Grand Prix 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

So here it is, the season finale and the two Mercedes drivers go in to it with the chance of taking the title. Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points so a repeat of the result in Brazil makes Lewis the Champion but double points means that the permutations are almost endless (boringly endless that is).

Two titles have already been sown up. Mercedes are constructors Champions and Nico Rosberg is the Pole Position Champion. Hands up all those who thought he would beat Lewis in qualifying? No one? Thought not. There will be a few other cars and drivers at the race but, frankly, all most of us will be interested in is which of the Merc drivers comes out on top. With 10 wins to 6 Lewis would have won on Bernie's Gold Medal system but then the Ring Master decided that simply winning races isn't enough and to keep things "interesting" decided making one race result worth twice that of any other was a good idea. I wonder what craziness will be visited on us fans next year. Perhaps something for a separate discussion.

Back to the race, this is the one which starts in the sunshine and then gets dark and it has the weird pit lane which makes the cars look like they are leaving a multi-storey car park. For anyone going, Ferrari World is just outside the circuit, somehow I don't think it will be Ferrari World inside.

Anyone got any other thoughts? Can Williams steal a win? Will McLaren carry on improving? Will this be Jenson Button's final race in F1? Sebastian Vettel will be saying goodbye to Red Bull, Sutil and Gutierrez will, most likely, be saying goodbye to F1 and we've already said goodbye to Caterham and Marussia.

Hope you are sitting comfortably, let the final race begin.
 
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Does that mean 19th and 20th then?

Grosjean will now be celebrating... Rather than a 15 second penalty in the race, he now only has a 10 second penalty, I believe... ... Or does it?!? I'm slightly confused to be honest!
 
The difference with the HAM brake disc change was that the change was from one legal component to another. The RBR situation is a bit weird if they consider a change from an illegal to legal component to be between two that are 'similar'. Some teams have pointed this out apparently so it looks like RBR could still start from the pitlane, not that this would probably hurt them much anyhow.
It also transpires 4 teams were tested yesterday for front wing flex.
 
The scariest thing is the extent to which it puts technical stewards' consistency into question.

I haven't heard anything about Red Bull introducing a new front wing design this week-end. How come this front-wing was OK on other tracks and not this one?
 
All F1 cars are legal until the point they get caught.

I would be surprised if it stops at a pit lane start.
Teams have been DSQ'ed in the past for deliberate intent, or less.
 
Looking at the Scarbs piece, it would appear to be the wing vane plates that flex back to feather under aero load therefore reducing the front cross section at speed and reducing drag.

Naughty, very naughty. Placing a load on either end of the wing in the normal deflection test may not have picked that up as it wasn't the whole wing moving.
 
Apparently, "the FIA discovered a leaf spring arrangement encased in a rubber shroud".

Oh dear,
That sounds a bit desperate and very underhand*.





*And by that I mean what a bunch of cheating bastards.

That sounds like a deliberate attempt to circumnavigate the rules, and should be punished with a draconian punishment....
 
Incubus; the last team to have a deliberate attempt to circumnavigate the rules was BAR in 2005. They received a 3 race ban (DSq from Imola, banned from next two races).

Before that, Tyrrell were completely banned from the 1984 season...

However, Benetton escaped censure in 1994 for many issues....
 
One wonders what they have got away with over the past four years.

Does this now cast yet more question marks over the titles from 2010 to 2013?
 
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