Round 21 · 2016

Yas Marina Circuit

Abu Dhabi, UAE · November 27, 2016 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

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

R212016
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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 615 earlier finishes across 36 races, 2007–2016. 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
L. HamiltonMercedes #22576 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. RosbergMercedes #12610 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. VettelFerrari #52382 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. VerstappenRed Bull #42383 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. RicciardoRed Bull #32494 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
K. RäikkönenFerrari #72276 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
N. HülkenbergForce India #92202 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
S. PérezForce India #62334 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
F. MassaWilliams #122152 No error range P9 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
F. AlonsoMcLaren #102201 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. GrosjeanHaas F1 Team #182000 No error range P11 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. GutiérrezHaas F1 Team #201977 No error range P12 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. OconManor Marussia #211951 No error range P13 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. WehrleinManor Marussia #221903 No error range P14 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. EricssonSauber #191995 No error range P15 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
F. NasrSauber #172018 No error range P16 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. PalmerRenault #162020 No error range P17 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. SainzToro Rosso #112162 No error range DNFCollision damage Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. KvyatToro Rosso #142076 No error range DNFGearbox Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. ButtonMcLaren #132086 No error range DNFSuspension Not assessedQualifying unavailable
V. BottasWilliams #82231 No error range DNFSuspension Not assessedQualifying unavailable
K. MagnussenRenault #152039 No error range DNFSuspension Not assessedQualifying unavailable
How useful is the model? See the historical check

Average absolute error on 615 classified finishes in 36 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
2.35places
Qualifying only
2.55places
Elo only
2.87places

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

Bottas−65.2 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Ocon+7 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

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

  1. 1 Rosberg 385pts 0
  2. 2 Hamilton 380pts 0
  3. 3 Ricciardo 256pts 0
  4. 4 Vettel 212pts 0
  5. 5 Verstappen 204pts 0

Movement since round 20. 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.

Williams

MassaP9+18.3 Elo
BottasDNF−65.2 Elo

Non-finish recorded; no finishing gap comparison.

McLaren

AlonsoP10+5.1 Elo
ButtonDNF−37.9 Elo

Non-finish recorded; no finishing gap comparison.

Toro Rosso

SainzDNF−37.1 Elo
KvyatDNF−30.4 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 (Rosberg)
5
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇬🇧 L.Hamilton 1 +25 380 P2 +15.9 2,592
P2 🇩🇪 N.Rosberg 2 +18 385 P1 +7.4 2,617
P3 🇩🇪 S.Vettel 5 +2 +15 212 P4 +22.7 2,404
P4 🇳🇱 M.Verstappen 6 +2 +12 204 P5 +16.6 2,400
P5 🇦🇺 D.Ricciardo 3 -2 +10 256 P3 -1.2 2,493
P6 🇫🇮 K.Räikkönen 4 -2 +8 186 P6 +18.3 2,294
P7 🇩🇪 N.Hülkenberg 7 +6 72 P9 +22.8 2,225
P8 🇲🇽 S.Pérez 8 +4 101 P7 -1.4 2,333
P9 🇧🇷 F.Massa 10 +1 +2 53 P11 +18.3 2,170
P10 🇪🇸 F.Alonso 9 -1 +1 54 P10 +5.1 2,206
P11 🇫🇷 R.Grosjean 14 +3 0 29 P13 +28.3 2,028
P12 🇲🇽 E.Gutiérrez 13 +1 0 0 P21 +25.3 2,002
P13 🇫🇷 E.Ocon 20 +7 0 0 P23 +22.7 1,973
P14 🇩🇪 P.Wehrlein 16 +2 0 1 P19 +22.4 1,925
P15 🇸🇪 M.Ericsson 22 +7 0 0 P22 +5.0 2,000
P16 🇧🇷 F.Nasr 19 +3 0 2 P17 -4.2 2,014
P17 🇬🇧 J.Palmer 15 -2 0 1 P18 -10.4 2,010
DNF 🇪🇸 C.Sainz 21 0 46 P12 -37.1 2,125
DNF 🇷🇺 D.Kvyat 17 0 25 P14 -30.4 2,046
DNF 🇬🇧 J.Button 12 0 21 P15 -37.9 2,048
DNF 🇫🇮 V.Bottas 11 0 85 P8 -65.2 2,166
DNF 🇩🇰 K.Magnussen 18 0 7 P16 -43.1 1,996

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes