![]() But with common fuel-flow limits at all times, along with a raft of other regulations and measurements, there should be good common control. With different power-unit philosophies, aero-downforce settings, electrical regeneration and deployment, and DRS activation, it's a complex area to define. There's no doubt that something is up given various conversations I had over the weekend. A €50k fine seems to have sorted that maladministration but there's no doubting that the FIA with added 'enthusiasm' from Mercedes and Red Bull are determined to close down any loopholes and grey areas that Ferrari may have found for generating extra power using hydrocarbons. Leclerc was racing under suspicion because the FIA had measured that his fuel level was 4.88kg different to that declared by the team. Max Verstappen did his best to at least keep him in sight despite some engine driveability issues and having been passed by the flying Ferrari of Charles Leclerc on the first lap. With Bottas confined to the back of the grid after his change of power unit from the retirement in Brazil - meaning double pain and penalty, of course, in that situation - Hamilton was basically in a one-horse race out front. Sky F1 collaborates with artist James Cochran to produce a stunning mural of six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton Popping in a new lap record on lap 53 simply confirmed that he was playing with the pack like a cat with a ball of wool. It was his first pole position in 10 grands prix, since Hockenheim, Germany back in July, and he controlled the start, pace and race with a calm ease. It feels an odd thing to say given that he has dominated yet another season of F1, but I sensed Lewis Hamilton, in his 250th GP, was fully back to his finest form. Having said that, the two McLarens and two Renaults were caught up in a DRS train for much of the race.įor this 21-corner anti-clockwise circuit, at sea level with little contour change and lots of annoying off-camber corners where the track falls away, the Mercedes car and team just seem to turn up with a plug and play fast set-up. As soon as it switched back on, though, the race was freed up and we saw much more combat and examples of sterling defence, although some overtakes then became a breeze-past gift, just like when you pass 'Go' in Monopoly. In some ways I preferred the action when the DRS stopped working, it seemed more tense and the few overtakes were harder won. Sergio Perez overtakes Renault's Nico Hulkenberg as part of his late charge for points in Abu Dhabi Perez with a great last lap overtake would finish seventh and Kvyat ninth. ![]() A decent strategy to steal a few points but no good up front for those who expect to win the race and lap everyone up to the top six. Coaxing a lot of laps out of a set of tyres at reasonable pace is like putting grip in the bank for later. This particularly worked well for Sergio Perez, who stopped his Racing Point on lap 37 of 55, and Daniil Kvyat, who finally pitted his Toro Rosso on lap 40. Instead, those being parsimonious with their tyres and running long were getting the benefit of a clearer track. Those trying the earlier undercut pit stop also took pain because without DRS they couldn't clear the traffic, which was still on old tyres. Without DRS, drivers like Valtteri Bottas, starting from 20th and the back of the grid, suddenly stalled out in P14. Both those straights also have DRS drag reduction zones for the rear wing, although on this occasion that system failed due to a server crashing for the first 18 laps of the race.Įvery action always has unintended consequences in the complex world of F1. In theory, a slow T7 hairpin leading onto a long straight, which is followed by a clumsy but slow chicane onto another effectively long straight, should generate some organic overtaking.
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