F1 2022: Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina (Nov 20)

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by chaungo

Cool, just don't watch racing at all, because every single racing series is like this, from Le mans, to GT series, to NASCAR.

Even when you go watch Go-Karting, it's the same thing, there's always that one or two guys that are better than the rest.

Karting domination:

Throwback to 2006-2007-2008-2009: Verstappen (°1997) competed in karting championships in Belgium and The Netherlands (Belgian mother - Dutch father, so allowed to compete for national karting championship titles in both countries). The kid annihilated the competition by winning 124 out of 130 races. And do know that, except for 2006, he was competing in multiple karting championships at the same time (Belgian Championship, Dutch Championship and Benelux Karting Series). Back then, he won all 9 championships he competed in.

[Killed by Death]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Karting domination:

Throwback to 2006-2007-2008-2009: Verstappen (°1997) competed in karting championships in Belgium and The Netherlands (Belgian mother - Dutch father, so allowed to compete for national karting championship titles in both countries). The kid annihilated the competition by winning 124 out of 130 races. And do know that, except for 2006, he was competing in multiple karting championships at the same time (Belgian Championship, Dutch Championship and Benelux Karting Series). Back then, he won all 9 championships he competed in.

Did not know that

[Artemis]

Debriefing by Mercedes-AMG team bosses:
https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/new...ilton-russell/

Toto Wolff:
"Today we really didn’t perform well. We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight: we didn’t have the pace, one driver breaking down and the other one running out of tyres - it’s a good summary of the challenges this season for us. We cooked the tyres in the first few laps because we attacked. The car seemed strong at the start, but then the front right just gave out and maybe that’s something we should’ve predicted. We knew that Abu Dhabi was going to be a difficult one for us so at least that prediction was accurate but then unfortunately we made mistakes we could’ve avoided. For us, this was a character-building season and we will put this car on display in the factory as a reminder. We had more bad moments than good ones, but the good ones were spectacular, like a week ago in Brazil, which reminded us how good it can be. It’s okay the way we feel right now but we’re pushing hard so we can be back next year!"

Andrew Shovlin:
"It wasn’t the way we wanted to finish the year, but if we’re honest with ourselves it’s the way we deserved to. We weren’t good enough in many areas today and we’ll use that fact to focus our work over the winter. It’s been very difficult, but the challenge has brought the team together and it feels like we are more united than we’ve ever been. We knew our winning streak would come to an end one day and we always knew it would be the biggest challenge the team has ever faced, but if we are to look at the positives of 2022, it’s how the team has worked together, how we’ve looked for solutions, rather than excuses and we will do everything possible to get back into the title fight next year."

I trust that Mercedes-AMG will be more competitive in 2023. And giving the other teams and drivers a run for their money, is good for F1.

[TheBingoBalls]

It's going to be interesting to see what happens in the next few years.

With the new budget cap and regulations, this is a multi-year process where we would expect all teams to sort of be on par by year 3 or 4 which will be further complicated by new engine regulations in 2026.

[DrFerry]

Max, his girlfriend, his sister and his parents receiving death threats that's out of control. What do such things say about some of the fans?
.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

Max, his girlfriend, his sister and his parents receiving death threats that's out of control. What do such things say about some of the fans?

Disgusting behavior.

[NYG]

Post Race Thoughts:

1) Abu Dhabi is a terrible track
2) Max making it look way too easy - usurps Schumacher and Vettel by 2 for most wins in a season!
3) Very confused by the social media response to Max and Checo this race - what more did they expect from Max? Checo chose a two stop, Checo wasn't fast enough. The team gave him the keys to the weekend and he blew it. He makes a lot of excuses for why he's underachieving some expectations. I think he's doing exactly what Red Bull needs to him to do and this narrative that he can fight Max for the championship needs to stop because that's what is creating most of the toxicity
4) Ferrari didn't screw up - incredible
5) I though Mick and Latifi's performance in this race reinforced the decisions made by their teams. Mick's crash into Latifi was more sloppy than what we see from Lance Stroll and Latifi's pace just doesn't improve
6) Lando low-key overachieving that terrible car
7) Lewis does the exact same thing to Carlos that he did to Max last year except this time he had to give the position back - funny how a season chock full of gifts to Lewis by the FIA gets swept under the rug
8) Daniel and Horner have both admitted that unless something catastrophic happens, he will be with Red Bull in 2023 as a third/special driver
9) We're finally going to have an American in F1 next year - congrats to Logan

