Official 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Thread **SPOILERS**

[Piginapoke]

Round 17, last stop and Abu Dhabi, held on the Yas Marina circuit. Outstanding job from George Russell last time out, so I for one am hoping he’s back in the W11 again.

Date(s): Friday 11 December 2020 - Sunday 13 December 2020

UK Broadcast Timings (and local time)

All sessions are live on Sky F1; Channel 4 showing highlights of Race and Qualifying:





Live timing for all sessions available here:

https://www.formula1.com/en/f1-live.html

Lap times, PU component use, technical reports and Stewards' decisions for the weekend will appear here:

https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-c...

Weather forecast:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/292968

Tyre options:



2019 Race result:



2019 race highlights:

https://youtu.be/VdDH0SzlVd4

Edited by Piginapoke on Tuesday 8th December 07:01

[Pebbles167]

Thanks for the post.

The last race of a surprisingly exciting and entertaining year in F1.

If LH is racing, I reckon he'll take it.

[Exige77]

Thanks to the OP for starting these threads.

If Lewis is back, I think he’ll be making a point and wining in style.

If he’s not, I hope George can do the business again.

Either way, looking forward to this last race.

The last two Bahraini legs have been pretty drama Packed.

[DanielSan]

If Russell is in the Mercedes then I'd quite like a fairly dull uneventful race for his sake

[Wh00sher]

I'd just like to say thanks to Piginapoke for starting these threads this year. Having all the details in the first post really does add to the thread

I'm torn, I want George to drive for Merc again, but also hope Lewis is back in the car. Can't they field 3 cars next weekend ?

Not a huge fan of the track.

Can't believe the season is almost over, there have been some absolutely cracking races this year!

[Hub]

Pebbles167 said:

The last race of a surprisingly exciting and entertaining year in F1.

We're due an uneventful one, surely! It'll probably be an anticlimactic ending...

[abzmike]

Wh00sher said:

I'd just like to say thanks to Piginapoke for starting these threads this year. Having all the details in the first post really does add to the thread

I'm torn, I want George to drive for Merc again, but also hope Lewis is back in the car. Can't they field 3 cars next weekend ?

They can’t organise two sets of tyres, how would they get on with three? Lol

[thegreenhell]

Hub said:

We're due an uneventful one, surely! It'll probably be an anticlimactic ending...

It's usually one of the dullest races on the calendar, at least when there's no championship to decide.

My prediction is that Bottas' teammate will win, whoever that will be.

[djgritt]

Piginapoke said:

Outstanding job from George Russell last time out, so I for one am hoping he’s back in the W10 again.

I know he did well in the 2019 Test here but surely he will want this years Merc again instead?....

[suffolk009]

If Russell's in the Merc again, I wish him a successful - and uneventful - race.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Has there ever been an exciting Abu Dhabi race? Even the championship deciders we’re pretty uneventful with no one able to pass, in fact 2010 was probably the most exciting on simply because no one could pass!

[Piginapoke]

djgritt said:

Piginapoke said:

Outstanding job from George Russell last time out, so I for one am hoping he’s back in the W10 again.

I know he did well in the 2019 Test here but surely he will want this years Merc again instead?....

Doh!

Thank you, I've corrected my schoolboy error!

[tight fart]

Do we know when the deadline is for Hamilton to test clear?

[Scrump]

Wh00sher said:

I'd just like to say thanks to Piginapoke for starting these threads this year. Having all the details in the first post really does add to the thread

Agreed. Thanks Piginapoke

[eps]

tight fart said:

Do we know when the deadline is for Hamilton to test clear?

I just asked the question on another thread..

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/60150/no-specia...

It's not entirely clear, due to travel restrictions, exit and entry from the two countries, special travel arrangements and so on..

Could Lewis sit out until Saturday? Having been given the green light once Covid tests have been taken and results gained??

[ch37]

Exige77 said:

Thanks to the OP for starting these threads.

Yes another thank you, I often hate what these threads become after the race, but pre-race it's still the quickest and easiest way of finding out the timings for the weekend!

[Derek Smith]

More thanks to the OP. It increases my enjoyment of the races.

I like this quick turn round from one race to the next. I disliked the idea of a lot more races, but I've since become a fan of lots and lots of them, with short gaps.

[HustleRussell]

Will Hamilton be there?

Toto was saying that he will need to return a negative Covid test in time to fly him to Abu Dhabi and have him in the car in time for qualifying, which is about as low a bar as can be set in terms of Hamilton's participation. The suggestion was that they could put Vandoorne in the car for Friday if necessary and allow Russell to run an uninterrupted weekend at Williams.

However he seemed to be willfully ignoring the Abu Dhabi 'biosphere' thing which sounded rather strict.

Are the Abu Dhabi arrival and quarantine rules more flexible than they seem?

[thegreenhell]

I think the only way he can race without them changing the rules is to test negative on Thursday morning (ten days after his positive test) so that he can leave Bahrain, fly to AD and go straight into quarantine there for 48 hours to then be allowed into the track on Saturday. He has to drive in Q1 at the latest to be allowed to race on Sunday.

The timings are all very tight, and I don't know if it's logistically possible.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Abu Dhabi pay a huge fee for the "honour" of holding the last race, they'll want the 7 time WDC there even if it involves fudging their own C-19 protocols.

They might however gain more headlines if they don't let him enter and we see GR in the Mercedes again.