2021 Formula One Season: Championship Decider Abu Dhabi - Verstappen Wins in a Controversial Race! 🏆 🍾

[Skull Face]

That is the perfect example of why we need severe tyre degredation when going beyond "the limits"- gotta have multiple strategies at least considered for this sport to be half decent.

If the hards just get them through 40+ laps with no worries, this race would have been insanely different (ie boring as batshit).

But with degredation being so large that the planned "tyre managemen for all" went out the window, instead we got an epic finish due to different strategies both being very close in balance

Honestly it was just the stupidity of the teams that made it interesting.

Perez and Norris stuck to the original boring strategy and gained 10+ seconds over equal performing cars. Ferrari being typically stupid went for the ultra super mega cut 10 laps too early and ended up miles off the points as a result, Mclaren luckily were kind enough for Ricciardo to just barely hold on to the end after being the 1st to react/follow Ferrari.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Intriguing race. Well done MAX!!!!! This is already the best season in years.

 

[CrowInFiji]

A good race. Not sure why there is even a minority across the wider internet saying otherwise. Oh that's right, being a pretentious * is a full time job for some.

Good job DR. Another hard luck story for Bottas.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Why does Mercedes have a tartan hat? Its not like they (or Hamilton) are Scottish

Atleast when he wins now and says over the radio "phew that was a tough race" I might actually believe him this year!

 

[DamoESP]

Just think, this season so far is what 2017-18 could have been if Ferrari weren't so s**t at strategy haha

I'm genuinely excited for the rest of the season, RBR have shown they can match MERC on their day, both via on track performance and strategy. VER has shown he has the race craft to beat HAM when evenly matched, so I feel this season will really come down to which team can capitalise on the others mistakes. So far, its neck and neck

 

[NotAMagpieBogan]

A good race. Not sure why there is even a minority across the wider internet saying otherwise. Oh that's right, being a pretentious fu** is a full time job for some.

Good job DR. Another hard luck story for Bottas.

People are saying it wasn’t a good race? One of the best no shenanigans races for a while imo

 

[Not Important]

Intriguing race. Well done MAX!!!!! This is already the best season in years.

better but still 10 seconds behind norris. norris pissed me right off with his radioing twice he hadn't been given enough room. once directed at dan and once at alonso. fecking whinger.

 

[Vader]

better but still 10 seconds behind norris. norris pissed me right off with his radioing twice he hadn't been given enough room. once directed at dan and once at alonso. fecking whinger.

Different tyre strategies. Dan was faster when they had equal rubber under them, at the start of the race, but Norris was given the better tyre strategy by the team.

We saw 4 tyre strategies in play last night, 2 of which were clearly more successful than the others.

1. Medium (short) - Hard
This is the strategy used by Mercedes, and most of the drivers in the mid-pack. It asked too much of the hard compound tyres, with the result that these drivers were all mown down late in the race, by drivers using the better strategies.

2. Medium (long) - Hard
This is the strategy used by Perez & Norris (and possibly a few others). They gave up pace to the leaders early, but gained it back with interest towards the end of the race, when those on strategy #1 ran out of rubber. Perez probably would have caught Hamilton, giving Red Bull a 1/2 finish, if the race had gone for one more lap.

3. Hard (long) - Medium
This is the strategy used by the Aston Martin drivers (Vettel & Stroll). The strategy wasn't available to drivers who started P1-10 on the grid, as they had to start on the Medium compound used to get themselves into Q3. The strategy worked reasonably well, putting them high in the top-10 before their pit stops. Both drivers finished in the top-10, having started outside of it - so I have to give this strategy a pass mark, but it wasn't as good as strategies 1 & 4.

4. Medium (short) - Hard - Medium (long)
Verstappen was the main driver on this strategy, and it paid off big time. I was wondering if the mediums would last 20 laps, but the increased rubber & decreased fuel loads allowed the tyre to last better than expected. He won the race, going away from Hamilton in the last 2 laps. This was probably the ideal strategy for the track conditions last night.

 

[Black_White]

Not much talk about the fact that RB lost their supposed “advantage” this race.
Yep, no more flexi-wing.

 

[Skull Face]

Different tyre strategies. Dan was faster when they had equal rubber under them, at the start of the race, but Norris was given the better tyre strategy by the team.

We saw 4 tyre strategies in play last night, 2 of which were clearly more successful than the others.

