Over at F1 Fanatic, Keith Collantine has been running a poll to find the best driver in the wet. All the usual culprits are mentioned and debated, the eternal war between the Alonso and Hamilton camps re-ignited, the Kimi fans defending their hero's latest results, new boys like Kubica and Vettel reaping plenty of votes. It's a great free-for-all and the comments are well worth a read.
Nick Heidfeld
I voted for Hamilton, based on his amazing superiority at some wet races this year and last and excusing those where he made mistakes. But, as I was reading through the statistics presented by commenters to support their claims, I realized that there was a driver who shone whatever the conditions, monsoon, wet, damp and drying. It was Mr Consistency himself, the man who is never noticed, Nick Heidfeld, perhaps a contender for most under-rated driver of all.
Of course, I understand why Quick Nick so often goes unremarked; he is unassuming, sensible and quiet, definitely not the sort that the media seek out for a sensational comment or two. You might think that those involved in the sport would be more aware of his qualities, but no, twice in his career he has seen beaten team mates promoted to better teams ahead of him. It must be the beard.
In the wet, Nick's statistics show him to be the best bet to finish and gain points. Others may win but they also fall off the track occasionally. Not our Nick - he will get the car home somehow, often beating his highly-rated team mate, Robert Kubica, in the process. And it is this reliability that has given Nick two records and a share of another.
Of the current drivers, he has the most races under his belt without a win. And he has also scored the most championship points without ever standing on the top step of the podium. Those may seem dubious records to own but, when one considers the machinery he has had to drive, they speak of utterly dependable consistency. He may not have done so yet, but he obviously understands that, to finish first, first you have to finish.
His shared record is more widely known: he is currently equal with Michael Schumacher's mark of the longest unbroken number of finishes - 24. If he brings the car home in Singapore, that record will be his alone. Obviously, this is a testament to the incredible reliability of modern F1 cars but it must also say something about a driver's mechanical sympathy and ability to stay out of trouble. Both are important weapons in a driver's armory.
Nick's place at BMW has been under considerable pressure this year, with Kubica's emergence as one of the stars of tomorrow and the possibility of the team taking on Alonso in 2009. But lately he has been matching his team mate, once again showing that, if Robert is quick, Nick is no slower. And that applies in both the wet and the dry; Heidfeld is good in all conditions.
As for Alonso, it seems that he has opted to stay at Renault next year. I cannot help but feel that this is best for all concerned and especially for Heidfeld. As a double world champion, Alonso has clearly tempted BMW but I suspect that Heidfeld will be better for the team in the long run.
Next year the cars will be very different and I hear already the guesses that this driver will thrive on the changes, another will not. And, as one of the smooth stylists, Nick is slated to be less effective in the slick tire, less downforce world of tomorrow. At which point I must shrug and ask how we rated Massa's chances without traction control and in the wet.
Sometimes things just don't go to plan, do they?