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.”

[nathan]

Esteban Gutierrez to leave Haas at end of season, Haas offered Magnussen his drive.

So the moving road block is leaving f1

[Guest]

Crap track. Looks a nailed on Hamilton 1st & Rosberg 2nd, if they don't blow up. Gap down to 19, with two races left.

[Mad for Chelsea]

You do wonder if Hamilton could have slowed down more to put Rosberg in Verstappen's clutches, though would obviously have been risky. Anyway, yes, dull track, with only one spot for overtaking, and even then only for cars with a big performance advantage.

[Guest]

Here's a message to Charlie

'F**k off'

Haha

[Mad for Chelsea]

Looked like a fairly sizeable move in the breaking zone from Vettel? Possible penalty for him? Was what Verstappen did much different from what Hamilton did at the start?

[Guest]

Verstappen booted from the podium room for Vettel

[GSC]

Would be suicidal for Lewis to try and back Nico up. He just has to win. Job done for both Merc drivers again.

[GSC]

Holy **** Verstappen actually got penalised for something.

[GSC]

I love Vettel

[nathan]

Looked like a fairly sizeable move in the breaking zone from Vettel? Possible penalty for him? Was what Verstappen did much different from what Hamilton did at the start?

It is being investigated, but it makes you laugh when vettel did the exact thing he's been moaning at max for

[nathan]

I love Vettel

He's a complete man sausage, he loves himself driving around asking people to move out of the way

[Guest]

Love all this beef starting to develop between the drivers. This is just what F1 needs, we need rivalries & personalities shining through, instead of the dull, boring & monotonous stuff the drivers are told to say. Max is an absolute tool, but I'm glad he's in F1 & has been the catalyst for all this. Vettel's message to Charlie is just gold.

[nathan]

Love all this beef starting to develop between the drivers. This is just what F1 needs, we need rivalries & personalities shining through, instead of the dull, boring & monotonous stuff the drivers are told to say. Max is an absolute tool, but I'm glad he's in F1 & has been the catalyst for all this. Vettel's message to Charlie is just gold.

Verstappen handling himself well

[GSC]

Vettel will probably get a penalty so they have an example under the new rules like Rosberg did in Silverstone.

[nathan]

Vettel will probably get a penalty so they have an example under the new rules like Rosberg did in Silverstone.

I think he would self combust if that happened

[GSC]

Both RBs in a strop, this is the most entertaining thing this year

[nathan]

Both RBs in a strop, this is the most entertaining thing this year

They do have a point though, vettel will surely get some sort of penalty

[GSC]

We get it

[nathan]

We get it

You get what? 

It's the firs time I've mentioned it

[Jermaine2015]

Jermaine will like this story, but the Paddy Lowe to Ferrari stuff has returned & wherever Paddy goes, Lewis follows. Wouldn't surprise me to see Paddy leave Mercedes, aero formula next year & possibly the end of the Mercedes era + need new challenges in life.

Why's this aimed at me? Ferrari need a lot more pieces than just Paddy Lowe. Ferrari have a quadruple champion and a single champion driving their cars at present, but that's irrelevant when your cars are pants.

[Jermaine2015]

Us Germans and those Dutch just ain't ever going to be pals...Verstappen is a douche though. He can try going to war with Vettel as much as he wants but until he breaks Vettel's records at Red Bull is all a bit of nothing.

[Guest]

Honestly can't wait for Brazil now. RB's should be even closer to Mercedes at that track too + a possibility of rain. Who's your money on, now the gap is down to 19?

[Jermaine2015]

Honestly can't wait for Brazil now. RB's should be even closer to Mercedes at that track too + a possibility of rain. Who's your money on, now the gap is down to 19?

Money's in my pocket

Hamilton's the form driver but he's never won in Brazil. Rosberg has won there twice? Wet weather favours Hamilton.

Think Ferrari will be the biggest threats there as their power unit is better than Red Bull's.

Hamilton's behind but you'd think Brazil could see him take a big chunk out of Rosberg

[Fernando]

Vettel handed 10 sec penalty & 2 penalty points promoting Ricciardo to 3rd/Max 4th.

