Abu DhabiGP/Fernando Collects £800 & can pass go Thread - Contains Quali & Race spoilers

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

Yas Marina wants for nothing in terms of facilities. If only the same could be said of its track.

Track data: Yas Marina

Lap length 5.554km (3.451 miles)
Grand prix distance 305.355km (189.739 miles)
Lap record (race) 1’40.279 (Sebastian Vettel, 2009)
Fastest lap (any session) 1’38.434 (Lewis Hamilton, 2011, qualifying two)
Tyre compounds See drivers’ choices
2015 Rate the Race 5.25 out of 10
2015 Driver of the Weekend Sergio Perez
Yas Marina track data in full

But the circuit which has the honour of holding this year’s title-deciding race leaves everything to be desired when it comes to challenging the world’s best drivers and cars.

It’s wide, smooth, flat and – aside from a pair of lengthy straights – slow. Whatever brief the track designer was given, showcasing F1 at its best was not it.

“It’s not the most thrilling of tracks,” says master of understatement Daniil Kvyat, “as many of the corners are very similar”. Other drivers have been similarly dismissive of its untaxing, stop-start nature.

The track has produced few riveting races since it first appeared on the calendar in 2009. The surprise outcome of the 2010 title-decider and Sebastian Vettel’s race through the field two years later stick in the mind. But last year’s forgettable finale was more typical of what we’ve come to expect from this venue.

Abu Dhabi’s stable climate means we can discount the possibility of surprising weather changes playing a role in Sunday’s championship finale. But Pirelli’s decision to bring its most aggressive tyre selection could offer the drivers new strategic options this year.

A lap of Yas Marina


From the start line the drivers arrive quickly at turn one. This is the first of many 90-degree corners but is quicker than the rest, typically taken in fourth gear. Accelerating out of the left-hander the drivers approach what passes for the most interesting section on the track – the flat-out sweep through turns two, three and four.
The pit lane entrance joins the track at this point and we have seen some near-misses as drivers blend in with traffic. Fernando Alonso took a punishing ride over the kerbs here in 2013.

As the drivers leave turn four at speed they are quickly upon the next sequence of corners: a slow chicane followed by a hairpin. “You go down the hill, braking into six – very tricky braking turning into six, then straight away into seven,” explains Romain Grosjean. “You need to be well positioned for the hairpin going down the back straight. It’s tricky to get the car to turn.”

Two long straights separated by the turn eight/nine chicane follow. “Again you need to be well positioned between the left and right-hand side corners,” says Grosjean. “Then it’s another straight line on to 11, 12 and 13. It’s a triple chicane and as soon as you exit that part you go flat out then brake for turn 14, which is a 90-degree left-hand side corner.”


Following the tricky curved approach to turn 17 the final sector of the lap involves a sequence of slow bends, most of which are right-angles. “As soon as you go out of 17 you have to brake again for 18,” says Grosjean. Two left-handers lead them beneath the Yas Viceroy hotel, with a “tricky exit” as the cars straighten up ahead of the final pair of bends.
“The second to last corner is good,” comments Grosjean. “It’s high speed in fourth or fifth gear.”

After that the run-off area at the final corner invites drivers to run wide. “The last corner is very tricky,” Grosjean explains. “It’s very wide on the entry phase with the pit lane on the right-hand side. It’s not easy to find a line.”

[GSC]

Looks like Kvyat is out

[dyrewolfe]

Wonder how long before Charlie Whiting calls the SC in?

Currently listening to the TMS lunchtime show to dispel the boredom...

[GSC]

We'll be on inters before it comes in at this rate

[GSC]

Coming in this lap

[GSC]

Rosberg asleep on the restart

[dyrewolfe]

Yay! Think I caught some glimpses of sunlight coming out of the tunnel.

Looks like they got Kvyat going again...but his race is pretty much ruined.



...and off they go!

[GSC]

Palmer out, VSC

[Guest]

End of Palmer & his career

[GSC]

Must be a full SC, a lot of carbon fibre on track, marshalls out to clear it

[dyrewolfe]

Well that didn't last long!

Palmer off and the SC is deployed again...virtual this time I think.

Lost his rear end going over a zebra crossing...not much he could have done about it.

[GSC]

Slightly harsh on Palmer. Car suddenly speared left into the wall.

