Abu Dhabi GP Thread - Contains Spoilers

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

With it being the title finale i will be more lenient on debating but if turns into abuse then BAM! Naughty step



Track: Yas Marina Circuit. Permanent Circuit.

Race start time: 1pm UK time Sunday (5pm local).

Laps: 55.

Track length: 5.554 km.

Tyre allocation: Soft (yellow) and supersoft (red).

DRS Zones: Two with separate detection points – between turns seven and eight and between turns ten and 11.

Driver steward: TBA.

Lap record: Sebastian Vettel - 1:40.279 (Red Bull; 2009).

2013 pole: Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.957 (Red Bull)

Form guide
Sebastian Vettel is the most successful driver in Abu Dhabi having taken victory at three of the five previous grands prix in the emirate. Lewis Hamilton (2011) and Kimi Raikkonen (2012) are the only other drivers to have stood atop the F1 podium at the Yas Marina Circuit.

2013 result: 1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2. Mark Webber (Red Bull); 3. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes); 4. Romain Grosjean (Lotus); 5. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari); 6. Paul Di Resta (Force India); 7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 8. Felipe Massa (Ferrari); 9. Sergio Perez (McLaren); 10. Adrian Sutil (Force India).

Last five winers in Abu Dhabi: 2013: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2012: Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus); 2011: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren); 2010:  Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2009: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull).

Pirelli will bring the two softest compounds in their range to Abu Dhabi – the yellow-marked soft and red-banded supersoft.

The Italian firm says that “Abu Dhabi is one of the smoothest tracks of the year, and well-known territory for Pirelli, with a lot of the company’s testing carried out there prior to its arrival in Formula 1.

“The race takes place into the evening, with ambient and track temperatures dropping, The most suitable tyre choice is the P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft, which will put the accent on strategy.”

Motorsport Director Paul Hembery added: “The strategy is normally greatly affected by the unusual track evolution, due to the falling temperatures caused by the late afternoon start.

“This was the case in Bahrain as well, which turned out to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable races of the season earlier this year.

“As a result, the free practice sessions will be particularly crucial, as the teams try to gather as much information as possible about how the car will perform on both compounds: not just with different fuel loads, but also with different track temperatures.

“As so many points are on offer, there is a big opportunity for teams that have less to lose to try an unexpected strategy, in order to make some potentially significant gains.”

Lewis Hamilton is favourite for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Sky Bet with Brazil victor Nico Rosberg second favourite

---------

[Guest]

Question is, what does Nico do in the race?

Still out of his hands, regardless of pole. If there is no sign of DNF's, he has two options.

Plan A - Win race, it's all he can do
Plan B - Lead & control the race up until the last 10 laps or so. If Williams are in contention, back Lewis up as much as possible. If Williams aren't in contention, slow down & invite pressure from Lewis & make him make a difficult overtake that could re-create a Spa moment. He'd have to take that risk, nothing to lose for Nico by that point.

[Fernando]

If i was Nico on the opening lap back Lewis up into the hairpin and hope a Williams can get between them.

[Guest]

I'm not sure Nico can afford to start 'tactics' so early on. All he can do is lead the race, get some kind of control & then analyse what is happening. For me, to make rash calculated decisions to back Lewis up would be a mistake, seeing as, a DNF could still happen for the remaining 60 odd laps.

[Fernando]

Really? Why not take advantage of how close the Williams are instead of having to back off and slow down later on in the race.

[Guest]

Plan B - Lead & control the race up until the last 10 laps or so. If Williams are in contention, back Lewis up as much as possible. If Williams aren't in contention, slow down & invite pressure from Lewis & make him make a difficult overtake that could re-create a Spa moment. He'd have to take that risk, nothing to lose for Nico by that point.

Would be unbelievable scenes, if this actually unfolded & they had a collision. It could be the only way for Nico to make something happen. He's shown his ruthless side this season & in desperate times, calls for desperate measures. Lewis will take the bait too, it's in his DNA to win.

@Fernando - Nico could mess that up, Williams have the straight line speed, so Nico could find himself losing the lead & having trouble getting it back. The priority for Nico is to win, then start playing 'tactics'. No point playing tactics, losing the lead & making it very hard for himself behind a Williams with possibly Lewis behind him too in third.

