2008 - a good year for first-time winners

[gm99]

After Kubica and Kovalainen, Kettle, ehm Vettel - shame about the alliteration, though ;) - becomes the third first-time winner in F1 this season. AFAIK, this is the first time since 1995 (when Alesi, Herbert & Coulthard all scored their maiden wins) this has happened.

Maybe Heidfeld can make it four in one of the remaining races :p

What's the record for new winners in one season, BTW (I'm too lazy to look it up)?

[ioan]

Yep three different first time winners this season, and all of them were today on the podium. What a coincidence, or maybe not! ;)

[Daniel]

Coincidence? I think you mean conspiracy Ioan :p

[ioan]

Now that I think about it, you might be right! ;)
I know some who would agree with that without a 2nd thought.

[Norwegian Blue]

2003...Alonso, Raikkonen and Fisichella?

Todays podium was a nice coincidence though!

[Norwegian Blue]

And come to think of it all 3 were on the podium in brazil that year... although raikkonen and fisi were the wrong way round and alonso was heading off to hospital in an ambulance!

[PolePosition_1]

Yep three different first time winners this season, and all of them were today on the podium. What a coincidence, or maybe not! ;)

Nicely spotted Ioan :)

[inimitablestoo]

Also happened in 1995 when first-time winners Herbert, Alesi and Coulthard were on the podium at Silverstone - although that one only worked retrospectively because DC didn't take his first win until later that season.

The record for first-time winners, incidentally, was 1982, as are a lot of records about winners. With an incredible 11 different drivers winning races, we had five brand new winners, and all in dramatic or unusual circumstances - Riccardo Patrese after numerous drivers hit trouble (including, initially, himself!) in Monaco; Patrick Tambay, in the late Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari, and following team-mate Didier Pironi's career-ending crash, in Germany; Elio de Angelis, by one of the closest-ever margins, in Austria; Keke Rosberg, the man de Angelis beat in Austria, winning a Swiss GP in France (!) - his only win during his championship winning year; and Michele Alboreto, who gave Tyrrell its first win in four years in a car park at the Caesar's Palace hotel.

Still (just) got time to match that, and it's worth pointing out that four of the five above scored those wins in the final five races of the year!

[Bezza]

Well theres a slight chance of a fourth new winner, with Heidfeld in the Beemer, and Bourdais in the other Toro Rosso with half a chance of a shot at victory in the one of the four remaining races.

I think Heidfeld only has these last four races at a good team before he is moved on, so he may not get a better chance.

[gm99]

2003...Alonso, Raikkonen and Fisichella?

Todays podium was a nice coincidence though!

You're right - somehow I had Kimi winning his first race already in 2002 in the back of my mind, but of course he narrowly lost the French GP that year and it took him until Malaysia 2003 to finally reach the top step on the podium.

[52Paddy]

Heidfeld has the best chance of becoming the next first-time winner in my opinion. Though, if we see a dramatic race, Bourdais or Webber might make it through to the top. All unlikely though.

[jens]

Plus we have seen first ever podiums by Rosberg, Glock and Piquet Jr.