F1 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Race Weekend Thread

[Duck Farmer]

Ferrari/mclaren battle for constructors almost no chance now (was already slim)

Norris and Piastri take each other out at the first corner while Sainz takes out the win.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He’s too good to be out of the sport.

Age and preference for not ready drivers like antonelli and barman will count against him. But it's stupid. Unfortunately the end of his career.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Across his whole 280 race F1 career Perez has never been a good qualifier but now that he is unable to produce anything on race day to make up for it he's become a huge liability for Red Bull. But the signs that he was on a downhill slide were there well before the start of this season and Marko just ignored them.

As Brundle says, from Perez's perspective it will be a huge relief when it all finally ends for him on Sunday night. He's in purgatory right now.

And Marko suggesting that Lawson will jump into that seat in the main team is yet another mistake in the making.

Marko is an idiot who can't admit he made a mistake on both DR and perez and is now making a mistake with his hard on for Lawson.
Frankly Helmut is well past it and needs to be sent to retirement but no one at red bull has the balls to sack him as they are useless.

 

[Festerz]

Marko is an idiot who can't admit he made a mistake on both DR and perez and is now making a mistake with his hard on for Lawson.
Frankly Helmut is well past it and needs to be sent to retirement but no one at red bull has the balls to sack him as they are useless.

Yep. Marko's days are numbered so his eyes are not on the future.

And as Brundle said, Red Bull are now paying the heavy price of bowing to Jos Verstappen's demand a few years back that Max be given clear unchallenged #1 status. It got them multiple world championships but with Mx signalling he wants to leave the sport soon to focus on family they are left without an obvious replacement.

 

[Cromulant]

Marko is an idiot who can't admit he made a mistake on both DR and perez and is now making a mistake with his hard on for Lawson.
Frankly Helmut is well past it and needs to be sent to retirement but no one at red bull has the balls to sack him as they are useless.

He didn't make a mistake on DR, that's just Aussie bias.

But what that does is make the Perez situation even worse.

 

[Cromulant]

Yep. Marko's days are numbered so his eyes are not on the future.

And as Brundle said, Red Bull are now paying the heavy price of bowing to Jos Verstappen's demand a few years back that Max be given clear unchallenged #1 status. It got them multiple world championships but with Mx signalling he wants to leave the sport soon to focus on family they are left without an obvious replacement.

They'll have a replacement, don't be at all shocked if Oscar winds up there.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Yep. Marko's days are numbered so his eyes are not on the future.

And as Brundle said, Red Bull are now paying the heavy price of bowing to Jos Verstappen's demand a few years back that Max be given clear unchallenged #1 status. It got them multiple world championships but with Mx signalling he wants to leave the sport soon to focus on family they are left without an obvious replacement.

Unfortunately I think the issue is Helmut has a lot of power at Red Bull and I don't think anyone is prepared so sack him so he will essentially stay there until he's in age care. Which will put a ceiling on what they can achieve.

Look Max is a great driver and he's been amazing for them but again it's an example of not strong leadership. They should have made clear to Max years ago that they were keeping him long term but due to jos behaviour jos was no longer welcome and they should have pushed jos out (same as they should do with marko now for different reasons). But they don't have the leadership for that. Horner is a good technician and extremely astute but he's not the type of leader to put people in their place which is what red bull needs.

I agree with you that their future will be worse post Max and with no newey.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

They'll have a replacement, don't be at all shocked if Oscar winds up there.

I'd be surprised if Webber would recommend to Oscar to go there. He of all people knows how volatile that place can be. But then again stranger things have happened.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He didn't make a mistake on DR, that's just Aussie bias.

But what that does is make the Perez situation even worse.

Yes he did. As much as DR was past his best Perez is doing just as badly in a car that's less of a shitbox. They clearly were going to put DR in the RBR then backed out as they thought Sergio would improve. It's a clear error. If they were moving DR on they should have moved Sergio too. If they were decisive enough on both now they probably could have had Sainz for next year. Too late now.

 

[Festerz]

They'll have a replacement, don't be at all shocked if Oscar winds up there.

Oscar is in year two of his F1 driving career in a team with a formidable racing pedigree and is sitting at the top of the perch of constructors and with no signs of leaving that perch any time soon. It has a team principal who has just signed a multi year contract extension who is regarded as one of the best in the sport at the current time.

Why the heck would he leave that to join a team like Red Bull that has faced nothing but inner turmoil over the past 12 months, continuing uncertainty about team management, with ongoing conflict at the top and would be foundering in the mid tier were it not for Max?

Yes, I'd be shocked if he went any where near Red Bull Racing to further his career with things as they are.

