Round 15 · 1987

Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka, Japan · November 01, 1987 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

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

R151987
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27 stored results 27/27 Elo snapshots 26/27 numbered grid slots 0/27 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.

0/27 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.

0/27 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 → P27vs expectedReading
G. BergerFerrari #132087 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. SennaTeam Lotus #22380 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. JohanssonMcLaren #52197 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. AlboretoFerrari #211974 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. BoutsenBenetton #112124 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. NakajimaTeam Lotus #162057 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. ProstMcLaren #42233 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. PalmerTyrrell #92177 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. CheeverArrows #82184 No error range DNFOut of fuel Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. WarwickArrows #142069 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. PatreseBrabham #152063 No error range P11 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. StreiffTyrrell #72189 No error range P12 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. GhinzaniLigier #192022 No error range P13 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
Y. DalmasLarrousse #172056 No error range P14 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. PiquetWilliams #12506 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. ArnouxLigier #182024 No error range DNFOut of fuel Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. CaffiOsella #271908 No error range DNFOut of fuel Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. MorenoAGS #241938 No error range DNFElectrical Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. NanniniMinardi #231960 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. BrundleZakspeed #202022 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. de CesarisBrabham #261911 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. FabiBenetton #62196 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. DannerZakspeed #251921 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
I. CapelliMarch #122122 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. CamposMinardi #221965 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. AlliotLarrousse #102157 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. MansellWilliams #32338 Grid unnumbered No error range DNFAccident 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

Mansell−142.8 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Streiff+13 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

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

  1. 1 Piquet 73pts 0
  2. 2 Mansell 61pts 0
  3. 3 Senna 57pts 0
  4. 4 Prost 46pts 0
  5. 5 Johansson 30pts 0

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.

Benetton

BoutsenP5+57.2 Elo
FabiDNF−79.3 Elo

Non-finish recorded; no finishing gap comparison.

Minardi

NanniniDNF−3.1 Elo
CamposDNF−46.8 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 →
27
Result Entries
Avg Elo
Highest Elo (Piquet)
14
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇦🇹 G.Berger 1 +9 27 P6 +94.4 2,181
P2 🇧🇷 A.Senna 7 +5 +6 57 P3 +27.0 2,407
P3 🇸🇪 S.Johansson 9 +6 +4 30 P5 +54.6 2,251
P4 🇮🇹 M.Alboreto 4 +3 11 P9 +99.7 2,073
P5 🇧🇪 T.Boutsen 3 -2 +2 12 P8 +57.2 2,182
P6 🇯🇵 S.Nakajima 11 +5 +1 7 P11 +66.1 2,123
P7 🇫🇷 A.Prost 2 -5 0 46 P4 +18.4 2,252
P8 🇬🇧 J.Palmer 19 +11 0 4 P15 +23.6 2,201
DNF 🇺🇸 E.Cheever 12 0 8 P10 +15.1 2,199
P10 🇬🇧 D.Warwick 13 +3 0 3 P16 +35.1 2,104
P11 🇮🇹 R.Patrese 8 -3 0 6 P12 +29.5 2,092
P12 🇫🇷 P.Streiff 25 +13 0 4 P14 -7.2 2,182
P13 🇮🇹 P.Ghinzani 24 +11 0 0 P21 +25.0 2,047
P14 🇫🇷 Y.Dalmas 22 +8 0 0 P24 +10.0 2,066
DNF 🇧🇷 N.Piquet 5 0 73 P1 -80.5 2,425
DNF 🇫🇷 R.Arnoux 17 0 1 P20 +3.4 2,028
DNF 🇮🇹 A.Caffi 23 0 0 P26 +21.8 1,930
DNF 🇧🇷 R.Moreno 26 0 0 P29 +8.7 1,946
DNF 🇮🇹 A.Nannini 14 0 0 P25 -3.1 1,956
DNF 🇬🇧 M.Brundle 15 0 2 P18 -24.4 1,998
DNF 🇮🇹 A.de Cesaris 10 0 4 P13 -7.1 1,904
DNF 🇮🇹 T.Fabi 6 0 12 P7 -79.3 2,116
DNF 🇩🇪 C.Danner 16 0 0 P22 -23.2 1,898
DNF 🇮🇹 I.Capelli 20 0 1 P19 -76.5 2,046
DNF 🇪🇸 A.Campos 21 0 0 P27 -46.8 1,919
DNF 🇫🇷 P.Alliot 18 0 3 P17 -98.6 2,058
DNF 🇬🇧 N.Mansell 0 0 61 P2 -142.8 2,195

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes