2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina, 27-29 November

[PlatinumZealot]

For all the stick Rosberg gets .. that sure was a great pole lap!

He improved by over 1.0 second from Q2 to Q3 while everyone else either improved by only 0.1-0.3 seconds, or did worse in some cases.

Qualifying will not be as crucial as Brazil because there's not much of a difference between the clean and dirty side on the grid. Nevertheless, whichever Mercedes is ahead on the exit of Turn 1 will finish ahead barring any reliability issues.

Ferrari will be absolutely up there with Mercedes this weekend. Super soft and soft tyres, combined with the lack of high speed corners (apart from Turns 2-3) will make them very competitive, IMO.

The track has a lot of room for overtaking and two powerful DRS zones so the race will be on from lights to flag. There will be no respite for whoever is leading.

[dans79]

The track has a lot of room for overtaking and two powerful DRS zones so the race will be on from lights to flag. There will be no respite for whoever is leading.

Yep, and the plethora of slow speed turns, usually make it easier to get close to the person in front.

[Kingshark]

The track has a lot of room for overtaking and two powerful DRS zones so the race will be on from lights to flag. There will be no respite for whoever is leading.

Yep, and the plethora of slow speed turns, usually make it easier to get close to the person in front.

That chicane before the hairpin is not a help but a huge problem, it forces the cars to run a single file lane going into the hairpin. The leading car accelerates out of the corner about 0.5 seconds before the chasing car. The traction difference is too great, which is why we saw what we did in 2010.

DRS has helped neutralize that somewhat, but even so, I would be absolutely amazed to see one Mercedes pass the other on track without a tyre advantage.

[Fulcrum]

Soft and Super-soft tyres, night race. The last time those variables were in play was Singapore.

Ferrari to be faster than Mercedes in long run pace?

[matt_b]

Soft and Super-soft tyres, night race. The last time those variables were in play was Singapore.

Ferrari to be faster than Mercedes in long run pace?

It was Sochi not Singapore, Mercedes won so its hard to see otherwise but you never know.

[HuntTheShunt]

It's a shame that the championship has already been decided because this is a great track for that to happen on. Plenty of opportunities for overtaking!

To two long straights will kill Mclaren-Honda yet again

Luckily there's the rest of the slow-corner lap to make up time. I expect more whining from Nando about their GP2 engine. Honda should honestly just try the revised 2016 unit (even if it's illegal based on the token system) in their cars... who cares if they get DQed... no hope of a points finish anyway...

...Or you know, sneak the new engine into the Pirelli tyre test later on.

[Juzh]

Soft and Super-soft tyres, night race. The last time those variables were in play was Singapore.

Ferrari to be faster than Mercedes in long run pace?

It was Sochi not Singapore, Mercedes won so its hard to see otherwise but you never know.

"night race"

[Kingshark]

In Sochi, practice was a washout because of the weather. Vettel has commented before on Ferrari's ability to improve the car throughout the weekend. Vettel wasn't exactly all that fast on Friday in Singapore either, but Ferrari really improved on Saturday.

There isn't exactly an enormous chance of rain in Abu Dhabi, so likely Ferrari will get the full 3 practice sessions to set up their car.

[dans79]

Ferrari to be faster than Mercedes in long run pace?

Only in the tifosi's wet dreams!

[zioture]

[Pierce89]

Ferrari to be faster than Mercedes in long run pace?

Only in the tifosi's wet dreams!

Wow! Interested in others' wet dreams? Any chance you're a Hamilton fan?

[Fulcrum]

There's been a lot of talk of 'allowing' Rosberg and Hamilton more strategy leeway for this race. It probably won't happen, but if it did, I could see Vettel being the beneficiary. If he is within a couple of tenths and one of the drivers elects additional, unplanned, stops they are likely to be affected by the Ferrari.

[PlatinumZealot]

Sorry to divert, Fulcrum, but I can't help but notice that the lap record is held by the 2009 RedBull. I am surprised to say the least, what is it about that 2009 car that made it so fast around Abu Dhabi?

Venue: Yas Marina Circuit
Direction: Anti-clockwise
Turns: 21
Laps: 55
Race date: 29 November 2015
Circuit opened: 2009
First Grand Prix: 2009
Lap record: 1:40.279 (Sebastian Vettel, 2009)
Circuit length: 5.554 km (3.451 mi)
Race distance: 305.355 km (189.738 mi)

[ME4ME]

Since it's a race-lap-record: refueling

Edit: Hamilton holds the record for fastest lap (in any session) with a 1:38.434 (2011) (Q2 iirc!)

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-informati ... formation/

[PlatinumZealot]

D'oh. forgot about that. Re-fuelling. right.