Round 11 · 1988

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Spa, Belgium · August 28, 1988 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

What did we expect after qualifying—and who beat it?

R111988
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31 stored results 31/31 Elo snapshots 26/31 numbered grid slots 0/31 qualifying results
Elo × qualifying → race result

Did they beat the expectation?

A strong driver recovering from a poor qualifying position isn't automatically a surprise. This model estimates a finish from both inputs, then compares it with what happened.

Experimental · v1

Expected finish assumes a classified finish. DNFs stay in the full grid but receive no performance verdict. Qualifying is not the starting grid; grid differences are flagged, not silently substituted.

This race has insufficient earlier history: 0/20 races and 0/200 classified finishes with Elo and qualifying. Estimates are withheld.

0/31 entrants have an estimate. Missing Elo or qualifying stays visible below; a grid position is not used as a qualifying result.

Top 3

Beat the estimate

No comparable estimates available for this race yet.

Flop 3

Below the estimate

No comparable estimates available for this race yet.

0/31 entrants assessed. Up to three per side, ranked by expected minus actual finish. DNFs, missing estimates and gaps rounding to 0.0 are excluded. “Flop” means below the model's estimate—not poor driving. A ranked gap can still be inside the usual error range.

Full grid: pre-race Elo rank, qualifying position, estimated finish, actual result and difference from expectation. Positive differences mean finishing ahead of the estimate.
DriverPre-race EloQualifyingExpectedResultP1 ← position → P31vs expectedReading
A. SennaMcLaren #12519 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. ProstMcLaren #22420 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
I. CapelliMarch #162070 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. PiquetTeam Lotus #72211 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. WarwickArrows #92194 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. CheeverArrows #102164 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. BrundleWilliams #231950 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. CaffiDallara #202031 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. AlliotLarrousse #172070 No error range P9 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. StreiffAGS #241944 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. JohanssonLigier #291869 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. PalmerTyrrell #192050 No error range DNFThrottle Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. SchneiderZakspeed #281870 No error range DNFGearbox Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. BoutsenBenetton #42279 No error range DSQDisqualified Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. NanniniBenetton #132105 No error range DSQDisqualified Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. TarquiniColoni #261893 No error range DNFSteering Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. AlboretoFerrari #62213 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. PatreseWilliams #122135 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. GugelminMarch #52251 No error range DNFSpun off Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. GhinzaniZakspeed #271872 No error range DNFOil leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. NakajimaTeam Lotus #82205 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. LariniOsella #301861 No error range DNFFuel system Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. BergerFerrari #32321 No error range DNFInjection Not assessedQualifying unavailable
Y. DalmasLarrousse #112156 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. de CesarisRial #142090 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. ArnouxLigier #212005 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
L. Pérez-SalaMinardi #182057 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. MartiniMinardi #221990 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. ModenaEuro Brun #152071 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. BaileyTyrrell #311851 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
O. LarrauriEuro Brun #251931 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not prequalify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
How useful is the model? See the historical check

There is not enough earlier history for a rolling hold-out check yet.

The range scales the 80th percentile of earlier held-out absolute errors to this field size, rounding outward. It is an empirical error guide, not a guaranteed 80% chance for a particular driver. We require at least five checked races and 100 checked finishes before showing it.

Inputs are field-normalised Elo rank and qualifying position. The target is position among all race entries, trained only on classified finishers. Estimates are averages, not a unique predicted finishing order. Penalties, the circuit, weather, incidents and strategy aren't model inputs. Historical qualifying coverage is patchy; this is an exploratory backtest on corrected records, not proof of live forecasting accuracy.

The rating ledger

What changed in Elo?

These are actual rating changes. The expectation model above does not change Elo or fantasy scoring.

Largest Elo gain

Brundle+90.6 Elo

Largest Elo loss

Berger−99.0 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Capelli+11 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

Top five in the stored standings. Points include sprint results where applicable.

  1. 1 Senna 75pts 0
  2. 2 Prost 72pts 0
  3. 3 Berger 28pts 0
  4. 4 Piquet 18pts +2
  5. 5 Boutsen 16pts −1

Movement since round 10. A dash means the earlier standing is unavailable.