[Fernando]

I can see your point there John but when i say backing up i mean like apex-ing it like Alonso & Ricciardo when Alonso slowed on the apex of the hairpin making Ricciardo slower out the corner and floored it to get a gap.  That kind of thing not just usual backing up It wouldn't cost Nico anything doing that realistically if done properly

[GSC]

Ultimately all Rosberg can do is win the race.

Imagine both have been told any shenanigans and they're off next season

[Guest]

I'd be going to Williams saying, 'If Valtteri hits Lewis or Nico at the first corner, your engines are gone for 2015'.

[owen10ozzy]

First corner pile up; Rosberg and Hamilton both out and a massively anti-climatic end to the season...

Wonder what odds I can get on that!

[Fernando]

Red Bull face an official investigation after governing body the FIA declared their car illegal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The FIA said the front wings on the cars of both Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel were too flexible.

Teams can gain an aerodynamic advantage by front wings that flex downwards at speed.

The team will now probably either have to modify the wings and start from the back of the grid or race under appeal.

[GSC]

I'd be going to Williams saying, 'If Valtteri hits Lewis or Nico at the first corner, your engines are gone for 2015'.

And that's why you aren't employed by Mercedes

[Guest]

It was a joke, calm down. I do know the financial gain they get from supplying engines to customer teams.

[Guest]

Both Red Bulls will start from the back of the grid.

[Guest]

4 years too late on the flexing front wing clampdown. I can't wait to hear Horner's whining tomorrow, when asked about this. Throw in his embarrassing engine comments & it really is pathetic.

[GSC]

Newey probably did it as a farewell laugh

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

The lolz on here when Hamilton breaks down are gonna be hilarious

[mystiroakey]

Don't olly. Don't.....

[Gerry SA]

Damon Hill interviewing Alain Prost and Mika Hakkinen was pretty nice.

[mystiroakey]

Smashed him. Get in Lewis.

[CaledonianCraig]

Rosberg loses KERS. Surely, the title is in the bag for Lewis.

[mystiroakey]

Rosberg loves the talk.. But on the track its a different story. He has lost the plot again.

[CaledonianCraig]

Rosberg is too much a 'no risk taking' driver and that is an essential ingredient to become world champion.

[CaledonianCraig]

By that I mean you must take risks to win races and titles.

[GSC]

Not sure what else Rosberg could do. ERS failure is terminal.

Its in the bag anyway. Dire end to a dire season

[GSC]

Congrats to Hamilton

No WDC win is a bad win and he's seen off Rosberg comfortably.

Here's hoping for a good title race next season

[CaledonianCraig]

Not sure what else Rosberg could do. ERS failure is terminal.

Its in the bag anyway. Dire end to a dire season

The writing (for me) was on the wall before he even had KERS problems. He got beaten off the start by Hamilton losing the lead and he never looked like reversing that before his problems.

[GSC]

We know Nico isn't the fastest on outright pace. Ultimately though, unless Hamilton retired, what he did was irrelevant. Nothing he couldve done today

[CaledonianCraig]

We know Nico isn't the fastest on outright pace. Ultimately though, unless Hamilton retired, what he did was irrelevant. Nothing he couldve done today

On the amount of race wins gained it is no mystery who has been the better driver of the pair. Hopefully, next year will be a lot more competitive though. It has been far too long since we have had multiple teams in the scrap for the world title.

[CaledonianCraig]

And so Hamilton becomes a double world champion.

[mystiroakey]

Yeahhhh.

Well done lewis.

[mystiroakey]

Remember he flat spotted his tyres before the kesr issue as well. And lewis hasnt made one mistake all race.

A tail of two halves this season.

Rosberg deserves his qualifying medal. But Lewis has smashed him in the actual racing.

[sportform]

Respect to Rosberg for wanting to finished the race. Congratulations to Hamilton on winning the championship.

[Guest]

Yesssss! Lewis is World Champion x2

[Gerry SA]

Lewis Hamilton not as good as Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, but he deserved this WDC. Well done.

[Fernando]

Have to say was expecting to come here into the midst of a battlefield so very happy to see all is well.

