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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Nice idea.

Double points is/was an incentive too far for such well matched team-mates - (I know, argue on another thread please).

Neither are stupid, both understand PR and one will excel.
 
and if that were the case, and Rosberg wins, as you point out, normal or double points would have made no difference.

The best thing that could have happened given the circumstances was that the gap between the two drivers remained within the normal scoring level almost nullifying double points.
 
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I believe Lewis will be on Pole and pull away from Nico during the race. He is very strong on this circuit and knows that the best way to deal with Nico is from the front. I hope double points doesn't come into play at all.
 
I believe Lewis will be on Pole and pull away from Nico during the race. He is very strong on this circuit and knows that the best way to deal with Nico is from the front. I hope double points doesn't come into play at all.

Agree. And this strategy will also give Hamilton some options:

1) If Rosberg tries to pass he can employ the Senna Suzuka 1990 strategy.

2) If he has car issues, he can employ the Schumacher Australia-1994 strategy
 
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Marcus Ericsson's contract with Caterham has been terminated, meaning of course he won't be driving for them at Abu Dhabi if they manage to get there. Leaves the door open for a driver with funds?
 
Alice Powell is after a practise seat at least. Anyone with spare cash and a superlicense could theoretically take that seat, is there still a limit on only 4 drivers per team per season?
 
Batman, Hamilton could always employ the Piquet Hockenheim 1982 Strategy, I think you'd enjoy that.

Piquet 1.jpg
Piquet 2.jpg
Piquet 3.jpg
 
If Lewis takes Rosberg out at the first corner everyone will proclaim him the new Senna, quietly chuckle about the audacity of such a move, hail the fact that he is rightly world champion and that he races with heart and passion.

If Rosberg takes Lewis out and goes on to win the title, everyone will proclaim he is the worst thing to happen in F1 since the last German, that he races with an evil cunning that the plucky Brit would never do, say he's the least deserving champion since his father and hail this is the worst season ever.
If Rosberg wins the title in any way attributable to 'double points' Bernie will retrospectively annul the rule that put it in place, and install the alternative 'gold medal' rule to ensure that the 'plucky Brit' wins!
The BBC will also declare, by default, Hamilton to have already won Sports 'Personality' of The Year, thus avoiding any unwelcome voting by viewers for somebody from another sport who really does have a personality.
 
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