Round 2 · 2013

Sepang International Circuit

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · March 24, 2013 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

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

R022013
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22 stored results 22/22 Elo snapshots 22/22 numbered grid slots 0/22 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.

Fit on 560 earlier finishes across 35 races, 2003–2012. No results from this race enter its expectation.

0/22 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.

0/22 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 → P22vs expectedReading
S. VettelRed Bull #12494 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. WebberRed Bull #62270 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
L. HamiltonMercedes #82221 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. RosbergMercedes #152040 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
F. MassaFerrari #42406 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. GrosjeanLotus F1 #112117 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
K. RäikkönenLotus F1 #32443 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. HülkenbergSauber #102134 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. PérezMcLaren #142051 No error range P9 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. VergneToro Rosso #132078 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
V. BottasWilliams #182010 No error range P11 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. GutiérrezSauber #172017 No error range P12 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. BianchiMarussia #192003 No error range P13 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. PicCaterham #221950 No error range P14 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. van der GardeCaterham #211984 No error range P15 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. ChiltonMarussia #201990 No error range P16 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. ButtonMcLaren #52340 No error range DNSWithdrew Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. RicciardoToro Rosso #122110 No error range DNFRetired Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. MaldonadoWilliams #162032 No error range DNFRetired Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. SutilForce India #72245 No error range DNFWheel nut Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. di RestaForce India #92167 No error range DNFWheel nut Not assessedQualifying unavailable
F. AlonsoFerrari #22477 No error range DNFCollision Not assessedQualifying unavailable
How useful is the model? See the historical check

Average absolute error on 560 classified finishes in 35 earlier races within the last ten years. Each race was held out and predicted using only older races; all three models use the same samples.

Elo + qualifying
2.54places
Qualifying only
2.68places
Elo only
3.06places

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

Rosberg+69.2 Elo

Largest Elo loss

Alonso−115.9 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Vergne+7 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

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

  1. 1 Vettel 40pts +2
  2. 2 Räikkönen 31pts −1
  3. 3 Webber 26pts +3
  4. 4 Hamilton 25pts +1
  5. 5 Massa 22pts −1

Movement since round 1. 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.

Ferrari

MassaP5+4.6 Elo
AlonsoDNF−115.9 Elo

Non-finish recorded; no finishing gap comparison.

McLaren

PérezP9+34.3 Elo
ButtonDNS−66.0 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 →
22
Result Entries
Avg Elo
Highest Elo (Vettel)
6
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇩🇪 S.Vettel 1 +25 40 P1 +21.2 2,515
P2 🇦🇺 M.Webber 5 +3 +18 26 P3 +43.6 2,314
P3 🇬🇧 L.Hamilton 4 +1 +15 25 P4 +44.9 2,266
P4 🇩🇪 N.Rosberg 6 +2 +12 12 P7 +69.2 2,109
P5 🇧🇷 F.Massa 2 -3 +10 22 P5 +4.6 2,410
P6 🇫🇷 R.Grosjean 11 +5 +8 9 P8 +42.8 2,160
P7 🇫🇮 K.Räikkönen 10 +3 +6 31 P2 -13.1 2,430
P8 🇩🇪 N.Hülkenberg 12 +4 +4 4 P11 +26.7 2,161
P9 🇲🇽 S.Pérez 9 +2 2 P12 +34.3 2,085
P10 🇫🇷 J.Vergne 17 +7 +1 1 P14 +23.1 2,101
P11 🇫🇮 V.Bottas 18 +7 0 0 P15 +27.9 2,038
P12 🇲🇽 E.Gutiérrez 14 +2 0 0 P16 +20.2 2,037
P13 🇫🇷 J.Bianchi 19 +6 0 0 P17 +15.7 2,019
P14 🇫🇷 C.Pic 20 +6 0 0 P18 +17.3 1,967
P15 🇳🇱 G.van der Garde 22 +7 0 0 P19 +5.6 1,989
P16 🇬🇧 M.Chilton 21 +5 0 0 P20 -2.1 1,988
DNS 🇬🇧 J.Button 7 0 2 P13 -66.0 2,274
DNF 🇦🇺 D.Ricciardo 13 0 0 P21 -35.3 2,075
DNF 🇻🇪 P.Maldonado 16 0 0 P22 -28.6 2,003
DNF 🇩🇪 A.Sutil 8 0 6 P9 -71.4 2,174
DNF 🇬🇧 P.di Resta 15 0 4 P10 -64.9 2,102
DNF 🇪🇸 F.Alonso 3 0 18 P6 -115.9 2,361

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes