Greetings, Chaps:I've been doodling and thinking about engine performance this year. I think I posted something earlier about how well the Renault power plant was doing relative to its more famous competition. Now that the season is done, the numbers look even better for the French engine!
Engine Comparison 2010:
Engines Running:
Cosworths: 8 [2 in Williams (Barrichello & Hulkenberg); 2 in HRT’s (Klien & Senna); 2 in Lotus (Trulli & Kovalainen) & 2 in Virgins (Glock & DiGrassi)]
Mercedes: 6 [2 in Mercs (Rosberg & Schumacher); 2 in McLarens (Lewis & Button) & 2 in Force Indias (Sutil & Liuzzi)]
Ferrari: 6 [2 in Ferraris (Alonso & Massa); 2 in Toro Rossos (Buemi & Alguersuari) & 2 in Saubers (Heidfeld & Kobayashi)]
Renault: 4 [2 in Renaults (Kubica & Petrov); 2 in Red Bulls (Vettel & Webber)]
Cars in the points, race by race:
Ferrari (1) & (2) in Bahrain
Mercedes (3), (5), (6), (7) & (9)
Renault (4) & (8)
Cosworth (10)
Mercedes (1), (5), (6), (7) & (10) in Australia
Renault (2) & (9)
Ferrari (3), (4)
Cosworth (8)
Renault (1), (2), (4) in Malaysia
Mercedes (3), (5), (6), (8)
Ferrari (7) & (9)
Cosworth (10)
Mercedes (1) (2) (3) & (10) in China
Ferrari (4) & (9)
Renault (5) (6) (7) (8)
Renault (1) (3) (8) in Spain
Ferrari (2) (6) (10)
Mercedes (4) (5) (7)
Cosworth (9)
Renault (1) (2) (3) in Monaco
Ferrari (4) (6) (10)
Mercedes (5) (7) (8) (9)
Mercedes (1) (2) (4) (5) (9) in Turkey
Renault (3) (6)
Ferrari (7) (8) (10)
Mercedes (1) (2) (6) (9) (10) in Canada
Ferrari (3) (8)
Renault (4) (5) (7)
Renault (1) (5) in Europe
Mercedes (2) (3) (6) (10)
Cosworth (4)
Ferrari (7) (8) (9)
Renault (1) (7) in Great Britain
Mercedes (2) (3) (4) (8) (9)
Cosworth (5) (10)
Ferrari (6)
Ferrari (1) (2) in Germany
Renault (3) (6) (7) (10)
Mercedes (4) (5) (8) (9)
Renault (1) (3) (5) in Hungary
Ferrari (2) (4) (7) (9)
Cosworth (6) (10)
Mercedes (8)
Mercedes (1) (5) (6) (7) (10) in Belgium
Renault (2) (3) (9)
Ferrari (4) (8)
Ferrari (1) (3) in Italy
Mercedes (2) (5) (9)
Renault (4) (6) (8)
Cosworth (7) (10)
Ferrari (1) (8) in Singapore
Renault (2) (3) (7)
Mercedes (4) (5) (9)
Cosworth (6) (10)
Renault (1) (2) in Japan
Ferrari (3) (7) (8) (10)
Mercedes (4) (5) (6)
Cosworth (9)
Ferrari (1) (3) (8) (9) in Korea
Mercedes (2) (4) (6)
Renault (5)
Cosworth (7) (10)
Renault (1) (2) (9) ln Brazil
Ferrari (3) (10)
Mercedes (4) (5) (6) (7)
Cosworth (8)
Renault (1) (5) (6) (8) in Abu Dhabi
Mercedes (2) (3) (4)
Ferrari (7) (9) (10)
Renault engines, though powering only 4 cars, had by far the best results --as reflected in Renault’s manufacturer’s and Driver’s Championship trophies. But when you consider podium finishes and finishes in the points, the French engine is even more impressive: Nine firsts, and seven seconds and thirds for 23 podiums! Running down the points, it’s even stronger: 4 fourths; 6 fifths; 5 sixths; 5 sevenths; 5 eighths; 3 ninths & 1 tenth, for 24 total points scoring slots. And this with only 3 first-rate drivers!
Mercedes engines did second best, powering six chassis. With at least four, first class drivers, they managed 5 firsts; 8 seconds & 6 third places for 19 podium positions. In the rest of the points paying slots, Mercedes engines powered 9 fourths; 12 fifths; 9 sixths; 6 sevenths; 5 eighths; 8 ninths and 5 tenths, for a total of 54 points paying slots, suggesting the Merc, like the Renault would be a good engine for anyone to choose to go racing with.
Alas, Ferrari, also powering 6 chassis, came in a definitely uncompetitive third in the engine department. Granted that they only had 2 (or maybe, 3) first rate drivers managing these engines, they only managed 15 podiums between them: 5 firsts; 4 seconds & 6 thirds. And the rest of the points paying positions were even scantier: 5 fourth places; 0 fifth places; 3 sixth places; 6 sevenths; 7 eighths; 6 ninths & 6 tenths, for a total of 33 --and most of those weighed in at the bottom of the points paying slots.
There’s a lot of chatter now about Ferrari’s new chassis next year, but if they aren’t doing something impressive in the power-plant department, I think you can count on one of the Mercs or Renaults taking home the hardware next year as well. Granted, if they could steal Kubica and partner him with Fernando, they’d both cut into the Renault finishes and enhance their own. That sounds, to me at least, cheaper than hoping their engine can carry them back to the front.
And that reminds me, isn’t one of the back markers switching to Renault next year? And what about Toro Rosso?
Just food for thought during the Holiday Season.
Cheers, Jim Watt
OOPs. Somehow the little emoticon snuck into my numbers. what shows up as 
SHOULD be simply an 8 or, if you like, you can consider the revised list:
