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

[Vader]

Knowing now that the initial pace wasn't there I think the undercut still may have been possible pitting 3-5 laps later. If so, that slight wait would have been ideal as Ricciardo would have had something left at the end to challenge for P9/10 instead of dropping back with off tyres.

Hindsight's a bitch.

With the benefit of hindsight, he would have been better off waiting those 3-5 laps, and wouldn't have been caught on dead rubber at the end of the race.

Without the benefit of hindsight, he found himself unable to get past George Russell, on tyres which were going bald. He thought there would be greater pace in a new set of tyres, which would allow him to do the undercut. I think at that stage they were still expecting to go to slicks at some stage before the end of the race too, so he wasn't expecting to run to the end of the race on that 2nd set of intermediate wets.

 

[barrackers]

Hindsight's a b*tch.

With the benefit of hindsight, he would have been better off waiting those 3-5 laps, and wouldn't have been caught on dead rubber at the end of the race.

Without the benefit of hindsight, he found himself unable to get past George Russell, on tyres which were going bald. He thought there would be greater pace in a new set of tyres, which would allow him to do the undercut. I think at that stage they were still expecting to go to slicks at some stage before the end of the race too, so he wasn't expecting to run to the end of the race on that 2nd set of intermediate wets.

Yep, undoubtably they were hoping for a more traditional 1-2 lap undercut with Russell pitting soon after to match the expected increase in lap time. Had that occurred everyone's tyres would have been the same age and therefore in a similar position for whatever eventuated with the weather.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Where has all this Mercedes pace come from? Max is in big trouble now, Looking difficult to beat Bottas let alone SLH. A couple of Merc 1-2's and its all over, they were 15-20kph faster on the straight and they were running a lot of wing too.

 

[royboy2]

Where has all this Mercedes pace come from? Max is in big trouble now, Looking difficult to beat Bottas let alone SLH. A couple of Merc 1-2's and its all over, they were 15-20kph faster on the straight and they were running a lot of wing too.

With these GP to come:

Oct 22 - 24	United States GP Circuit of the Americas	Oct 25 - 6:00 am	ABC/WatchESPN
Nov 5 - 7	Mexican GP Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez	Nov 8 - 6:00 am	ABC/WatchESPN
Nov 12 - 14	Brazilian GP Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace	Nov 15 - 3:00 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN
Nov 18 - 20	Qatar GP Losail International Circuit	Nov 21 - 8:00 am
Dec 3 - 5	Saudi Arabian GP Jeddah Street Circuit	Dec 6 - 4:30 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN
Dec 10 - 12	Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi GP Yas Marina Circuit	Dec 13 - 12:00 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN

USA
Mexico
Brazil
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Abu Dhabi

That top end speed may just prove the difference, whilst we haven't seen KSA or QAT yet, they have some pretty quick sections

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Where has all this Mercedes pace come from? Max is in big trouble now, Looking difficult to beat Bottas let alone SLH. A couple of Merc 1-2's and its all over, they were 15-20kph faster on the straight and they were running a lot of wing too.

I would wager a guess all of Lewis' early moaning in the year that they were done with upgrades was total BS.

Certainly seems to me like they're still upgrading their car.

Red Bull’s complaint against Mercedes power unit ‘trick’ - report | PlanetF1

Could be something to do with this but I would think Merc have been running that 'trick' all year.
Or perhaps they've always had it, but pushing the boundaries a bit more with it recently out of necessity to remain competitive.

 

[happy_eagle]

With these GP to come:

Oct 22 - 24	United States GP Circuit of the Americas	Oct 25 - 6:00 am	ABC/WatchESPN
Nov 5 - 7	Mexican GP Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez	Nov 8 - 6:00 am	ABC/WatchESPN
Nov 12 - 14	Brazilian GP Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace	Nov 15 - 3:00 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN
Nov 18 - 20	Qatar GP Losail International Circuit	Nov 21 - 8:00 am
Dec 3 - 5	Saudi Arabian GP Jeddah Street Circuit	Dec 6 - 4:30 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN
Dec 10 - 12	Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi GP Yas Marina Circuit	Dec 13 - 12:00 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN

USA
Mexico
Brazil
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Abu Dhabi

That top end speed may just prove the difference, whilst we haven't seen KSA or QAT yet, they have some pretty quick sections

I expect Mercedes to be quicker at Austin and Abu Dhabi
I expect Red Bull to be quicker at Mexico and possibly also Brazil (marginally, should be a great race).

