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[Big Azza]

Last year it came as a surprise for us to find that HRT finished ahead of Virgin in both championship standings. Are they faring any better this year? Here are the standings in the back-marker championship!

The results are ordered by their highest finish.

1. Jarno Trulli - 2 x 13th place finishes. [19th]
2. Vitantonio Liuzzi - 1 x 13th place finish. [20th]
3. Jermoe D'Ambrosio - 2 x 14th place finishes. [21st]
4. Heikki Kovalainen - 1 x 14th place finish. [22nd]
5. Timo Glock - 1 x 15th place finish + 1 x 16th place finish. [23rd]
6. Pastor Maldonado 1 x 15th place finish + 1 x 17th place finish. [24th]
7. Narain Karthikeyan 2 x 17th place finishes [25th]

First question, does Maldonado actually count as a back-marker? If Maldonado had've finished 6th at Monaco instead of being crashed out by somebody, he would actually be ahead of Barichello in the WDC in 15th position.

Also, is this an accurate depiction of driver skill in the championship, given that most of the higher finishes are because of retirements? Would we get a more accurate depiction if we awarded imaginary points to the drivers because consistency is more preferred over one count of fortunate circumstances?

D'Ambrosio is constantly performing better than his team-mate, which I know is difficult to judge, however, I would like to see him promoted to a top flight team soon to see what he can do, rather than suffering the same fate as Chandhok, due to lack of sponsorship.

In regards to the WCC, and discounting Williams, here are the standings.

1. Lotus-Renault
2. HRT-Cosworth
3. Marussia Virgin Racing (or Dawdling as they should be called. )

What is your opinion of the Back-Marker WCC Championship? Will Virgin end the season last again? Why do you think this is happening, and what do you think Virgin need to do in order to finish ahead of HRT? If they do finish last, will this be the end of the short-lived Virgin Racing?

[acosmichippo]

Currently it's definitely not an accurate representation of the driver/team. But I guess the idea is that it'll somewhat work out at the end of a whole season. For example, eventually Maldonado will score some points.

But for everyone that doesn't score points this season (Lotus, Virgin, HRT probably), the driver/team that will rank highest will be the one that benefitted the most from retirements, as you said. And it only needs to happen in one race, which is not very fair - not like the points system which can absorb an abnormal score from one race into the whole season.

[Big Azza]

As quite rightly reported by Denthul, Colin Kolles is set to step aside after a proposed management restructuring at HRT. This speculation has come on the same day that Red Bull-backed Australian Driver Daniel Ricciardo was confirmed as a starter in next week's Great Britain Grand Prix. Whether the two are linked we are yet to see:

HRT is set to undertake a management reshuffle in the next few weeks, with team principal Colin Kolles poised to step aside to allow the owning Carabante family to take more direct control.
Kolles was drafted in at HRT on the eve of the 2010 season after the Carabantes' planned efforts with Adrian Campos failed - and he succeeded in pulling the team back from the brink to get it onto the grid for the opening race of the campaign.
Since then he has worked hard to put in place the infrastructure needed to move it forwards with Geoff Willis having been put in charge of technical affairs, a team rebranding being done and a deal struck to use a Mercedes GP windtunnel.
Although progress is being made, it is understood that Kolles now wants to step back from the day-to-day running of the outfit.
It is believed that one scenario being considered is for team owner Jose Ramon Carabante or his son Jose to be made team principal, with Kolles working alongside him during a transition phase.
Speculation over the last week that Willis could become team principal is believed to be wide of the mark, although the Briton could take on a more senior role in the restructure.
Kolles will stay involved with the outfit, and it is likely that the team and the cars will continue to operate out of his Greding facilities in Germany until a deal is done for the Carabante operation to sort out the plans they have for a base in Spain.
It is not clear when the looming management changes will happen, but already Kolles is being strongly linked with a switch to Williams for 2012 where he could be made team principal.
Kolles was unavailable for comment.

Source: Eurosport.

It is interesting that Vitantonio Liuzzi is also a Red Bull backed driver. Could this be the start of a successful relationship between the two teams? Or could Mateschitz throw his checkbook at the fledgling outlet?