A shame to see it decided by a ERS issue, Do wonder the way he got off the line if he had it from the start though.

Lewis

[mystiroakey]

Have to say was expecting to come here into the midst of a battlefield so very happy to see all is well.

A shame to see it decided by a ERS issue, Do wonder the way he got off the line if he had it from the start though.

 Lewis

It certainly wasn't decided by that

[Fernando]

Have to say was expecting to come here into the midst of a battlefield so very happy to see all is well.

A shame to see it decided by a ERS issue, Do wonder the way he got off the line if he had it from the start though.

 Lewis

It certainly wasn't decided by that

He was 2.5 seconds behind til that ERS issue. It's not like Hamilton was sailing off into the distance Mysti the ERS failure gave Lewis the gap would of been interesting to see what would of happened since Nico was planning a super soft stint at the end but the ERS failure ultimately decided where it was going Nico was never going to recover from that.

Lewis may well of won of the title anyway but the ERS failure for Nico laid it on a silver platter for him.

[mystiroakey]

I don't agree mate. 

Rosbergs only chance was lewis having a mistake or failure. He won and got in front. And when he has been in front rosberg has never beaten him. Why would it have changed today. 2.5 is huge in the scheme of things as it is out of drs and lewis matches rosberg with small gains to save his engine. He has been doing that all season.

[CaledonianCraig]

Have to say was expecting to come here into the midst of a battlefield so very happy to see all is well.

A shame to see it decided by a ERS issue, Do wonder the way he got off the line if he had it from the start though.

 Lewis

It certainly wasn't decided by that

He was 2.5 seconds behind til that ERS issue. It's not like Hamilton was sailing off into the distance Mysti the ERS failure gave Lewis the gap would of been interesting to see what would of happened since Nico was planning a super soft stint at the end but the ERS failure ultimately decided where it was going Nico was never going to recover from that.

Lewis may well of won of the title anyway but the ERS failure for Nico laid it on a silver platter for him.

Lets not forget that Nico started the race with the big advantage of pole position and threw it away so it was Hamilton with all the momentum anyway. If Rosberg had suffered mechanically from the outset then I could see what you are saying. As soon as Hamilton passed Nico it was (for me) only a matter of Lewis finishing the race to seal the title.

[Guest]

ERS didn't effect the outcome, Lewis was controlling the race. Toto & Nico admitting it didn't effect the race & that Lewis was faster all season & is the deserving champion. Congratulations for Lewis, feel for Nico slightly but the issues evened themselves out.

Everyone is pretty negative talking about their chances next season, should be déjà vu for Mercedes next season.

Just looking at Button/Dennis in a conversation, interesting stuff

[Fernando]

Have to say was expecting to come here into the midst of a battlefield so very happy to see all is well.

A shame to see it decided by a ERS issue, Do wonder the way he got off the line if he had it from the start though.

 Lewis

It certainly wasn't decided by that

He was 2.5 seconds behind til that ERS issue. It's not like Hamilton was sailing off into the distance Mysti the ERS failure gave Lewis the gap would of been interesting to see what would of happened since Nico was planning a super soft stint at the end but the ERS failure ultimately decided where it was going Nico was never going to recover from that.

Lewis may well of won of the title anyway but the ERS failure for Nico laid it on a silver platter for him.

Lets not forget that Nico started the race with the big advantage of pole position and threw it away so it was Hamilton with all the momentum anyway. If Rosberg had suffered mechanically from the outset then I could see what you are saying. As soon as Hamilton passed Nico it was (for me) only a matter of Lewis finishing the race to seal the title.

I can see what your saying and personally as i said above i think the issue was there by the way he got away anywhere else with a longer start straight he'd have been swallowed up by most of the top 10 he was that slow off the line i think it just got progressively worse as he went on.

The ERS ended any chance Nico has of getting back at Lewis i think any Hamilton fan (even Mysti) would admit that. Sure Nico may have not got past Lewis but he wouldn't of been able to take it as easy as he did if Nico went Super Soft like Felipe did.

[mystiroakey]

I dont feel for Nico at all. He should take the positives(qualifying) and realise he will never win a championship unless he becomes a racer that can over take his rivals.(or lewis leaves!)

