The Official 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**

[cjm]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Mercedes 1-2 with the championship decided by a boring trundle around as no one can overtake. A fitting tribute to Rosberg's WDC.

Yeap. Zzzzzzzzz

[anonymous-user]

glazbagun said:

If you were Rosberg I wonder if you'd even want Pole with the added risk of Hamilton trying to push you wide into turn 1 and screwing up your race. I guess on balance of starts, and with strategy priority it's still what you're after.

Though if Hamilton qualifies ahead and has any sense, he'll be backing Rosberg into anyone and everyone. He needs Rosberg to have an utterly miserable race just as much as he needs to win.

I hope it isn't like 2014 with some intermittent electrical fault appearing on one of the cars.

Rosberg needs the front row of the grid to hopefully ensure he will not be hit when going into turn one.

He will go for pole as he did in Brazil but even if he is unsuccessful leaving Lewis to take off and do his own race would make more sense.

The Mercedes should have a advantage as normal especially in dry conditions.

After 2014 Rosberg's blood pressure could be off the roof.

Will be very tense.

[anonymous-user]

bunglesprout said:

Hamilton and Rosberg on the front row, tangle at first corner, Rosberg out on the spot. Hamilton limps around for new nosecone, then spends the rest of the race trying to carve his way up to third place.....

That would be a massive headache for the stewards especially if Lewis caused the accident.

Would Lewis lose the Championship like Senna in 1989 with a black exclusion or receive a 10 second penalty.

Can you imagine.

[Mansells Tash]

The only way I can see Nico losing his grip on the championship is via mechanical failure or from contact with another driver (cough, cough Verstappen!)

[HustleRussell]

Mansells Tash said:

The only way I can see Nico losing his grip on the championship is via mechanical failure or from contact with another driver (cough, cough Verstappen!)

Turn one accident? Vettel's your man!

[Jasandjules]

HustleRussell said:

Turn one accident? Vettel's your man!

If Kvyat is anywhere nearby or perhaps Vers...

If they take out Nico though, my word...

[Dr Z]

Only reliability or a racing incident can decide the Championship in Hamilton's favour now. Rosberg seems to have had a hefty margin over Hamilton in ultimate pace in the last two years here...Hamilton will be going all out for this. I'm looking forward to it, although I'll miss this race again live!

[swisstoni]

I'd still like LH to win another WDC but if NR does it he'll have earned it.
Hard work at Merc over several years keeping WDCs very honest indeed and often embarrassing them.

[HardtopManual]

I can't see the Red Bulls getting between the Mercs here - it's all low-speed stuff.

It'll be too hot for the Ferrari to work.

Merc 1-2. I'm going to predict a HAM win, which means Rosberg gets the WDC despite having fewer race wins. Just to see what kicks off on here.

Hamilton has had a great season, many drivers would have given it up. For me, he lost the WDC at the start of Monza. I was sitting opposite the pit exit as he trundled past and the bloke sitting next to me remarked the same thing after the field had gone past.

[suffolk009]

Dr Z said:

Only reliability or a racing incident can decide the Championship in Hamilton's favour now. Rosberg seems to have had a hefty margin over Hamilton in ultimate pace in the last two years here...Hamilton will be going all out for this. I'm looking forward to it, although I'll miss this race again live!

I'm assuming by "racing incident" you mean Rosberg crashing out or down the field for some reason.

But, I think there is also a chance that a couple of drivers could overtake a very cautious Rosberg. As someone posted above, if Hamilton is P1 and Rosberg P2, then Hamilton will be driving very slowly to try and help the p3, and p4 drivers.

[Dusty964]

My prediction is-

Brunch and plenty of booze on friday in Dubai.
Friday night arrive at hotel, few more beers.
Saturday- good breakfast, few beers, Lionel Richie concert on Saturday night.
Sunday- another good breakfast, get to the circuit, have a few beers. Watch the race as best as is possible from the circuit. Be happy if Rosberg wins, be happy if Hamilton wins.
Return to hotel. Likely a little sunburnt, a little dehydrated and a little drunk.

Looking forward to it no end.

[Dr Z]

suffolk009 said:

Dr Z said:

Only reliability or a racing incident can decide the Championship in Hamilton's favour now. Rosberg seems to have had a hefty margin over Hamilton in ultimate pace in the last two years here...Hamilton will be going all out for this. I'm looking forward to it, although I'll miss this race again live!

I'm assuming by "racing incident" you mean Rosberg crashing out or down the field for some reason.

But, I think there is also a chance that a couple of drivers could overtake a very cautious Rosberg. As someone posted above, if Hamilton is P1 and Rosberg P2, then Hamilton will be driving very slowly to try and help the p3, and p4 drivers.

Yes, I meant crashing out or severly hobbled due to a racing incident, with Hamilton leading the race. At the start there is a chance for others to get the jump on Rosberg but if Hamilton was leading a Merc 1-2, I doubt he can play games like that here...you need a big margin of performance over the other guy for that to have a chance of working and I doubt the Merc drivers will be that far apart in race pace here.

[swisstoni]

Dusty964 said:

My prediction is-

Brunch and plenty of booze on friday in Dubai.
Friday night arrive at hotel, few more beers.
Saturday- good breakfast, few beers, Lionel Richie concert on Saturday night.
Sunday- another good breakfast, get to the circuit, have a few beers. Watch the race as best as is possible from the circuit. Be happy if Rosberg wins, be happy if Hamilton wins.
Return to hotel. Likely a little sunburnt, a little dehydrated and a little drunk.