Which leaves the two new tracks as unknowns.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Bottas did a 1:30.4 fastest lap at the end, over 1.5 seconds faster than any other lap in the race. That mercedes is now a rocket ship on rails and I don't expect any track to actually favour Red Bull.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Bottas did a 1:30.4 fastest lap at the end, over 1.5 seconds faster than any other lap in the race. That mercedes is now a rocket ship on rails and I don't expect any track to actually favour Red Bull.

The Red Bull engine/car has always thrived in the high altitude of Mexico.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

The Red Bull engine/car has always thrived in the high altitude of Mexico.

I really hope so, it just seems such a huge deficit of pace to find now.

 

[Sven]

Negative rubber left on Ocon's tyre at the end of the race....

 

[Bradesmaen]

With these GP to come:

Oct 22 - 24	United States GP Circuit of the Americas	Oct 25 - 6:00 am	ABC/WatchESPN
Nov 5 - 7	Mexican GP Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez	Nov 8 - 6:00 am	ABC/WatchESPN
Nov 12 - 14	Brazilian GP Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace	Nov 15 - 3:00 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN
Nov 18 - 20	Qatar GP Losail International Circuit	Nov 21 - 8:00 am
Dec 3 - 5	Saudi Arabian GP Jeddah Street Circuit	Dec 6 - 4:30 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN
Dec 10 - 12	Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi GP Yas Marina Circuit	Dec 13 - 12:00 am	ESPN2/WatchESPN

USA
Mexico
Brazil
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Abu Dhabi

That top end speed may just prove the difference, whilst we haven't seen KSA or QAT yet, they have some pretty quick sections

Qatar isn't a top speed track. Has a 1km long straight but after that it's all about downforce and acceleration. KSA will be similar one suspects apart from the really long straight.

 

[yaco55]

******* hell with a missus like that no one should ever feel bad for bottas

It's Tiffany Cromwell who is a world level road cyclist.

 

[yaco55]

A straight-forward race - Mercedes had pace - Bottas qualified one on the grid - Got a good start and finished the race as expected.

 

[Not Important]

pretty boring race. was going to chuck it until perez outmanoeuvred hamilton and hamilton started whining about the boxing.

 

[Thistle]

Just caught up but how on earth was that a penalty to Gasly? Don't know what he was expected to do and definition of a racing accident I would have thought.

Loved Seb's balls taking on the mediums and found the resulting lap hilarious when it was obvious he made a big mistake.

No sympathy for Hamilton. Praised his team last race and went on about how great they are. Then ignores what would have been a good call by them to get a second set of inters on early.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Just caught up but how on earth was that a penalty to Gasly? Don't know what he was expected to do and definition of a racing accident I would have thought.

There's special penalties for not being English.

 

[Skull Face]

Just caught up but how on earth was that a penalty to Gasly? Don't know what he was expected to do and definition of a racing accident I would have thought.

Loved Seb's balls taking on the mediums and found the resulting lap hilarious when it was obvious he made a big mistake.

No sympathy for Hamilton. Praised his team last race and went on about how great they are. Then ignores what would have been a good call by them to get a second set of inters on early.

Alonso had him done, gasly didn't do enough to avoid tagging him not that it mattered he didnt lose a place from it.

 

[gaskin]

Alonso had him done, gasly didn't do enough to avoid tagging him not that it mattered he didnt lose a place from it.

What could he have done with Checo sandwiching him from the other side?

 

[Skull Face]

What could he have done with Checo sandwiching him from the other side?

back off and slot in behind

 

[Clubs are trumps]

 

[gaskin]

Checo 102 and probably 100 of them came from that dual with Lewis.

 

[Achy Blakey Heart]

Russell 11.....Stiff

 

[Acinath]

back off and slot in behind

Not a single F1 driver would go with this approach. And if they did, they wouldn’t be in F1 much longer.

 

[happy_eagle]

Not a single F1 driver would go with this approach. And if they did, they wouldn’t be in F1 much longer.

Drivers back off all the time

 

[Skull Face]

Not a single F1 driver would go with this approach. And if they did, they wouldn’t be in F1 much longer.

The position was already gone, alonso could carry more speed and was already ahead. Not being able to recognise when you are beaten and pick another battle front is what causes accidents and costs you points in the long run.