Brawn's WCC lead

[Brian Lawrence]

I answered a question posed in another group about large WCC leads
being overturned,

The WCC began in 1958. From that year until 1978 the scoring matched
that in the WDC, except that there were no points for fastest lap, and
only the highest-placed finisher in any team scored points. From 1958
to 1960 the maximum score in each race was 8 points, and then from 1961
to 1978 it was 9.

From 1979 to 2009 both drivers scores were counted. The maximum available
in each race was 15 (1979-90), 16 (1991-2002) & 18 (since 2003).

These are the occasions when a team led the WCC by more than Brawn's
22.5 and contrived to lose that lead.

1991 - McLaren led by over 30 points, but were caught by Williams.
They regained and lost the lead, but ended as WCC champions.

1994 - Benetton led by more than 30 points, were caught by Williams,
regained the lead and then lost again.

1999 - Ferrari led by 24 points after Monaco, were caught by McLaren,
but regained the lead and won the WCC.

2000 - Ferrari led by 29 points after Imola, were caught by McLaren,
regained the lead and won the WCC.

2005 - Renault led by 23 points after the European GP, but were caught
by McLaren, then regained the lead and won the WCC.

So in five seasons a lead of at least 22.5 points has been lost, but
on only one occasion did the team fail to regain it. The lead was not
necessarily over the team which later caught them. In some cases the
other team were lying third or lower.

In 2007 McLaren 'lost' a large lead, but the official records exclude
McLaren from the official tables. They led Ferrari by more than 22.5
points following six of the events, but would have been overtaken by
Ferrari at the final race. That scenario assumes that they still lost
their 15 points from the Hungarian GP, which were withheld after the
Hamilton/Alonso qualifying fiasco.

I also wondered if any team had led by as many points after only four
events:

1981 Williams led by 26 points after the 2nd & 3rd events.
1989 McLaren led by 27 points after 3 events & by 36 after 4.
1991 McLaren led by 30 after 3 & 34 after 4.
1992 Williams led by 23 after 2, 37 after 3 & 41 after 4.
1996 Williams - 29 after 3 & 39 after 4.
1998 McLaren - 24 after 2.
1999 Ferrari - 24 after 4.
2000 Ferrari - 29 after 3.
2004 Ferrari - 29 after 3 & 33 after 4.
2007 Ferrari - 26 after 4 [ignoring McLaren].

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Brian