Looking forward to it no end.

You missed the bit about being arrested for being drink in public and being advised by British Embassy officials whilst in custody.

[anonymous-user]

Dusty964 said:

My prediction is-

Brunch and plenty of booze on friday in Dubai.
Friday night arrive at hotel, few more beers.
Saturday- good breakfast, few beers, Lionel Richie concert on Saturday night.
Sunday- another good breakfast, get to the circuit, have a few beers. Watch the race as best as is possible from the circuit. Be happy if Rosberg wins, be happy if Hamilton wins.
Return to hotel. Likely a little sunburnt, a little dehydrated and a little drunk.

Looking forward to it no end.

Best prediction yet

[paulw123]

ClockworkCupcake said:

HustleRussell said:

I have spent most of the season wanting Hamilton to take it but I have come to terms with the idea of a Rosberg championship. If he wins I'd say he deserves it.

I agree. Championships are won and lost on reliability, and worse, (for example James Hunt's WDC). I think Rosberg has done quite a lot to be deserving of this WDC if he gets it.

Disagree, the championship will have been decided on one engine failure whilst heading for a win. If Lewis wins the final race he will have had more poles and more wins. if both cars had similar reliability he would have walked this championship.

[Drive Blind]

Dusty964 said:

My prediction is-

Lionel Richie concert on Saturday night.

all night long ?

[thegreenhell]

paulw123 said:

Disagree, the championship will have been decided on one engine failure whilst heading for a win.

That would only be absolutely true if the one engine failure had come in the final race of the season. As it didn't, you can't say with any certainty that the following races would have played out the same way had Hamilton won that race and taken the championship lead at that point in the season. Both drivers would have then run the remaining races with a different mindset. Has Rosberg simply been doing what he needs to do since then, playing it safe with something in reserve? Could he have beaten Hamilton if he had to put it all on the line in order to win? Consequences cannot always be predicted. It would have been different, but not necessarily with a different final outcome.

[Dr Z]

thegreenhell said:

paulw123 said:

Disagree, the championship will have been decided on one engine failure whilst heading for a win.

That would only be absolutely true if the one engine failure had come in the final race of the season. As it didn't, you can't say with any certainty that the following races would have played out the same way had Hamilton won that race and taken the championship lead at that point in the season. Both drivers would have then run the remaining races with a different mindset. Has Rosberg simply been doing what he needs to do since then, playing it safe with something in reserve? Could he have beaten Hamilton if he had to put it all on the line in order to win? Consequences cannot always be predicted. It would have been different, but not necessarily with a different final outcome.

Fully agree with this. You change one event and you change the whole complexion of the Championship in the subsequent events. An example of this is last year. Hamilton was leading by a fair margin by half distance. However, a few reliability problems started to crop up for Rosberg while his team mate was winning and having smooth weekends and even when Hamilton was having a bad race, Rosberg was having a worser one, not allowing him to catch up the points deficit. Result was he was having to over-drive for every race to be within mathematical chance of being in the WDC fight.

I distinctly remember Hungary and Singapore '15 as turning points in this regard, with the DNF in Russia being the final nail in the coffin. Austin was desperate stuff but I could totally believe his luck then! The final difference in points between them last year does not reflect the ebb and flow of the Championship and it could have been a lot closer than it was. However, I'm making the same mistake here if I try to award points to Rosberg based on where I think he'd have finished if he didn't have those problems.

[Banana Boy]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

glazbagun said:

If you were Rosberg I wonder if you'd even want Pole with the added risk of Hamilton trying to push you wide into turn 1 and screwing up your race. I guess on balance of starts, and with strategy priority it's still what you're after.

Though if Hamilton qualifies ahead and has any sense, he'll be backing Rosberg into anyone and everyone. He needs Rosberg to have an utterly miserable race just as much as he needs to win.

I hope it isn't like 2014 with some intermittent electrical fault appearing on one of the cars.

Rosberg needs the front row of the grid to hopefully ensure he will not be hit when going into turn one.

He will go for pole as he did in Brazil but even if he is unsuccessful leaving Lewis to take off and do his own race would make more sense.

The Mercedes should have a advantage as normal especially in dry conditions.

After 2014 Rosberg's blood pressure could be off the roof.

Will be very tense.

I think LH will snatch pole with NR pushing hard and everyone else a country mile behind...

My fear that ELUSIVEJIM is right and that Lewis will have no choice but to try and lead out to the end and hope for Nico to fall on misfortune...

Hopefully though, a will miracle happen and the Redbulls and or Ferraris will manage to get their race pace somewhere close to the Mercedes. Hamilton will have realised that his best chance is to back Rosberg into the chasing pack and with Riccardo, Verstappen and Vettel etc. on his tail Nico could be suitably harassed to make mistakes and or lose a few places too many?!

Or even if he doesn't but he has to put on a heroic display of defensive driving and cunning to win his WDC it might go some way to appeasing his detractors...

[angrymoby]

Hamilton to clip Rosberg's rear tyre at the 5/6 chicane, causing a puncture & Rosberg to trundle round to the pits- due to resultant tyre damage he is eventually forced to retire.

Hamilton takes 2nd & WDC ...& breaks the internet