324 replies to this topic

[aleo4]

Simple Question, what does everybody think will happen? not want or hope but what do you think?

 

i think Lewis will be too strong and we will see an uneventful Hamilton, Max and Bottas podium, sorry to be boring lol

[Maustinsj]

I think one driver will win and another won't.

 

Bookmark it - you heard it here first.

[Casey]

I´m sure this will be in the pocket for Hamilton bar a mechanical failure or accident .

[RekF1]

I think one driver will win and another won't.
 
Bookmark it - you heard it here first.

I think the opposite. One driver won't win and the other will. I'll bet you £50. You heard it here first.

[Jon83]

Simple Question, what does everybody think will happen? not want or hope but what do you think?

 

i think Lewis will be too strong and we will see an uneventful Hamilton, Max and Bottas podium, sorry to be boring lol

Most likely outcome

[TheFish]

Double DNF, lawyers making a fortune. Shambles for the sport.

[Spillage]

Probably would have said the old Abu Dhabi would favour Red Bull. Not sure what diffences the circuit changes will have made rhough.

O have a feeling we might see them crash into one another. Possibly with a random winner. Would be pretty cool if Leclerc or Norris get it.

[aleo4]

Double DNF, lawyers making a fortune. Shambles for the sport.

FIA will make us wait until bahrain next year to declare who gets the title lol

[aportinga]

Simple Question, what does everybody think will happen? not want or hope but what do you think?

 

i think Lewis will be too strong and we will see an uneventful Hamilton, Max and Bottas podium, sorry to be boring lol

 

Could be... I am almost there with you as I agree Hamilton may run away from it or they will both crash and Hamilton wins with 9 wins vs Max 8.

Edited by aportinga, 06 December 2021 - 16:47.

[mikeC]

The two title contenders take each other out, each blaming the other, only to discover that one of them set the fastest lap of the race on the preceding lap... I'll leave it to you to decide which one 

[Gareth]

Max puts it on pole thanks to the softs (2 themes of the season IMO: the softer the tyre, the better for RBR; and Saturday is better than Sunday for them).

 

Stint 2 on the hards, Lewis closes in and gets in to DRS range.

 

He makes a move to overtake. Max closes the door. There's a collision.

 

The forum melts down.

[Retrofly]

The two title contenders take each other out, each blaming the other, only to discover that one of them set the fastest lap of the race on the preceding lap... I'll leave it to you to decide which one 

If you dont finish in the top 10 you dont get FL point.

 

Max crashes into Lewis, Max DSQ form championship. Lewis wins 8th title and retires on the spot.

[mikeC]

If you dont finish in the top 10 you dont get FL point.

 

Max crashes into Lewis, Max DSQ form championship. Lewis wins 8th title and retires on the spot.

Of course, I forgot that 

 

OK, they take each other out, both are disqualified from the Championship, and Bottas takes the crown.

[TomNokoe]

Comfortable Hamilton victory

[Collombin]

So many (including myself) expecting a collision. That says a lot - and it can't all just be collective forum cynicism.

[SenorSjon]

Easy win for Lewis, driving off into the sunset. Then saying it was a terrific crowd, etc, etc.

[gpking]

Bottas takes out both Hamilton and Verstappen.

[SenorSjon]

Bottas takes out both Hamilton and Verstappen.

 

Or Perez and Bottas taking out both Verstappen and Hamilton. A bit like Spa 2012 or Singapore 2017. Could we see an Alonso victory?

[tourister46a]

Easy cruise win for Hamilton for his 8th title. Mercedes 8th consecutive WCC

[Broekschaap]

Easy win for Lewis, driving off into the sunset. Then saying it was a terrific crowd, etc, etc.

Unless his tires are not gonna hold. That will change everyting.

[scheivlak]

If you dont finish in the top 10 you dont get FL point.

 

Next twist: as it happens at the start of the last lap, they will be classified 10th and 11th. The 11th pace guy gets the fastest lap.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

One thing that will definitely not happen is some action post-race to adjust the standings.  There is no way that anyone in the sport will take the title away from Verstappen, should he get one via a double DNF.  If he tries to double DNF his way to the title but fails, however, then all bets are off, it's a lot easier to apply penalties if they don't change the result.

[fed up]

Both cars crash - LH limps home 10th place and wins WDC. Max says he’s not bothered, RBR have run them close and he’s proud of his team. I

[Burtros]

If Mercedes look well ahead of Red Bull Max will put them both in the wall and take his chances in the courts.

The Mercedes is unbeatable on current evidence.

[flyboym3]

Max puts it on pole thanks to the softs (2 themes of the season IMO: the softer the tyre, the better for RBR; and Saturday is better than Sunday for them).

Stint 2 on the hards, Lewis closes in and gets in to DRS range.

He makes a move to overtake. Max closes the door. There's a collision.

The forum melts down.

Yeah this, Merc cannot extract the laptime from this softer range.
Hamilton gonna have to do it the hard way and overtake on track. He won't even get in the drs zone, he barely managed it yesterday with the benefit of 2 extra zones

Edited by flyboym3, 06 December 2021 - 17:09.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

Next twist: as it happens at the start of the last lap, they will be classified 10th and 11th. The 11th pace guy gets the fastest lap.

That's still not a twist.  The only way FL can swing the championship is if Hamilton is 9th and Verstappen 10th, and Verstappen gets the FL.  In any other scenario, the one in front wins if they're in the points, and Verstappen wins if neither one is in the top 10.

[scheivlak]

Could be... I am almost there with you as I agree Hamilton may run away from it or they will both crash and Hamilton wins with 9 wins vs Max 8.

