2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

  • Thread starter PeterJB
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Button salvaged the situation well and got a deserved podium finish. Don't like Hamilton much but it made me glad to see him in a positive state. Congratulations to him. Not the biggest Alonso fan either but his drive was just amazing. Just wow! đź‘Ť
 
Wow...bad luck for Vettel. Yet, glad to see Hamilton winning - Massa wasn't near him during the whole race...or else...:P
 
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My thoughts on the race:

Vettel: Much as it would have been tedious had we had another race where he cleared off into the distance (and who knows if that would have been the case with Ham on top form for once), it's a pity we didn't get to see how it would have played out at the front. Still, nobody is immune from bad luck.

Hamilton: Pretty much faultless drive. Deserved the win.

Button: Did brilliantly to hold off most of the challenges given his problems. Deserved the podium spot.

Alonso: Nearly matching Hamilton's pace in a car that's generally accepted to not be as good? Top drive again.

Massa: Waste of space.

Webber: Good racing with Button, tough but fair. Otherwise unexciting today.

Special mention to the F1 Forum for being possibly the best bit of candid F1 coverage I've ever seen. EJ was being a bit of a knob harassing Sam Michael but the interviews with Vettel, Button and Hamilton were absolutely top class, completely unrivaled insight there into how their races went. If Sky doesn't at least match that standard of coverage next year I'll be incredibly disappointed because F1 on the TV has never been better.

As for Abu Dhabi, it wasn't the most interesting of races but far better than the last few years so KERS and DRS obviously help a little. And even if the racing isn't great I still think it's a fantastic circuit. As one to actually go to spectate at it must be up there with Monaco.
 
Massa pulled 5th place constructor's points and didn't crash the car, so I wouldn't call him a waste of space today. :sly: Alonso brilliant and consistent as ever.

Good for Lewis. Hope he gets his head back on straight for next season. I have a feeling McLaren are really going to challenge for it in 2012. And for God's sake I hope Massa gets sorted out as well now that he's sticking around.
 
Even during his best race of recent memory, Massa is disappointing.

He had Button in his sights. Button with no KERS (at the time) and behind on tire strategy. But he still couldn't pull the trigger. And he dallied so long back there that he got into a scrap with Webber, resorting to shutting the door quite abruptly on Webber at one point when reclaiming his place to stay ahead. If that had been another driver, Massa might have gone out with a puncture, or worse.

He banged every curb he could find. Took pieces of the track home for souvenirs, too. Then, as an encore, he spun the car.

Very lucky Rosberg was on a weird strategy, because that would have been one place less.

Massa had an opportunity to be third, thanks to Button's problems and Webber's throwaway strategy. Instead, he was fifth and almost sixth or worse. Massa lucked his way into fifth. That's the long and short of it. The only notable thing Massa did was help Button sew up the podium by bottling up Webber for a while.
 
Please, don't remind me. :odd: Like I said, just glad for some points and avoiding a DNF from him. Makes me wonder what the powers that be at the team are thinking about in keeping him for 2012. Maybe they have something lined up for 2013 already?
 
^ Quite, Niky. People have been commenting about Hamilton's bad season but at least he's had results to show for it occasionally.

Massa showed promise once, particularly before his injury, but this year he's just been making up the numbers.
 
Alex.
In my living memory the majority of races I've seen have been pole to flags or very short lived battles. Schuey used to do it every week and now Vettel is, except today where Lewis did.
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If that were the case, then every race would be won by the guy who qualified on pole. Since that isn't the case, it's an inaccurate comment.

How many poles has Vettel had this season? 14. How many race wins? 11. There have been 9 races so far this season alone where the guy on pole hasn't won the race (China, Spain, Canada, GB, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Korea and Abu Dhabi).

Yes, some races have been a bit processional but it hardly happens every race. Or even the majority of races.

It's only tedious when it happens repeatedly. There have been a good few like that this season but then those ignore what goes on behind too, which has been pretty interesting. And some races have been brilliant at the front too. Vettel may have won in Singapore lights to flag for example, but watching Button close him down in the final laps was nail-biting stuff.

