F1 2021

[spitfire]

Max, such a hard life, never been easy, mega whinge here.

I don't actually mind Max too much, he makes for great entertainment on the track.

But this is just baby whining.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I haven't brought myself to watch it, but is that the one where he's complaining about being singled out and suffering in a way no other driver on the grid does?

 

[MrCurry]

I haven't brought myself to watch it, but is that the one where he's complaining about being singled out and suffering in a way no other driver on the grid does?

To be fair, Lewis was talking that way at times during his earlier years in F1. I think it’s maybe part of the mindset of those who push themselves to the very highest levels, to see any criticism or penalty as being bias against them.

As a Lewis fan, I’ve definitely at times felt that penalties he picked up were unfair, but never bought into the theory (which was put about a lot during his early career) that the Stewards were biased against him.

I wonder if Max will follow a similar arc as he gets older, and will become more careful not to cross the boundaries and thus gets fewer penalties and this talk of being “singled out“ will disappear. I’d like to think so, anyhow.

 

[dessiato]

Internet and TV total outage! Four hour wait for technical assistance.

 

[MrCurry]

Internet and TV total outage! Four hour wait for technical assistance.

Could be worse, could’ve been Sunday

 

[dessiato]

Could be worse, could’ve been Sunday

God I hope it's fixed by then. If not I'm putting everything on ignore so I can watch it as if live.

 

[Limejuice]

God I hope it's fixed by then. If not I'm putting everything on ignore so I can watch it as if live.

The Likely Lads gambit.

Toughie.

 

[MrCurry]

God I hope it's fixed by then. If not I'm putting everything on ignore so I can watch it as if live.

It’s that or find a bar which will show it and is empty enough to allow for social distancing

 

[Limejuice]

Ocon certainly had his Shredded Wheat this morning!

 

[Limejuice]

Oopsie. Kimi spanks a barrier, A very late red flag.

 

[MrCurry]

Kimi knows what he’s doing. Until he doesn’t.

 

[dessiato]

I got it back! Managed the last two minutes.

 

[MrCurry]

I got it back! Managed the last two minutes.

So you’re the one who distracted Kimi?!

 

[1%er]

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix second practice​

Lewis Hamilton ended Friday practice fastest with Esteban Ocon an unexpected second-fastest for Alpine in a session which ended with Kimi Raikkonen crashing his Alfa Romeo. Hamilton posted a 1’23.691, putting him three tenths clear of Ocon’s Alpine and six tenths faster than his championship rival Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver finished the session fourth fastest behind both of the Mercedes. Valtteri Bottas had a brush with the wall 10 minutes into the session after oversteering on the exit of turn 14 under the hotel. He immediately pitted, with Mercedes mechanics examining his right-rear wheel, before being released back out onto the track having been delayed for just over five minutes. He wasn’t the last driver to encounter problems in the reshaped and resurfaced section which passes under the hotel.

Nicholas Latifi had a more substantial meeting with the barriers when he spun his Williams through turn 13. He backed into the barriers but was able to pull away and recover to the pitlane. Hamilton set the early pace, putting in a 1’24.126 on the medium tyres as the sun began to set. Bottas improved on his return to the track after his tag with the wall, going second fastest, before topping the times with a lap almost half a tenth faster than his team mate. Verstappen would have been higher up the standings, but the Red Bull driver had his best lap of the early phase of the session deleted for exceeding track limits in the final corner. Fernando Alonso also fell foul of the stewards, having multiple laps deleted for running to wide on the exit of the final corner.

Ocon temporarily moved to the head of the field in the Alpine, before Hamilton re-took the top spot by breaking into the 1’23s for the first time. As the sun set around the Yas Marina circuit, there was little in the way of lap time improvements as teams focused on longer runs under the same conditions they will face for Sunday’s race. When the chequered flag flew, Hamilton’s earlier fastest time was quick enough to see him finish at the top of the timesheets, ahead of Ocon and Bottas. On his final lap, Raikkonen lost control of his Alfa Romeo through the troublesome turn 14, and spun, hitting the wall with the rear of the car before secondary contact with the front. Raikkonen was able to climb out of the car unharmed, but a long night of repairs awaits his mechanics ahead of tomorrow’s running.

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix second practice result​

Pos.	No.	Driver	Car	Best lap	Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1’23.691		26
2	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine-Renault	1’24.034	0.343	29
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1’24.083	0.392	29
4	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull-Honda	1’24.332	0.641	25
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull-Honda	1’24.400	0.709	26
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine-Renault	1’24.495	0.804	27
7	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri-Honda	1’24.532	0.841	26
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1’24.557	0.866	29
9	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	1’24.844	1.153	29
10	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri-Honda	1’24.940	1.249	27
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren-Mercedes	1’24.959	1.268	26
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1’25.108	1.417	27
13	4	Lando Norris	McLaren-Mercedes	1’25.153	1.462	27
14	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1’25.195	1.504	27
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1’25.385	1.694	26
16	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1’25.440	1.749	23
17	63	George Russell	Williams-Mercedes	1’25.549	1.858	29
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams-Mercedes	1’25.687	1.996	22
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas-Ferrari	1’25.784	2.093	27
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas-Ferrari	1’26.336	2.645	26

 

[dessiato]

I've been reading the pundits opinions. It seems they're giving Hamilton the edge. Whatever, it should make for an interesting final race. As long as Hamilton keeps it clean.

