Conclusions of the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Max Verstappen led from start to finish when Mercedes’ monopoly on Yas Marina’s victories in the turbo-hybrid era came to an end.

Here are our takeaways from an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that lowered the curtain on an extraordinary 2020 season like no other in Formula 1 history.

Mercedes below her magnificent best

13 wins
15 poles
25 podiums
28 first rows
860 turns led

This year we did # HIS7ORY! 🙌#AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/4z9mIsQgLE

– Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) December 13, 2020

This wasn’t the Mercedes that has swept Red Bull for most of this year’s compact schedule, there’s no question about it.

It shouldn’t have read much in qualifying, with Verstappen claiming pole position by a small margin just at the end of a thrilling Q3.

But the way the Dutchman was able to get away from Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, both at the start and after the safety car left the circuit, clearly suggested that there was something in the report that the world champions were underpowered.

Toto Wolff said a “gremlin” had been found in the engine and an eventual 15-second margin of victory for Verstappen, who had told his own team that they could turn down the power as he advanced to victory, indicated that all was not. as it should be. for the Silver Arrows.

Not only that, of course, but Lewis Hamilton was also clearly under 100%.

It was a wonder that the seven-time World Champion was competing, considering that he had missed last week’s Sakhir Grand Prix due to COVID-19 and hastened his recovery: he arrived in Abu Dhabi at the first opportunity when allowed. finish your career. self-isolation.

Hamilton openly admitted that he was still feeling the effects of the debilitating virus and said he was “truly grateful for my health and to be alive.”

Of course, a relatively tame second and third place for Bottas and Hamilton was nothing to worry Mercedes considering that they had finished both World Championships long ago.

Ideally, they would have liked to achieve 14 wins out of 17 this season, but this result will have done nothing to jeopardize their position as overwhelming favorites for 2021 under static regulations.

Has Albon left his ‘best weekend’ too late?

… or, more specifically, has Ted Kravitz really delivered the news we were all waiting for?

In his post-race notebook, the increasingly eccentric (in a good way) Sky F1 reporter relayed a whisper that Alex Albon will be retired by Red Bull for 2021 in favor of Sergio Pérez.

Such a decision would be applauded by many fans and experts, even if it goes against the recent trend of rumors hinting that Albon would keep his seat and Perez would be on the sidelines before returning to the grid in 2022.

If true, the London-born Thai conductor’s Abu Dhabi display must be like running towards a train you see leaving the station just as you hit the platform … with a Mexican waving happily out the window.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner referred to it being Albon’s “strongest collective weekend of the season” as it also produced a more competitive performance in qualifying.

But even if it had come early enough, which seems like it might not, was it also strong enough?

After all, Albon was still beaten in qualifying by McLaren’s Lando Norris, and although he was quickly beating Hamilton, third in the end, he was unable to keep up with the top three for the vast majority of the race.

Ultimately, if Albon had hosted weekends like this consistently throughout the year, his seat at Red Bull might not have been under any threat.

Instead, it looks like you are likely to be in the simulator and wait for an opportunity during 2021; that’s if Ted is right, of course.

McLaren remains solid to catch P3

Let’s go!! Third in the @ F1 Constructors’ World Championship! What an incredible achievement and I couldn’t be more proud of every single person on this incredible team. Both of them @landonorris AND @ carlossainz55 finished the season with great impulses in P5 and P6. # F1 #McLaren #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/KTvcfdyADF

– Zak Brown (@ZBrownCEO) December 13, 2020

It was completely appropriate how McLaren got the ‘bronze medal’ in the Constructors’ World Championship – they just did what they have done for most of the season.

By that, we mean maintaining consistency. Throughout the year, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz have contributed a regular number of points to power McLaren in their fight with Racing Point and Renault, and this is exactly how it developed again.

P5 and P6 got the job done, while Racing Point, first and third last weekend, had a P10 and a DNF, those high and low fortunes are a symbol of their 2020 campaign that has contained the highest highs and some lows. crushing.

Renault was also not reliable enough as it finished the final race of the season in P7 and P9, with Daniel Ricciardo’s long first season on hard tires allowing him to finish ahead of his teammate Esteban Ocon.

McLaren freely admits that theirs was not generally the third fastest car this year, but in the end that didn’t matter, even if Racing Point would have finished above them had it not been for their 15-point penalty as punishment for the ‘copy ‘controversy.

F1 is not always about pure pace, and in terms of overall performance, McLaren is to be commended as Norris and Sainz worked superbly together to deliver 97 and 105 points respectively, despite both finishing behind Sergio Pérez and Ricciardo. in the pilot classification.

In terms of natural adjustments, Ricciardo for Ferrari-bound Sainz looks ideal next year alongside Norris and with a Mercedes engine too, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McLaren go even further, although there is still a big gap between them and Red. Toro .

And finally…

We salute everyone involved who has ensured that the 2020 Formula 1 season unfolds, under the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

In the spring, with races canceled left, right and center, do we ever imagine a 17-race schedule? “It takes eight races to form a Championship,” it was mentioned several times.

It has been a phenomenal effort by the FIA, Formula 1, the circuits, the teams, the drivers, the officials, the broadcasters, everyone involved, to get the show back on the road and keep it going.

The only disappointment was, except for a few races, that the stands were empty as Lewis Hamilton roared towards his seventh title, Sergio Pérez and Pierre Gasly won their first races, Lance Stroll took pole position in the Istanbul rain and Romain Grosjean emerged. heroically from his fiery Haas, torn in two.

As spring turned into summer, the world craved the return of live sport and F1 was at the forefront of delivering it.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it possible for our enjoyment and a huge “well done.”

Shooting in 2021 … and fingers crossed, a more ‘normal’ season.

Jon wilde

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