Just to be clear I'm not just having a dig at you about this, as MatskiMonk's comment obviously implied the same thing. I'd just say that it's not as frequent an occurrence as people make out. And I'm saying that as someone who has found Vettel's dominance a bit tedious this season.
 
homeforsummer
Just to be clear I'm not just having a dig at you about this, as MatskiMonk's comment obviously implied the same thing. I'd just say that it's not as frequent an occurrence as people make out. And I'm saying that as someone who has found Vettel's dominance a bit tedious this season.
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I've noticed it this year more than ever, I'm not about to dig in to the stats now... But I suspect its in accurate to quote pole to flag statistics, when today's race was 2nd corner to flag - its basically the same thing... My gripe is that for all the theatrical changes F1 has introduced, its still pretty dull when the guy who wins isn't challenged, no matter if its the same guy or not.
 
Driver of the day has to be Alonso. Hauling that Ferrari around to keep in touch and pressure Hamilton was amazing. :drool:

On another note, it's annoying how the BBC focus on McLaren so much. Yes they have British drivers who a lot of people fanboys root for. It angers me that they always interview them if they win or do bad. Not everyone gives a damn about McLaren!!! IMO they should focus more on other teams also but that's the only criticism I have of the BBC. Other than that, their coverage is nothing short of excellent.

/rant lol
 
People do give a damn about Mclaren, which is why they are interviewed. Not only are the most succesful english team, but most F1 fans in England happen to support them. Myself not included.
 
Alex.
People do give a damn about Mclaren, which is why they are interviewed. Not only are the most succesful english team, but most F1 fans in England happen to support them. Myself not included.
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Yes and I agree with you. But what I'm saying is not necessarily everyone care about the same 🤬 Hamilton/Button interviews or pre-race features. They should cater for everyone right? ;)

Edit: Sorry Famine.
 
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I guess it's only natural for the broadcasters to focus on their native drivers and teams.
 
C Ronaldo 7
Driver of the day has to be Alonso. Hauling that Ferrari around to keep in touch and pressure Hamilton was amazing. :drool:

On another note, it's annoying how the BBC focus on McLaren so much. Yes they have British drivers who a lot of people fanboys root for. It angers me that they always interview them if they win or do bad. Not everyone gives a damn about McLaren!!! IMO they should focus more on other teams also but that's the only criticism I have of the BBC. Other than that, their coverage is nothing short of excellent.

/rant lol
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C Ronaldo 7
Yes and I agree with you. But what I'm saying is not necessarily everyone care about the same 🤬 Hamilton/Button interviews or pre-race features. They should cater for everyone right? ;)

Edit: Sorry Famine.
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Not unlike Kaz being Japanese and filling GT5 with so many Japanese cars. It happens all the time time.

Nice to see lewis getting back up to his old self.
 
where t not for the puncture i was pretty sure he was going to run away with it given the small but substantial gap he already had after turn 1.

now he wont get the wins record. Atleast he could get the poles record.
I hope that Felipe Massa has a good run in Brazil. nothing like home country to charge a driver up from a Miserable season.
 
Blaze_409
where t not for the puncture i was pretty sure he was going to run away with it given the small but substantial gap he already had after turn 1.

now he wont get the wins record. Atleast he could get the poles record.
I hope that Felipe Massa has a good run in Brazil. nothing like home country to charge a driver up from a Miserable season.
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He could only equal it, anyway, with 19 races compared to 18 in 2004. However, he had a shot at getting % of laps led in a season currently held by Jim Clark, iirc.

Some other silly records, as well, like consecutive points finishes, etc.

But hey, he had to run out of luck sometime.
 
Stunning drive from Hamilton, absolutely flawless. Nice to see him back on the top step where he should be :)
 
The BBC's coverage bias isn't that bad. They give other teams a good bit of show. I'm just glad Di Resta gets more than a look-in! đź‘Ť
 

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