Grand Prix 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

[F1Brits_90]

Basically what Brogan said ^^

Nowt's going to change, Max has 95ish days to savour this "victory" then it all starts again and he'll have George Russell to contend with as well.

its bit early for 2022 predictions. havent finished off 2021 predictions yet. yeah Russell Leclerc Sainz cant be discounted, Verstappen, Norris, Piastri maybe gasly. in what supposed to be a far more even sport post 2022 we are in great health

but i had good feeling for ferrari. the rate of development from times being the 2nd worst car on the grid in 2020. to finishing 3rd in constructors & taking pole positions is incredible. but they had fast car in 2019 but there pit wall loves an implosion

 

[Il_leone]

its bit early for 2022 predictions. havent finished off 2021 predictions yet. yeah Russell Leclerc Sainz cant be discounted, Verstappen, Norris, Piastri maybe gasly. in what supposed to be a far more even sport post 2022 we are in great health

but i had good feeling for ferrari. the rate of development from times being the 2nd worst car on the grid in 2020. to finishing 3rd in constructors & taking pole positions is incredible. but they had fast car in 2019 but there pit wall loves an implosion

Next season Ferrari and Mclaren will be closer to the front

Red Bull the question mark is the Honda engine development in house how will this impact them

Aston Martin and Williams ought to be better than this year

Alpine they have had another management change so not sure they will be at front

That leaves Alfa and Haas for the back

 

[FB]

The only thing I can think would happen is the FIA declare Abu Dhabi a non-result and remove the points awarded from each driver. Verstappen still wins on count back. Then we get in to Michael Masi and the Spa debacle.

I'll just leave this for you all to ponder.

 

[Brogan]

Or declare the race as the positions were before Masi shit on the rules.

 

[Dartman]

The fairest would be to share it, the FIA would then admit its officials F d up and everyone gets what they earned, and a joint WDC would forever go down in F1 history as how to screw up a simple championship to future rule makers and officials, Max was ahead on count backs, Lewis was ahead by a large margin in the race

 

[The Pits]

Schrodingers WDC

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Has Jackie Stewart come out with praise for Max Verstappen yet, and said that Michael Masi has done a great job as race director.

 

[The Artist.....]

I’m going to be controversial, and say that Masi’s actions were probably the correct ones (The only thing he could have done better was throw a red flag)

• It would have been seen as a scandal if the race ended under a safety car (there would have been accusations that he didn’t restart it to hand Hamilton the championship)
• In virtually every previous SC, the leaders have been brought together by letting lapped cars through, so that was his prior. Had Masi left cars between Hamilton and Verstappen, there would have been accusations that he didn’t let cars through, as had been the practice before, to hand Hamilton the championship.
• However, initially he didn’t see how he could restart the race whilst bringing the leaders together (leading to “lapped cars will not be allowed to overtake,.,”.
• The Williams was cleared up quicker, and Masi saw a way to finish the race on the track, so allowed the cars between Verstappen and Hamilton to pass. (Realistically, the battle for first and second was what mattered, as anything below first is just the set of losers).

Even a red flag wouldn’t have been without controversy - because imagine if Verstappen had overtaken Hamilton off the restart (the even numbered grid slots seemed to have more grip at the start for some reason) - then Masi could be accused of handing the championship to Verstappen.

Whatever happened, there was always going to be controversy at the end of the race - and had Hamilton won, then the lap 1 incident would have been raised as an attempt to hand Hamilton the championship.

There is so much wailing and gnashing of teeth still going on online (and on Twitter in particular people are melting down still).

This is not corruption.

• Mercedes rolled the dice by not stopping for tyres, and lost out
• Latifi was much more influential in the title race than Masi.

 

[Il_leone]

I’m going to be controversial, and say that Masi’s actions were probably the correct ones (The only thing he could have done better was throw a red flag)

• It would have been seen as a scandal if the race ended under a safety car (there would have been accusations that he didn’t restart it to hand Hamilton the championship)
• In virtually every previous SC, the leaders have been brought together by letting lapped cars through, so that was his prior. Had Masi left cars between Hamilton and Verstappen, there would have been accusations that he didn’t let cars through, as had been the practice before, to hand Hamilton the championship.
• However, initially he didn’t see how he could restart the race whilst bringing the leaders together (leading to “lapped cars will not be allowed to overtake,.,”.
• The Williams was cleared up quicker, and Masi saw a way to finish the race on the track, so allowed the cars between Verstappen and Hamilton to pass. (Realistically, the battle for first and second was what mattered, as anything below first is just the set of losers).

Even a red flag wouldn’t have been without controversy - because imagine if Verstappen had overtaken Hamilton off the restart (the even numbered grid slots seemed to have more grip at the start for some reason) - then Masi could be accused of handing the championship to Verstappen.

Whatever happened, there was always going to be controversy at the end of the race - and had Hamilton won, then the lap 1 incident would have been raised as an attempt to hand Hamilton the championship.

There is so much wailing and gnashing of teeth still going on online (and on Twitter in particular people are melting down still).

This is not corruption.

• Mercedes rolled the dice by not stopping for tyres, and lost out
• Latifi was much more influential in the title race than Masi.

I will say lap 1 incident Hamilton was already turning in and Verstappen 's lunge meant avoiding action was the only option. If he continued the line then the chances were Verstappen would have taking him out

Masi did not factor how quick the marshalls would clear Latifi's car but in hindsight should have put a red flag

When the team principals were lobbying he should have been firm as referee decision is final

 

[Speshal]

Had Masi left cars between Hamilton and Verstappen, there would have been accusations that he didn’t let cars through, as had been the practice before, to hand Hamilton the championship.

But he didn't let all the lapped cars by, if he had, as the regs stipulate, it would have ended under the SC.

 

[F1Brits_90]

The Artist..... as ive said few times & i agree. there was no good way to restart the race, it was the perfect storm. Mercedes made this worse for them by the choice they took. they had to pit Hamilton & if bottas had been in range fighting with perez. then verstappen free pit stops wouldnt have been possible.

if Hamilton had pitted he would've likely still won & its only because he was lost because he had been left out with no defence, that this controversy has begun

 

[Hamberg]

He had three options
1. Red flag
2. Safety car, let all lapped cars through, green flag as per the regs
3. 2. Safety car, let no lapped cars through, green flag as per the regs

In any other race option 2. would have been deployed. Massi made up his own rules to create a situation with only one 99% certainty result, this was wrong. Why is it even up for debate?

Quite why Mercedes are being lambasted for not predicting this situation is beyond me.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Quite why Mercedes are being lambasted for not predicting this situation is beyond me.

Exactly this.

Mercedes had no choice. They couldn't bring Hamilton in and concede track position because under any normal race circumstances there would have been no guarantee that the race wouldn't have ended under the safety car.

RBR had nothing to lose by pitting Verstappen and Mercedes had everything to lose.

 

[Brogan]

The fact that people are defending Masi's actions and the result is baffling.

 

[The Pits]

The fact that people are defending Masi's actions and the result are baffling.

Its called Motor Racing Brogan

 

[cider_and_toast]

Its called Manipulating Racing Brogan

Fixed that for you mate.

 

[Speshal]

 

[Greenlantern101]

Formula One Drivers and Team Principals react to Max’s victory in today’s season finale Abu Dhabi GP! #f1 #abudhabigp | By Conor Moore | Facebook

Formula One Drivers and Team Principals react to Max’s victory in today’s season finale Abu Dhabi GP! #f1 #abudhabigp

fb.watch

 

[The Pits]

Apologies cider_and_toast was the irony / Sarcasm too well hidden?

 

[Brogan]

I got it The Pits