The rules are below. There are a couple of changes from last season, so please read them even if you've played before.
Objective
- To predict (pick) the top ten finishing drivers for each Grand Prix of the 2012 Formula 1 season as accurately as possible.
- Visit the entry form at http://is.gd/f1entries and follow the instructions.
- There is only one entry form for the whole season now. You can enter picks for multiple races at once, if you wish. If you later change your mind, you can submit a new set of picks, and you will score points for the last one submitted before the deadline.
- Picks will not be carried over to other races at all this year. Instead, I suggest you submit a set of picks for the whole season, and then submit individual picks for each race. That way, if you ever forget to enter, your season-long picks will be used as a back-up.
- The competition is not limited to Tube Forum members, so feel free to invite friends to play and don't be surprised if you see some unfamiliar names in the standings.
- The deadline is the start of the first practice session on each weekend. That is a Friday for all races except Monaco, which starts on a Thursday. I'll be posting my usual reminders in this thread.
- The exact deadline times can be found on the Results tab of the results spreadsheet at http://is.gd/f1results. All the results will be added there for the whole season. There are also tabs for the overall standings, the scores in each round (after it is finished), the drivers' performances and how much they are being picked in this competition (formerly known as the popularity contest).
- Points are scored after each race based on how well your picks match the actual race results. For each driver that you picked, you score points based on the difference between where the driver finished and where you predicted he'd finish:
- Didn't finish in the top 10 - 0 points
- Finished exactly where predicted - 25 points
- Finished 1 place off from where predicted - 18 points
- Finished 2 places off from where predicted - 15 points
- Finished 3 places off from where predicted - 12 points
- Finished 4 places off from where predicted - 10 points
- Finished 5 places off from where predicted - 8 points
- Finished 6 places off from where predicted - 6 points
- Finished 7 places off from where predicted - 4 points
- Finished 8 places off from where predicted - 2 points
- Finished 9 places off from where predicted - 1 point
- For example, if you picked Alonso to come in 3rd and he did finish 3rd, you'd score 25 points, but if he finished 5th, you'd score 15 points. If he finished 11th, you'd score no points.
- Your total score for a race is the sum of the points scored for each driver in your pick.
- You are responsible for checking your own score for accuracy, though everything is automated this year, so there shouldn't be any mistakes.
- There is no championship prediction twist this year, or indeed any bonus points to be scored at all, but Neil (tubeguru) will be running a different kind of predictions game and has posted the details in a separate thread.
- At the end of the season, the winner will be the the person with the highest total number of points. In the event two or more players have the same number of points, the tie-breaking criteria will be the number of round victories, and then the highest single score across the whole season.