Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

antodeco · 13-12-2021 4:49pm

To move away from this a bit, its gone a little bit unnoticed what Perez did during the race. He was able to slow Lewis down by 6 seconds in one lap. That is absolutely amazing. You can see that if Perez was further up the field in more races, he would've played a bigger role in perhaps RB getting the constructors too.

This is it · 13-12-2021 4:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315757#Comment_118315757

He did an amazing job slowing Lewis down. On one of the tight corners he probably gained Max about a second he slowed that much, Lewis had to slow right down or crash. He hasn't always been where he should be this season but yesterday he more than played his part.

quokula · 13-12-2021 4:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315757#Comment_118315757

He's a master of making his tyres last and is regularly in the kind of position he was this race - 10+ seconds behind but ahead on track if he runs long after the others pit. The difference in Abu Dhabi was that Red Bull asked him to completely compromise his race to slow Lewis. In other races he'd continue doing his own thing, which would likely have involved maintaining the gap he had ahead of Lewis for longer and probably pitting before Lewis caught up to him.

Red Bull have maybe been naive not using Perez in the way Mercedes used Bottas most of the season, but in the end it worked out. I don't think Sergio is the kind of driver who'd be willing to do that kind of thing race in race out, but he was happy to do it on this most important of occasions.

BrookieD · 13-12-2021 4:56pm

On Perez he had a massive impact on the WDC over the season

Monaco: Overcuts Hamilton to 6th Place, Max wins

Baku: Doesnt alllow Hamilton to pass him all Race, and at the second start up, HAM goes long and ends 16th

France: Due to position makes Hamilton not go into pits, Max catches up, passes HAM and wins race

Silverstone: Took Fastest lap from HAM

Turkey: Perez defends and leaves HAM in 5th, Max gets 2nd

Austin: Makes HAM make a Pit Spot too soon to prevent undercut, Max wins

Brasil: Takes fastest lap from HAM

Abu Dhabi: Holds him up for 10 seconds making HAM skip Pit stops in order to not lose position.

All small in isolation but when you add them uo its a massive impact... expect him to have a nice bonus soon

quokula · 13-12-2021 5:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315675#Comment_118315675

He dropped back after that and was a full car length behind once they actually got to the line and started racing again. I suspect getting alongside Lewis was a mixture of mind games and avoiding the risk of Lewis brake testing him (which Hamilton has form for in the past with Vettel)

Mercedes did protest it and it was thrown out. It's not at all unusual for cars to briefly overtake each other behind the safety car as they speed up and down to warm up their tyres - as long as they're not ahead when they actually start racing again it's never been an issue.

walshb · 13-12-2021 5:04pm

Just on lap 1 when Max made pass on Lewis, bumping him off track. Why did so many feel Max did nothing wrong, and that Lewis should have given the place up? Stewards decided the way I felt they should have. Max’s move, albeit skilled, was too aggressive. He interferes with Lewis.

M three · 13-12-2021 5:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118312836#Comment_118312836

Other than lewis diehards I dont think anyone would bat an eyelid if lewis retired so this strawman about people not getting lewis out of their heads is laughable.

Mercedes have decided to prolong this as sore losers and trying to steal the championship via dubious legal challenges. Why cant they take their beating and celebrate winning the constructors championship and as a team show some sportsmanship and be gracious in defeat.

Imagine being a mercedes mechanic busting a gut all season and instead your team principle is crying and moaning about one driver and throwing equipment around the garage.

Toto - the wolff who cried like a boy😂

McFly85 · 13-12-2021 5:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315830#Comment_118315830

Max broke late but made a legitimate attempt to make the corner and stayed within the track.

Hamilton did not need to cut the entire run off and I’m doing so gave himself a lead of about 1.2 seconds as far as I remember

skipper_G · 13-12-2021 5:11pm

For a change from pages of back and forth about rules and regulations, why not enjoy Checo's defensive masterclass backing Hamilton up 7 seconds in a couple of laps on old soft tyres

https://twitter.com/SkySportsF1/status/1470026060226076676?t=c5fEnIfy1g6OMsfQh9Fbzw&s=19

quokula · 13-12-2021 5:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315830#Comment_118315830

Probably because he didn't bump him off track? He made the apex, stayed on track, executed a perfect clean overtake. Lewis decided that instead of just conceding the corner he'd drive off the track, cut the chicane, and steal the lead.

Frank Bullitt · 13-12-2021 5:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315830#Comment_118315830

He didn't bump him though, it was a lunge but he didnt touch him. Max also stayed between the white lines but Hamilton didn't.

All in all, it didn't matter in the end.

pjohnson · 13-12-2021 5:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315788#Comment_118315788

Definitely the signing of the season.

tobefrank321 · 13-12-2021 5:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315873#Comment_118315873

Probably not, but any time Max has done something similar Mercedes and Race Control have asked for the position back.