1. Medium (short) - Hard
This is the strategy used by McLaren, and most of the drivers in the mid-pack. It asked too much of the hard compound tyres, with the result that these drivers were all mown down late in the race, by drivers using the better strategies.

2. Medium (long) - Hard
This is the strategy used by Perez & Norris (and possibly a few others). They gave up pace to the leaders early, but gained it back with interest towards the end of the race, when those on strategy #1 ran out of rubber. Perez probably would have caught Hamilton, giving Red Bull a 1/2 finish, if the race had gone for one more lap.

3. Hard (long) - Medium
This is the strategy used by the Aston Martin drivers (Vettel & Stroll). The strategy wasn't available to drivers who started P1-10 on the grid, as they had to start on the Medium compound used to get themselves into Q3. The strategy worked reasonably well, putting them high in the top-10 before their pit stops. Both drivers finished in the top-10, having started outside of it - so I have to give this strategy a pass mark, but it wasn't as good as strategies 1 & 4.

4. Medium (short) - Hard - Medium (long)
Verstappen was the main driver on this strategy, and it paid off big time. I was wondering if the mediums would last 20 laps, but the increased rubber & decreased fuel loads allowed the tyre to last better than expected. He won the race, going away from Hamilton in the last 2 laps. This was probably the ideal strategy for the track conditions last night.

2 was the best strategy, if they started all equal when Bottas pits for the 1st time Perez wins not Verstappen's 2 stop. The only reason it didn't win was Perez falling so far back in stint 1. The real advantage was shown by Norris, Ricciardo was on equal or slightly better pace then Norris before boxing yet ended up losing 10 seconds by the flag.

 

[Chuckie357]

The track is so annoying and hideous to look at

 

[yaco55]

Reckon RBR dodged a bullet with their strategy - It is being compared with Mercedes successful strategy earlier in the season BUT the big difference is that Mercedes were second on track, so had nothing to lose with the gamble, whereas RBR were leading the race - Anyway, there is little to choose between Merceded and RBR - Finally, it appeared that Bottas pace was equal to Hamilton's, except Mercedes gave him a questionable tyre strategy.

 

[Vader]

2 was the best strategy, if they started all equal when Bottas pits for the 1st time Perez wins not Verstappen's 2 stop. The only reason it didn't win was Perez falling so far back in stint 1. The real advantage was shown by Norris, Ricciardo was on equal or slightly better pace then Norris before boxing yet ended up losing 10 seconds by the flag.

Both #2 and #4 ended up working well, with both strategies giving their drivers fast rubber at the end of the race. Both were clearly superior to option #1, which was used by Mercedes, Ricciardo, and most of the other drivers.

The unknown variable is option #3, which was really only used by Aston Martin, and which wasn't available to the front runners. The Aston Martin drivers improved on their start positions, but their cars are so slow that it's impossible to judge the real effectiveness of this strategy compared to the faster drivers.

 

[Vader]

Reckon RBR dodged a bullet with their strategy - It is being compared with Mercedes successful strategy earlier in the season BUT the big difference is that Mercedes were second on track, so had nothing to lose with the gamble, whereas RBR were leading the race - Anyway, there is little to choose between Merceded and RBR - Finally, it appeared that Bottas pace was equal to Hamilton's, except Mercedes gave him a questionable tyre strategy.

I thought RBR beat them 3x with the tyre strategy:

1. Under-cutting Hamilton with Verstappen's first pit stop.
2. Putting Perez on strategy 2 (long stint on mediums at the start).
3. Two-stopping Verstappen.

 

[larrikin]

Reckon RBR dodged a bullet with their strategy - It is being compared with Mercedes successful strategy earlier in the season BUT the big difference is that Mercedes were second on track, so had nothing to lose with the gamble, whereas RBR were leading the race - Anyway, there is little to choose between Merceded and RBR - Finally, it appeared that Bottas pace was equal to Hamilton's, except Mercedes gave him a questionable tyre strategy.

Can only assume RBR pitted from the lead to avoid the undercut from a HAM pit that never happened.

 

[Vader]

Can only assume RBR pitted from the lead to avoid the undercut from a HAM pit that never happened.

Arguably the reason it never happened is because RBR undercut him, at which point his only hope was to hope his existing set of tyres would get him to the finish line.

Why they never pitted Bottas, on the other hand, is something known only to Mercedes.

