Grand Prix 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

This one's gonna be a classic.......

After the utterly amazing Indian Grand Prix where it's facilities wowed pretty much everyone worldwide and to be honest we are so lucky to have an Indian Grand Prix at the moment........

Thats would you would think if you were the BBC or any major commentator, for the fans it was a pretty dour race with little or no action throughout apart from the now routine crash between Hamilton and Massa and the rather humerous reaction of Rowan Atkinson in the Mclaren pitlane.

Sebastian Vettel continues to dominate the 2011 season with yet another win in the old jewel of the British Empire with Button consolidating his position in the WDC with another second place as his stock at Mclaren continues to rise.

However at the other side of the garage things aren't quite so rosy with Hamilton adding to his list of high profile accidents which included yet another crash with Felipe Massa. But this time it was Massa who was given a penalty as it was perceived by the stewards that he had turned in on the Mclaren, a decision which bemused the Brazilian as he felt he had given Hamilton enough room and he had the racing line, but both sides (and fans) have differing opinions and a definitive answer is unlikely to come any time soon.

Ferrari and Alonso continue to go through the motions as they wind down and focus on their 2012 after a poor season by their standards, while the car hasn't been awful like their 2009 car, Fernando is rarely anywhere other than third or fourth come the chequered flag. Ferrari have been a team that has been caught out my the ever changing EBD rules and clarity over this for 2012 should help them regain top end competitiveness at the start of next season.

In the midfield it is still close as drivers are fighting for championship places and also contract extensions as very little has been agreed for 2012 although we are now in November and approaching the second last race of a very long season. At Toro Rosso Jaime Alguesuari continued his impressive turnaround with yet more points in India to take his season haul to 26, more than Paul Di Resta and 11 more than his team mate Buemi which could be crucial with the likes of Ricciardo waiting in the wings for a possible seat and there is always the possibility of a Red Bull seat at some point in the future as there is still a question mark about Webbers future, particularly past 2012.

We go to Abu Dhabi for the third time and while the first two races have been pretty lacklustre with a lack of action and overtaking (just ask Alonso), with DRS maybe we might have more this weekend, but then, we can only hope really, just like we can hope Vettel isn't top of the podium by Sunday evening, but that usually ends up to be false hope as I expect another dominating performance from the young German.

For Galahads supreme circuit write up, see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/yas-marina-circuit/

 

[Jen]

Why on earth did Mclaren put JB out first on the track....in the clean air in Q3?
Another missed opportunity.....LH Q2 time was brilliant.....he was in traffic Q3
When will Whitmarsh learn?
Good to see Ron Dennis at the race.
BBC as usual bigging up Button.....& also showing all Massa incidents with LH....pathetic.
Lewis can rise above all this.............. but he shouldn't have to.

I'm sure Lewis can rise above it - the question is can you?

 

[F1ang-o]

Are you suggesting F1and-o that Lewis was held up on his final lap time?

Read what I have written

 

[steveg]

Regarding qualifying, that was a very poor Q3 by Hamilton.
The other top 4 drivers all equalled or bettered their Q2 times, Hamilton was the only one to drop 2 tenths.

He has to be very disappointed with that as it's another potential pole which has gone begging.

Totally agree - as has already been pointed out his Q2 time would have given hime pole which makes ot so frustrating. I suppose it just goes to show that the consistency of Vettel is imense - he ALWAYS delivers on the final lap and even as a massive Hamilton fan I have to respect that.

 

[RasputinLives]

Read what I have written

I have and I was asking you to clarify your point. Unless Hamilton was held up in traffic - which he wasn't - why would who went out on to the track first be a slight on Lewis?

Webber went out before Vettel - damn that Webber favourtism at Red Bull

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

This is a nice shot!

Seeing his eyes that closely scares me, that camera surely has to be pissing him off.

 

[Jen]

Seeing his eyes that closely scares me, that camera surely has to be pissing him off.

Doubt that he sees it and/or remembers it's there - focussed on the task in hand.

 

[tranquility2k9]

I'm not sure that Lewis got held up, there is no evidence or reference on that. He could have been in the dirty air of the car in-front through sector 3 though. Lewis lost it in the first 2 sectors - if he'd have matched Button in the first 2 sectors on that final run then he would have been on pole. I'm quite dissapointed to be honest, I think Lewis should and could have been on pole but he just didn't hook it up when it mattered, whereas Mr. Vettel always seems to.

 

[F1ang-o]

I have and I was asking you to clarify your point. Unless Hamilton was held up in traffic - which he wasn't - why would who went out on to the track first be a slight on Lewis?

Webber went out before Vettel - damn that Webber favourtism at Red Bull

Who would you put out first....in clean air....the quickest driver or the one you want to win?
What Red Bull do is a different story.....they always make sure Vettel is in the best position possible.........they may have to wait a while...but they usually get it right for SV.

 

[tranquility2k9]

Who would you put out first....in clean air....the quickest driver or the one you want to win?
What Red Bull do is a different story.....they always make sure Vettel is in the best position possible.........they may have to wait a while...but they usually get it right for SV.

