The 2014 F1 Finals - Current Round: Wildcard Playoffs

[ADx_Wales]

For those that dont know

Top 12 in the standings before the last 5 rounds of the season qualify for the "Finals", a knockout head-to-head format.
Top 4 get a bye to the Quarter Finals.
5th-12th play in a "Wildcard" playoff (In this case the 2014 Japanese GP), whoever finishes higher in the results will advance.
Top 4 and winners of the wildcard playoffs make up the quarter finalists (at the <gulp> Russian GP), again whoever finishes higher will advance.
Semi Finals will be held over two races (United States and Brazilian Grands Prix), Whoever completes the most laps over both races will advance to the final...
...which is then fairly self explanitory.

Flight to the Finals

With 3 races to go before the cut-off, everyone is in a mathematical position to get into the wildcard play-offs (including Andre Lotterer).
The top 15 in the standings have a mathematical chance to get a bye to the quarter finals.

[ADx_Wales]

Ah, returning member in noob mode...what else can I say, whoops.

[Salamander]

Ah, returning member in noob mode...what else can I say, whoops.

Don't worry, it just gives me an excuse to justify my moderator-ship.

[AndreaModa]

Christ almighty it's been 4 years?!

[Klon]

Christ almighty it's been 4 years?!

Indeed. Time is running. I've taken care of my headstone already, buying early makes them cheap.

[ADx_Wales]

Flight to the Finals - Update

2 races left, Monza and Marina Bay, before the cut off point, everyone with a race seat still with a mathematical possibility of getting to the 2014 F1 Finals, but there are now 12 drivers with a mathematical possibility of getting a bye into the quarter finals.

[HawkAussie]

This is the list of winners to be reminided with

5-time champions
Michael Schumacher - 1994, 1996, 2000-2002

4-time champions
Juan Manuel Fangio - 1954-1957
Alain Prost - 1984, 1986, 1988, 1993

3-time champions
Fernando Alonso - 2005-2006, 2008
Sebastian Vettel - 2010, 2012-2013

2-time champions
Nino Farina - 1950, 1953
Alberto Ascari - 1951-1952
Graham Hill - 1962, 1968
Jim Clark - 1963, 1967
John Surtees - 1964, 1966
Jacky Ickx - 1969-1970
Emerson Fittipaldi - 1973-1974
James Hunt - 1976-1977
Jacques Laffite - 1978, 1981
Kimi Raikkonen - 2003, 2007
Mark Webber - 2009, 2011

1-time champions
Mike Hawthorn - 1958
Tony Brooks - 1959
Jack Brabham - 1960
Stirling Moss - 1961
Dan Gurney - 1965
Ronnie Peterson - 1971
Denny Hulme - 1972
Niki Lauda - 1975
Gilles Villeneuve - 1979
Alan Jones - 1980
John Watson - 1982
Nelson Piquet - 1983
Keke Rosberg - 1985
Stefan Johansson - 1987
Riccarrdo Patrese - 1989
Thierry Boutsen - 1990
Ayrton Senna - 1991
Gerhard Berger - 1992
Damon Hill - 1995
Jean Alesi - 1997
Mika Hakkinen - 1998
Eddie Irvine - 1999
Takuma Sato - 2004

The current playoff system at the moment

Bye into QF
1. Rosberg
2. Hamilton
3. Ricciardo
4. Alsonso (2005-06, 2008)

Playoffs
5. Bottas vs. 12. Perez
6. Vettel (2010, 2012-13) vs. 11. Magnussen
7. Hulkenberg vs. 10. Raikkonen (2003, 2007)
8. Button vs. 9. Massa

Out of playoffs
13. Vergne -22
14. Grosjean -25
15. Kvyat -25
16. Bianchi -31
17. Sutil -33
18. Ericsson -33
19. Maldonado -33
20. Gutierrez -33
21. Chilton -33
22. Kobayashi -33
23. Lotterer -33

We might add a construtor sitatution to the mix

Quarter Finals
1. Mercedes vs. WQF3
2. Red Bull vs. WQF2
3. Ferrari vs. WQF1
4. Williams vs. 5. McLaren

Playoffs
6. Force India vs. 11. Catherham
7. Toro Rosso vs. 10. Sauber
8. Lotus vs. 9. Marussia

[ADx_Wales]

There are now 12 Guaranteed slots for the 2014 F1 Finals, the next round at Singapore will now determine who gets a bye to the Quarter Finals, and who will have to face off to get there.

