2023 F1's END OF TERM PARTY ABU DHABI GP **Includes POST RACE TESTING**.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Max better get his skates on for my GTP guess to be any good. Or anyone.

[Everso Biggyballies]

1:23.445 for Max on his first run

In fact itsMax then Lando. Piastri, Sergio. Tsunoda, Hulk, Nando, Leclerc and Gasly the order after the first runs.

[Aty]

Yuki is flying high.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Great save from Lando with a big armful of lock

Max doesnt go faster but he gets Pole. with 1:23.445.
Leclerc got something right with his secpnd lap and snagged 2nd
Sergio had his last lap deleted and so will start 9th.

Piastri outqualified Lando

Ooh wait, Stewards have noted Gsly and Piastri for impeding..... noted no undr investigation so maybe wont come to anything.


Qualifying Result

POS DRIVERGAP TYRE
1 Max VERSTAPPEN1:23.445 5
2 Charles LECLERC+0.139 6
3 Oscar PIASTRI+0.337 6
4 George RUSSELL+0.343 6
5 Lando NORRIS+0.371 6
6 Yuki TSUNODA+0.523 6
7 Fernando ALONSO+0.639 6
8 Nico HULKENBERG+0.663 6
9 Sergio PEREZ+0.726 6
10 Pierre GASLY+1.103 6



11 Lewis HAMILTON- - 4
12 Esteban OCON- - 4
13 Lance STROLL- - 4
14 Alexander ALBON- - 4
15 Daniel RICCIARDO- - 4




16 Carlos SAINZ- - 2
17 Kevin MAGNUSSEN- - 2
18 Valtteri BOTTAS- - 2
19 GuanyuZHOU- - 2
20 Logan SARGEANT- - 2

[Everso Biggyballies]

So thats the final qualy of the year all done and dusted, just the final race to go now. Another 24 hours or so and the season will be done.

[Aty]

Did Hamilton signed highly lucrative contract for driving in P11?

[Aty]

FIA BAN F1 PITLANE OVERTAKING

FIA F1 Race Director Niels Wittich, appointed by Formula 1’s governing body, issued a change to the event notes to prohibit overtaking in the Yas Marina Circuit, tunnelled pit exit road unless a car slowed with an obvious problem.

Triple F1 World Champion Verstappen overtook both Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as well as an Alpine during Friday’s second session in the exit tunnel that leads to the track.

The Red Bull driver explained: “They have to move. They are all driving slow, and I want to go out because we are limited on time, and they just keep on driving in the middle. Then, when I tried to pass, they tried to squeeze me into the wall. So yeah….a bit silly.”

Verstappen and Red Bull won both championships long ago, with the Dutch driver chasing a record-extending 19th win of the season on Sunday. Red Bull have won all but one race so far in 2023.

https://www.grandprix247.com/2023/11/25 ... -incident/

FiA is refusing to change how they fix the problems.

[Star]

So thats the final qualy of the year all done and dusted, just the final race to go now. Another 24 hours or so and the season will be done.

So Max and his worries about the car were just talk, he's got pole and no doubt he'll take the win.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm not sorry that this season is almost done. The only problem is, I think 2024 could produce more of the same

[erwin greven]

I'm fine with it, that the season is finally over. Way too many GP. Plus too many insignificant GP.

[Picci]

I’ve never been this unenthusiastic about the last race of the season.

Not sure what to hope for. Maybe CLAP can stick inside turn 1 and Lando can show the same pace and throw a challenge.

[MonteCristo]

Perez truly is rubbish.

Dan is over the hill and needs to visit the glue factory.

Yuki is nothing special.

Give Lawson a go because like @Star I fear 2024 will be more of the same.

[Star]

I’ve never been this unenthusiastic about the last race of the season.

Not sure what to hope for. Maybe CLAP can stick inside turn 1 and Lando can show the same pace and throw a challenge.

I agree, usually I'm sad when the season is all but over, this year I feel relieved.....

[Aty]

It's hard to say if Perez is over the hill. His low race placings could be reflection of being judged against Max. Additional problems for him could be most likely assigned to characteristics of his car which is not entirely compatible with his driving style. I know one other driver who used to have issues with Newey (2014) and his tendency to favor design and setup for one driver at the expenses of his teammate.

Today Hamilton is mourning that his car is undrivable, yet his teammate in similar vehicle has done a better job. Undrivable car in P4 (and feeling sick at the same time)?

At Ferrari Kimi used to have hard time against (team favored) Alonso. Only much later we learned from insiders about problems Kimi had with that car.

Bottom line - I am hesitant to ditch Perez. He might not be suited for RB, but he could be more than excellent addition to some other team.

[Oliver Dale]

Loved seeing George Russell telling off fellow Norfolk lad Martin Brundle for not interviewing him on the Grid Walks this season!

[Everso Biggyballies]

RACE PACE STRATEGY ETC.


First of all a Max win is a foregone conclusion. Pole doesnt lose at Yas Marina. Well, not for the past 7 or 8 races. Whats more when pole hasnt won way back when, it has always been the block alongside pole who has won. In fact only once has the race been won by someone not on the front row.... Kimi in the Lotus back in 2012 (Yes the year he told the radio man he knew what he was doing and to shut up). Even then Kimi started 4th.


Traditionally its been a one stopper, more specifically start on mediums and stop once for hards. Stop in the early twenties and put on hards to the end.

However although the SC saving is not as much as usual (22secs for green 15 for SC/VSC) and some drivers have thought tyres have degraded more this year. But reality is they barely got any running in P2, the only representative session in terms of track and temperature relevance so maybe that is guesswork..

Alternative option for those at the back end of the grid would be start on hards and go long. If they fear higher deg thaan usual no one will risk starting on the soft in reality. On full tanks and the warmer conditions at race start makes them a risk.




No one in the top part of the field have any new softs.... unlikely they would get used. Most have 2 new sets of hards,(only the Astons dont) so if tyre deg is an issue a spare set of new hards are waiting.


Who has what tyres available.



What the data tells us about race pace

In terms of race pace we have Red Bull fastest in race pace, as usual. Then we have nothing much between Mercedews Ferrari and McLaren in the next group with a gap until another very closely matched group of Alpha Tauri Aston Martin and Alpine. Then a gap to Williams, another one to Alfa and Haas at the back.

The tight groupings we see below often give us races with battles through the field.

I

[Everso Biggyballies]

Whoops forgot to put the grid up. Too late now but of course we hve Sainz and Lewis coming through fro their early sshower qualy exits which might gie us fun. Sainz is starting on hard rubber, looking to go long, as is Bottas. All others as I suggested are starting on mediums.

ANyway we are on the warm up lap now.