Pick the Podium - F-1 - Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE, December 2021

[Retroram52]

Well after that fast track in Saudi Arabia that apparently the drivers liked but the fans hated, the F-1 Championship moves to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This track is definitely another Hamilton favorite and all Hamilton has to do this coming week-end is keep Verstappen behind him and Hamilton will have is record-setting 8th Championship. Since both drivers are tied, Hamilton doesn't even have to win the race. He just has to finish ahead of Verstappen which may be tough but certainly doable. We shall see how this one plays out!

 

[Hank Kingsley]

And Dutchie doesn't even have to finish the race if he knocks Hamilton out.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

And Dutchie doesn't even have to finish the race if he knocks Hamilton out.

isnt that an Alain Prost move?

 

[Hank Kingsley]

isnt that an Alain Prost move?

Prost, Schumi.

 

[Retroram52]

And Dutchie doesn't even have to finish the race if he knocks Hamilton out.

Yea Hank, apparently Verstappen tried several times to drive Hamilton wide into something whether it was a wall or whatever yesterday and the stewards ignored the whole affair from both teams. I am sure he'll try it again at Abu Dhabi especially if Hamilton starts behind Verstappen and threatens to pass him.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Yea Hank, apparently Verstappen tried several times to drive Hamilton wide into something whether it was a wall or whatever yesterday and the stewards ignored the whole affair from both teams. I am sure he'll try it again at Abu Dhabi especially if Hamilton starts behind Verstappen and threatens to pass him.

And the one time Hamilton ran Dutchie wide they threatened him with a black and white flag.

 

[Retroram52]

There is a definite bias going on Hank. I am not sure why.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

There is a definite bias going on Hank. I am not sure why.

To hear RB spin it it's the other way.

And now Jos Verstappen is calling Lewis a very good driver but a lousy human being... I bet Lewis lies awake nights over that.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea I hear ya, Hank. The lengths this Verstappen bunch will go to win this Championship is eye-opening. Almost makes a given fan want to root for something bad to happen to Verstappen just because he has become such a little whiney, conniving, beeatch!!

 

[ckhokie]

And Dutchie doesn't even have to finish the race if he knocks Hamilton out.

Think you gotta worry more about Terry taking both out.

 

[Retroram52]

Verstappen has vowed he is going to "whatever is necessary" to win the championship. This means he is open to driving Hamilton wide if Hamilton is behind him and wants to pass Verstappen. Hamilton can avoid all of what Verstappen will do by keeping Verstappen behind him even in the pits.

Verstappen says he’ll do ‘whatever’s necessary’ to win first title as he praises strong Red Bull season

What will Max Verstappen do to win his first-ever Formula 1 World Championship? “Whatever is necessary” according to the Dutch driver – although he said any idea of the title fight between him and Lewis Hamilton being settled by a collision in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale were the...

www.formula1.com

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Would MB consider a new ICE?

Nice and fresh, lots of power.

Starting 5 back would avoid Max at corner 1. Maybe the whole race if they used strategy.

 

[Retroram52]

Hamilton is already dominating the field. One more practice to go and then Qualifying.

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP2 report and highlights: Hamilton leads Ocon and Bottas in second Yas Marina practice session while Verstappen takes P4 | Formula 1®

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the second practice session of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while his championship rival Max Verstappen was fourth for Red Bull.

www.formula1.com

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I suspect sandbags have been involved so far.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

Verstappen has vowed he is going to "whatever is necessary" to win the championship. This means he is open to driving Hamilton wide if Hamilton is behind him and wants to pass Verstappen. Hamilton can avoid all of what Verstappen will do by keeping Verstappen behind him even in the pits.

Verstappen says he’ll do ‘whatever’s necessary’ to win first title as he praises strong Red Bull season

What will Max Verstappen do to win his first-ever Formula 1 World Championship? “Whatever is necessary” according to the Dutch driver – although he said any idea of the title fight between him and Lewis Hamilton being settled by a collision in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale were the...

www.formula1.com

I have zero problems with Max telling the media this.
Now if he pulls a Prost or Schumi then I will have some disgust for him. But telling the media he will do anything to win. I am cool with. mental games is mental games.

 

[Retroram52]

Wow! Verstappen sandbagged practice and now he takes the pole from Hamilton just under 4/10 of a second. Here we go with Verstappen going to drive Hamilton wide if Hamilton gets anywhere close to passing Verstappen during the race.

 

[forty_three]

FOM got what they wanted, HAM and VER on the front row. They've been engineering this for a whole season. Gotta play to that money flowing from the Orange Army.

Lewis is smart, but smart won't save him from the missile. And the stewards have shown that they won't penalize anything that improves the show. Feels like Lewis' only chance is for Red Bull to push too long on the softs and blow them out. Or Norris taking one for the chance at being alongside George someday at Merc. Both longshots.

VER
HAM
NOR
PER

Loved Lewis' dig at the end in the interview "At least I will be able to see him"

 

[ckhokie]

You’re writing off Lewis pretty quickly, 43. He still has the faster of the cars over the duration of the race. Going to come down to how close he can stay during the first stint. RB will likely have to make it a 2-stopper. The Merc may be fine on 1.

I actually think HAM finds a way to win this one, though I’ll be pulling for Max.

HAM
VER
NOR
PER

 

[Retroram52]

I'll go with Hamilton to win and his 8th Championship. Verstappen will be second, followed by Norris and then Perez. 43 is right. They got what they wanted with Hamilton and Verstappen on the front row. Has a feel of fabrication as the stewards aren't going to do a damn thing if the two combatants get into a tiff and they knock each other out of the race.

 

[forty_three]

You’re writing off Lewis pretty quickly, 43. He still has the faster of the cars over the duration of the race. Going to come down to how close he can stay during the first stint. RB will likely have to make it a 2-stopper. The Merc may be fine on 1.

I am not writing Lewis off, just that the cards are stacked against him with 2 Red Bulls and a McLaren around him all on softs at the start and if he bangs into any one of them (or they bang into him), it's all over. With lower evening temperatures, the tires will go a few laps longer than if it was day, so unless he gets through off the start, it's gonna be really hard for him make it up later if Red Bull is in position to manage the race pace from the start.

Lewis is the best driver I have ever seen and I have been watching since the big names were Lauda, Berger, Prost and Mansell. I remember Senna as a rookie. Lewis will need every ounce of that skill to pull it off. It will have to be one of his finest ever drives. I'd love to see it. I'm just not expecting it. To many opportunities for it to be yanked out of his hands.