Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: The Hits/Misses of the editorial team
A new world champion, an indecisive race direction, and a perfect teammate. Like after every Grand Prix, the editorial team at MotorsInside presents you with their Tops/Flops.
“Les TOPS”
Max Verstappen, a new star on the trophy list.
And it was him. The first Dutch Formula 1 World Champion, 34th driver to inscribe his name in the annals of the queen of motor racing. Thanks to his 20th Grand Prix victory, Max Verstappen finishes at the top of the rankings in this fantastic 2021 season. Despite a less competitive car than the Mercedes on the Yas Marina Circuit, the Dutchman never gave up throughout the race weekend. He certainly benefited from the race direction’s hesitations and Nicholas Latifi’s accident, without which he would have never caught up with Hamilton. It was necessary to believe until the end and seize the unique opportunity that was going to arise. This opportunity presented itself in the final lap and Max took advantage of it at turn 5 by overtaking Lewis Hamilton to become champion. Verstappen enters the history of Formula 1 through the front door and also becomes the 11th driver to become world champion with a team that isn’t.
Sergio Pérez, the soldier ready to do anything for his captain.
Max Verstappen qualified him as a legend during the race. The adjective fits the Mexican driver perfectly to describe his Sunday. Without his heroic defense against Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen would probably never have closed the 8-second gap that allowed him to catch up with his English rival. Without this reduction in the gap, Hamilton would have had time to pit for a tire change at the end of the race and fight against Max Verstappen. Checo fulfilled his role perfectly. Despite inconsistent results throughout the season, he managed to be present in the crucial moments towards the end of the season, with three consecutive podium finishes between Turkey and Brazil, and this incredible defense in the last Grand Prix of the season. Max Verstappen owes him a lot in Abu Dhabi.
Carlos Sainz, best of the rest.
It was difficult to differentiate between Carlos Sainz and the AlphaTauri drivers for this third place in the Tops. Seeing the Ferrari #55 parking next to Verstappen’s Red Bull after the race was a little surprise, considering all the attention was on the leaders in the last lap. The son of the two-time rally world champion even had the opportunity to battle with Verstappen after the initial pit stops. For his first year with the Reds, the Spaniard finishes his season with style. His fourth podium of the year allows him to finish as the best of the rest in the World Championship standings, behind the two Mercedes drivers and the two Red Bull drivers. The discreet Madrilenian is a driver to watch out for next year if Ferrari gives him the means.
“The FLOPS.”
A racing direction reflecting its season.
What wanderings, what hesitations, what inconsistency… We thought we had seen it all after Jeddah, but it was far from the case. This Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a reflection of the season for Formula 1 referees. Their decisions followed no logic. From the first lap, no investigation was opened following Lewis Hamilton’s questionable defense against Max Verstappen at Turn 6 chicane. At the same time, the precedent set in Brazil, when the Red Bull driver was not sanctioned for a vigorous defense, must have made the Englishman think. No. 33 was not punished in Sao Paulo, so why would No. 44 be in the Emirates? But it was especially towards the end of the race that the race direction made completely incomprehensible decisions. At the time of Nicholas Latifi’s accident and the appearance of the safety car, why hesitate so much to let the lapped cars through? Christian Horner understandably complained about this, to which the FIA responded with an enigmatic «Give me a second». And a few moments later, the 5 cars between Lewis and Max were allowed to reposition themselves. But why only them and not the others? Furthermore, why not have a red flag and restart the race for one or two laps, as was the case in Baku this year? This would have allowed the two championship contenders to start on equal tire footing. If they wanted the championship to be decided on the last lap of the last race at all costs, it should have been done fairly for everyone.
The void Valterri Bottas
What a contrast with Pérez! Hamilton’s teammate was of no help to his leader in Abu Dhabi. From Saturday, it was clear that the Englishman would have to fight alone against everyone. With a 6th place on the grid, Bottas was condemned to a anonymous race in the pack. Instead of fighting with the Red Bulls, he fought with the Ferraris, AlphaTauris, and Alpines. One wonders if he already had his mind on his first tests with Alfa Romeo this week. When comparing his race to that of his Mexican counterpart at Red Bull, the observation is harsh. While one allowed his teammate to get back in the race for victory, the other settled for finishing his season behind three less competitive cars than his own. The Finn certainly contributed to his team’s eighth consecutive title, but he was not there to help Lewis when it mattered most. After 5 years of collaboration with Mercedes, it was time for the star brand to turn the page on Bottas.
Aston Martin already on vacation.
If there is one team that hardly appeared on screen during this Grand Prix, it is Aston Martin. Even Mick Schumacher’s Haas had its exposure during his battle with Latifi before the decisive crash. The 11th and 13th places of Vettel and Stroll testify to the lack of performance of the green cars during this race. They simply did not exist and once again prove that the work is colossal in preparation for the next season. Throughout the Abu Dhabi weekend, each team was able to show themselves, whether it was in a battle on track or in an overtaking maneuver. This was not the case for Aston Martin whose season, apart from a few flashes from Vettel, was reminiscent of this last race: anonymous and without sparkle. The team can console itself with the trophy for the highest number of overtakes during the season, won by its four-time German world champion.
