FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2021 - Yas Marina - RACE.. ▄▀▄▀▄▀ SPOILERS▄▀▄▀▄▀

Are you trying to say that a race that has a virtual safety car and a safety car is not a clean race? Because that’s what happened today. It’s part of motor racing.

 

Why? All the press is going to do is create controversy. At least in public he was a gentleman.

 

I'm very happy with the race as a whole, and with the climatic last laps. The race stewards/Massi stumbled all over themselves but in the end made a last minute call that gave us an honest finish. The crash should have brought out an immediate Safety Car but the stewards delayed...almost guaranteeing a finish under yellow and an 8th WDC for Lewis. They must have seen how unpopular that would be, and with just a few laps left, they had to scramble with how to get the lapped cars out of the way so the two leaders could race for all the marbles.

The Red Bull car just didn't have the pace of the Mercedes. Close...but never close enough. Lewis had the race in hand. Then Red Bull brought Max in for fresh hard tires and Perez was asked to do what he has been there for all season...and he did it. He gave Max, on fresh tires, that chance to close the gap. But even on very old tires, Lewis and team weren't going to fall. Then the crash and safety car. Red Bull gambled again and put Max on fresh soft tires. But Massi was still letting all the lapped cars keep Lewis out of reach. Finally, on the next to last lap, they got the cars out of the way and Max closed up on Lewis. On the last lap of the race, Max used his better tires to close the deal...and with just a few turns to go, he passed Lewis and won the race and the WDC. Luck, and the willingness to take a gamble gave, Red Bull the path to defeating a stronger car with an equally talented driver.

Yes the two team principals had their share of yelling "foul"...Red Bull in the beginning, Mercedes in the end. But it was the two drivers who made the race. And for once, Mercedes strategy was just too cautious. They left Lewis on the one stop strategy tires, while RB made two stops and had the right tires at the very very end. Lewis showed his disappointment privately...but came out and embraced Max and congratulated him. Max accepted victory with humility (and even a little surprise) and the two men put the season behind them with a handshake. From the green light it was quickly seen as Mercedes race to lose. But RB stayed in the game and took advantage of good luck and good team work to prevail.

Ferrari on the podium (Sainz is underrated by many here) was a very nice way to fill the podium and end the year.

 

What's not part of motor racing is adjusting the rules based on personal preferences or bias. That's what happened today at the end

 

He seems to be lacking that passion and fight in him. I think a new name will arise, there has got to be in f1 another Adrian newey, ross brawn, Ron Dennis , Jean Todt out there.
New blood is needed.
On the drivers front IF Merc has a competitive car I am curious to see if LH will shut up the doubters at 37 against russel AND if he will win an 8th one…
Let’s not forget that he faced such drama as a rookie and won the next year, can he do it again?


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Toto was mad:

https://streamable.com/8s7ox1

 

No, but I told you.
Hamilton drives like a snowflake, embarrassing defending going in to turn 5.

 

I like this alliance

 

1. I don’t think any attentive fan would deny that LH has been blessed with exceptional luck throughout his career. It’s difficult to deny a very talented man (LH) his respect because of luck…but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a sportsman with his degree of absolute blind luck. So, to watch the safety car appear at exactly the WRONG time for Sir Lewis had to bring just a smidge of balance back to the universe.

2. Hamilton got passed by Max. Fair and square. On the track. Within track boundaries. Clean fight. On the last lap.

3.Toto has become so accustomed to winning, and often with OUTRAGEOUS luck, that he has forgotten how to lose graciously.

4. Lets not forget that Max lost at least 50 points this season because of contact that not only ended his race, but was delivered to him by non other than Toto’s two drivers. And both incidents resulted in penalties for Toto’s drivers. Toto may wish to cool off and not embarrass himself or his team any further.

 

Because a gentleman doesn’t half ass things. He takes his medicine with class and dignity. A man’s character is demonstrated more by the way he endures losses than the way he celebrates victories.

Would you feel the same had situations been reversed?

 

Here's how to stop a lot of the mess.

1. Runoff areas you can't take advantage. A racing driver is programmed to always look for the advantage. This give the place back BS is stupid.
2. no more radios....especially now that Kimi is gone...
3. seal the spec after qualifying. Lights out and race. Make all the tweaks you want beforehand, give the driver multiple maps, give him plenty of fuel. let them race.

sjd

 

I'm secretly hoping for a compilation video.

sjd

 

Karma baby

I wonder what was his bonus from Merc if Lewis won the WDC.

 

Well now that is all over: happy holidays to you all! Have a great time and see you all next year ! I wish all of you to have your dreams and wishes come true and great health ! My apologies any of my passionate outbursts I may have had this year against any if u. It’s all motor racing see you next year!


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I believe at the time Bono, James and the engineers were lodging complaint with the stewards and needed Hamilton there in all the confusion.

Ham was already at the immediate post race interview.

 

I know F1 tends not to learn any lessons from mere mortals, but the local, America-only, hee-haw series, NASCAR, had the same issues that we saw today, and changed the rules so there would be no more yellow-flag finishes. If a caution comes out near the end (within 3 laps of the finish), all cars have a chance to change tires, stay on the track, or do whatever they thought would win. Since they've gone to green-white-checker, it sometimes gets repetitive, but the leaders are going full speed & balls to the wall all the way to the finish. Granted, they usually have 2-3-4 cars that could win, so it gets messier, but something like that for F1 would not only be fun, but more fair IMHO.

 

I am NOT a Hamilton fan, but Lewis drove the perfect race today. It was his team that made the wrong calls.

Both Lewis and his dad were great in their defeat… something that cannot be said about certain other members of his team.

Lewis is a formidable racer, he gave us a FANTASTIC season together with Max, and I am really looking forward to what Lewis can do next season.

This guy is still very hungry!

 

What did your eyes tell you? And I think Newey was referring to faster in the moment by virtue of having shiny new softs versus beat to hell hards.

 

I agree. Hammy did everything correctly. It was the team that gambled for track position rather than fresh tyres.

 

Well, tyres are the most important part of the car. So Adrian wasn't lying.

 

Merc faster first few races, then all rbr till the last 4.
No he was asked about the all season. It’s on sky post race comments


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Very nice, You and your family as well.

 

So its Max's fault for Lewis not getting a tire change? Come on man.

 

Kudos to him for fighting. And that he was able to against Max's new tires shows the massive advantage that MB had against RB.

Max out-drove the RB and RB out-strategized MB, as a team.
Not to take away from LH's driving which is more fluid and organic, Max's more modern and incisive.

You can argue all day against any officiating. Ultimately, you have to win in spite of everything. As the dust settles, it will become more apparent even to LH fans,
that Max won fair and square and that the officiating was balanced, in the face of risible hubris and entitlement from Toto.

MB should focus on what they did wrong instead of scapegoating others. Toto thought he could leverage "adversity" and the bag of acronyms and it backfired.
The logical consequence of MB dedicating resources and encouraging non-F1 activities on the grid and on the podium is that Max Verstappen is 2021 WDC.

Masi: It's called motor racing.

 

Disagree. How would they know if Max would do the opposite and stay out? Massi decision was most pivotal of the weekend.