[NYG]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Karting domination:

Throwback to 2006-2007-2008-2009: Verstappen (°1997) competed in karting championships in Belgium and The Netherlands (Belgian mother - Dutch father, so allowed to compete for national karting championship titles in both countries). The kid annihilated the competition by winning 124 out of 130 races. And do know that, except for 2006, he was competing in multiple karting championships at the same time (Belgian Championship, Dutch Championship and Benelux Karting Series). Back then, he won all 9 championships he competed in.

Max probably has THE MOST DOMINANT karting legacy of all time.

The only people that pretended like Max wasn't going to dominate F1 were terribly biased.

[B-grif]

Originally Posted by chaungo

Cool, just don't watch racing at all, because every single racing series is like this, from Le mans, to GT series, to NASCAR.

Even when you go watch Go-Karting, it's the same thing, there's always that one or two guys that are better than the rest.

NASCAR had 19 different race winners this year.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Can you imagine if Merc shows up in preseason testing with no side pods again and none of the other teams adopted the design in the off season?

The only way Merc comes back with their "slim body + giant cantilevered floor" is if Merc influences more changes for next year's car. With the current regulations, that car will not compete for championships.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by B-grif

NASCAR had 19 different race winners this year.

I watch NASCAR here and there but besides the road courses, the only interesting thing that happened was Chastain. Watching back markers battle in F1 is more interesting although in person, NASCAR is way better than F1.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by NYG

The only way Merc comes back with their "slim body + giant cantilevered floor" is if Merc influences more changes for next year's car. With the current regulations, that car will not compete for championships.

No side pod design is likely dead. I'm sure on paper in was a good idea but ultimately, the conclusion is there isn't a floor that could be engineered to work with the design or in a manner where a car could be competitive.

I would be surprised if Mercedes didn't completely deviate away from the side pod-less design for the W14 in favour of the tradition side pods. Which is a shame because it was nice to see the W13 look different than all the other cars.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by NYG

Post Race Thoughts:

1) Abu Dhabi is a terrible track
2) Max making it look way too easy - usurps Schumacher and Vettel by 2 for most wins in a season!
3) Very confused by the social media response to Max and Checo this race - what more did they expect from Max? Checo chose a two stop, Checo wasn't fast enough. The team gave him the keys to the weekend and he blew it. He makes a lot of excuses for why he's underachieving some expectations. I think he's doing exactly what Red Bull needs to him to do and this narrative that he can fight Max for the championship needs to stop because that's what is creating most of the toxicity
4) Ferrari didn't screw up - incredible
5) I though Mick and Latifi's performance in this race reinforced the decisions made by their teams. Mick's crash into Latifi was more sloppy than what we see from Lance Stroll and Latifi's pace just doesn't improve
6) Lando low-key overachieving that terrible car
7) Lewis does the exact same thing to Carlos that he did to Max last year except this time he had to give the position back - funny how a season chock full of gifts to Lewis by the FIA gets swept under the rug
8) Daniel and Horner have both admitted that unless something catastrophic happens, he will be with Red Bull in 2023 as a third/special driver
9) We're finally going to have an American in F1 next year - congrats to Logan

Very happy to see this but unfortunately feel like he is set up for failure with Williams

Hadn't seen the negative about Max & Checo from this race - that's ridiculous. Brazil yeah even though we don't know what is happening behind the scenes that probably could have gone better. Swapping positions is one thing - slowing down P1 to hamper P2 is completely different. That would really cheapen PER taking P2 for the championship. PER just has to be faster there - his car is capable of it.

Originally Posted by B-grif

NASCAR had 19 different race winners this year.

Nascar on the road courses is pretty fun to watch. I still think the roundy rounds are a bit tough to sit through though. Definitely more open overall but the road courses tend to have the same few always at the top. Indy can be a good watch too but same thing for me road > round.

Originally Posted by NYG

The only way Merc comes back with their "slim body + giant cantilevered floor" is if Merc influences more changes for next year's car. With the current regulations, that car will not compete for championships.

