[ad_1]
Sunday, December 13, 2020
To update
Ferrari makes Vettel suffer
Verstappen pushes Mercedes to the ground
The 2020 Formula 1 season belongs to Mercedes, but the Silver Arrows have no chance of participating in the last Grand Prix of the year. Max Verstappen shows an outstanding career from pole position. Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, survives his last sobering experience with Ferrari.
Verstappen disenchanted Mercedes, Vettel leaves Ferrari without a happy ending: At the end of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull star Max Verstappen took advantage of the weak phase of the Silver Arrows duo and raised hopes of a fight for the title a little more open in the next year. In his win from start to finish, the 23-year-old clearly relegated Valtteri Bottas, who had just been counted, and record world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had just recovered from his crown infection and was more than ten seconds ahead. in long sections of the race and also at the finish line. “I really enjoyed it. If you start at the front you can control your speed better, that makes life easier,” Verstappen said of his unusual role.
Vettel, who celebrated his first of four world championship titles ten years ago at Red Bull in the same venue, said goodbye to the Scuderia in 14th place after six years. A result that fits the picture at the end of a disastrous season for Heppenheimer and the Italian racing team.
Like World Cup 13. Vettel performed worse than since its debut (half) season in 2007. Ferrari finished the constructors’ championship in sixth place; More recently, the most successful racing team in Formula 1 history took the lowest spot in 1980.
Mercedes’ first defeat in Abu Dhabi since 2014
Verstappen inflicted the first defeat to Mercedes at the Yas Marina Circuit since the start of the hybrid era in 2014. In the spotlight and before the eyes of Mick Schumacher, who was on the track as a “fan” for the last time, the 10th success of Formula 1 was not enough for the Dutchman to push Bottas out of second place in the world championship.
Hamilton had to sit down the week before in Bahrain due to his corona infection. It was only on Thursday that he received the green light for his start at the night event in Abu Dhabi. The 35-year-old Briton was in good shape but failed to achieve the dominance with which he had secured his seventh title in the fourth final race of the season.
After an unspectacular start without any significant position change, the race gained momentum on lap 11: Sakhir’s surprise winner Sergio Perez’s race point, who still has no cabin for 2021, was launched due to a defect. The race management called the virtual safety car, almost all teams changed their tires earlier than originally planned. “It will be a long way to the finish,” Hamilton said on the pit radio: “In my opinion, this is not a good strategy.”
Vettel is happy that it’s over
Vettel, who started on the toughest tire compound, stayed out as one of the few drivers and only temporarily rose from his undisputed 13th place on the grid to reach the points. After the 35th of 55 laps, he switched to medium tires and had to fight his way back up from 15th.
“I’m looking forward to the checkered flag. The season was so bad I’m really happy it’s over,” Vettel said before the final 161-day race, the shortest season in almost 60 years: “But when I look back Over the years, I think we had a great time together. Most of all, I will miss the guys in the garage. “
The motto of the whole weekend at Ferrari was “Grazie Seb”. Ferrari employees lined up and applauded as Vettel exited the Red’s garage for the last time. In the new year, the 33-year-old dares to make a fresh start at Aston Martin. The second German on the field will be Mick Schumacher at Haas, who made his Formula 1 practice debut for his future team in Abu Dhabi on Friday. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old son of record world champion Michael Schumacher will be able to gain more experience at the Young Drivers Test in Abu Dhabi.
