2014 Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina

[CHT]

What do you think will be the worst outcome of tonight's race?

a) LH finish 3rd and below, NR win the WDC
b) LH suffer DNF, NR win the WDC

[oT v1]

worst outcome? Alonso/Ferrari victory with NR champion, pretty much worst case scenario!

[turbof1]

What do you think will be the worst outcome of tonight's race?

a) LH finish 3rd and below, NR win the WDC
b) LH suffer DNF, NR win the WDC

a) of course; that'll mean the title was decided by double points.

[i70q7m7ghw]

Worst outcome is for the title to be decided on double points. So if Hamilton finishes lower than second, but sixth or higher.

[andartop]

Where are all the conspiracy theorists?
Red Bull is the only other car that has won races this year and they are sent to the back of the grid!
Can't even begin to imagine how many pages of BS conspiracy theories we would have on this thread by now if it was Alonso-Ferrari in Lewis' place..

Then again, I shouldn't expect anything else given the amount of love Lewis gets on F1T..
No matter what happens, Lewis is praised: he gets poles but is slow in the race, it's his raw speed hindered by a slow car; he loses poles but wins races, it's because he is smarter and sets up the car for the race; he makes mistakes and bins it, we have pages after pages of calculations of what would have happened if he hadn't done the mistakes in the first place, or it is simply because he was pushing too hard because he is such a fighter; he is slow in qualy and race, it's a shitty car; he is fast in both qualy and race, it's his natural talent...and on and on and on...

Don't get me wrong: even though he is not my favourite driver by far I do rate him quite high up the rank, and no matter what happens today for me he deserves this WDC 100% this year, and I wish he gets it fair and square. But some of his fans are impossible to cope with.

I'm afraid to revisit this thread after the race. If he gets it, it will be 20 pages of praise for the best driver in the universe ever; if he somehow manages to lose it, it will be 50 pages of conspiracy theories, woulda, coulda, shoulda's and revisiting the Spa and Monaco incidents...


Sorry everyone, just had to get it out of me! Don't take me too seriously.

[i70q7m7ghw]

Stop ranting?

Williams are more of a threat than Red Bull IMO. The Red Bull victories were more down to good strategy calls, something Williams haven't really done very well this year.

[Hail22]

Why do I sense Lewis Hamilton has had someone make world championship shirts even though Toto said "There will be no drivers championship shirts after the race, in order to show respect to the other driver as they will be coming second".

I have a feeling there will be a shirt coming out with "Anything you can do, I can do x2 better" with regards to being a x2, that is if he secures it this evening.

[ringo]

This is so funny, Hamilton On the verge of cruising to a WDC in a completely dominating car, by only having to beat one person and all of a sudden that one person is one of the best drivers on the circuit..

I've rated Rosberg highly long before he became Lewis' teammate (you can look back to many of my comments on F1Fanatic and Autosport Forum back in 2011-2012 for evidence).

I don't just rate Rosberg because he took 11 pole positions with one of the fastest drivers of all time as his teammate. I rate him because of the fact that;

1. Charged from 22nd to 7th in and set fastest lap in an average car, in his debut race (Bahrain 2006).
2. Matured enormously as a driver from 2006 to 2007, became a lot more consistent and less error-prone.
3. Took 2 podiums in a shoebox in 2008 (a car which finished 8th (!) in the WCC ffs!)
4. Was the most consistent point-scorer of any driver in 2009 apart from Button, beat both Toyota's in the standings with a weaker car.
5. Demolished Schumacher, beat Kubica in roughly equal cars in 2010. Also scored 3 podiums with the 4th-5th best car.
6. Was occasionally fighting with Red Bull and McLaren in 2011 when his car had no business being up there. China and Turkey come to mind.

I saw Rosberg for the talent that he was long before 2013. Some people just can't separate car performance from driver ability. Nico has been brilliant since 2007, it's just that up until 2013, he's never had the car to show it.

I have rated Rosberg highly as well, but i have noticed that all of Hamilton's teammates tend to be put into the top 5 for no other reason than facing him. Rosberg is top 10, but in the races, where 80% of the ratings should come from, he has been soundly beaten by Hamilton. He is a good clean driver but he doesn't have much speed in races and race craft is a little above average. He is good, but guys like Button and Vettel have more of an X factor when it comes to race day. They bring more to the table on Sundays. Lets see him be more tactical like Button, or raw with speed like Vettel and actually make Lewis wonder where the heck he found that speed from, and then maybe he can be considered more than a modern day Jarno Truli.

[Shrieker]

Rosberg beat Schumacher 3 years in a row, who in turn has never been beaten by a team mate over a season, ever. Some seem to have forgotten that.

[Juzh]

So, are RBs running reduced DF?

[NathanOlder]

Not quite tip top Schumi though was he.

[NathanOlder]

So, are RBs running reduced DF?

Thats what someone said on Sky F1, might have been Ted

[SiLo]

Just watched the comparison between pole and 2nd. Lewis looks like he was just cruising around and not even trying. Almost like he wanted to start 2nd.

[Steven]

Gentlemen.
Again, join in at http://www.f1technical.net/live/ to chat while the action is happening!

[Just_a_fan]

The Mercedes has made 4 seconds in three laps on the Williams of Massa. I know the first lap or two is tricky for the guys behind P1 but...