2021 - Race 22 Abu Dhabi

[ouvreur]

But then why would they let him start on the softs then?

The only way that would make sense is when their plan was to have perez pass Hamilton at the start and then keep him busy for 15 laps.

But that would be a very unlikely situation.

He had to - those were the tyres he qualified on.

As you say, there was little-to-no chance of him passing at the start. But planning to make him a hurdle after the first round of stops? That's pretty straightforward.

[Zico]

That only suggests that he was slower to conserve fuel.

Which would completely defeat the object of running an underfuelled car.

[Fortitude]

Bernie Ecclestone says he is glad Lewis Hamilton did not win title - 'He can't complain'
MAX VERSTAPPEN beat Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi on Sunday in a thrilling and controversial finale.
By ALEX MILNE
18:10, Mon, Dec 13, 2021 | UPDATED: 18:11, Mon, Dec 13, 2021

F1 hero Bernie Ecclestone has insisted that he is glad that Lewis Hamilton did not beat Max Verstappen and win an eighth world title on Sunday - because he does not want Michael Schumacher's long-standing record to be broken. A Hamilton win in Abu Dhabi would have seen him overtake Schumacher, who won seven titles during his legendary career.

But Max Verstappen ended up coming out on top in a hugely dramatic and controversial contest, with the Dutchman claiming victory for the first time.
Ecclestone was asked his views about the encounter on Sky News, and did not appear to have much sympathy for Hamilton and the manner in which the Brit lost when it was suggested he had been hard done by.

"About being robbed it's complete and utter nonsense," he said. "If you want to think about it carefully, on the first lap of that race he (Hamilton) went off the circuit and came back on again and Verstappen stayed on the circuit and did absolutely nothing wrong.

"Lewis wasn't punished at all for this so he shouldn't be complaining too much.

"These things happen all the time in sports. We shouldn't blame the race director, he did exactly what was the right thing to do."

Hamilton was heard on his radio claiming the race had been "manipulated" when it came down to a final-lap shootout after the safety car had been deployed.

But Ecclestone added: "I'd like to know who has been manipulating and is clever enough to do that. This was just a set of circumstances that happened and it ended an incredible world championship that I'm sure everyone was more than happy to watch."

Continues here;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...appen-F1-title


Eddie Jordan aims scathing attack at Lewis Hamilton after Max Verstappen 'steals' title
MAX VERSTAPPEN dramatically beat Lewis Hamilton to the title in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
By WILL LANCASTER
16:05, Mon, Dec 13, 2021 | UPDATED: 16:10, Mon, Dec 13, 2021

And racing pundit Eddie Jordan believes Hamilton needs to "harden himself up again" after being too gracious in defeat.

"You can't deny Verstappen the right to the championship," he said.

"However, on the other side, I think Hamilton has opened the door. He's allowed someone as aggressive and arrogant as Verstappen to upset him and steal his title from him.

"I think Lewis has been too nice for too long and I think he needs to harden himself up again.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-Jordan-attack


OPINION: MAX VERSTAPPEN'S DRAMATIC TITLE TRIUMPH OVER LEWIS HAMILTON COULD MARK SHIFT AT TOP OF FORMULA ONE

Max Verstappen clinched his first Formula One world championship by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix over Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances. The 24-year-old could now set the pace at the top of the sport for years to come with the new regulations set to come in for 2022. Hamilton finally has a worthy rival.

But Verstappen’s title victory, plus the looming regulation changes in F1, raise the prospect of a fundamental shift at the top of the sport. Just as the shift into the hybrid era saw Mercedes achieve a level of unparalleled dominance, might Red Bull and their fearless new world champion set the pace in the years to come?

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/formula-...14/story.shtml


F1: Christian Horner's remarkable interview just before Verstappen vs Hamilton chaos
By Kobe Tong
Published: 13 Dec 2021, 15:33

Horner's interview before Hamilton vs Verstappen chaos

In fact, Horner himself could be heard preempting that fact as he gave a fascinating interview to Sky Sports F1 when there were only 10 laps remaining and Hamilton looked nailed on for victory.

Before the safety car incident provoked by Nicholas Latifi's crash, it looked nigh on impossible that Verstappen would be able to close the gap to Hamilton - and Horner was painfully aware of that.

