F1 - 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

[gofast182]

F1 - 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

US TV Times:
Practice 1: Friday November 25th, 4:00AM EST , NBC Sports Live Extra
Practice 2: Friday November 25th, 8:00AM EST , NBCSN
Practice 3: Friday November 26th, 5:00AM EST , NBC Sports Live Extra
Qualifying: Saturday November 26th, 8:00AM EST , CNBC
Race: Sunday November 27th, 7:30AM EST , NBCSN

Current Standings:
Drivers:
1. Nico Rosberg, 367
2. Lewis Hamilton, 355
3. Daniel Ricciardo, 246
4. Sebastian Vettel, 197
5. Max Verstappen, 192
Constructors:
1. Mercedes AMG Petronas, 722
2. Red Bull Racing, 446
3. Scuderia Ferrari, 375
4. Sahara Force India, 163
5. Williams Martini Racing, 136

For more, including track data, analysis, video, and more please check out my full post on TOV Motorsports. And on behalf of TOV Motorsports and myself, thank you to everyone who took the time to read my posts and contribute to the discussions this season.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Do you think that Hamilton might get himself into trouble in his quest for another title?

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Do you think that Hamilton might get himself into trouble in his quest for another title?


His biggest problem are his starts. The last couple have been OK, but you never know with him. I don't see him forcing any contact, but with the title on the line, who knows.

 

[ARB1977]

Thanks for the reminder. DVR is set.

 

[IndyIan]

I love Horner's comments on how Lewis should back Nico up into the Red Bulls. I'm sure he has visions of the Mercs taking each other out and getting a 1-2 on the podium.
Quote:
His biggest problem are his starts. The last couple have been OK, but you never know with him. I don't see him forcing any contact, but with the title on the line, who knows.

I wonder if Lewis has run the stats on accident types and the odds of each car continuing? Schumacher got it wrong with Villenueve in Jerez 1997, but did take Hill out of the race in 1994.

 

[bdcardinal]

If they qualify 1-2, do we see a repeat of Senna on Prost in 1990?

 

[OneEyeJack]

Hamilton needs to have the rules changed so they can put back the auto start feature. He has problems doing it the old fashioned way.

 

[Garak]

He's probably praying for a miracle with a safety car rolling start again.

When he takes off on his own from pole position, he's as likely to be dropped down to eighth as he is to maintain position.

 

[gofast182]

Well, fellas, we're set up for a good show tomorrow! Lewis did what he needed to do in order to keep a chance alive. The Ferraris are faster than I thought they'd be and I can't wait to see what the Red Bull boys can do.

 

[gofast182]

Exciting race. Lewis raced the only way he could and so did Nico. In the end Nico earned his WDC title after a hard-fought battle all season.


I maintain that the best thing the sport did this year and perhaps since 2014 was bring back a true option tire. It gave us some great strategy and great racing all season, including this race.

 

[CharlieBauer]

I'm a Hamilton fan but at the same time I have to feel happy for Rosberg. He's lived under Hamilton's shadow all his life. Can't imagine what it's like to be so accomplished but still never winning for so long.

 

[IndyIan]

That was an intense race to watch, and I don't blame Lewis for trying anything he could to make Nico's day as tough as possible.

 

[Smoky14]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
That was an intense race to watch, and I don't blame Lewis for trying anything he could to make Nico's day as tough as possible.


Not exactly what I'd call a TEAM mate.

Smoky

 

[weasley]

Lewis had very few options and did what he could, hoping the others would join the party. The team were trying for a 1-2 and he was trying to mess that up - a conflict of interests and in the end the driver is the one with the wheel in his hands. It makes that engine failure in Malaysia all the more decisive.

But in the end, the records will show Nico with more points than Lewis when the season finished, which is how these things are decided.

 

[gofast182]

Racing drivers race to win, first and foremost, so both Lewis and Nico did their jobs this weekend exactly as they should've. Yeah it really comes down to the engine failure for Lewis in Malaysia. Unfortunately engine failures are part of racing, too.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Smoky14
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
That was an intense race to watch, and I don't blame Lewis for trying anything he could to make Nico's day as tough as possible.


Not exactly what I'd call a TEAM mate.

Smoky


Here I agree. Formula 1 is a TEAM sport, period. You may or may not agree with that, but that's the way it is. Hamilton was told several times, (once by Paddy Lowe), to pick up the pace to avoid a disaster behind him, that would surely involve Rosberg. He refused. Even being rather smart a$$ about it by telling Lowe on the radio, "I've lost the championship, and I'm leading the race. I'm very comfortable where I am". This wasn't about "him". He was given a DIRECT team order, and he disobeyed it.

Imagine if Rosberg and Vettel had wrecked, because Hamilton allowed Vettel to catch Rosberg by driving slower. How well would that have sat with everyone? The fans, the Mercedes team, and F1 in general. Vettel didn't make the pass because he had more respect for Rosberg than his own team mate did. (He even congratulated him far more after the race). Hamilton didn't care because he IS that selfish. He lost the championship by his own admission. Man up to it boy! He reminds me of the guy who keys his girlfriends car because she left him for someone else.

 

[Garak]

I guess we'll have to see what they'll do about it, if anything. An internal fine will probably be not much more than a joke. Perhaps Mercedes needs to bench him for the first couple races. If the Mercedes is still dominant, a reserve driver can be kept up to speed during testing and accumulate points. If Lewis is on the back foot in the championship hunt by not even having the shot at points for the first two races, he might learn something.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Garak
I guess we'll have to see what they'll do about it, if anything. An internal fine will probably be not much more than a joke. Perhaps Mercedes needs to bench him for the first couple races. If the Mercedes is still dominant, a reserve driver can be kept up to speed during testing and accumulate points. If Lewis is on the back foot in the championship hunt by not even having the shot at points for the first two races, he might learn something.


I agree that a fine will be a joke, and do nothing. Benching him would be the best punishment. It remains to be seen if Mercedes has the balls to do it.

 

[Garak]

Yep, that's the thing. Drivers aren't that indispensable. Hamilton is good, great in fact. I won't deny that. But, the way the Mercedes has been over the last few years, you could have swapped out one of their drivers with anyone else on the grid and they still would have been the Constructors' Champion. I think I mentioned before that Hamilton needs Pastor as a team mate. We'll see who runs who off the track.

Really, they should. What's the point of having all these reserve drivers that barely get to even turn a wheel in P1? Yes, it's a legacy of the past, where there were more injuries. But, there was also more discipline, too. Michael got race bans. DC got benched for no more of a reason than Sir Frank felt like it, as far as I can tell, or at least wanted Mansell's name attached for a while.

If the Benz is good enough next year, they'll get the points.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: Garak
I guess we'll have to see what they'll do about it, if anything. An internal fine will probably be not much more than a joke. Perhaps Mercedes needs to bench him for the first couple races. If the Mercedes is still dominant, a reserve driver can be kept up to speed during testing and accumulate points. If Lewis is on the back foot in the championship hunt by not even having the shot at points for the first two races, he might learn something.


I agree that a fine will be a joke, and do nothing. Benching him would be the best punishment. It remains to be seen if Mercedes has the balls to do it.

I wonder what's in Lewis's contract? It may give him the option to break it under some circumstances, like if the team doesn't run him for any reason?
If MB knew their car in 2017 was going to be as dominant as this year, then sure kick Lewis around a bit, fine him or bench him, but with the other top teams driver lineups, I think it will be a wise move to keep Lewis relatively happy. In equal cars, Nico probably isn't going to beat FA, MV, DR, SV, or KR too often.