 

[MrCurry]

I've been reading the pundits opinions. It seems they're giving Hamilton the edge. Whatever, it should make for an interesting final race. As long as Hamilton keeps it clean.

I reckon the level of scrutiny will be such that both of them will be on best behaviour, knowing a stewards’ penalty will be more likely for any dubious moves than in normal races.

May the best man win and I hope it‘s an exciting race and not a dull procession, as there will be many more eyeballs on this race than F1 normally gets, and a boring race will be the worst possible end to an incredible season.

In the spirit of the festive season, peace on earth and goodwill to all F1 fans, whoever you’re supporting

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

May the best man win, as long as its Hamilton.

 

[Badgers]

So...

Am fucking working tomorrow

 

[dessiato]

May the best man win, as long as its Hamilton.

Both parts of this can’t be true. Either the best man wins, or Hamilton

 

[Indeliblelink]

Fuck that, pull a sickie.

 

[Lord Camomile]

So...

Am fucking working tomorrow

Ohhhh, that's rough! I'm literally on the train into work now, having managed to swap my original shift tomorrow with a kindly colleague.

Will you have any chance to follow the race at all?

 

[Badgers]

Fuck that, pull a sickie.

No chance sadly

I organised this whole thing a while ago and have people to organise ffs.

So...

Turn phone off and watch the race or highlights of when I get home?

Listen on the radio (headphones) while working.

Watch on SkyGo in the van and hope it is not busy.

All risky options

 

[dessiato]

No chance sadly

I organised this whole thing a while ago and have people to organise ffs.

So...

Turn phone off and watch the race or highlights of when I get home?

Listen on the radio (headphones) while working.

Watch on SkyGo in the van and hope it is not busy.

All risky options

Would I be correct in assuming that you wouldn't want me to tell you Hamilton has a 10 place penalty for blocking?

 

[MrCurry]

Looking good for Hammy and Merc so far. They have the legs on the Red Bulls.

 

[dessiato]

New wing for Max!

 

[Limejuice]

Looking good for Hammy and Merc so far. They have the legs on the Red Bulls.

Jenson's comment (on Sky):

It won't matter if Hammy starts behind Max in the race. If this pace is true, Hammy will easily pass the Red Bulls.

 

[a_chap]

Looking good for Hammy and Merc so far. They have the legs on the Red Bulls.

You don't say.

 

[1%er]

"Aggressive" new kerbs at Abu Dhabi F1 track modified overnight​

The exit kerbs at the two newly-reprofiled corners, Turns 5 and 9, have been changed following feedback from drivers, teams and tyre supplier Pirelli. The sharp peaks of the second row of the double kerbs have now been rounded off at both corners, making them less aggressive. The kerbs were discussed at Friday night’s FIA drivers’ briefing, with participants suggesting that they should be altered so that they could be used more. Teams were more concerned about potential car damage in the wake of the incidents in Qatar, where many cars suffered over the course of the weekend, and Nikita Mazepin’s chassis was damaged beyond immediate repair.

Four drivers also suffered tyre failures in the Qatar race, which Pirelli later determined were a result of consistent kerb strikes as tyres wore down and became more vulnerable. After Friday’s first practice sessions in Abu Dhabi, Pirelli's F1 boss Mario Isola expressed the company's concerns to the FIA. "They are very similar [to Qatar], they are not exactly the same,” said Isola. “Especially they are quite aggressive at the exit of Turn 5 and Turn 9. They are the most aggressive. From Turn 1 to 4 they are the same as last year, and then we are different kerbs Turns 12, 13, 14, 15. The exit of Turn 16 is the same as the last year. So we have differences compared to this year, and they are more aggressive. There are also different kerbs on the apex of the corners, but obviously the apex is different. First of all, because you have the unloaded tyres on the car that are on the apex. And second because the drivers can manage not to run too much on the apex, while I am more worried about the exit kerbs, especially in Turns 5 and 9, that are the most aggressive. We saw from free practice both in F2 and F1 that they are running especially over the kerbs and the exit of Turn 9, that is also the turn with the highest speed. And I'm sure that in qualifying they will use the kerbs and maybe also during the race if they push during the races. So there is this element that we have to consider.”

