2014 Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina

[ringo]

I don't think he is stupid enough to go back to Mcalren.
Anyhow, Rosberg has shown to be the better qualifier this year. Hamilton still the fastest in my view, but rosberg has a better feel for the mercedes car.
In the race however i think Rosberg will be beaten, Hamilton is the faster barring the lock ups. Rosberg aslo seems to be a bit unsettled and prickly this weekend, which may not be the best mindset for a long race. Hamilton will toy with him and force him into an error again.

I just hope that the start is clean. Oh yeah, I am expecting a safety car by Sutil's hands.

[Juzh]

Hamilton still the fastest in my view

lol.

[CHT]

I don't think he is stupid enough to go back to Mcalren.
Anyhow, Rosberg has shown to be the better qualifier this year. Hamilton still the fastest in my view, but rosberg has a better feel for the mercedes car.
In the race however i think Rosberg will be beaten, Hamilton is the faster barring the lock ups. Rosberg aslo seems to be a bit unsettled and prickly this weekend, which may not be the best mindset for a long race. Hamilton will toy with him and force him into an error again.

I just hope that the start is clean. Oh yeah, I am expecting a safety car by Sutil's hands.

IMO the time to beat your team mate on track is over for LH, this is a race for LH to just cruise in 2nd place and finish the race instead of trying too hard to get ahead of NR because if you get ahead of NR, who has got nothing to lose, will force LH to the limit and that is not something that is worth risking in this race. Worst that could happen for LH is if he overdrive the car and suffer a DNF, his WDC dream will be over.

[Shrieker]

Rosberg is setting his car more aggressively and it pays on Saturdays. Not so much for Sundays tho. How many times has Hamilton beaten him now when Nico started 1st and Lewis 2nd. It's clear cut.

[Blanchimont]

Pole times
2013 1:39,957 Soft Tyre
2014 1:40,480 Supersoft (+0,52%, not bad)

2014 weight corrected: 1:39,500 (0,2s/10kg from https://www.flickr.com/photos/lotus_f1team/15633165790/ )

(record 1:38,434 2011 Q2)

[LionKing]

Or Lewis is better in tire management than Rosberg, especially in the harder of the compounds.

[MOWOG]

Yes, following a strategy that gives him the WDC rather than a race win is the smartest course for Hamilton. But for us fans? We would rather see Lewis and Nico side by side in the final corner, pushing each other to the absolute limit and getting to the line within 0.00002 meters of each other.

Who actually crosses the line first would be irrelevant to the WDC at that point, but it would be great to see.

[iotar__]

- There's nothing to argue about when it comes to who was faster over one lap between Rosberg and Hamilton this season, pace close enough but results not even close. All that is left is some unfounded bad theories (AKA excuses for reality not matching perception) about tyres and set up, no one sacrifices pole positions like that, not in 2014. Faster drivers are faster in both Q and races (Ricciardo, Alonso etc.) and Rosberg was fast enough in races. My alternative reality would be dry Suzuka, it's the same for both so no reason to complain but there's no doubt rain/intermediates helped Hamilton.

- Button way in front of Magnussen, I can't wait for 2015 top battles between Kvyat, Magnussen and Raikkonen
- it's still the same: 95% - 5% in Hamilton's favour, hopefully Williams makes it slightly amusing for a while but I wouldn't count on it, maybe some safety car but overall it's merely a formality.

[Blanchimont]

Can anyone provide a animated gif/video of one of the slow motion scenes that showed the sparks from the front wing travelling to the back of the car? Thanks in advance.

[astracrazy]

Nico really does sound ameture in the press conferences. Been making some silly comments this weekend

[mikeerfol]

https://twitter.com/adamcooperF1/status ... 3478164480

[PlatinumZealot]

Toto confirms Hamilton is on a race setup....

[MuseF1]

https://twitter.com/adamcooperF1/status ... 3478164480

This BBC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/30161617 says that the wings have been declared illegal, and that they will either start at the back of the grid with legal wings or race and protest afterwards

Edit - Autosport's article https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/for ... 0--f1.html is clearer, it says that the FIA technical delegate's opinion is that the wing is illegal, but is referring the matter to the stewards.

[atanatizante]

So Rosberg didn`t BS us in the drivers press conference after all :
http://www.youtube.com/embed/SI8ag6LnPm ... autoplay=1
(Just look at Hulk`s reaction ... and Jenson`s too ... )

As you could see there is a huge 8 to 9 km/h difference between Williams cars and Merc ones and in the race there could be an even bigger margin as we saw lately ...
Although it true to say they are 4 or 5 tenths slower in S3 than Merc boys, which I think they went to a higher DF setup in order to preserve more their SS tyres and stretch the first stint ...
And that`s where Lewis will have the upper hand!
Coz I truly believe he will out smart Nico this time! (after all wasn't he who said that he wants to win the war not the battle?)
How come? Simple as that: SS tyre will last between 7-9 laps and that will be not enough to build a gap to until the first pit stop, hence Nico will land into the back markers running on soft tyres and force him to lose some time passing them ... Meanwhile, Lewis was looking after his tyres and manage to do 2 or 3 more laps but this time not pushing (like in Brasil) and after the pit stop he could be either in front of Nico or behind him but with fresher tyres and a good prospect to make it stick the 2 qualy laps strategy now ...
(This scenario was made just seeing again 2013 race)

Any thoughts?

[notsofast]

VET and RIC starting in the back could make it easier for ALO and BOT to fight for 4th in the WDC.