I still think Merc is more competitive than Fer next year. VER then Merc the Fer & PER. Back to another situation where Max is battling the Mercs pretty much on his own again. But this time with a better car.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

No side pod design is likely dead. I'm sure on paper in was a good idea but ultimately, the conclusion is there isn't a floor that could be engineered to work with the design or in a manner where a car could be competitive.

I would be surprised if Mercedes didn't completely deviate away from the side pod-less design for the W14 in favour of the tradition side pods. Which is a shame because it was nice to see the W13 look different than all the other cars.

I also think that will be the case but to be fair their design showed some serious pace near the end of the season and 6 other teams with traditional sidepods were well behind them with Alpine actually being a very monstrous car with lots of potential.

Realistically - Ferrari is fundamentally the monster of the current generation of cars. If they figure that thing out and make the right reliability improvements, they will be extremely hard to beat.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

I still think Merc is more competitive than Fer next year. VER then Merc the Fer & PER. Back to another situation where Max is battling the Mercs pretty much on his own again. But this time with a better car.

I think the Ferrari will be ferocious next season, to be honest. They've got more potential than Merc and Red Bull.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by chaungo

Remember when I said Mercedes isn't back cause everyone was overreacting lol

This is a prime example, a bit over half a second behind in qualifying.

I'm still taking credit for being the only guy to say Merc will suck before the season started.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by NYG

I think the Ferrari will be ferocious next season, to be honest. They've got more potential than Merc and Red Bull.

I still think they sacrifice tires and/or reliability to get their pace like this year - but notably improved in both areas. If they put it all together than yeah watch out - will be very tough to beat. I just still feel like it will come down to Max being able to at worst match pace with them but still get better tire wear. Merc in Brazil was definitely an aberration (I think really only the British TV guys were buying it - even the fanboys were just out to piss off the RBR fanboys with all that happened that race and really didn't buy into it). Still think they have something up their sleeve for next year. Can't back up with anything (like usual with most of the typical BS I throw out there) but just have that feeling they will be back in the mix.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

• The Red Bull Team
IMHO . As I said : MAX won't get the chance to help Checo .

• Why ?
Too many bad starts from Checo and think Checo will lose position in T1.
But if MAX gets the chance , he will do it . That's the Red Bull priority today .

Max could have let Sergio through in lap one and remain at 14 W but it was the other way round instead, forcing Sergio to ruin his tyres with some crazy tactic of following within DRS range of Max with nowhere to go.

i don't believe for a second that RB in all their high IQ personnel and catering staff had not found any way to get Sergio a WDC P2
in other words, lap 1 has been choreographed, Sergio has been told not to fight, Max gets his reco- I mean win, and a crazy strategy that left Sergio hung out to dry.

meanwhile, go Charlie!!!

[NYG]

Originally Posted by G99M5

Max could have let Sergio through in lap one and remain at 14 W but it was the other way round instead, forcing Sergio to ruin his tyres.

i don't believe for a second that RB in all their high IQ personnel and catering staff had not found any way to get Sergio a WDC P2
in other words, lap 1 has been choreographed, Sergio has been told not to fight, Max gets his reco- I mean win, and a crazy strategy that left Sergio hung out to dry.

Nah.

There's a difference between helping someone and risking a race win to help someone get second place.

Anyone that thinks Max should sacrifice his P1 so Checo can get P2 just really doesn't like Max.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by NYG

Nah.

There's a difference between helping someone and risking a race win to help someone.

Anyone that thinks Max should sacrifice his P1 so Checo can get P2 just really doesn't like Max.

he was saying Max doesn't care about records,

i am saying he does

of course he does

me? i like Charles

[NYG]

Originally Posted by G99M5

he was saying Max doesn't care about records,

i am saying he does

of course he does

me? i like Charles

You like Tesla apparently.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by NYG

I think the Ferrari will be ferocious next season, to be honest. They've got more potential than Merc and Red Bull.

I think Fer has potential for sure, but RB really brought nothing in terms of upgrades for the 2H of the season and their X factor is Max. No one on the grid is at his level. I think that these cars require a driver that can put in cracking laps, but managing the tires is just as important and here again Max is in a league of his own.