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[mnmracer]

Suffering two race-ending mechanical failures from the lead last year, Lewis Hamilton must have been relieved to at least bring the Mercedes home to a fourth place finish in Silverstone. Sebastian Vettel was not as lucky, suffering his second race-ending mechanical failure from the lead since Valencia last year when his gearbox stopped working.

I looked back at the last 10 years, which cover every Grand Prix win from drivers currently on the grid, to see which drivers suffered mechanical failures from the lead, and who were there to pick up the points. If I have overlooked any, feel free to add them.

I have used the following parameters, which I believe to be the most fair:
- retirement must be from the lead, or the virtual lead (right after a pit stop from the lead)
- retirement from the lead while there was another virtual leader does not count
- only leads from the race count, not qualifying
- 'non-mechanical non-driver issues' include team orders, slow pit stops or being crashed into
- 'non-mechanical non-driver issues' do not include strategic calls

2013 British Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (gearbox); Nico Rosberg wins
2013 British Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton has mechanical issues (tire); Sebastian Vettel inherits lead
2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton retires (engine); Kimi Räikkönen wins
2012 Singapore Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton retires (engine); Sebastian Vettel wins
2012 European Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (alternator); Fernando Alonso wins
2011 Brazilian Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel has mechanical issues (gearbox); Mark Webber wins (though many assume it was a hidden team order)
2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (tires); Lewis Hamilton wins
2010 Korean Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (engine); Fernando Alonso wins
2010 Australian Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (brakes); Jenson Button wins
2010 Bahrain Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel has mechanical issues (spark plug); Fernando Alonso wins
2008 Hungarian Grand Prix: Felipe Massa retires (engine); Heikki Kovalainen wins
2008 French Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen has mechanical issues(exhaust); Felipe Massa wins
2007 Chinese Grand Prix: Robert Kubica retires (hydraulics); Kimi Räikkönen wins
2006 Japanese Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher retires (engine); Fernando Alonso wins
2006 Hungarian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso retires (wheel nut); Jenson Button wins
2005 Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen retires (hydraulics); Fernando Alonso wins
2005 United States Grand Prix: Jarno Trulli does not start (tires); Michael Schumacher wins
2005 German Grand Prix: Giancarlo Fisichella retires (hydraulics); Kimi Räikkönen wins
2005 European Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen retires (suspension); Fernando Alonso wins
2005 San Marino Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen retires (driveshaft); Fernando Alonso wins
2004 Belgian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso retires (oil leak); Kimi Räikkönen wins
2003 Japanese Grand Prix: Juan Pablo Montoya retires (hydraulics); Rubens Barrichello wins
2003 European Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen retires (engine); Ralf Schumacher wins
2003 Austrian Grand Prix: Juan Pablo Montoya retires (engine); Michael Schumacher wins
2003 Brazilian Grand Prix: Rubens Barrichello retires (fuel); Giancarlo Fisichella wins

In the last 10 years:
- Sebastian Vettel retired from, or lost, the lead 7 times due to mechanical issues
- Kimi Räikkönen retired from … the lead 5 times …
- Fernando Alonso retired from … the lead 2 times …
- Lewis Hamilton retired from … the lead 2 times …
- Juan Pablo Montoya retired from … the lead 2 times …
- Rubens Barrichello retired from … the lead once …
- Giancarlo Fisichella retired from … the lead once …
- Robert Kubica retired from … the lead once …
- Felipe Massa retired from … the lead once …
- Michael Schumacher retired from … the lead once …

- Fernando Alonso retired inherited 7 wins from a competitor’s mechanical failure
- Kimi Räikkönen inherited 3 wins …
- Jenson Button inherited 2 wins …
- Michael Schumacher inherited 2 wins …
- Lewis Hamilton inherited 2 wins …
- Giancarlo Fisichella inherited 1 win …
- Heikki Kovalainen inherited 1 win …
- Felipe Massa inherited 1 win …
- Nico Rosberg inherited 1 win …
- Ralf Schumacher inherited 1 win …
- Sebastian Vettel inherited 1 win …
- Mark Webber inherited 1 win …

Non-mechanical non-driver issues:
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton retires (crashed into by Hülkenberg); Jenson Button wins
2011 British Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel loses the lead (slow pit stop); Fernando Alonso wins
2010 German Grand Prix: Felipe Massa loses the lead (team order); Fernando Alonso wins
2010 Turkish Grand Prix: Mark Webber loses the lead (crashed into by Vettel); Lewis Hamilton wins
2009 European Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton loses the lead (slow pit stop); Rubens Barrichello wins
2008 Singapore Grand Prix: Felipe Massa loses the lead (pit stop); Fernando Alonso wins
2008 Belgian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton loses the win (post-race penalty); Felipe Massa wins
2008 Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen loses the lead (crashed into by Hamilton); Robert Kubica wins
2007 Brazilian Grand Prix: Felipe Massa loses the lead (team orders); Kimi Räikkönen wins

