Thursday 5 August 2010

SEBASTIAN VETTEL MAINTAINS CASTROL DRIVER LEAD RANKING


In a month when motorsport saw more than it’s fair share of controversy, one thing that remains unquestioned is F1 driver Sebastian Vettel’s dominance of the Castrol Driver Rankings. The Red Bull man started pole in both Grand Prix in the month and recorded two points finishes, maintaining his place at the top of the Castrol Driver Rankings for the fourth consecutive month.

Castrol has applied the same expertise and passion it uses in the development of its oils to create the Castrol Driver Rankings – using expert analysis and highly advanced technology to measure and rank the performance in every single race of over 2000 drivers, across 47 major motorsport series every year.

Fans and the media have been questioning the role of team tactics in F1 following Red Bull’s decision at Silverstone to fit a newer specification wing to Vettel’s car, leaving teammate Mark Webber (3rd) with an older version. Ferrari added further to the debate in the following race, when they directed Felipe Massa (38th) to allow teammate and Championship contender, Fernando Alonso (7th), to overtake on the 49th lap to take pole position in Germany. Finally, Michael Schumacher (78th) was handed a 10-place grid penalty for the next race, following a dangerous move in Hungary.

The manufacturer was fined by the FIA and now face further action from the WMSC if found to be in breach of the rules. Elsewhere in motorsport, fines were handed out to Sprint Cup team Red Bull, whose actions were deemed to be detrimental to stock car racing, and also to two drivers, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin, for making critical comments about the championship.

Whilst it hasn’t been the best month for Hamlin on or off the track, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has steadily built on his points total, which is buoyed by his three wins in June, to remain 12th in the Castrol Rankings. Sitting third overall in the Sprint Cup Championship, Hamlin is joined in the top twenty of the Castrol Driver Rankings by a further six Sprint Cup drivers as they pass the mid point of their season.

WRC driver Sébastien Leob continues to hold his own amongst the F1 drivers at the top of the Castrol Driver Rankings, moving up three places. His performances saw him overtake Lewis Hamilton to move into 2nd and he is now set to push his namesake Vettel for the coveted top spot.

STORY BY CASTROL

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