[Jermaine2015]

Palmer is out of his depth in formula one...Renault need to cut their losses

[GSC]

Ricciardo has sprung clear, Rosberg holding up Hamilton. Hamilton looks a bit desperate, Toto must be sweating.

[GSC]

Kimi and Grosjean in the wall, Kimis front wing now hanging under his front tyres

[dyrewolfe]

Button sets a fastest lap on inters - about a sec quicker than Ricciardo!

[GSC]

Kimi retires

[dyrewolfe]

Palmer is out of his depth in formula one...Renault need to cut their losses

You need to learn to troll properly.

[GSC]

Very brave to be on inters right now, cars flying off

[GSC]

Vettel onto inters, imagine Merc have to respond.

[Guest]

Rosberg has no interest in the win, purely keeping Lewis behind

[GSC]

As opposed to what, Ricciardo clearly has the pace at this stage.

[GSC]

Rosberg has a problem

[Guest]

Embarrassing from Rosberg, he's doesn't have an issue at all. Merc have decided to that call, the race was going away

[dyrewolfe]

Disappointing - Mercedes enact team orders and Hamilton is allowed past Rosberg.

Right decision, as Lewis was clearly quicker, but a shame in terms of racing spectacle. Will he be able to catch Ricciardo with the gap as big as it is now?

[GSC]

NBCs guys suspect its a brake problem for Rosberg, braking much earlier

[GSC]

Stupid from Magnusson, very, very stupid

[GSC]

Then even stupider from Kvyat

[dyrewolfe]

Uh oh - Magnussen and Kvyat come together at Rasscasse.

Magnussen gets going but Kvyat's race is definitely over now...very clumsy attempted overtake.

[GSC]

Merc confirm Rosberg has a brake problem, that he had a problem was obvious.

[dyrewolfe]

Verstappen doing a great job - up to 10th already!

Interesting news about Rosberg - I thought he was just struggling with the conditions. Team orders make total sense now.

Clear dry (or merely damp) line on the track now. Will Hamilton stay out and switch to slicks instead of going to inters?

[GSC]

Hamilton trying to stay out until dry tyres?

Going to be in trouble though, Ricciardo is absolutely storming him.

[Guest]

Hamilton waiting for slicks

[Guest]

Track position though for Lewis

[dyrewolfe]

Ooh - Sauber going for Ultra Softs...

[dyrewolfe]

Mercedes drivers pit and go for purple tyres.

Force India and McLaren going to softs.

[GSC]

Red Bull don't have the tyres ready for Ricciardo, thats race over.

[GSC]

Hamilton has just been gifted the win here

[Guest]

What a foul up by RB, they could of had a six second stop & kept first

[dyrewolfe]

Oh no!

Ricciardo pits but his crew weren't ready! Has that blown his race?

Hamilton just manages to stay ahead as Ricciardo exits the pits!

[GSC]

In shocking news, Verstappen is in the wall

[dyrewolfe]

Poor Daniel...if I was him I would be seething!

Oh Max...and he was doing so well...

[GSC]

Jesus christ that was close

[GSC]

Ricciardo: What the **** was that

My thoughts exactly.

[dyrewolfe]

Hmm...Hamilton does a bit of a Rosberg, cutting Ricciardo off as he tries to pass (nothing like as blatant, but still pretty aggressive).

The Merc seems to be struggling for grip compared to the Red Bull.

[Guest]

Hamilton on the racing line , made no second move. Get over it, this is racing.

Hamilton tyres warming up now. Perez charging

[dyrewolfe]

Hamilton on the racing line , made no second move. Get over it, this is racing.

Hamilton tyres warming up now. Perez charging

Pipe down - no-one asked you...

[GSC]

Hamilton under investigation for that block. Suspect that'll be it.

[nathan]

If there was nothing wrong with the rosberg move there's nothing wrong with that Hamilton move.

[Guest]

Never a penalty. F1 is dead in my opinion, if that's a penalty.

Hamilton banging in the laps now. Ricciardo's poor stop is the luck Hamilton has probably deserved to get. The bigger picture is Rosberg is sixth

[dyrewolfe]

Alonso being a bit of a mobile roadblock, keeping Rosberg, Hulkenberg and Sainz behind him.

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