Conclusion

In the last 10 years:
- Sebastian Vettel retired from, or lost, the lead 8 times due to both mechanical and 'non-mechanical non-driver' issues
- Kimi Räikkönen retired from … the lead 6 times …
- Lewis Hamilton retired from … the lead 5 times …
- Felipe Massa retired from … the lead 4 times …
- Fernando Alonso retired from … the lead 2 times …
- Rubens Barrichello retired from … the lead 2 times …
- Juan Pablo Montoya retired from … the lead 2 times …
- Giancarlo Fisichella retired from … the lead once …
- Robert Kubica retired from … the lead once …
- Michael Schumacher retired from … the lead once …
- Jarno Trulli retired from … the lead once …

- Fernando Alonso retired inherited 10 wins from both competitor’s mechanical and 'non-mechanical non-driver' issues
- Kimi Räikkönen inherited 5 wins …
- Jenson Button inherited 3 wins …
- Lewis Hamilton inherited 2 wins …
- Felipe Massa inherited 2 wins …
- Michael Schumacher inherited 2 wins …
- Rubens Barrichello inherited 1 win …
- Giancarlo Fisichella inherited 1 win …
- Heikki Kovalainen inherited 1 win …
- Robert Kubica inherited 1 win …
- Nico Rosberg inherited 1 win …
- Ralf Schumacher inherited 1 win …
- Sebastian Vettel inherited 1 win …
- Mark Webber inherited 1 wins …

[stonemonkey]

2013 German Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (gearbox); Nico Rosberg wins
2013 German Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton has mechanical issues (tire); Sebastian Vettel inherits lead

[mnmracer]

2013 German Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel retires (gearbox); Nico Rosberg wins
2013 German Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton has mechanical issues (tire); Sebastian Vettel inherits lead

little premature
British Grand Prix

[LewEngBridewell]

Interesting to look back on those. Some memories there. You must have one hell of a database!

[Ferrari man 009]

2008 French Grand Prix: Kimi Räikkönen retires (engine); Felipe Massa wins

Kimi didnt retire, he had an exhaust problem that slowed him considerably, but still managed to finish 2nd, behind Massa.

[1Lemon]

2010 Turkish Grand Prix: Mark Webber loses the lead (crashed into by Vettel); Lewis Hamilton wins

That's a little controversial

[LewEngBridewell]

2010 Turkish Grand Prix: Mark Webber loses the lead (crashed into by Vettel); Lewis Hamilton wins

That's a little controversial

The battle that then ensued between the McLaren drivers was great to watch.

[What's Burning?]

Thanks for the reminder that Hamilton should have been the 2012 WDC.

But the explanation as to why Vettel has been the most "done wrong" driver since that's where the gist of the post is coming from is simple. He's been the driver that's been in the lead the most over the last four years, a chunk of the races in the lead from beginning to end, so it's no surprise that he'd have the highest lead loss count.

[madbrad]

In the 2013 British GP, Lewis suffered a puncture while leading. While he didn't retire, he did hand the lead to another driver. I think this, not Vettel's retirement solely, factors into Nico's victory. You didn't mention it at all. Maybe Lewis would have won, either by keeping the lead or by inheriting it from Vettel had Vettel passed him at some point.

[Denthúl]

The second one on the list is Lewis' tyre failure...

[mnmracer]

thanks for the feedback. OP is updated.

[madbrad]

WTF I skipped right past the second line? LOL

[spankyham]

What about mega blunders that end up not costing the driver? All these what ifs are meaningless. In a game where millimetres and milliseconds mean so much there will always be variables beyond a driver or teams control. The runs on the board and how you deal with winning and losing are what really counts.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk 2

[mnmracer]

What about mega blunders that end up not costing the driver? All these what ifs are meaningless. In a game where millimetres and milliseconds mean so much there will always be variables beyond a driver or teams control. The runs on the board and how you deal with winning and losing are what really counts.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk 2

It is up to each their own (you included) to read into this and draw the conclusions you want for it. I just provide the data

[Hammer278]

I learnt back in the mid 2000s that what ifs don't work. The way Kimi lost out 2 easy WDCs to Schumacher in 2003 and 2005 to Alonso was a lesson to me as a fan. I was raving and ranting for months about how Kimi should've got this and got that...but in the end it's the results that count and matter. What ifs as spanky says are just what ifs.

However in the end, stats are just stats as well. No one thinks Schumacher's 2002 and 2004 WDCs are as great as the ones he earned with Benetton. I mean even Button is a Champion. So he's as good as Kimi and Lewis? It's the same way the paddock generally feels Alonso and Hamilton are probably the best drivers in F1 today even if the stats don't tell the full story. It's all entertainment in the end, the show is for the fans to enjoy...and the stats are for the participants to enjoy. If Hamilton became 10x WDC one day and I tell my grandkids how awesome that is, they're going to look at me like a loser. Different story if Hamilton tells his grandkids that.