Guaranteed Quarter Final Slot

Nico Rosberg 238
Lewis Hamilton 216

Potential Quarter Final Slot (your predictions on who will advance below )

Daniel Ricciardo 166
Valtteri Bottas 122
Fernando Alonso 121
Sebatien Vettel 106

Guaranteed Wildcard Playoff Slot

Jenson Button 72
Nico Hulkenberg 70
Felipe Massa 55
Kimi Raikkonen 41
Sergio Perez 39
Kevin Magnussen 38
__________

If nothing changes after Singapore:

Nico Hulkenberg (8) Vs Felipe Massa (9) - Winner will face Nico Rosberg (1) in QF

Jenson Button (7) Vs Kimi Raikkonen (10) - Winner will face Lewis Hamilton (2)

Sebatien Vettel (6) Vs Sergio Perez (11)- Winner will face Daniel Ricciardo (3)

Fernando Alonso (5) Vs Kevin Magnussen (12) - Winner will face Valtteri Bottas (4)

[HawkAussie]

My prediction will be Ricciardo and Bottas

[ADx_Wales]

Singapore Update: Nico's technical nightmare and Lewis' technical dream meant that Hamilton became the #1 seed in the Finals, Valtteri Bottas' lack of grip at the end of the race not only meant he slid out of the points, but also out of the top 4. Which means...
__________

Wildcard 1

5Sebastian Vettel Germany - Last 5 Races: 4th-7th-6th-5th-2nd
Vs
12Kevin Magnussen Denmark - Last 5: 9th-12th-12th-10th-10th

Winner of Wildcard 1 will face 4Fernando Alonso in Quarter Final 1
_____

Wildcard 2 "The Duel of the Ice Warriors"

6Valtteri Bottas Finland - Last 5:2nd-8th-3rd-4th-11th
Vs
11Kimi Raikkonen Finland - Last 5:11th-6th-4th-9th-8th

Winner of WC2 will face 3Daniel Ricciardo in QF2
_____

Wildcard 3

7Jenson Button Britain - Last 5:8th-10th-6th-8th-DNF
Vs
10Sergio Perez Mexico - Last 5:10th-DNF-8th-7th-7th

Winner of WC3 will face 2Nico Rosberg in QF3
_____

Wildcard 4

8Nico Hulkenberg Germany - Last 5:7th-DNF-10th-12th-9th
Vs
9Felipe Massa Brazil - Last 5:DNF-5th-13th-3rd-5th

Winner of WC4 will face 1Lewis Hamilton in QF4

__________

F1 FInals 2015 Format Change:

With 7 flyaway rounds due for next year, The Formula One Organisation of Finals (FOOF) may completely overhaul the format to include all seven races and the 2-leg format currently reserved for the Semi-Finals being implemented for each round except for the final which will remain on a single race shootout. These changes will not affect the history of the series before 2010.

[HawkAussie]

The Japanese round of the playoff saw Vettel defeat Magnussen while Bottas defeated Raikkonen in the battle of Finland. Button continued the form by defeating Perez. In the final match Massa only just defeat Hulkenberg by one spot.

[5] Vettel vs. [4] Alonso
[6] Bottas vs. [3] Ricciardo
[7] Button vs. [2] Rosberg
[9] Massa vs. [1] Hamilton

Hamilton continued his form in Russia with the GP win taking out Massa in the progress. Rosberg took out Button after finishing second place behind the race winner with Button missing out the podium.

Bottas 3rd place overwhelem Ricciardo 7th while Alonso won the last of the quarter finals after Vettel finished two places behind Alonso.

[2] Rosberg vs. [6] Bottas
[1] Hamilton vs. [4] Alonso