2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina, Dec 10 - 12

[rogazilla]

Can McLaren ask for the new Merc Engine to make sure Lando Beat LeClerc?

[zubster]

Any discussion about the actual race, rather than the finger pointing and dramatics? anyway be interesting to see how the simulated race pace pans out after FP2. Doesn't this hard compound favour the mercs but with qualifying being key, the softs favour the bulls? Wonder if the merc rear squat can be used again, considering there aern't many high speed corners.

I wonder what this new turn 9 (and 5 to a lesser extent) mean for the front-end limited RB and wonder if they will overheat their tires there.
https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-circuits/ ... na-circuit

Yeah I was thinking the same thing as well. Does it change the circuit from a rear limited to a front limited? Not sure is does that much. Aernt the straights enough to cool the front tires down again?

[cheeRS]

It could be either. But surely what it does do is makes the likes of Masi and some of the stewards think "we've given you the benefit of doubt a few times, and this is how you repay us by having a pop at us?!"

I actually think he is treated differently to other racers.
Imagine Grosjean or Mazepin doing moves such as his, they would without doubt be getting penalties.

Unfortunately Verstappen also does have a point with how he intends it to come across too. The stewards have been lenient with him (always) or just turned a blind eye, recently they haven’t for a couple of incidents and now he feels hard done by…he actually hasn’t changed how he’s been racing all year, or since he arrived in F1 for that matter.

As for the €50,000 fine for touching Hamiltons wing it was Red Bull who paid for that so I really don’t know why he goes on about it.

Comparing Max to Mazepin and Grosjean makes me smile. Remember Grosjean applying full throttle in Spa believing he could spin back on the track? The driver who is personally responsible for the diver license penalty point system? I have words for Mazepin. Maybe you truly believe Max is a same kind of driver. You know you prove him right?

It was actually in Spain that Grojean did the unthinkable, but your point still stands

[godlameroso]

I dedicate this race to Nikki Lauda, Mansoor Ojjeh, and Max Mosley, may they rest in peace.

[dans79]

Any discussion about the actual race, rather than the finger pointing and dramatics? anyway be interesting to see how the simulated race pace pans out after FP2. Doesn't this hard compound favour the mercs but with qualifying being key, the softs favour the bulls? Wonder if the merc rear squat can be used again, considering there aern't many high speed corners.

I wonder what this new turn 9 (and 5 to a lesser extent) mean for the front-end limited RB and wonder if they will overheat their tires there.
https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-circuits/ ... na-circuit

Yeah I was thinking the same thing as well. Does it change the circuit from a rear limited to a front limited? Not sure is does that much. Aernt the straights enough to cool the front tires down again?

Thermal degradation is only 1/2 the issue, structural/physical degradation is the other half. Not to mention the straits don't do much to effect the core temperature of the tire, only the surface!

[Laserguru]

I wonder what this new turn 9 (and 5 to a lesser extent) mean for the front-end limited RB and wonder if they will overheat their tires there.
https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-circuits/ ... na-circuit

Yeah I was thinking the same thing as well. Does it change the circuit from a rear limited to a front limited? Not sure is does that much. Aernt the straights enough to cool the front tires down again?

Thermal degradation is only 1/2 the issue, structural/physical degradation is the other half. Not to mention the straits don't do much to effect the core temperature of the tire, only the surface!

Having turn 9 after the long straight, so after the tire surface cooled down, would this new turn 9 favor or punish RBR as they can (over)heat the tire surface for all the following corners? I recall few races ago they had an issue with such a long sweeper before a sequence of corners as the tire overheated and slowed them down. So to me it could go both ways.

[JPower]

Can McLaren ask for the new Merc Engine to make sure Lando Beat LeClerc?

Why would they take a grid penalty for a P5 battle?

And McLaren most likely cannot run its engine as hard as Mercedes can anyway.

[rogazilla]

Can McLaren ask for the new Merc Engine to make sure Lando Beat LeClerc?

Why would they take a grid penalty for a P5 battle?

And McLaren most likely cannot run its engine as hard as Mercedes can anyway.

If it is enough power to handle a 5 grid lost? If Lando qualify 5th and LeClerc 11th? Taking the penalty put him in front of LeClerc with a powerful engine. What's DR got to lose? A chance for 3rd in constructor is worth a lot of money. Probably something McLaren would love to have.

[dans79]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing as well. Does it change the circuit from a rear limited to a front limited? Not sure is does that much. Aernt the straights enough to cool the front tires down again?

Thermal degradation is only 1/2 the issue, structural/physical degradation is the other half. Not to mention the straits don't do much to effect the core temperature of the tire, only the surface!

Having turn 9 after the long straight, so after the tire surface cooled down, would this new turn 9 favor or punish RBR as they can (over)heat the tire surface for all the following corners? I recall few races ago they had an issue with such a long sweeper before a sequence of corners as the tire overheated and slowed them down. So to me it could go both ways.

I don't think anyone including Red Bull themselves will know that till tomorrow!

[pb6797]

Can McLaren ask for the new Merc Engine to make sure Lando Beat LeClerc?

Why would they take a grid penalty for a P5 battle?

And McLaren most likely cannot run its engine as hard as Mercedes can anyway.

If it is enough power to handle a 5 grid lost? If Lando qualify 5th and LeClerc 11th? Taking the penalty put him in front of LeClerc with a powerful engine. What's DR got to lose? A chance for 3rd in constructor is worth a lot of money. Probably something McLaren would love to have.

I suspect, as someone else noted elsewhere, that the super-powerful mode is not available to Mclaren as they don't have the same amount of cooling (and other packaging) as Mercedes.

[Calibre11]

It won't even be close. The Mercedes at this point in the season is utterly dominant, just like they were in 2017 or 2018. The changes to the Yas Marina circuit massively benefit and favor the Mercedes, and it was already one of their strongest tracks. 2020 was an outlier, as they were trialling 2021 parts and had turned down their power units.

With that new Brazil-spec engine in the back of Hamilton's Mercedes, I fully expect him to take pole, clear Max at the start, and dominate the entire race, possibly leading every lap. Sure the new tyre compounds disadvantage Mercedes slightly, but we have seen that they unlocked the W12's setup completely, and I doubt it will be a major factor. If Max by some miracle succeeds in taking pole, then we will see a repeat of Barcelona or even Saudi Arabia, where Lewis simply sits 1 second behind him, the pace of the car allowing him to negate the effects of dirty air. Then he will simply breeze by him down one of the long straights. I doubt that the two will even meet on track past the very first lap to be honest, and if Max tries to take Lewis out the FIA will simply slap him with a points penalty to give Lewis his 8th championship.

The title fight was good while it lasted. See you in 2022.

[tpe]

I would also like to discuss other wonderful things, like the message to Kimi from his little fan (remember him crying at Barcelona? ), the nice message from Alfa in his car etc

[pb6797]

I saw an article which said that some parts have been resurfaced and other parts have the original tarmac. That could maybe make it interesting, with a decision on optimising setup for the new tarmac, the old tarmac or a compromise?

I suspect fp1 and fp2 won't help us draw any conclusions as they are the wrong temperature and teams are always a bit cagey. But it does sound as if Red Bull have their optimal wing working again so may be a closer fight than some are expecting.

[LM10]

Can McLaren ask for the new Merc Engine to make sure Lando Beat LeClerc?

Why would they take a grid penalty for a P5 battle?

And McLaren most likely cannot run its engine as hard as Mercedes can anyway.

If it is enough power to handle a 5 grid lost? If Lando qualify 5th and LeClerc 11th? Taking the penalty put him in front of LeClerc with a powerful engine. What's DR got to lose? A chance for 3rd in constructor is worth a lot of money. Probably something McLaren would love to have.

McLaren does not have a realistic chance for 3rd anymore. They would need to finish 1-2 or 1-3 with Ferrari getting only 5 points in case McLaren finishes 1-2. That's not going to happen.

[adrianjordan]

Why would they take a grid penalty for a P5 battle?

And McLaren most likely cannot run its engine as hard as Mercedes can anyway.

If it is enough power to handle a 5 grid lost? If Lando qualify 5th and LeClerc 11th? Taking the penalty put him in front of LeClerc with a powerful engine. What's DR got to lose? A chance for 3rd in constructor is worth a lot of money. Probably something McLaren would love to have.

McLaren does not have a realistic chance for 3rd anymore. They would need to finish 1-2 or 1-3 with Ferrari getting only 5 points in case McLaren finishes 1-2. That's not going to happen.

Besides, McLaren have been very pragmatic about this season. I don't think 4th is too disappointing given they have beaten last year's points total and 4th gives them an advantage in terms of development time next season.