Official 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Thread **SPOILERS**
Discussion
Heathwood said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Still think it's Verstappen's to lose, still no guarantees the new layout will garner any more action. I reckon it's Verstappen pole, Verstappen wins and a bit of a damp squib to the end of the season.
This is also my fear. I think if RB dial Max’s car in, he’ll take it comfortably. Not what I want mind. I'm not sure that the occaision won't get to him, we say that in qualifying last race, he was easily on pole before throwing it at the barrier.
So it should be a Red Bull circuit, but will Max take the pressure, will Mercedes turn the engine up to 11. Lewis has proven he's the better driver, but it's always the package that wins and Red Bull should be walking it this year. They've been given every advantage possible.
It should be a Max pole, but I think he'll make an error in qualifying, then another desperate move in the race to make up. I hope it's a Merc 1-2 in qualifying, but then I fear for Bottas in his last race if MadMax is third...
Sandpit Steve said:
Gary29 said:
Guess which idiot agreed to a family xmas meal months ago, booked for 1pm this Sunday......
"December?...Yeah nothing happens in December...that's fine, I'll be there...."
Switch your phone off - actually off - and record it to watch later. Don’t even look at a radio or TV until you’re ready to watch it. "December?...Yeah nothing happens in December...that's fine, I'll be there...."
The alternative is to persuade your family to have the TV on in the background, ‘just for an hour’.
(As a student I used to work at a venue that held wedding receptions, and every year someone would inadvertently book the date of the FA Cup FInal - much to the annoyance of the bride, as half the guests headed to the bar at 3pm).
Byker28i said:
I called it during the last race that Max has errors in him, that Lewis can pressurise him.
I'm not sure that the occaision won't get to him, we say that in qualifying last race, he was easily on pole before throwing it at the barrier.
So it should be a Red Bull circuit, but will Max take the pressure, will Mercedes turn the engine up to 11. Lewis has proven he's the better driver, but it's always the package that wins and Red Bull should be walking it this year. They've been given every advantage possible.
It should be a Max pole, but I think he'll make an error in qualifying, then another desperate move in the race to make up. I hope it's a Merc 1-2 in qualifying, but then I fear for Bottas in his last race if MadMax is third...
I'd love a mistake, but I don't see it happening. I'm not sure that the occaision won't get to him, we say that in qualifying last race, he was easily on pole before throwing it at the barrier.
So it should be a Red Bull circuit, but will Max take the pressure, will Mercedes turn the engine up to 11. Lewis has proven he's the better driver, but it's always the package that wins and Red Bull should be walking it this year. They've been given every advantage possible.
It should be a Max pole, but I think he'll make an error in qualifying, then another desperate move in the race to make up. I hope it's a Merc 1-2 in qualifying, but then I fear for Bottas in his last race if MadMax is third...
Red Bull and Max have done an impressive job catching up with Mercedes this year, but despite several great performances from Max a number of his races have been pretty poor.
All I think Lewis needs to do is just keep the pressure on him.
Max has been driving cleanly when he's not had the pressure, but because of that I think he'll make a mistake in the race (intentional or not) and Lewis will just need to be there to take advantage.
All I think Lewis needs to do is just keep the pressure on him.
Max has been driving cleanly when he's not had the pressure, but because of that I think he'll make a mistake in the race (intentional or not) and Lewis will just need to be there to take advantage.
The Rotrex Kid said:
Thank you! I'll try to l include a poll in next years threads 
In my opinion Max is not as mentally strong as Lewis...... and this will be his downfall!!
Evidence in Saudi as follows;
1. Understeered in the last corner of qualifying and still booted it and risked destroying his gearbox on the wall, instead of accepting he'd compromised his lap and backing out..... He just had to have Pole though.
2. Spending too much time on the ' Lap behind pace car' at the first restart by complaining and audibly getting very wound up because Hamilton was not 10 car lengths behind..... Ignore that just line up on the grid and wait.
3. Again, to pushing another car off at the start. "I did it in Brazil and got away with it, but now i've got a penalty"... so he didn't pick up on the appeal and all the crap that surrounded it and thought he'd get away with it again. Naive.
Whereas Lewis played a blinder.....