I'm not sure how much time Hamilton gave up as it looked like he ended up 2 seconds ahead because of that and stayed at least that time ahead after.

Its another case of the rules not being clear and confusing but Mercedes benefitting this time.

Hopefully this is a wake up call to simply and clear up the rules.

Jordan 199 · 13-12-2021 5:26pm

josip · 13-12-2021 5:31pm

Carcharodon · 13-12-2021 5:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315834#Comment_118315834

As annoying as Toto is, I feel like there should be some acknowledgement by Redbull that this was a highly unusual lucky way to end a race, Iam a Redbull fan, but to act like they somehow deserved this win is a bit laughable, we could go back and forth about rules all day, restarting a race like that just for TV isn’t right, basically saying the other 99% of the race was irrelevant, let’s have 1 lap sprint with one driver having a massive advantage

Redbull are being just as petty as Mercedes’, kind of saying nah nah nah nah nah nah, we won, we’re the best.

Burkie1203 · 13-12-2021 5:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315979#Comment_118315979

Horner said numerous times after and even once prior to the SC that Max need something from the racing gods.

Imola, Silverstone, Hungary in particular Lewis had huge slices of good fortune which are the only reason the title was on the line yesterday.

If Lewis didn't have that good fortune at say Imola he would be 10+ points behind yesterday at lights out.

Frank Bullitt · 13-12-2021 5:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315906#Comment_118315906

I think we are in agreement that Hamilton should have given the place? That was my view of it anyway.

IAmTitleist · 13-12-2021 5:43pm

I have seen various people saying that Red Bull got their strategy perfect and Mercedes should have pitted Hamilton.

What was so incredible about RB's strategy when Hamilton was 12 seconds clear with 6 laps to go? Only a massive stroke of good fortune resulted in Verstappen winning.

quokula · 13-12-2021 5:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315979#Comment_118315979

Red Bull have clearly acknowledged that, they got lucky that there was a safety car, Horner and Max both acknowledged that and I don't think anyone has ever said otherwise. But they did maximise that with superior strategy and superb race craft on the restart (it's absolutely possible to hold a car behind you for a single lap when your tyres are worn, as Perez showed previously - the result was in no way settled before the restart)

Red Bull lost about 70 points between Silverstone, Baku and Hungary. Mercedes also got hugely lucky with red flags at Imola - the red flag at Imola alone gained Hamilton 18 points while the safety car at Abu Dhabi only gave Max the opportunity to gain 7. Safety cars and red flags are a part of the sport and sometimes one team gets lucky and sometimes the other team does. In this case, for once, it was Red Bull who got lucky.

So they were fortunate that Latifi crashed, but once he did, the correct procedures were followed and Red Bull did everything right and made the most of the opportunity. And over the whole season the right man certainly won.

PsychoPete · 13-12-2021 5:47pm

Been watching F1 since I was a kid and I don't recall I've never heard F1 talked about in mainstream media so much

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 5:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315830#Comment_118315830

To be fair, the criticism was that Max in Saudi drove Hamilton off the track by doing the same thing himself.

This time Max stayed on the track and while his move was aggressive it's nothing that we haven't seen before. It's hard racing.

The issue isn't so much that Hamilton should have had to give the place back imo, it's more that he clearly gained a lasting advantage that wasn't given back.

Another one of Masi's great calls, that.

Frank Bullitt · 13-12-2021 5:48pm

Currently rewatching the race. Lap 34 and around this point I debated going to the gym…

McFly85 · 13-12-2021 5:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316022#Comment_118316022

Hamilton was on the same tyres since lap 14. In any race that’s a massive gamble, and unless you’re so far ahead that you can pit and retain position a safety car can pretty much destroy your race.

In fairness I think it wasn’t so much RBs strategy - they basically had one thing they could do - but it was Checos excellent work slowing Hamilton down that essentially forced Lewis to stay on his current set that put them in a position to win it.

Burkie1203 · 13-12-2021 5:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316037#Comment_118316037

Masi is RD, not a steward, stewards would have made that call?

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 5:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316066#Comment_118316066

The stewards, and Masi, are all part of Race Control.

walshb · 13-12-2021 5:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315873#Comment_118315873

They did touch…watch it again. Lewis was bumped.

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 5:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316003#Comment_118316003

Again, someone completely forgetting that Spa even happened.

M three · 13-12-2021 6:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315979#Comment_118315979

Oh thats totally incorrect. Luck evens out over the course of the season. Mercedes are being extraordinarily petty, toto whinging to the race officials was so pathetic. Lodging appeals and trying to win a championship via dubious legal avenues is such bad sportmanship. Toto last week thrashing equipment was also incredible. Wouldnt surprise me if mercedes get rid of toto pretty soon, he's shown really poor restraint and control at key moments.

Burkie1203 · 13-12-2021 6:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316087#Comment_118316087

And what exactly happened there that RB gained from in any significant way?

Are you blaming Max for the rain now?

Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

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