Explore the season →
Across the garage

Teammate results

Two-driver constructor entries from this race. A result comparison, not an adjustment for strategy or reliability.

Tyrrell

PalmerDNF+33.8 Elo
BaileyDNQ−39.7 Elo

Non-finish recorded; no finishing gap comparison.

What this analysis can—and cannot—tell you

This debrief is calculated from stored results and rating snapshots. The experimental expectation model learns from earlier races only, using Elo rank and qualifying together; it never feeds back into Elo. It is not a separately reviewed race report.

Elo uses the result order, including retirements. It does not isolate driver skill from the car, reliability, penalties or strategy. Elo seed comparisons use pre-race ratings, never today's ratings. Equal ratings share the midpoint of their rank range (for example, tied first and second become seed 1.5).

Grid gains use numbered starting slots and classified finishes only. Zero or missing grid values are excluded; a position gained is not necessarily an overtake. Qualifying gaps use the latest segment both teammates have a valid time for, never Q1 against Q3.

Lap-by-lap pace, tyre stints, pit-stop execution and safety-car effects are not available in this report. Missing data is omitted, not inferred.

Read the Elo methodology →
31
Result Entries
Avg Elo
Highest Elo (Senna)
21
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇧🇷 A.Senna 1 +9 75 P1 +18.2 2,537
P2 🇫🇷 A.Prost 2 +6 72 P2 +23.2 2,443
P3 🇮🇹 I.Capelli 14 +11 +4 8 P8 +88.0 2,158
P4 🇧🇷 N.Piquet 9 +5 +3 18 P4 +48.1 2,259
P5 🇬🇧 D.Warwick 10 +5 +2 11 P7 +45.2 2,239
P6 🇺🇸 E.Cheever 11 +5 +1 2 P14 +45.5 2,210
P7 🇬🇧 M.Brundle 12 +5 0 0 P19 +90.6 2,040
P8 🇮🇹 A.Caffi 15 +7 0 0 P20 +64.7 2,096
P9 🇫🇷 P.Alliot 16 +7 0 0 P23 +48.6 2,119
P10 🇫🇷 P.Streiff 18 +8 0 0 P26 +72.2 2,016
DNF 🇸🇪 S.Johansson 20 0 0 P22 +81.6 1,950
DNF 🇬🇧 J.Palmer 21 0 5 P12 +33.8 2,084
DNF 🇩🇪 B.Schneider 25 0 0 P29 +68.2 1,938
DSQ 🇧🇪 T.Boutsen 6 0 16 P5 -32.0 2,247
DSQ 🇮🇹 A.Nannini 7 0 6 P10 +0.6 2,106
DNF 🇮🇹 G.Tarquini 22 0 0 P21 +43.7 1,937
DNF 🇮🇹 M.Alboreto 4 0 16 P6 -37.8 2,175
DNF 🇮🇹 R.Patrese 5 0 2 P15 -26.3 2,109
DNF 🇧🇷 M.Gugelmin 13 0 5 P11 -59.2 2,192
DNF 🇮🇹 P.Ghinzani 24 0 0 P31 +21.9 1,894
DNF 🇯🇵 S.Nakajima 8 0 1 P16 -62.3 2,142
DNF 🇮🇹 N.Larini 26 0 0 P25 +10.9 1,872
DNF 🇦🇹 G.Berger 3 0 28 P3 -99.0 2,222
DNF 🇫🇷 Y.Dalmas 23 0 0 P18 -70.8 2,085
DNF 🇮🇹 A.de Cesaris 19 0 3 P13 -61.4 2,028
DNF 🇫🇷 R.Arnoux 17 0 0 P33 -47.2 1,957
DNQ 🇪🇸 L.Pérez-Sala 0 0 0 P27 -66.4 1,990
DNQ 🇮🇹 P.Martini 0 0 1 P17 -56.9 1,933
DNQ 🇮🇹 S.Modena 0 0 0 P28 -83.1 1,988
DNQ 🇬🇧 J.Bailey 0 0 0 P24 -39.7 1,811
DNQ 🇦🇷 O.Larrauri 0 0 0 P30 -63.0 1,868

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes