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

[KeiKo403]

Were the tyre pressures high all weekend or was it changed going into FP3? Just thinking if there were increased today then that would surely impact the sim data on the long runs from yesterday.
Soft tyres, full fuel loads and higher pressures.

Also the Mercedes rear suspension squat, did that happen in Qualifying? If it's weight related then we maybe didn't see it due to low fuel running and so maybe we see it tomorrow at the start of the race?

[siskue2005]

Were the tyre pressures high all weekend or was it changed going into FP3? Just thinking if there were then that would surely impact the sim data on the long runs from yesterday.
Soft tyres, full fuel loads and higher pressures.

Also the Mercedes rear suspension squat, did that happen in Qualifying? If it's weight related then we maybe didn't see it due to low fuel running and so maybe we see it tomorrow at the start of the race?

tyre pressures increased today

[Big Tea]

I think traction out of the new hairpin and chicane will be key. If Verstappen can keep them in check for a reasonable first stint I think he will be ok, but once the rears go off you are a sitting duck on the straight even with a similar top speed as you will loose on all the straight. It’s not all done for either driver. I would say this has evened it up going into the race, slight advantage to Max.

Verstappen managed to do 8 laps during FP2 on the softs, so they have at least that much in them. If I had to guess I'd say 12-14 laps on the softs ~18 laps on the mediums +/-2, tops. That leaves a 40 lap stint on the hards, no way that's gonna work. Maybe Hamilton tries to get the win like in Bahrain, but I doubt it will work, he'll be sliding too much in sector 3. I think it's an absolute 2 stop, there's too much at stake to have another Baku like incident, so probably not safe to push the tire more than 35 laps.

Mediums only 18 laps?
Mediums can easily last 25 laps then rest 33 laps on hard tyres, easily doable
Softs can easily last 15 to 16 laps and then it gets trickier to put Hards for 42 laps

With an unusually low downforce package the tyres may slide more than a normal run for Red Bull giving a high rate of deg. Just speculating here though

[Hammerfist]

Verstappen managed to do 8 laps during FP2 on the softs, so they have at least that much in them. If I had to guess I'd say 12-14 laps on the softs ~18 laps on the mediums +/-2, tops. That leaves a 40 lap stint on the hards, no way that's gonna work. Maybe Hamilton tries to get the win like in Bahrain, but I doubt it will work, he'll be sliding too much in sector 3. I think it's an absolute 2 stop, there's too much at stake to have another Baku like incident, so probably not safe to push the tire more than 35 laps.

Mediums only 18 laps?
Mediums can easily last 25 laps then rest 33 laps on hard tyres, easily doable
Softs can easily last 15 to 16 laps and then it gets trickier to put Hards for 42 laps

This

It is doable with a lot of management, and used hards will be mega slow at the end against Verstappen who will likely have fresher mediums and be pushing like crazy. I agree with godmaleroso for once. I don' t think the one stopper is viable at all.

[Big Tea]

Mediums only 18 laps?
Mediums can easily last 25 laps then rest 33 laps on hard tyres, easily doable
Softs can easily last 15 to 16 laps and then it gets trickier to put Hards for 42 laps

This

It is doable with a lot of management, and used hards will be mega slow at the end against Verstappen who will likely have fresher mediums and be pushing like crazy. I agree with godmaleroso for once. I don' t think the one stopper is viable at all.

How many of which tyre does Max have available ? assuming they can recover the flat spot soft for maybe 10 laps.

[siskue2005]

This

It is doable with a lot of management, and used hards will be mega slow at the end against Verstappen who will likely have fresher mediums and be pushing like crazy. I agree with godmaleroso for once. I don' t think the one stopper is viable at all.

How many of which tyre does Max have available ? assuming they can recover the flat spot soft for maybe 10 laps.

He only has new Hards, just like Lewis

[JordanMugen]

The idea that Hamilton deliberately didn't take pole is a bit absurd.

It will be nice if Norris can get the jump and back up Hamilton for a bit.

Great job by Red Bull, Honda and Verstappen!

[search]

This

It is doable with a lot of management, and used hards will be mega slow at the end against Verstappen who will likely have fresher mediums and be pushing like crazy. I agree with godmaleroso for once. I don' t think the one stopper is viable at all.

How many of which tyre does Max have available ? assuming they can recover the flat spot soft for maybe 10 laps.

from my own notes only, but should be more or less accurate (tyre age in brackets):

[ringo]

I see the 1 stopper working for Merc.
25 laps on mediums by Lewis then onto the hards. 33 laps on hards.

Max maybe gets 15 laps on the soft. Then he switches to medium and do 25 laps. Then onto the hards for 18 laps.

How much time is lost in the pits here?
And how bad is traffic?

My pulse is abnormally high this weekend.

[siskue2005]

I see the 1 stopper working for Merc.
25 laps on mediums by Lewis then onto the hards. 33 laps on hards.

Max maybe gets 15 laps on the soft. Then he switches to medium and do 25 laps. Then onto the hards for 18 laps.

How much time is lost in the pits here?
And how bad is traffic?

My pulse is abnormally high this weekend.

The only mediums Max has is flat spotted, so he is definitely going straight from Soft to Hard and may be another Hard in the end

[Big Tea]

It is doable with a lot of management, and used hards will be mega slow at the end against Verstappen who will likely have fresher mediums and be pushing like crazy. I agree with godmaleroso for once. I don' t think the one stopper is viable at all.

How many of which tyre does Max have available ? assuming they can recover the flat spot soft for maybe 10 laps.

from my own notes only, but should be more or less accurate (tyre age in brackets):

https://i.imgur.com/e1wVRqT.png

So it looks like soft-hard would be the best if possible, but still the option to go soft-med-soft if a last few laps run is needed? Fastest lap is not going to be relevant this week

[LM10]

What an amazing lap from Max. And what a turn of events as everyone was expecting Lewis to get pole quite comfortably. Was it RBR sandbagging or did they simply get get things right with the setup?

[wogx]

Max is really lucky here - only Merc's & Tsunoda are on mediums in top 10. If he can create a significant gap to F1.5 in the first phase of the race, then he shouldn't stuck in traffic for too long (if at all) after his first pit-stop.

[Phillyred]

Any SCs or VSCs during Max's first stint on his flat-spotted softs will absolutely help his odds of winning the race tomorrow. Hamilton made a brilliant start (or was it a restart) against Max last week so me thinks the start will be the best chance he has (all other things being equal) to get in front and stay in front of Max. I believe the Merc engine also has some life left in it for a desperate push at some point in tomorrow's race since Lewis declined a possible tow from Bottas knowing he might have something in reserve if he needs it in the race.

[godlameroso]

https://press.pirelli.com/2021-abu-dhab ... -saturday/

Although the Yas Marina circuit now has a faster and more flowing layout that puts more lateral energy through the tyres than before, a one-stopper is still the fastest way to approach the 58-lap race (the total distance has been increased by three laps compared to previous seasons, on account of the shorter lap).
Both medium to hard, as well as soft to hard, are about as quick as each other over the full race distance. Starting on the soft helps to enable a quick getaway – which could be an advantage on a circuit where track position is still important – but starting on the medium gives a bit more flexibility around the pit stop window.
A two-stopper is slower but might play a role if there is a safety car. In this case using all three compounds could be an option or (for the drivers with two medium sets available) an opening and closing stint on medium with a middle stint on hard.

But what do they know ...

Nothing apparently since they're going against all historical trends.