Perhaps next year HRT might step up to the same level as STR (or the year after). Alguersuari to HRT then?

[Jabberwocky]

Maybe a better way of looking at it would be

Australia
1st Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
2nd Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth

Malaysia
1st Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
2nd Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth

China
1st Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
2nd Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
3rd Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
4th Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
5th Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth
6th Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth

Turkey
1st Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
2nd Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
3rd Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
4th Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth
5th Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth

Spain
1st Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
2nd Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
3rd Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
4th Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth

Monaco
1st Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
2nd Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
3rd Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
4th Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth
5th Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth

Canada
1st Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth
2nd Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
3rd Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
4th Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
5th Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth

Europe
1st Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
2nd Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
3rd Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
4th Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
5th Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth
6th Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth




So....

Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 4 x 1st, 2 x 2nd, 1 x 4th
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 3 x 1st, 2 x 2nd
Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1 x 1st, 1 x 4th, 3 x 5th
Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 2 x 2nd, 4 x 3rd, 1 x 4th
Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 2 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd, 1 x 4th
Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 2 x 4th, 2 x 5th, 2 x 6th

And....

Lotus-Renault 7 x 1st, 4 x 2nd, 1x 4th
HRT-Cosworth 1 x 1st, 3 x 4th, 5 x 5th, 2 x 6th
Virgin-Cosworth 4 x 2nd, 6 x 3rd, 2 x 4th

[Hammer278]

Shouldn't Trulli be KICKING a**e in the teammate battles then??

[FRAFPDD]

If Maldonado had've finished 6th at Monaco instead of being crashed out by somebody, he would actually be ahead of Barichello in the WDC in 15th position.

Maldonaldo didnt deserve to finish sixth after daring to challenge god into the first corner.

[Ichabod]

Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 4 x 1st, 2 x 2nd, 1 x 4th
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 3 x 1st, 2 x 2nd
Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1 x 1st, 1 x 4th, 3 x 5th
Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 2 x 2nd, 4 x 3rd, 1 x 4th
Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 2 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd, 1 x 4th
Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 2 x 4th, 2 x 5th, 2 x 6th

And....

Lotus-Renault 7 x 1st, 4 x 2nd, 1x 4th
HRT-Cosworth 1 x 1st, 3 x 4th, 5 x 5th, 2 x 6th
Virgin-Cosworth 4 x 2nd, 6 x 3rd, 2 x 4th

Err when did Lotus Renault swop drivers with Team Lotus

[Jabberwocky]

Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 4 x 1st, 2 x 2nd, 1 x 4th
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 3 x 1st, 2 x 2nd
Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1 x 1st, 1 x 4th, 3 x 5th
Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 2 x 2nd, 4 x 3rd, 1 x 4th
Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 2 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd, 1 x 4th
Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 2 x 4th, 2 x 5th, 2 x 6th

And....

Lotus-Renault 7 x 1st, 4 x 2nd, 1x 4th
HRT-Cosworth 1 x 1st, 3 x 4th, 5 x 5th, 2 x 6th
Virgin-Cosworth 4 x 2nd, 6 x 3rd, 2 x 4th

Err when did Lotus Renault swop drivers with Team Lotus

Because Renault-Renault are a different team

[LewEngBridewell]

Maldonado will eventually score some points and elevate himself from that group. And Vitantonio Liuzzi deserves better than HRT. We won't see Karthikeyen now until the Indian GP.

[vlad]

About Karthikeyan - good riddance!

[LewEngBridewell]

About Karthikeyan - good riddance!

Aye, he never shone, even when he was at Jordan back in 2005. And even when he had his biggest opportunity - the Indianapolis disaster - it was Tiago Monteiro who beat him to the podium... another driver who's dropped off the radar....

[vlad]

Monteiro was a very good driver! That guy broke the record with most consecutive finnishes as a rookie.

[LewEngBridewell]

Monteiro was a very good driver! That guy broke the record with most consecutive finnishes as a rookie.

Yes, he only had one retirement in 2005, and scored points again at Spa

He's doing the World Touring Cars and Le Mans now.

[vlad]

I know. That guy really deserved to drive. He showed a fantastic potential. Great team driver.

[Frontrunner]

Daniel Ricciardo will finish 10th somewhere and take 1 WC point and trump all the Lotus, Virgin and HRT guys