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

[The Artist.....]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1470060926934077442

Ultimately, this was a race that things went Max's way, but equally, previous races went Lewis' way. For instance, at Imola, Hamilton was a lap behind, and out of the running, but was gifted a lap back, got the car repaired, and went on to finish second...

 

[The Pits]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1470066698170605569

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Netflix must be rubbing there hands.

 

[The Pits]

Ultimately, this was a race that things went Max's way, but equally, previous races went Lewis' way. For instance, at Imola, Hamilton was a lap behind, and out of the running, but was gifted a lap back, got the car repaired, and went on to finish second...

I totally agree, and there have been aggrieved parties from o e end of the season to another, and I seem to recall saying that the key issue is consistency. This is just one more example of I consistency, but this one is absolute, with no opportunity to recover, which makes it all the more controversial and inevitable that it will lead to what we are seeing now.

 

[Tuscan1969]

Really disappointing. A red flag and 5 laps shootout on new tyres would at least be fair. But this was just giving the title to Max.

 

[The Artist.....]

Tuscan1969 - agree completely. It's a bit like at Jeddah, when it was painfully obvious they were going to need to throw a red flag to repair the TechPro barrier, but initially threw a Safety Car.

The race director needs to think about what's important!

 

[Brogan]

For instance, at Imola, Hamilton was a lap behind, and out of the running, but was gifted a lap back, got the car repaired, and went on to finish second...

Which is allowed under the rules.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Apparently Ricciardo and Stroll didn’t unlap themselves which meant Sainz was held up behind them.

 

[Speshal]

Not that I disagree, but I assume George's contract* started a few seconds after the flag.

*spot the suit.

 

[olegg]

such a development of events in the last laps was absolutely idiotic.
And it will cast a shadow on Verstappen's championship and
reproaches to him like the situation with Glock and Hamilton in 2008.
I'm very upset for Hamilton.
But on the other hand, he and the team have absolutely nothing
to reproach themselves with for this race and for such a result.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I genuinely don’t know why Mercedes didn’t pit, they knew RB we’re going to, or lose tyres completely

If Hamilton then Verstappen would not have done so and then have got the lead of the race. Whatever Hamilton was did Verstappen would do the opposite ; he was between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

The rule book according to Michael Masi

 

[FB]

A thoroughly disappointing end to a thoroughly disappointing season, where the antics of the two leading teams and drivers have, to my minds, bought the sport in to disrepute. I'd rather both teams, and Lewis and Max were disqualified from the entire season to put down a marker for the future and stop this nonsense from happening again.

 

[The Artist.....]

I really struggle with why Perez was retired from the race by Red Bull. After all, it's the last race, so it didn't matter if the engine expired before the end (as it wasn't going to be needed again). I can only see two reasons for this:

1. Red Bull were cheating in some way with Perez' car, and under-fuelled it, or...
2. Red Bull didn't want to cause any reason not to restart the race.

I suspect it might be 2., but they have opened themselves up for accusations under 1. (Although Perez was so much slower, it wouldn't make sense).

 

[The Artist.....]

A thoroughly disappointing end to a thoroughly disappointing season, where the antics of the two leading teams and drivers have, to my minds, bought the sport in to disrepute. I'd rather both teams, and Lewis and Max were disqualified from the entire season to put down a marker for the future and stop this nonsense from happening again.

I couldn't agree with this more.

Both Toto Wolff and Christian Horner have acted like children throughout the season, and the season would have been better without them.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Why are people arguing about Hamilton and Verstappen when in reality they should be arguing about Mercedes v Red Bull. It's the song not the singer (to misquote the name of the book).

 

[vintly]

If anyone thought that season was disappointing they should stop watching F1. Jeez.

 

[Il_leone]

How do you charge the race director fir bringing the sport into disrepute?

I can see the following happening

The result will be reversed so Hamilton is champ saying the protocol not followed property to lap 56. Red Bull will protest

The result will stand and in that case Masi has to be sacked

They add the new rule the Race Director can only any but not all cars to pass under SC which is open to abuse

 

[The Artist.....]

Why are people arguing about Hamilton and Verstappen when in reality they should be arguing about Mercedes v Red Bull. It's the song not the singer (to misquote the name of the book).

Agree completely. Unambiguously, the biggest problems this season have been Horner and Wolff.

 

[Il_leone]

I think we need ex drivers to be race directors now