However, Horner's admission that Red Bull needed a 'miracle' and help from the 'racing gods' looks remarkable now when you consider that we were only a few laps away from that actually happening.

"The pace of the Mercedes is just too strong today," Horner admitted with a deflated tone of voice. "Max is driving his heart out out there but we're going to need a miracle in these last 10 laps to turn it around.

Fortune favours the brave

I guess sometimes you do get what you wish for.

Red Bull and Verstappen might have needed the very miracle that Horner referred to during Sky's broadcast, but in the ever-unpredictable world of sport, miracles very much can and do happen.

In this case, Horner was on the right side of fortune as opposed to Toto Wolff's Mercedes, but it can't help feeling amusing apt when the 48-year-old predicted that exactly that would be required to win.

https://www.givemesport.com/1801768-...hamilton-chaos

[F1nKS]

2021 World Champion - Max Verstappen

2021 Fastest Lap - Lewis Hamilton (6x)

2021 Fastest Pit Stop - Red Bull

2021 Overtaking Champion - Vettel (132) edges out Alonso (128)

[Nitrodaze]

Which would completely defeat the object of running an underfuelled car.

You miss the point. He was slower after he had done the job of backing Hamilton to Verstappen. He had to be to reduce his fuel consumption.

[Zico]

You miss the point. He was slower after he had done the job of backing Hamilton to Verstappen. He had to be to reduce his fuel consumption.

I'm not convinced I have. With the old cars each lap of fuel was on average worth aprox 0.086 seconds, I don't know how the hybrid cars compare in that regard but they are massively more economical... but lets call it 0.05 per lap as a conservative estimate. So.. fuelled 5 laps short of full race distance to give him the 2 and a half tenths he would need to even get close to mixing it with Lewis, they then have no chance of finishing the race... so why bother fuel saving?

Admittedly my quick googlefu may not have produced the most accurate of data so if you have better data on the above, I wouldn't mind reading it but at first glance it just doesn't seem likely that it could stack up.

[F1nKS]

If you look at Sergio Perez lap times, they were not much different than Verstappen. The only time they were significantly different was before he was pitted because he was left out on his soft tires. It makes his fight that he put on Lewis that much more impressive.

From laps 2-17, Perez average 0.26 seconds per lap behind Verstappen

After he pitted on lap 22 (from laps 23 to 35) his average lap time was within 0.06 seconds of Verstappen.

After the next pit stop laps, 38 to 44 Perez average lap time was 0.31 sec/lap greater.

[airshifter]

2021 World Champion - Max Verstappen

2021 Fastest Lap - Lewis Hamilton (6x)

2021 Fastest Pit Stop - Red Bull

2021 Overtaking Champion - Vettel (132) edges out Alonso (128)

Just to add.....

Max also had 6 fastest laps. I'm not sure how the DHL award does the tie breaker.

Most poles

Most laps led

Most podiums

.... all belonged to Max. And he did so with 3 DNF's as opposed to Hamilton's single DNF.


The overtaking thing is kind of a laugh, but I'm glad Alonso and Vettel poked some fun at it near the end.




As for Perez, the only articles I've seen claim fear of engine failure, and not wanting to risk extending the safety car if it went boom. Underfueling could make sense, but I would think at some point that would be revealed. But then again, easy to claim one vs the other too.

[Zico]

If you look at Sergio Perez lap times, they were not much different than Verstappen. The only time they were significantly different was before he was pitted because he was left out on his soft tires. It makes his fight that he put on Lewis that much more impressive.

From laps 2-17, Perez average 0.26 seconds per lap behind Verstappen

After he pitted on lap 22 (from laps 23 to 35) his average lap time was within 0.06 seconds of Verstappen.

After the next pit stop laps, 38 to 44 Perez average lap time was 0.31 sec/lap greater.

Thanks, thats interesting, ..where would I find these lap times online?

I'm also not sure RB would effectively sacrifice a car as long as there was still a mathematical chance of the constructors title in the event of 1 or more Merc DNF's.

[Mia 01]

Max overtook Lewis on the last lap in a fair fight, or am I wrong?