 

[drd23]

Why they never pitted Bottas, on the other hand, is something known only to Mercedes.

Presumably because their only interest was in using him as a blocker for Hamilton. If you didn't care as much about which driver won, then you'd be far more likely to split the strategy like RBR did

 

[Vader]

Presumably because their only interest was in using him as a blocker for Hamilton. If you didn't care as much about which driver won, then you'd be far more likely to split the strategy like RBR did

Sucks being reminded so brutally that you're completely expendable.

 

[lionbear]

Arguably the reason it never happened is because RBR undercut him, at which point his only hope was to hope his existing set of tyres would get him to the finish line.

Why they never pitted Bottas, on the other hand, is something known only to Mercedes.

I think had Max waited another 2 or 3 laps Hamilton would have switched to that Strategy, once Verstappen pitted Hamilton had no other choice but to make the hard's last the distance.

The only reason they never pitted Bottas was I think they expected him to put up more of a fight with Max and hold him up, remember even 2 laps of Hold up nearly would have been enough to get Lewis the win.

The question is more for me why didn't Bottas pit after Perez got him, put on a set of Softs and get the fastest lap taking a point off Max.

 

[juice t]

I think had Max waited another 2 or 3 laps Hamilton would have switched to that Strategy, once Verstappen pitted Hamilton had no other choice but to make the hard's last the distance.

The only reason they never pitted Bottas was I think they expected him to put up more of a fight with Max and hold him up, remember even 2 laps of Hold up nearly would have been enough to get Lewis the win.

The question is more for me why didn't Bottas pit after Perez got him, put on a set of Softs and get the fastest lap taking a point off Max.

I reckon Mercedes were waiting to see if Perez got a penalty for going off the track limits after completing the pass for 3rd, which he was never going to get because he was ahead by the time he went off

They ended up waiting too long and Checo was 5.6 seconds ahead of Valtteri by the end anyway

 

[banzai]

Both #2 and #4 ended up working well, with both strategies giving their drivers fast rubber at the end of the race. Both were clearly superior to option #1, which was used by Mercedes, Ricciardo, and most of the other drivers.

The unknown variable is option #3, which was really only used by Aston Martin, and which wasn't available to the front runners. The Aston Martin drivers improved on their start positions, but their cars are so slow that it's impossible to judge the real effectiveness of this strategy compared to the faster drivers.

I think #4 was the best for the leading group of cars but wouldn't have worked for anyone else as you would face too much traffic after each stop. Strategy #3 was underated for cars back in the pack. Vettel went off the track and lost about 4-5 seconds around 3 laps before his stop. Without that he prob finishes a few spots higher.

 

[larrikin]

Arguably the reason it never happened is because RBR undercut him, at which point his only hope was to hope his existing set of tyres would get him to the finish line.

Why they never pitted Bottas, on the other hand, is something known only to Mercedes.

Yeah I agree. Hamilton's pitting was a redundant strategy once Verstappen had.

 

[Vader]

I think #4 was the best for the leading group of cars but wouldn't have worked for anyone else as you would face too much traffic after each stop. Strategy #3 was underated for cars back in the pack. Vettel went off the track and lost about 4-5 seconds around 3 laps before his stop. Without that he prob finishes a few spots higher.

4 seconds would have put him in 6th, ahead of Ricciardo. Did he really lose that much time though? It takes a lot to lose 4-5 seconds in F1.

 

[banzai]

4 seconds would have put him in 6th, ahead of Ricciardo. Did he really lose that much time though? It takes a lot to lose 4-5 seconds in F1.

I'd have to watch it again for exact time, but he was pulling away from stroll every lap, think the gap was out to 11 secs, then crunched in to just under 7 (they didn't show any incident). After the race he said he went off before his pitstop.

Edit: Just found it on the on demand. goes from 10.1 pulling away back to 6.8 on lap 29, so call it just over 3 seconds, surely cost him atleast 1 position.

 

[99 Problems]

I thought Mercedes mistake was it’s arrogance pitting Bottas before Hamilton the first time. They thought they could pinch 2nd from Verstappen with the undercut but set off a chain reaction that gave Max back the lead. If they just pit Hamilton first he keeps track position and there’s a very good chance he wins. A move they would’ve got away with the last few seasons but now RBR car is at least their equal that stuff just won’t work anymore.