To be honest that is a load of rubbish. Stop trying to stir trouble. I'm almost certain McLaren have a clear and defined policy where in general terms the drivers get to run last alternatively every race, so at the last race, it would have most likely been Lewis that ran first followed by Button. Generally it is a benefit to run last because you get the track at its best. Lewis was just unfortunate that he had a Ferrari sneak in-front of him when he went out of the garage. Do you think Whitmarsh/McLaren planned that too, to hurt their driver? C'mon.. grow up.

 

[Jen]

Who would you put out first....in clean air....the quickest driver or the one you want to win?

So, are you advocating discrimination of some sort?

Are you sure who is the quickest driver? Lewis, perhaps, but currently the most accident prone and Jenson is doing a blinding job collecting points for himself and the team

So, maybe, just maybe, McLaren are trying to earn as many championship points for the team as they can, now that the WDC is done and dusted.

Sorry, but I think you see bias were there is none.

 

[Jos the Boss]

98.369 in seconds would of been Lewis' lap with the first 2 sectors on his first Q3 run and his 3rd sector on his second lap. approx 1:38:369 to Seb's 1:38:481

 

[F1ang-o]

Your opinions are just that....yours...they do not change mine
We all see things differently...that is the way of the world.
I have a right to say what I see...as do yourselves...if I did not state it ...then that is not right....
Suppositions are not facts....and the fact is this week-end LH was the fastest up to Q3......IMHO his team should have put him out in clean air.... ie where Button was.
You Button fans may not agree.....but if JB had been the fastest....I would not have commented.

 

[Brogan]

Apparently the FIA have launched an investigation into Hamilton, querying why there isn't an investigation

He could see himself edged out again tomorrow, starting on the "dirty" side.

 

[Slyboogy]

Seeing his eyes that closely scares me, that camera surely has to be pissing him off.

The camera I presume would be tiny, there's been other shots like this in the past, most notably in 2007-2008. Unfortunately, ever since F1 moved from ITV to BBC we don't get many cool shots anymore

Also, you must wonder how Coulthard felt having a camera on his chin

 

[tranquility2k9]

Your opinions are just that....yours...they do not change mine
We all see things differently...that is the way of the world.
I have a right to say what I see...as do yourselves...if I did not state it ...then that is not right....
Suppositions are not facts....and the fact is this week-end LH was the fastest up to Q3......IMHO his team should have put him out in clean air.... ie where Button was.
You Button fans may not agree.....but if JB had been the fastest....I would not have commented.

You may have stated an opinion but I stated a fact, which is the way McLaren operate and send out their drivers in qualifying. Whitmarsh and other team members have referred to this on many occasions before. It was simply Jenson's turn to go out before Lewis. Lewis was simply unlucky that he got stuck behind the Ferrari - McLaren aimed to get them both out first on track for the final run. The clear air made no difference, Lewis made a couple of small mistakes in sector 1/2 and that is where he lost it. So the point is what are you actually moaning about? He set the fastest Sector 3 times when he was at the end of the lap and therefore closest to Alonso in-front.

There is a difference between sharing an innocent opinion and what you have actually done, which is essentially carry out an indirect form of slander against McLaren and their team principle. You should be more careful before you state certain things in life because it may come back to bite you one day.

 

[Brogan]

what you have actually done, which is essentially carry out an indirect form of slander against McLaren and their team principle

Slander is spoken, libel is written

 

[Mephistopheles]

I move around in different forums and all I ever hear is some people dreaming up conspiracy theory's where Lewis and Whitmarsh are concerned the fact is there isn't and never has been any. and to be honest it gets tedious just reading such nonsense all the time.

Lewis didn't get poll big deal, you can say coulda shoulda woulda all day long but you are missing out the most significant word, DIDN'T.

Tomorrow is what counts today is just entertainment.

 

[tranquility2k9]

Slander is spoken, libel is written

Alright, im not a legal expert lol, but im sure my message was fairly clear.

 

[tranquility2k9]

I move around in different forums and all I ever hear is some people dreaming up conspiracy theory's where Lewis and Whitmarsh are concerned the fact is there isn't and never has been any. and to be honest it gets tedious just reading such nonsense all the time.

Lewis didn't get poll big deal, you can say coulda shoulda woulda all day long but you are missing out the most significant word, DIDN'T.

Tomorrow is what counts today is just entertainment.

That is why I have actually bothered replying to him when usually I ignore all of that kind of nonsense. I have just got a little tired of it though myself. For some reason, certain Lewis fans always like to put the blame on someone else when he underperforms.

 

[Quintessentially]

Your opinions are just that....yours...they do not change mine
We all see things differently...that is the way of the world.
I have a right to say what I see...as do yourselves...if I did not state it ...then that is not right....
Suppositions are not facts....and the fact is this week-end LH was the fastest up to Q3......IMHO his team should have put him out in clean air.... ie where Button was.
You Button fans may not agree.....but if JB had been the fastest....I would not have commented.

Hamilton's track position on his final run wasn't ideal. He went in behind Jenson and somehow came out a further car behind but it is what it is. I think he did an incredible final sector to jump Jenson as he was behind in the previous two.