), an amazing racer. The ONLY full season that Prost raced in that time and wasn't either 1st or 2nd in the WDC was 1987 (he did not complete the 1991 season with Ferrari).

- In the 13 seasons between 1994 and 2006, Michael Schumacher was either 1st or 2nd in the WDC for 9 of those 13 seasons (10 de facto including 1997) (similar to Prost, Schumacher only had 12 complete seasons there (broken leg in 1999 and not including suspensions during 1994 as that is still classed as a full season). Again, hugely impressive.

- In the 6 full seasons Sebastian Vettel has raced, he has only finished out of the top 2 during the first of those seasons.

- The oldest runner up in the list was Riccardo Patrese, at 38 years and 7 months old in 1992 (just beating Nigel Mansell by 4 months).

- The youngest runner up in the list was Sebastian Vettel at 22 years and 4 months old in 2009 (just beating Lewis Hamilton by 6 months).

- The biggest gap for the same person to take the runner up spot is 8 years - Michael Schumacher in 1998 and 2006 (shortly followed by 7 years - Alain Prost in 1983 and 1990).

- From a team perspective, McLaren and Ferrari are equal with 11 WDC runners up in those 31 seasons (assuming Alonso retains 2nd place in 2013), followed by Williams on 8 and Red Bull with 1.

- Unlucky Rubens - Mr Barrichello holds the dubious honour of being the only multiple time runner up not to also be a WDC outright.

[racechick]

Moss was always a bridesmaid. Five times I think he was runner up and never won. Great driver though!

[What's Burning?]

For the quality of this argument, our new resident statistician.

[zurich_allan]

For the quality of this argument, our new resident statistician.

New? Nah - I've done the odd thread like this on the forum for literally years before mnm even joined - people just think of him because he did a lot of these sort of threads in a short space of time.

[Roth]

Interesting. Also for the Webber knockers, that the runner-up is very rarely the champion's team mate. They've been knobbled throughout the years apparently.

[Jabberwocky]

I imagined Rubens to be higher up the list

[Roth]

I imagined Rubens to be higher up the list

In my head he was runner up in 09. That seemed to be the only year he had a realistic chance. If nobody exceptional was going to win it, it may aswell have been him.

[Jabberwocky]

Even in the Ferrari years I just assumed he would of got more 2nds

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[darwin dali]

Even in the Ferrari years I just assumed he would of got more 2nds

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If he'd done that, he'd look like Mr. Chubby

[What's Burning?]

If Lewis gets one more second place he'll join an impressive list of greats.

[LRW]

Even in the Ferrari years I just assumed he would of got more 2nds

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If he'd done that, he'd look like Mr. Chubby

Doesnt he already?

[1Lemon]

For the quality of this argument, our new resident statistician.

You can't replace the old one without his concent, that's factually immoral!

[LewEngBridewell]

For the quality of this argument, our new resident statistician.

You can't replace the old one without his concent, that's factually immoral!

Well, it isn't as if the former can complain! (Not currently, anyway!)

[zurich_allan]

Even in the Ferrari years I just assumed he would of got more 2nds

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Yeah, it's kind of a shame, because in my head, Rubens was a very good driver who was held back as a result of team orders - but by that logic, he really should have been second behind Schumacher more often. Considering all of those years in the Ferrari and then 2009 in the Brawn, if not winning, he at least should have been runner up more often. It's quite sad that the only times he was runner up was when the car he had was utterly dominant.

[sagi58]

Even in the Ferrari years I just assumed he would of got more 2nds

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Yeah, it's kind of a shame, because in my head, Rubens was a very good driver who was held back as a result of team orders...

I guess that means you'll be changing your mind, eh?