Round 15 · 1988

Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka, Japan · October 30, 1988 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

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

R151988
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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 #12484 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. ProstMcLaren #22449 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. BoutsenBenetton #32309 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. BergerFerrari #42263 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. NanniniBenetton #82203 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. PatreseWilliams #102183 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. NakajimaTeam Lotus #182004 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. StreiffAGS #172061 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. AlliotLarrousse #162068 No error range P9 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. GugelminMarch #62234 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. AlboretoFerrari #92200 No error range P11 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. PalmerTyrrell #221986 No error range P12 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. MartiniMinardi #241932 No error range P13 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. BaileyTyrrell #301830 No error range P14 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
L. Pérez-SalaMinardi #152077 No error range P15 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. SuzukiLarrousse #202000 No error range P16 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. ArnouxLigier #192002 No error range P17 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. de CesarisRial #211995 No error range DNFOverheating Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. CheeverArrows #142148 No error range DNFIgnition Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. LariniOsella #261914 No error range DNFBrakes Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. PiquetTeam Lotus #122167 No error range DNFDriver unwell Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. MansellWilliams #112180 No error range DNFCollision Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. CaffiDallara #132156 No error range DNFSpun off Not assessedQualifying unavailable
I. CapelliMarch #72222 No error range DNFElectrical Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. WarwickArrows #52249 No error range DNFSpun off Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. SchneiderZakspeed #281870 No error range DNFDriver unwell Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. JohanssonLigier #251931 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
O. LarrauriEuro Brun #311763 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. GhinzaniZakspeed #291832 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. ModenaEuro Brun #231938 Grid unnumbered No error range DNQDid not qualify Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. TarquiniColoni #271893 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 loss

Warwick−97.9 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Bailey+12 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

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

  1. 1 Senna 87pts +1
  2. 2 Prost 84pts −1
  3. 3 Berger 41pts 0
  4. 4 Boutsen 25pts +1
  5. 5 Alboreto 24pts −1

Movement since round 14. 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.

Arrows

CheeverDNF−36.0 Elo
WarwickDNF−97.9 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)
14
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇧🇷 A.Senna 1 +9 87 P1 +22.1 2,506
P2 🇫🇷 A.Prost 2 +6 84 P2 +19.7 2,469
P3 🇧🇪 T.Boutsen 10 +7 +4 25 P4 +35.0 2,344
P4 🇦🇹 G.Berger 3 -1 +3 41 P3 +37.3 2,300
P5 🇮🇹 A.Nannini 12 +7 +2 12 P10 +43.5 2,246
P6 🇮🇹 R.Patrese 11 +5 +1 5 P14 +41.2 2,225
P7 🇯🇵 S.Nakajima 6 -1 0 1 P16 +76.9 2,081
P8 🇫🇷 P.Streiff 18 +10 0 0 P21 +57.0 2,118
P9 🇫🇷 P.Alliot 19 +10 0 0 P24 +48.6 2,117
P10 🇧🇷 M.Gugelmin 13 +3 0 5 P12 +3.8 2,238
P11 🇮🇹 M.Alboreto 9 -2 0 24 P5 +4.6 2,205
P12 🇬🇧 J.Palmer 16 +4 0 5 P13 +48.4 2,034
P13 🇮🇹 P.Martini 17 +4 0 1 P17 +53.9 1,986
P14 🇬🇧 J.Bailey 26 +12 0 0 P26 +67.8 1,898
P15 🇪🇸 L.Pérez-Sala 22 +7 0 0 P22 +7.2 2,084
P16 🇯🇵 A.Suzuki 20 +4 0 0 P35 +18.8 2,019
P17 🇫🇷 R.Arnoux 23 +6 0 0 P28 +11.8 2,014
DNF 🇮🇹 A.de Cesaris 14 0 3 P15 +6.8 2,002
DNF 🇺🇸 E.Cheever 15 0 6 P11 -36.0 2,112
DNF 🇮🇹 N.Larini 24 0 0 P27 +11.8 1,926
DNF 🇧🇷 N.Piquet 5 0 18 P6 -53.7 2,114
DNF 🇬🇧 N.Mansell 8 0 12 P9 -63.2 2,117
DNF 🇮🇹 A.Caffi 21 0 0 P19 -64.1 2,092
DNF 🇮🇹 I.Capelli 4 0 16 P8 -85.6 2,136
DNF 🇬🇧 D.Warwick 7 0 17 P7 -97.9 2,151
DNF 🇩🇪 B.Schneider 25 0 0 P31 -18.6 1,852
DNQ 🇸🇪 S.Johansson 0 0 0 P25 -37.9 1,893
DNQ 🇦🇷 O.Larrauri 0 0 0 P32 -13.0 1,750
DNQ 🇮🇹 P.Ghinzani 0 0 0 P33 -31.0 1,801
DNQ 🇮🇹 S.Modena 0 0 0 P29 -59.2 1,879
DNQ 🇮🇹 G.Tarquini 0 0 0 P23 -56.0 1,837

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes