2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Dec 11 - 13

[El Scorchio]

Great news for Belgian and Dutch fans, among others.

De Vries looks like he's about 12 years old, doesn't he!

[Sieper]

Perez killed Max’ hotlap on the softs. A real future RBR driver move.

[basti313]

Indifferent if the rumours are true that Gene Haas is getting fed up of paying out to be at the back. He'll be paying big for the seat, possibly for the team in the future.

I remember reading somewhere that Haas could end up parking Mazepin on the bench but keeping the money as Mazepin has breached his side of the contract with this behaviour.
Basically if I paid to drive a race car, then behave like a moron, I get thrown out but I dont get my money back.

It becomes a little bit off-topic, but what I would like to see from HAAS is Mazepin getting back to F2 to show his redemption. Have a full year in F2 again, without any controversy. Have a spotless year on and off the racetrack, show that you have grown as a person and I would be willing to give him a seat in F1, if HAAS deem it still to be necessary with his money. Or at least I'd have a proper thought about it. For now, he's had to many incidents to which you wonder if he's ever gonna change.

For me this is a strange discussion. I do not want to talk bad about minorities, but putting someone from Russian money oligarchy into the car and at the same time expecting perfect moral integrity somehow does not come together for me.

[Big Tea]

Have not seen much n Merc garage so far, but not noticed Angela around Lewis. His secret weapon missing could cost him fractions in mindset.

[El Scorchio]

Have not seen much n Merc garage so far, but not noticed Angela around Lewis. His secret weapon missing could cost him fractions in mindset.

Not that it matters this weekend, I suppose.
Could be that he was granted a special dispensation to enter the country but she was not? Or she was also positive but couldn't test negative in time.

Or she's just there but not been in shot!

[Sieper]

No, the tv presenter talked about it and confirmed she is in Dubai, edit Bahrein, my mistake, still. Did Not say for what reason (but I would guess no exception indeed, or no negative test).

[Phil]

If she is in Dubai, one would assume it's not COVID, as she is already in the country, which would suggest she was not tested positive?

[Big Tea]

Not that it would make any difference to his driving, just his preparation. I know some drivers do not feel 100% without their lucky pants, but she always seems to have everything 'just so' for Lewis and he is no doubt used to it.

[toraabe]

Perez killed Max’ hotlap on the softs. A real future RBR driver move.

Expect Perez to do well. New engine that is going to last only one race. Will be absolutely full beans . Like Hamilton in Brazil 2017.

[Big Tea]

Perez killed Max’ hotlap on the softs. A real future RBR driver move.

Expect Perez to do well. New engine that is going to last only one race. Will be absolutely full beans . Like Hamilton in Brazil 2017.

His big decision will be tyres. Early or late on softs and how many types? Soft hard or soft mid and possibly a second soft, or possibly start on hard and finish on soft with less weight and more gaps?.

[Schuttelberg]

Lewis looks really knackered.

[search]

Perez killed Max’ hotlap on the softs. A real future RBR driver move.

Expect Perez to do well. New engine that is going to last only one race. Will be absolutely full beans . Like Hamilton in Brazil 2017.

is this still possible though? When the new engine rule (on from Monza) was announced, reports said "all engines from the same supplier must be run in the same mode on a given weekend"

[Big Tea]

Perez killed Max’ hotlap on the softs. A real future RBR driver move.

Expect Perez to do well. New engine that is going to last only one race. Will be absolutely full beans . Like Hamilton in Brazil 2017.

is this still possible though? When the new engine rule (on from Monza) was announced, reports said "all engines from the same supplier must be run in the same mode on a given weekend"

That could be interpreted as all engines in the same mode, as everyone using that engine is the same mode.
Or as engines in the same mode all week end, meaning mode is free but once chosen is in for the weekend.

[Racer X]

If the Championship was won in Free Practice then Bottas and Albon would be some of the best driver's on the Grid. But sadly for them everyone else gets strong in Qualifying and then even strong in the race.

[Racer X]

It's my understanding that when you set YOUR engine it must stay in THAT mode during Qualifying and Race. Which is why it makes it interesting because you've got to set it up right. If you set it too high and burn out like Racing Point did in Bahrain you will look fast for a minute but then boom. Or you could miscalculate and be too slow.

But the engine modes are each teams to lock in during Qualifying and Race.

I think people just can't go from like a "party mode" and then a slower race mode. From Qualifying to Race like Mercedes bad been doing.


Edit: i would love to see Hamilton change engine too and watch Perez and Hamilton cut the field up from behind. As it doesn't seem to bother them how many cars are infront of them. We've seen it from this pair in the most brilliant of forms.