Max Verstappen has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, leading the race from start to finish and easily controlling the Mercedes duo. Valtteri Bottas finished 15s down on the Red Bull, Hamilton completes the podium in third place.
"Valtteri was pushing me the whole way from Friday onwards, put it on pole and then pushed me throughout the race as well.
Wait, where have we heard that before?
Indeed. Russell followed up by saying "It might have looked easy out there, but wow, let me tell you it was hard work. We see every week these Red Bulls getting closer and closer and I'm just thankful we have such a good bunch of guys and gals back at the factory working every day so hard to keep on top and just keep pushing. Thanks for coming out, Sakir really does have the best fans"
"Valtteri was pushing me the whole way from Friday onwards, put it on pole and then pushed me throughout the race as well.
Wait, where have we heard that before?
Indeed. Russell followed up by saying "It might have looked easy out there, but wow, let me tell you it was hard work. We see every week these Red Bulls getting closer and closer and I'm just thankful we have such a good bunch of guys and gals back at the factory working every day so hard to keep on top and just keep pushing. Thanks for coming out, Sakir really does have the best fans"
Do they hand over media scripts of the original driver to be read by the replacement driver at press by Mercedes, along with the car?
Back to normal now guys. Just the way I want it. Cake-walk please. Oh Valterri should produce his usual performnce to grab second place and Max should bring up the podium. Back to normal again.
Back to normal now guys. Just the way I want it. Cake-walk please. Oh Valterri should produce his usual performnce to grab second place and Max should bring up the podium. Back to normal again.
Nope, I refuse to believe it. Verstappen with the upgraded Red Bull is as fast or faster than Bottas in the race. It's just a matter of qualifying and the start. Hamilton still has the best chance, I hope he enjoys his last victory laps of the year. Hopefully next year gives us the championship this year was supposed to be.
Bottas will win this race at a canter. Mercedes go well around here, even in the years Ferrari and Red Bull were strong. There is no way Lewis can be well prepared after he's just recovered from Covid.
Bottas to win and hurl abuses at his critics, Mercedes to say things like this is the Bottas we know and Lewis to smile within himself and come back in 2021 to hand the Finn an even more sound hammering.
"Sebastian there's very, you're a member of a very select few.. Stewart, Lauda, Piquet, Senna, Prost, Schumacher, Fangio.. VETTEL!"
Back to normal now guys. Just the way I want it. Cake-walk please. Oh Valterri should produce his usual performnce to grab second place and Max should bring up the podium. Back to normal again.
He already produced his usual performance at the last GP.
Sector 3 Sochi, who was fastest? Hamilton Perez and Verstappen, Bottas was a tenth down. Sector 3 is like Sochi. Verstappen also edged him out in qualifying. We know Hamilton goes beast mode here, Bottas is fair game for Perez or Verstappen.
The lap time is gained in sector 3, sectors 1 & 2 is about not losing time, but being a tenth or two down because of drag means nothing if you can't pull the time in sector 3. Bottas seems to not be able to get the lap time without carrying a lot of wing, whereas Hamilton and Verstappen can get the same or more lap time with comparatively less wing.
Another boring weekend on the card. The excitement of another opportunity for Russell in Mercedes is gone. We are set to hear the same radio melodrama of how the tyres are gone!
Three possibilities. One, Hamilton comes back and beats Bottas in quali and Race effortlessly. Two, Hamilton can't do much in quali and everybody would say, he isn't fully fit yet, but beats Bottas in race and PR folks go gaga over his abilities. Three, he would neither beat Bottas in quali and race and people say, he isn't fully fit yet. In all of these scenarios, Bottas"s a** is saved and the demand to bring in Russell for 2021 would die down. Good for Mercedes.
