As the cars race into the sunset this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the sun will also set on the 2020 Formula 1 season, and what a season it was from almost not happening at all to running at multiple new circuits. Abu Dhabi is a unique Grand Prix not only because the Yas Marina circuit is run counterclockwise but also because the race will occur from sunset into darkness, natural light into artificial light. Built on a man-made island and with a hotel straddling the track, Yas Marina is said to be the costliest circuit to construct on the Formula 1 calendar.
Red Bull will enter the weekend with mixed emotions as their goals for 2020 didn’t work out exactly as planned despite a strong second place finish in the constructor’s championship. The chassis took more time during the season than anticipated to develop and refine, their number two driver cannot keep pace with his teammate, and the Honda engine is still ever so slightly off of Mercedes in terms of power. Expect a podium for one car and the other to finish in the points. On the AlphaTauri side of the garage we can expect one car to finish in the points, two with a little luck or attrition further up the order.
Elsewhere on the grid, expect Mercedes to rebound from the pit stop blunders in Bahrain irrespective of whether Lewis Hamilton returns as George Russell has showed his mettle. Recent performances tell us that a Racing Point will be next. Perhaps the tightest battle will be between a McLaren and a Renault with the team cars not far behind as they fight for fourth in the constructor’s championship. Expect a Ferrari to be following that battle but not quite within striking distance of it. At this point in the order we should expect to see team cars from the top midfield runners. The battle following them has gone from a two-way battle earlier in the season to a three-way battle between Alfa Romeo, Haas, and now Williams who have quietly developed their car and program to something that doesn’t leave them seconds behind the entire field.
Abu Dhabi marks the end of our 2020 Formula 1 Grand Prix coverage. On behalf of TOV/ TOV Motorsports I would like to sincerely express thanks and gratitude to everyone who reads these posts and participates in the discussions; we’ve had another great year of conversation and debates despite everything going on in the world. We look forward to 2021 as the partnership between Honda and Red Bull reaches its high water mark before Honda again steps back from F1. Again, thank you all.
US TV TIMES
Practice 1 – Friday, Dec. 11, 3:55 AM –
ESPN
Practice 2 – Friday, Dec. 11, 7:55 AM – ESPN2
Practice 3 – Saturday, Dec. 12, 4:55 AM –
ESPN
Qualifying – Saturday, Dec. 12, 7:55 AM – ESPN2
Grand Prix Sunday – Sunday, Dec. 13, 7:30 AM – ESPN2
Race – Sunday, Dec. 13, 8:05 AM – ESPN2
Encore – Sunday, Dec. 13, 3:00 PM –
ESPNEWS
CIRCUIT INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 5.554km (3.451 miles)
Race laps: 55
Race distance: 305.355km (189.739 miles)
Pole position: Right-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’39.283 by Lewis Hamilton, 2019
Fastest lap: 1’36.231 by Valtteri Bottas, 2017
Maximum speed: 320kph (198.839 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Two straights
Distance from grid to turn one: 300m
Car performance
Full throttle: 59%
Longest flat-out section: 1233m
Downforce level: High
Gear changes per lap: 68
Fuel use per lap: 1.8kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.054s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 21.175s by Red Bull (see full list)
2020 tyres: Hard (C3), Medium (C4), Soft (C5) (2019: Hard (C3), Medium (C4), Soft (C5))
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2019 RESULTS
Race Info.
Pole: Lewis Hamilton – 1:34.779
Race laps: 55
Fast race lap: Lewis Hamilton – 1:39.283
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
2. Max Verstappen – Red Bull
3. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
CURRENT STANDINGS
Drivers:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 332
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 205
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 189
4. Sergio Perez, Racing Point, 125
5. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, 112
6. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 98
7. Carlos Sainz, McLaren, 97
8. Alex Albon, Red Bull, 93
9. Lando Norris, McLaren, 87
10. Lance Stroll, Racing Point, 74
11. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 71
12. Esteban Ocon, Renault, 60
13. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 33
14. Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri, 32
15. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 10
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo, 4
17. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, 4
18. George Russell, Mercedes, 3
19. Romain Grosjean, Haas, 2
20. Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 1
21. Nicholas Latifi, Williams, 0
22. Jack Aitken, Williams, 0
23. Pietro Fittipaldi, Haas, 0
Constructors:
1. Mercedes, 540
2. Red Bull, 282
3. Racing Point, 194
4. McLaren, 184
5. Renault, 172
6. Ferrari, 131
7. AlphaTauri, 103
8. Alfa Romeo, 8
9. Haas, 3
10. Williams, 0
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