1. He played with Max on the restart procedure, dropping back and Max bit.
2. He played with Max on the first corner, and Max bit, he pushed Lewis wide and compromised himself
3. Max tried to play with him and the DRS line, Max screwed up royally and should have been demoted places for unsportsmanlike behaviour, You give up a place by blending out the throttle, not 2.4g braking episode because the driver behind has figured out your DRS game
Half of Max's problem is that Horner will never publicly say that Max is a dick and as such, Max thinks he never does anything wrong. Max has some weird mentality whereby he plays chicken with everyone and thinks that's great driving, then complains when it doesn't go right!
Evidence in Saudi as follows;
1. Understeered in the last corner of qualifying and still booted it and risked destroying his gearbox on the wall, instead of accepting he'd compromised his lap and backing out..... He just had to have Pole though.
2. Spending too much time on the ' Lap behind pace car' at the first restart by complaining and audibly getting very wound up because Hamilton was not 10 car lengths behind..... Ignore that just line up on the grid and wait.
3. Again, to pushing another car off at the start. "I did it in Brazil and got away with it, but now i've got a penalty"... so he didn't pick up on the appeal and all the crap that surrounded it and thought he'd get away with it again. Naive.
Whereas Lewis played a blinder.....
1. He played with Max on the restart procedure, dropping back and Max bit.
2. He played with Max on the first corner, and Max bit, he pushed Lewis wide and compromised himself
3. Max tried to play with him and the DRS line, Max screwed up royally and should have been demoted places for unsportsmanlike behaviour, You give up a place by blending out the throttle, not 2.4g braking episode because the driver behind has figured out your DRS game
Half of Max's problem is that Horner will never publicly say that Max is a dick and as such, Max thinks he never does anything wrong. Max has some weird mentality whereby he plays chicken with everyone and thinks that's great driving, then complains when it doesn't go right!
super7 said:
Half of Max's problem is that Horner will never publicly say that Max is a dick and as such, Max thinks he never does anything wrong. Max has some weird mentality whereby he plays chicken with everyone and thinks that's great driving, then complains when it doesn't go right!
This is a really big part of the problem I think. Max is surrounded by three senior figures who are significantly unbalanced in Horner, Marko, and Jos. In some ways, they are more to blame than Max himself for his repeated stupidity, because they support him even when he's clearly wrong. It's getting properly dangerous now.kambites said:
paulguitar said:
I suspect literally all of the others are getting much better advice.
Well presumably Perez isn't, but he's old and experienced enough for it not to matter. We've seen in the past how quickly RB and Horner are happy to throw their number 2 driver under the bus, so I don't think this applies to them.
Imagine being Max. Being told all your career how great you are, given an incredibly fast car, being No1 driver and then......coming up against Lewis Hamilton.
Deep down you know he's better than you but you can't work out why. You put in fastest lap over and over again but the bugger is still there, hounding you, grinding you down. Stopping you winning the crown that is rightly yours as that's what all your mentors have been telling you.
"I'm the best, everyone always and should get out of my way, why won't this old has been just let me win, he's had his turn, it's mine now, I'm the new king"
I ALMOST feel sorry for him but I'm enjoying his pain too much
Deep down you know he's better than you but you can't work out why. You put in fastest lap over and over again but the bugger is still there, hounding you, grinding you down. Stopping you winning the crown that is rightly yours as that's what all your mentors have been telling you.
"I'm the best, everyone always and should get out of my way, why won't this old has been just let me win, he's had his turn, it's mine now, I'm the new king"
I ALMOST feel sorry for him but I'm enjoying his pain too much
If I were Mercedes. I would want Max starting the race in pole position, with Lewis second and Bottas 3rd.
That at least gives Lewis the opportunity to see what Max is up to. And if they get lucky, Bottas has a cheeky lock up and takes Max out
The last thing Lewis wants is Max behind him at the start as it poses the greater risk.
There is still a risk of an incident during an overtake during the race, but that would be much more difficult to disguise. And there is always the opportunity to do something with strategy. Especially if Mercedes Kerr their race pace advantage.
That at least gives Lewis the opportunity to see what Max is up to. And if they get lucky, Bottas has a cheeky lock up and takes Max out
The last thing Lewis wants is Max behind him at the start as it poses the greater risk.
There is still a risk of an incident during an overtake during the race, but that would be much more difficult to disguise. And there is always the opportunity to do something with strategy. Especially if Mercedes Kerr their race pace advantage.
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