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.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I wonder which circuit I'm thinking of then...

 

[Mezzer]

I can't imagine the kind of pressure you could put yourself under during the weekend.

Nicole wasn't in Brazil, I'm sure she'll be there in Abu Dhabi. I've no doubt she can help deal with any ... stress or otherwise issues.

 

[chris1981]

Nico hasn't won 2 races in a row this year. Advantage Lewis.

I just hope that we don't have to endure endless shots of Nicole, Anthony Ham, Keke, Nico's wife or anyone else who isn't on the track driving!

 

[teabagyokel]

Nicole wasn't in Brazil

She's been warned about Nelson Piquet.

 

[Mezzer]

I hear you teabagyokel, I was surprised at the inappropriate comments from Nelson, I thought he generally did a pretty poor job of the interview questions. That said, I'm not a fan of the interview-on-the-podium format regardless although I can appreciate the attraction if you're one of the fans at the circuit.

 

[teabagyokel]

It is just about the first thing they've ever done for the people at the circuit!

 

[Mephistopheles]

I'm not a fan of the interview-on-the-podium format

Especially when EJ does it...

 

[cider_and_toast]

How about we get a different person to hold the podium interview at every race leading up to the final race of the year. For that one we hold a fan vote for the most popular podium interviewer of the year and the winner gets to conduct the podium interview at the final race.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Or we could introduce a double podium interview with two people doing it for the final race, after all doube is best isn't it, I suggest Pinky and Perky...

 

[cider_and_toast]

Absolutely. There are some great double acts out there in F1 at the moment who could do the biz. Susie and Totto, Totto and Niki, Jean and Bernie, Bernie and his own mouth (after all it's clearly not connected to his brain)... the list goes on.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I think it would be fun if Merc gave both drivers completely new engines and gearboxes and made them both start from the pit lane.

Oy, I said that last week.

 

[Il_leone]

last time LEwis went all out for the win when he did not need to it cost him the championship

I would say both in 2007 and 2010 when he did not need to race to win he could have won both championships

 

[Mephistopheles]

Bill and Ben, they would make more sense than EJ at least...

 

[Mephistopheles]

With the points situation as it is I think the risk avoidance need is more with Rosberg than Hamilton. I'm not of the opinion that Hamilton would simply punt Rosberg off, but I think he'd be prepared to try a more speculative overtake than normal, knowing that if he did lose the car he'd slide into Rosberg and it'd be just another racing incident...

But he would have to make sure he took both himself and Rosberg out and that just would not be worth the risk after all there is an OBE at stake here, maybe even a knighthood..

 

[Brogan]

For services to forum arguments discussions?

 

[Il_leone]

We saw what happened at Spa when they collided and it was Hamilton who came up worst despite clearly being the innocent party so avoiding wheel to wheel is probably the best action

 

[Titch]

I just think I might go into Dr Who mode, and watch from behind the sofa, especially at the start if they are on pole and 2.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

As much as we hate the double points it's certainly going to make the final race a tense affair.

 

[Jen]

May the 'best' man win, albeit in bizarre circumstances!

 

[teabagyokel]

And lets hope that if Rosberg wins, he would have won it on single points too.