11-5 in race wins

and in regards to overtakes Rosberg is even further away. He couldn't make 1 stick all year- lewis made several.

I am not sure if a driver can just improve by enough of a margin and become a racer. Throughout history you are one or you are not.

But he has a seat next season- as they both seem to, so we shall see.

[banbrotam]

Lewis Hamilton not as good as Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, but he deserved this WDC. Well done.

When Vettel wins the title in a car that is no better than the best, as Hamilton did in 2008 lest you forget, then he might be classed as better racer than Hamilton

Alonso is now no better than Lewis, but we'll see what next year brings

[banbrotam]

Have to say was expecting to come here into the midst of a battlefield so very happy to see all is well.

A shame to see it decided by a ERS issue, Do wonder the way he got off the line if he had it from the start though.

 Lewis

It certainly wasn't decided by that

He was 2.5 seconds behind til that ERS issue. It's not like Hamilton was sailing off into the distance Mysti the ERS failure gave Lewis the gap would of been interesting to see what would of happened since Nico was planning a super soft stint at the end but the ERS failure ultimately decided where it was going Nico was never going to recover from that.

Lewis may well of won of the title anyway but the ERS failure for Nico laid it on a silver platter for him.

Lets not forget that Nico started the race with the big advantage of pole position and threw it away so it was Hamilton with all the momentum anyway. If Rosberg had suffered mechanically from the outset then I could see what you are saying. As soon as Hamilton passed Nico it was (for me) only a matter of Lewis finishing the race to seal the title.

I can see what your saying and personally as i said above i think the issue was there by the way he got away anywhere else with a longer start straight he'd have been swallowed up by most of the top 10 he was that slow off the line i think it just got progressively worse as he went on.

The ERS ended any chance Nico has of getting back at Lewis i think any Hamilton fan (even Mysti) would admit that. Sure Nico may have not got past Lewis but he wouldn't of been able to take it as easy as he did if Nico went Super Soft like Felipe did.

You forget that Hamilton was creaming Rosberg in Brazil until he had that self-inflicted spin. Then there was Austin where Lewis, in the second stint, caught up Nico so fast, you'd have thought the German was driving MM of two years ago

i.e. it's all in Hamilton's hands. For me these two are barely closer than Vettel / Webber.

[CaledonianCraig]

Lewis Hamilton not as good as Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, but he deserved this WDC. Well done.

When Vettel wins the title in a car that is no better than the best, as Hamilton did in 2008 lest you forget, then he might be classed as better racer than Hamilton

Spot on. I sense a thread coming up on this in the coming days.

[JubbaIsle]

Nico's ERS didnt start to have an impact until he was around the 24 lap margin, until then he was trying to get to within the DRS 1 sec time to use it and never could because Lewis was controlling the gap.

As for Nico using SS's, that was out of the question I believe, as they didnt have any good tyres left after the qualifiers, maybe wrong though, but even so, Nico would have had to do 3 stops and would have had +25secs to catch up to Lewis with only 15 laps to go to stand a chance of the tyres lasting.

Well done Hamilton, that start was amazing and Nico couldn't get close enough, but keeping it all together, not coming off the track, some careful boxing and engine management made it a special win.

[CaledonianCraig]

Question:- Name the only driver to win a world championship this century in a car that did not win the constructors title?

[monty junior]

Well done Hamilton, definitely the better racer out of the two though the fastest driver in F1 tag is complete rubbish as Rosberg is just as fast but Hamilton is more consistently quick and better at looking after his tyres in the race. Rosberg is a slightly better version of Trulli imo, fantastic in qualifying but not a particularly good or consistent racer. 

It's going to be interesting next season with all the changes in the driver market, Honda coming back, just hope it's more competitive this season as from a neutrals point of view it's been absolutely rotten. Think the last season we had two top teams on equal footing throughout a season was 2008, other than 2010 every season since has been blowouts. Hope we can get loads of competitive teams next season

[CaledonianCraig]

Wasn't in Schumacher in 94 & Williams won?

No it was Lewis Hamilton in 2008. He won the title in his McLaren but Ferrari won the constructors title.

[mystiroakey]

Yep the Ferrari was the fastest car that year for the second half of the season i think(or was it the first)

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