The Eaglets: Racing Eagles 1st Annual Awards

What is bigger than the Oscars, the Grammy Awards, the Tony Awards, and the Taylor National Tractor Pull?

The Eaglets.

So here is my best and worse picks of this year in Formula One:

Driver of the Year: Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes

Other nominees: Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel

So how does a driver that finishes fifth in the championship and only wins two races get my nod for driver the year? Simple, no man on the grid did more change the fortunes of his team then Lewis Hamilton. The maturity and passion the man showed this year was remarkable. 

McLaren could of given up after that disastrous first race. Lewis could of packed it in, complained, bitched, and moaned the rest of the season like Robert Kubica did. He could of packed it in like Fernando Alonso did halfway through this year. He didn't.

No matter what condition of development the car was in, he gave 110% each and every race weekend. He kept positive, encouraging his team on through one of the darkest starts and episodes of McLaren's history.

To all respects to Webber, Vettel, Button, and Barrichello; Lewis Hamilton was the driver story this year for me. He showed us character and a resilient heart to go along with his amazing talent. Even though he wasn't even in contention for the championship this year, this was his finest season yet.

Worse Driver of the Year: Robert Kubica, BMW-Sauber

Other nominees: Heikki Kovalainen, Kazuki Nakajima

Robert Kubica wins my disdain for many reasons. True, unlike the other two nominees he did get a podium this year. Also, it was true the the BMW-Sauber was a dog this year. However Robert's behavior and his performance this year takes the cake for me.

First his behavior. Lewis who took the team underneath his wing and led the charge back. Robert pouted, cried, and moaned about the team. He threw practically everyone at the team underneath the bus. He didn't show the maturity and poise that is needed for a true number one driver in my opinion. In the time when BMW needed the results the most, Robert failed to deliver.

Yes the car was bad, but good drivers in bad cars is when we see the real grit of a driver. Hamilton stood up and led. Robert rolled on the ground, banging his fists on the floor, crying and screaming.

I think this year it became perfectly clear that Robert is the most over-hyped driver on the grid. Nick Heidfeld soundly beat Robert this year by out performing him in 11 of the 17 races. Robert had one good race (Brazil) and a long trails of excuses. I think the most telling thing was seeing the reaction of Heidfeld and Kubica after BMW announced they were leaving the sport. Nick was gutted, Robert looked like he couldn't give a (explicit deleted).

Good luck Renault. It obvious that you need a good development driver who has a strong enough personality to re-build the team around him. What you are getting with Robert is a pretty fast driver who doesn't have the patience to develop a car and has a maturity of a new born. Good luck with that.

Team of the Year: Red Bull - Renault

Other nominees: BrawnGP

This was the toughest decision by far. Yet, Red Bull gets the nod for me.

If I was asked what was the best car over the course of the season, without hesitation I would say the Red Bull. What Adrian Newey was able to do this year with that car was amazing. It had none of the normal Newey gremlins that have plagued his cars. It was the fastest car over the greatest variety of environments. By the end of the season, it was just dominating.

Two things that cost them the championship.

First the whole "double deck diffuser...gate." The way they read the rules cost them several victories in the early part of the season. Even without the obvious advantage of the diffuser, they were competitive. If they had the double deck diffuser in Melbourne, they would've been dominate the first half of the season.

Second, Red Bull's drivers cost them the championship. Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber weren't as consistent as the Brawn guys. Both Sebastian and Mark made the odd mistake that cost them a bucket of points. It was a death of a thousand cuts so to speak. Every little mistake that Sebastian or Mark made just bleed the teams chances at a championship that much more.

I personally hope they can continue it next year. It is probably the most likable team on the grid.

Worse Team of the Year: Renault F1

Other nominees: AT&T Williams F1

I don't understand this at all. What did Renault have on Max and FIA that we didn't already know about?

McLaren gets caught for SpyGate and is fined one-hundred million pounds with all their points taken away for the 2007 season. Renault gets caught for something similar and gets a slap on the wrist.

