Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
Let's see. Just saw there was an incident in Turn 1 which is looked at by race control.
I think is the incident with Mazepin when he was overtaking. Because I didn't saw anything wrong with him. But anyway, he will be a great driver for AT next year! 2021 can't come soon enough!!
Why should Honda changes their mind?!
It has nothing to do with Yuki driving for AlphaTauri next year.
change their mind to keep going with F1. I mean if economy goes well after vaccination and new rules(if they are interested with 2026 rules ) at nearer time
Why should Honda changes their mind?!
It has nothing to do with Yuki driving for AlphaTauri next year.
change their mind to keep going with F1. I mean if economy goes well after vaccination and new rules(if they are interested with 2026 rules ) at nearer time
Their leaving has nothing to do with "economy goes well after vaccination".
The season finale is upon us. After that false start in Melbourne in March, Formula 1 and the FIA somehow put together a 17 race, five and a half month calendar that is about to end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Yas Marina Circuit slips into its traditional role of hosting the last round, albeit for the first time in mid-December. Getting this championship done and dusted has involved a superhuman effort from everyone involved and this Sunday is in fact the final race of yet another triple-header. But at least Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are a relative short 800 kilometres apart and from a fatigue point of view, the later than normal dates of these three races means the temperatures in the paddock have not been quite as energy-sapping as usual. The ultra-modern facility provides a colourful backdrop what with the lights of the hotel over the pit lane and the yachts in the harbour, while on track the first two sectors are very fast with a tighter final run to the line. Red Bull Racing has won three times here in the pre-hybrid era and last year Max Verstappen finished second with Alex Albon and Daniil Kvyat ensuring there were three Honda-powered cars in the top ten. Can we end the season on the top step of the podium? Not long now until we find out. Late at night on Sunday, the season will end, the final interviews will be over, but you won’t see too much packing up going on in the paddock. That’s because on the Tuesday following the race, it’s time for the Young Driver Test, which is meant to be a chance for F1 teams to give some track time to promising youngsters. One of them will be Yuki Tsunoda, who finished the F2 season in third place in the championship, taking a win and a third place in last weekend’s two races in Bahrain. Yuki who is part of Honda’s junior driver programme will be on track with Scuderia AlphaTauri. He already drove one of the team’s 2018 cars a couple of months ago in Imola.
TOYOHARU TANABE
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, HONDA F1
We now come to the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi. It has been a strange season due to the pandemic with a late start, however we have managed to fit in 17 races between July and December. It has been quite difficult because of travel restrictions and the fact some circuits were not available to us, but I feel the season has gone by really quickly. As for the Yas Marina circuit, the first part features a couple of long straights, while the second half has more slow speed corners. This will the third consecutive race run under floodlights, starting after sunset. I’m sure it is proving popular with the fans who enjoy seeing the colourful cars and all the sparks flying. Last week at the Sakhir Grand Prix, for various reasons, we did not get the results we wanted from any of our four cars so we are hoping for a fitting finale, fighting to the end with both teams and all our drivers.
A Honda-powered car will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position courtesy of a great final lap from Max as we delivered a strong qualifying performance at the final race of the 2020 season. After an Aston Martin Red Bull Racing one-two in final practice, hopes were high for qualifying and we comfortably advanced through the first part of the session with both Max and Alex as well as the Scuderia AlphaTauri cars. In Q2, Red Bull went for medium tyres for their first runs and Max managed to make it through on that compound to ensure he will start the race on them. Alex put together a good lap but then ran wide at the penultimate corner and had his time deleted, meaning he had to go for a final run on softs to advance but also safely made it through. Daniil and Pierre were both impressive in Q2 and secured their places in the top ten shootout, where it was just a case of all ten cars trying to set their best laps on softs. With all four Honda-powered cars through to Q3 there was plenty to play for and both Red Bulls were in the top four after their first runs, while the Mercedes drivers were first to complete their final attempts. That gave Max the target to aim for and he hooked up all three sectors to take our first pole position of the year by 0.025s. Alex ended up fifth as he was unable to improve on his final attempt, with Daniil lining up directly behind him in seventh and Pierre qualifying tenth, but he will move up one place on the grid as Leclerc takes a three place grid penalty. The result ensures a competitive finish to a season in which Honda has been the only power unit manufacturer not to take a grid penalty for exceeding power unit components, and we’ll now look to cap it all off with strong points in the race.
TOYOHARU TANABE
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, HONDA F1
Max on pole and all four Honda-powered cars in the top ten is a very positive qualifying result for tomorrow’s race. After a Mercedes PU has taken pole at the previous 16 rounds this season, it was very satisfying to take the last pole of the year this afternoon. The qualifying battle was really tight between the top three and in fact the top ten times were all within one second. We can expect tomorrow’s race to be equally close, but with Max on pole, Alex fifth, Daniil seventh and Pierre starting ninth after he qualified tenth, we have every reason to expect a good result. We will be fighting hard with both teams and all four drivers to make sure we can leave Abu Dhabi with no regrets, having performed to the best of our ability.
