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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Senna's move the year after was worse, there was discussions before the race about what could happen. Suppose it all worked out in the end with both drivers transgressions cancelling each other out.
 
Even if Grosjean qualifies on pole, he will start last and have to serve a penalty during the race.

He has been given a 20 place grid drop penalty due to a new engine.
 
Brogan F1Yorkshire

I am sure they will close that loophole in noticing he has not served his penalty in full.

The grid penalty is only added from where he would have started and since Lotus is the 3rd worst car on the grid he would be hit with time penalty

Its more in his interest to qualify higher because 11-20 places grid penalty not taken is a drive through penalty which is 20 seconds at least

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/11/16658.html

Going to be interesting for Romain
 
Ideal Lap (sum best sectors) in the Practice 2:
Pos – No – Driver – Practice 2 Result – Ideal Lap – Flaw
1 - 44 - Lewis Hamilton - 01:42,113 - 01:42,046 - 00,067
2 - 6 - Nico Rosberg - 01:42,196 - 01:42,099 - 00,097
3 - 20 - Kevin Magnussen - 01:42,895 - 01:42,713 - 00,182
4 - 1 - Sebastian Vettel - 01:42,959 - 01:42,959 - 00,000
5 - 77 - Valtteri Bottas - 01:43,070 - 01:43,070 - 00,000
6 - 3 - Daniel Ricciardo - 01:43,183 - 01:43,173 - 00,010
10 - 19 - Felipe Massa - 01:43,558 - 01:43,296 - 00,262
7 - 7 - Kimi Räikkönen - 01:43,489 - 01:43,489 - 00,000
8 - 22 - Jenson Button - 01:43,503 - 01:43,503 - 00,000
9 - 26 - Daniil Kvyat - 01:43,546 - 01:43,541 - 00,005
11 - 11 - Sergio Perez - 01:43,746 - 01:43,730 - 00,016
12 - 13 - Pastor Maldonado - 01:44,005 - 01:43,980 - 00,025
13 - 27 - Nico Hulkenberg - 01:44,068 - 01:44,032 - 00,036
14 - 25 - Jean-Eric Vergne - 01:44,157 - 01:44,157 - 00,000
15 - 21 - Esteban Gutierrez - 01:44,316 - 01:44,286 - 00,030
17 - 8 - Romain Grosjean - 01:44,986 - 01:44,732 - 00,254
16 - 99 - Adrian Sutil - 01:44,763 - 01:44,763 - 00,000
18 - 10 - Kamui Kobayashi - 01:45,505 - 01:45,474 - 00,031
19 - 46 - Will Stevens - 01:47,057 - 01:47,057 - 00,000
20 - 14 - Fernando Alonso - 01:56,204 - 01:56,204 - 00,000
 
It's got a bit of a feel of Suzuka '96 about it, this one, for those old enough to remember. The Williams was similarly dominant, hence Jacques/Nico fans were reduced to waiting for a mechanical failure that, in that case, never came. Of course, Villeneuve ended up retiring himself, meaning Hill was effectively crowned mid-race, which doesn't happen very often.
 
It does have a Suzuka '96 feel to it. I was a Jacques fan, and I'm a Nico fan. To say I'm biting my nails to the quick would be an understatement. I am beginning to wonder whether watching F1 is good for my stress levels.
 
Basically he wants to see where his drivers finish this weekend. Apparently there are a number of factors that could play out tomorrow.He also said he had a heart so I don't know what to believe?

:dunno:
 
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He also said that they would be reviewing the performance of both his and all the other drivers for the whole season. I think that he may have finished that by Spa next year. it will then be a well thought out exercise costing him a team position in the top ten.:snigger:
 
Ideal Lap (sum best sectors) in the Practice 3:
Pos – No – Driver – Practice 3 Result – Ideal Lap – Flaw
1 - 6 - Nico Rosberg - 01:41,424 - 01:41,337 - 00,087
2 - 44 - Lewis Hamilton - 01:41,793 - 01:41,541 - 00,252
3 - 19 - Felipe Massa - 01:42,429 - 01:42,429 - 00,000
8 - 77 - Valtteri Bottas - 01:42,794 - 01:42,562 - 00,232
7 - 3 - Daniel Ricciardo - 01:42,773 - 01:42,608 - 00,165
5 - 1 - Sebastian Vettel - 01:42,679 - 01:42,629 - 00,050
6 - 22 - Jenson Button - 01:42,768 - 01:42,630 - 00,138
4 - 14 - Fernando Alonso - 01:42,653 - 01:42,653 - 00,000
9 - 26 - Daniil Kvyat - 01:42,809 - 01:42,729 - 00,080
11 - 20 - Kevin Magnussen - 01:43,112 - 01:42,936 - 00,176
10 - 7 - Kimi Räikkönen - 01:43,038 - 01:43,038 - 00,000
12 - 25 - Jean-Eric Vergne - 01:43,352 - 01:43,220 - 00,132
13 - 11 - Sergio Perez - 01:43,360 - 01:43,360 - 00,000
14 - 27 - Nico Hulkenberg - 01:43,501 - 01:43,465 - 00,036
15 - 21 - Esteban Gutierrez - 01:43,643 - 01:43,602 - 00,041
17 - 8 - Romain Grosjean - 01:43,778 - 01:43,682 - 00,096
16 - 13 - Pastor Maldonado - 01:43,718 - 01:43,699 - 00,019
18 - 99 - Adrian Sutil - 01:44,022 - 01:43,948 - 00,074
19 - 10 - Kamui Kobayashi - 01:45,044 - 01:45,044 - 00,000
20 - 46 - Will Stevens - 01:45,959 - 01:45,959 - 00,000
 
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