Then they're found guilty for CrashGate and get a SUSPENDED SENTENCE? For doing the most horrible thing imaginable to a sporting event? They get a slap on the wrist? They should of at least got the same punishment McLaren was given for SpyGate. I would argue more.

When people wonder why I rail against the FIA all the time, it is for decisions like this.

Back to Renault. To me at least, this is a team going backwards fast. Alonso stopped caring halfway through the season, the team's management is in shambles, and every number two driver on the team is rocking back and forth in a padded room with a straight jacket on. They looked terrible this year. There was no hope for these guys. Now that Alonso and Flavio is gone? Who is going to step up?

True, Toyota and BMW looked just as bad, but the whole CrashGate affair took the cake for me.

Rookie of the Year: Kamui Kobayashi

Other nominees: None.

Without a doubt the fastest Japanese rookie I've ever seen. He was the only new guy who I found myself cheering this year. He was also the only guy who from the start of his first race looked like he belonged in Formula One.

It's a shame that Toyota left because Kobayashi is now without a drive. Someone, please hire him. I need more Kobayashi in my life!

Comments

[Maverick]

I mostly agree, certainly on the rookie of the year - I can only remember two moments of excited cheering in 2009 as I reverted to a 10-year old and they were both inspired by Kobayashi .

Best team for me has to be Brawn. Sure, Red Bull have the designer of the year but, for me, the rest of the team made too many costly mistakes.

Worst team.: Renault were bad (I thought Alonso stopped caring halfway through testing actually) but then Williams had a good car and did almost as bad. However, given that they gave up on 2008 to focus on the 2009 car so early then I'd go with BMW - it really was inexcusable.

[Mr. C.]

for me, worst team of the year has to be STR. from the dizzying heights of a race win in '08 to also-rans and has-beens in 2009. they had zero driver direction, they couldn't handle a race winning chassis, didn't know what to do when the had pace and they're probably more stuffed for 2010.

if STR hadn't turned up this year i wouldn't have noticed. at least renault tried to get themselves banned twice ;)

[Dane]

How easily people forget Lewis @ Melbourne. It should say liar of the year, not driver of the year

[Rich]

A lot of people have hyped Lewis' 2009 performance. What are the measuring sticks? Yes Lewis was at pains to say how terrible the car was in the early races. I have been analysing each team and I can say so far Lewis simply met targets that the the car could do. In contrast both Ferrari drivers exceeded what the car should have been capable of. What I can say is the right chap won the championship. I am not too sure they did in the previous two years.

Worst driver of the year - there are quite a few and sadly some are the guys I like. It will probably be Kaz, which is a shame but he had a terrible year. Trulli was spectacularly bad in the race considering his qualifying and that the Toyota was overall the third fastest car.

This leads on to Kobayashi, yes he made a hugely impressive début. Actually I was already impressed in Japan during the wet practice runs. He probably is rookie of the year. But Buemi did not do too badly (enough to stay in the team). The other rookies should probably be return to the car pool.

Now we come to best and worst team. I agree Red Bull was actually the fastest car, it was just their drivers both under-performed on what it could do and made too many mistakes. Brawn won due to Jenson's somewhat conservative but error-free driving and Ruben's ability to set up a car. As a team Red Bull are winners, but both Brawn drivers did well with the equipment so that team gets my final nod.

In terms of results Toro Rosso was the poorest but they had rooky drivers and it is a development team. So for me it is between Renault with twice World Champion, BMW Sauber and Williams F1. The Williams F1 was actually quite quick, but Nico simply turned in mediocre drives so it would be unfair that they get blamed for his driving. In Renault's defence I think the team recovered from the Crashgate fairly well under Bob Bell. He brought some cohesion back to them. Against this BMW Sauber produced a virtually new car mid-year and especially Nick brought the car up to a point scoring capability. But at Singapore and an under-massed car, at Japan and a locked wheel nut, then at Brazil and no fuel going into the car. Three races in succession, three mistakes for their top driver - that is unforgivable. It cost Nick a good few championship points. I think all things considered they get the worst team prize.