 

[1%er]

Are Red Bull planning a late protest against Mercedes?​

Christian Horner says his team are trusting the FIA's processes to monitor car legality in Abu Dhabi, but hasn't ruled out the possibility that Red Bull could lodge a protest against Mercedes after the Grand Prix. In recent weeks, rumours of a protest from Red Bull about the Mercedes W12 have bubbled under the surface. Red Bull's suspicions about the Mercedes' rear wing flexibility led to a controversial incident at the Brazilian Grand Prix when Max Verstappen touched Hamilton's car in parc ferme after qualifying. That weekend, Red Bull Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey and Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan were understood to have held a meeting with the FIA outlining their concerns over the Mercedes. More stringent rear wing checks were subsequently introduced to test the flexibility of the structures, but nothing untoward has been uncovered. However, the timing of the introduction of the tests is such that, even if a transgression is found in this area, teams won't be excluded from the results. From that weekend onwards, Red Bull have been far happier with the straight-line speed shown by the Mercedes and believe it's no longer unusually quick relative to their own.

Will Red Bull protest against Mercedes in Abu Dhabi?
Asked about whether Red Bull are sitting on the possibility of a protest should the title decider in Abu Dhabi not go their way, Horner gave a diplomatic non-answer. "We have made our points clear a few races ago to the FIA, about things that we were unhappy with," Horner explained to media, "The FIA have introduced stringent tests and I believe modifications have been made to our competitor's car. We just want to have a level playing field and I think, hopefully, we have that. We rely on the FIA to police it. It's an incredibly complex sport, there's a huge talent pool of engineering skill that look at and interpret these regulations with tremendous ingenuity. That's part of the appeal of Formula 1, but we rely wholeheartedly on the FIA to make sure these things are policed and adjudicated correctly. I think, hopefully, with the tools that they now have, that certainly will be the case."

Why have Mercedes been so much quicker in recent races?
While the Red Bull and Mercedes have spent most of this season on par with each other, or even with the Red Bull slightly ahead, the Mercedes has undoubtedly been the quicker car in the last handful of races. This is despite neither team bringing updates to their cars since the summer, and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff moved to explain why the W12 suddenly seems so much faster relative to itself from only a few races ago. "I think we understood much better how to run the car in terms of aerodynamic configuration," he explained. "Particularly, how much rake we give to the car, how you put the aero balance right, how much rear wing you run. Then, obviously, a massive effect from a new engine. Put all of this together with a circuit that suits the car, with the right decisions that are being taken by Andrew Shovlin [Head of Trackside Engineering] and his team, and Loic Serra [Performance Director] and his guys. People tend to believe, in Formula 1, that there's one silver bullet, but it's not like this. It's more [that] things add up and I think that is where we took some good decisions."

 

[1%er]

FP3 Abu Dhabi
Lewis Hamilton laid down a marker in his quest for a record eighth Formula One world championship as he set a scintillating pace in final practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver went into the season-ending race at the Yas Marina Circuit tied level with Max Verstappen at the top of the standings. But, having gone fastest in Friday’s second practice, the Brit was untouchable as he prepared his shot at a 104th pole position of his career. Hamilton’s time of one minute, 23.274 seconds had him in a different league for much of the session before Verstappen managed to get within 0.214 seconds.

Verstappen was clearly unhappy, swearing and complaining over the team radio as he failed to come close to Hamilton’s electric pace. Hamilton could even afford a scruffy attempt and a final effort on flat-spotted tyres as a couple of errors from his Red Bull rival meant he would get no closer. The second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas was third fastest with only the two title protagonists able to dip below the one minute 24 seconds mark. Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull was fourth ahead of the McLaren of Lando Norris, with Yuki Tsunoda sixth for AlphaTauri, ahead of team-mate Pierre Gasly. Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren was ninth, sandwiched by the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, respectively.

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP3 Results:​

Pos	No	Driver	Nat.	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team	1:23.274		22
2	33	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	1:23.488	+0.214s	23
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team	1:24.025	+0.751s	21
4	11	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	1:24.047	+0.773s	20
5	4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren F1 Team	1:24.106	+0.832s	16
6	22	Yuki Tsunoda	JAP	Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda	1:24.223	+0.949s	21
7	10	Pierre Gasly	FRA	Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda	1:24.251	+0.977s	22
8	55	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Scuderia Ferrari	1:24.595	+1.321s	19
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren F1 Team	1:24.733	+1.459s	15
10	16	Charles Leclerc	MON	Scuderia Ferrari	1:24.758	+1.484s	20
11	18	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team	1:24.821	+1.547s	21
12	31	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine F1 Team	1:24.834	+1.560s	17
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN	1:25.037	+1.763s	22
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN	1:25.048	+1.774s	17
15	14	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine F1 Team	1:25.094	+1.820s	19
16	5	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team	1:25.115	+1.841s	24
17	63	George Russell	GBR	Williams Racing	1:25.220	+1.946s	21
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams Racing	1:25.322	+2.048s	18
19	47	Mick Schumacher	GER	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	1:25.340	+2.066s	17
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	1:26.332	+3.058s	18