 

[CakeEater]

Oscar is in year two of his F1 driving career in a team with a formidable racing pedigree and is sitting at the top of the perch of constructors and with no signs of leaving that perch any time soon. It has a team principal who has just signed a multi year contract extension who is regarded as one of the best in the sport at the current time.

Why the heck would he leave that to join a team like Red Bull that has faced nothing but inner turmoil over the past 12 months, continuing uncertainty about team management, with ongoing conflict at the top and would be foundering in the mid tier were it not for Max?

Yes, I'd be shocked if he went any where near Red Bull Racing to further his career with things as they are.

Also feel like Aussie Mark may steer him away from RBR, given hes Oscars manager and all.

 

[Barrybran]

Also feel like Aussie Mark may steer him away from RBR, given hes Oscars manager and all.

When does Oscar's contract expire? Perhaps a Newey-designed Aston could be on the cards?

 

[Bedi]

Dead last is not an ideal start for Jack Doohan and hoping this weekend is not a trial given those (probably bullshit) rumours Briatore wants Colapinto

 

[Vader]

Dead last is not an ideal start for Jack Doohan and hoping this weekend is not a trial given those (probably bullshit) rumours Briatore wants Colapinto

He's not dead last... but only by virtue of grid penalties to other drivers (for taking extra engines).

 

[Cromulant]

Yes he did. As much as DR was past his best Perez is doing just as badly in a car that's less of a shitbox. They clearly were going to put DR in the RBR then backed out as they thought Sergio would improve. It's a clear error. If they were moving DR on they should have moved Sergio too. If they were decisive enough on both now they probably could have had Sainz for next year. Too late now.

They should have moved both on, and they will.

But it was not a mistake to get rid of Dan

 

[Cromulant]

Dead last is not an ideal start for Jack Doohan and hoping this weekend is not a trial given those (probably bullshit) rumours Briatore wants Colapinto

I don't think Jack has the raw speed to make it IMO.

Very clever driver, super race craft which will see him move forward in races.... but the raw speed isn't there.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

They should have moved both on, and they will.

But it was not a mistake to get rid of Dan

No they should have moved both on and got a replacement who is better. Instead they are going to end up putting two worse guys in.

 

[Cromulant]

No they should have moved both on and got a replacement who is better. Instead they are going to end up putting two worse guys in.

Lawson isn't worse than Dan, that's pure trash.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Lawson isn't worse than Dan, that's pure trash.

Have you actually watched Lawson the last 2-3 years? There's nothing there to suggest he is going to be a quality long term driver. He's every chance of being de Vries.

 

[Vader]

Have you actually watched Lawson the last 2-3 years? There's nothing there to suggest he is going to be a quality long term driver. He's every chance of being de Vries.

He'll probably be slow, like deVries, but I can't see him re-modelling the car as often as deVries did. It was deVries' repair bills, as much as his lack of pace, which saw him dumped mid-season.

 

[Festerz]

When does Oscar's contract expire? Perhaps a Newey-designed Aston could be on the cards?

Oscar's signed up with McLaren until the end of 2026.

Edit: Lando's contract runs at least until the end of 2026 as well.

Just depends if McLaren has the cash to have both beyond 2026 and of course there's the little issue of Oscar wanting top billing too.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Norris and Piastri take each other out at the first corner while Sainz takes out the win.

Surely they wouldn't be so stupid... imagine the reaction by Zak Brown's though.

Reckon would need a 3rd driver to cause a multi car accident.

 

[Cromulant]

Have you actually watched Lawson the last 2-3 years? There's nothing there to suggest he is going to be a quality long term driver. He's every chance of being de Vries.

Have you watched Dan ??

Why not give the kid a chance to be something rather than continuing with a guy you know isn't anymore.

We all love Danny Ric, but he's done

 

[happy_eagle]

Have you watched Dan ??

Why not give the kid a chance to be something rather than continuing with a guy you know isn't anymore.

We all love Danny Ric, but he's done

Was listening to the Sky F1 podcast (don't ask why, force of habit) and Karun (I think it was Karun) made an interesting parallel to when Jenson Button got his seat for Williams back in 2000.

It was a shoot out between Jesnon (coming from F3) and an existing test driver. The test driver (forget his name) appeared to have a fraction more pace, but Frank Williams opted for Button because he appeared to be constantly improving, and therefore had greater potential.

In other words, you sort of know what you are going to get from Yuki or any other established driver on the grid, whereas perhaps Lawson represents a bit more of the unknown. It's risky though.

 

[Skull Face]

I don't think Jack has the raw speed to make it IMO.

Very clever driver, super race craft which will see him move forward in races.... but the raw speed isn't there.

His junior career has been the exact opposite of this, fastest qualifier but doesnt convert on race day.

His final run was a forget job, the run before it he was a tenth off gasly which is fine.