[Guest]

Three drivers finished, at one point, in third

The stewarding needs a complete & utter overhaul though, it's a joke how lnconsistent they are & how long it takes to actually make a decision. Get one set of stewards for the whole season, why over-complicate it? As Brundle said, they have state of the art technology, live data feeds & all the information they need within seconds, but it takes them an age to actually deliver a verdict.

Bernie says what Vettel said to Charlie was 'good' & 'that it shows he has an opinion, which I'm all for'. Tbh, Charlie is a bit of a clown, still can't get over how he ruined the British GP this year, by keeping the SC out for about 10 laps too long.

[GSC]

Thought Vettel would get a penalty so they can show they're actually going to apply it.

Bit ticky tack but he left it too late to try and squeeze Ricciardo so he can't complain too much

[GSC]

Really on the Championship, comes down to whether Nico has issues. If he has 2 clean races, it's hard for me to see him not getting the points. And he can win one of the two and it doesn't matter what else happens.

[Jermaine2015]

Vettel's penalty pretty much sums up his season. Verstappen cheats and instead of issuing him a penalty straightaway. Charlie Whiting faffs around. Thus allowing Verstappen to back Vettel into Ricciardo. Vettel made an error and thus left room for Ricciardo's wild lunge. But have Verstappen been ordered to let the Ferrari passed this wouldn't have happened.

[GSC]

Lance Stroll replaces Massa at Williams

[Jermaine2015]

Kevin Magnussen joins Haas F1 on a 2+1 year deal. Renault have retained the very rubbish Jolyon Palmer. Magnussen must've peed someone off in a previous life...

[Guest]

As expected, Esteban Ocon joins Force India on multi-year deal

[Jermaine2015]

Sauber have retained Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. I really rate Ericsson and hope he gets a chance at a better team in the future.

[Guest]

Brazil FP1 Result:

Hamilton - Mercedes 1:11.895
Verstappen - Red Bull 1:11.991
Rosberg - Mercedes 1:12.125
Ricciardo - Red Bull 1:12.371

[Fernando]

Verstappen was only that close due to towing Alonso. They lost 0.5 seconds in S3 compared to Mercedes.

[GSC]

Williams ahead of Ricciardo on first runs.

Long run uphill doesn't bode well for the Renault power unit.

[GSC]

Kimi ticked off with Sainz, cuts him off to enter the pits , stewards taking a look.

[GSC]

Mercs immediately miles faster than the rest of the field, Hamilton makes up a deficit in the final sector to go fastest.

[Guest]

Haha Fernando is back in a deckchair

Ron Dennis suspended & put on gardening leave by McLaren

[dyrewolfe]

Massa to get his name on the car for this race...




And just to annoy the Hamilton haters, here he is in a surprisingly good Joker costume for Halloween after Mexico...




Any bets on Rosberg suffering mysterious technical issues resulting in him finishing out of the points, or even DNF-ing, just to ensure the title battle is well and truly on for Abu Dhabi?

[Fernando]

Not this weekend im expecting Hamilton to win then Nico break down in Abu Dhabi

[Fernando]

Hamilton on pole by 0.1, Rosberg 2nd, Kimi 3rd, Max 4th, Seb 5th & Ricciardo 6th

[dyrewolfe]

Welp.

Pole for Hamilton by a tenth, Rosberg second. No real surprises in quali. Ferrari and Red Bull continue their back and forth battle. Both Force Indias make the top 10 with Alonso bagging the last spot in Q3.

Now Lewis just has to hope he nails his start, while Nico fluffs his.

[Guest]

They're expecting a wet race

[dyrewolfe]

We can only hope...

[Guest]

It's wet apparently & I'm getting nervous

[Guest]

Charlie has learnt his lesson from Silverstone & as it stands, it's a normal start & no SC

[Guest]

Romain Grosjean has already crashed on the out lap. That might change Charlie's mind

[GSC]

Not in favour of SC starts but if guys can't make it round the circuit on an out lap then probably wise.

[Guest]

Pointless delaying the start, when the forecast says rain for another hour. Just do a SC start, we all know thats what Charlie wants anyway.

[dyrewolfe]

Delayed start in order to try and get a standing start - no SC.


News just in...SC start after all...


EDIT:
-------------

Thats some pretty evil murky looking sky over Sao Paulo. No let-up in the rain in sight.

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