Current situation is that Max has 9 wins and Lewis 7....

[Cliff]

Tears.

[Risil]

One thing that will definitely not happen is some action post-race to adjust the standings.  There is no way that anyone in the sport will take the title away from Verstappen, should he get one via a double DNF.  If he tries to double DNF his way to the title but fails, however, then all bets are off, it's a lot easier to apply penalties if they don't change the result.

I don't think it necessarily needs to be made public but I hope Masi and the stewards are making it clear to Merc and Red Bull what will and won't be tolerated from their drivers.

[eibyyz]

Mayländer on top step.

[Risil]

Current situation is that Max has 9 wins and Lewis 7....

Lewis has 8 wins and Max has 8 wins plus one pole position that the FIA chose to count as a win.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

I don't think it necessarily needs to be made public but I hope Masi and the stewards are making it clear to Merc and Red Bull what will and won't be tolerated from their drivers.

That relies on two unlikely events both happening:  Masi managing to be clear about anything, and Merc And Red Bull being fooled by his bluff.

[Spillage]

Max puts it on pole thanks to the softs (2 themes of the season IMO: the softer the tyre, the better for RBR; and Saturday is better than Sunday for them).

 

Stint 2 on the hards, Lewis closes in and gets in to DRS range.

 

He makes a move to overtake. Max closes the door. There's a collision.

 

The forum melts down.

I think one thing we can safely say is that the forum's servers are going to have a busy weekend
 

[tourister46a]

Current situation is that Max has 9 wins and Lewis 7....

No, it is Max 9 - Lewis 8

[eibyyz]

That's still not a twist.  The only way FL can swing the championship is if Hamilton is 9th and Verstappen 10th, and Verstappen gets the FL.  In any other scenario, the one in front wins if they're in the points, and Verstappen wins if neither one is in the top 10.

 

Bottas and Perez will go through their entire batch of softs in the last ten laps.  Wolff will stroll down the pit lane to €ncourage Macca, Aston and Williams to do the same.  Ditto for Horn€r and Toro Rosso.

[Retrofly]

I don't think it necessarily needs to be made public but I hope Masi and the stewards are making it clear to Merc and Red Bull what will and won't be tolerated from their drivers.

Why do they need to speak to Merc, they think Hamilton will crash into Max? They only need to speak to Max and say "if its deliberate we will DSQ from the championship" thats all they need to do and he will keep it clean.

[Collombin]

No, it is Max 9 - Lewis 8

With that absurd Spa race being the difference. I'm glad I care much less about the WDC than I used to.

[Risil]

Why do they need to speak to Merc, they think Hamilton will crash into Max? They only need to speak to Max and say "if its deliberate we will DSQ from the championship" thats all they need to do and he will keep it clean.

I think they need to avoid personalizing it and spell out a number of scenarios and what the stewards' response would be if Driver A crowds Driver B and Driver B doesn't yield, if Driver A sends it up the inside of Driver B with no intention of making the corner, etc.

 

The big risk I see is that with all the odd and contradictory stewarding decisions in the last couple of years, Max and Lewis could do virtually anything to each other and still have Wolff or Horner claiming some precedent or other that it was OK. I think some clarity about what the consequences will be for dirty driving could help keep them in check, because right now I see two teams who are thinking very hard about how to exploit grey areas and indecision from the authorities.

[GunnarN7]

The old Abu Dhabi with that slow and twisty S3 would've been a RBR track in my book, but with the new version who knows. Going by the last races the Mercedes should be ahead, but not clearly ahead. He only really dominated Interlagos, in Losail and Jeddah penalties and mistakes made it seem "easier" than it should've been for Lewis.

 

With Max being off the rails I'm not sure, I think he'd rather risk a DSQ from the championship than letting Hamilton get away with an easy win. It seems like this "he doesn't have the car to fight fairly anymore, so he's entitled to take whatever measures are necessary to get it" narrative is getting traction. Even if it's true, It's like he's the first driver that's ever have to face this kind of situation. No one has had to fight with a slower car, Max Verstappen invented that.

 

Alonso was in the lead in the thick end of 2010 or 2012 with a weaker car and I don't remember seeing him lunging at Vettel. You could argue that they didn't race wheel to wheel as often as these two are doing, but I don't know Alonso starting 3rd with Vettel on pole I'm sure he could've just divebombed to force Vettel to back off or something like that. He didn't not because he lacked opportunities, he just isn't that kind of driver, he's proved it multiple times. And alas, he lost those titles, but at least he kept his dignity. Better than winning like that imho.

[aportinga]

Easy cruise win for Hamilton for his 8th title. Mercedes 8th consecutive WCC

 

No way Bernie allows that 

[Dmitriy_Guller]

Why do they need to speak to Merc, they think Hamilton will crash into Max? They only need to speak to Max and say "if its deliberate we will DSQ from the championship" thats all they need to do and he will keep it clean.

I don't think that's all they need to do.  What if Verstappen calls their bluff?  I suspect in that case they'll go "we're not mind readers, we can't say for sure that it was deliberate".  The problem for F1 is that no one has the power and the resolve to issue credible threats, Verstappen looks bigger than the sport right now.

[ClubmanGT]

Double-DSQ for bringing the sport into disrepute.

Bottas wins his first of nine titles. 

[GTR]

as much as I hate it (partly after Interlagos and mostly after yesterday), I think Max will take the title.

[cbo]

No one will know until someone invents a 1.000 petaflop supercomputer, allowing FIA to calculate the combined effect of all penalties after another dogs breakfast of a race.

[PayasYouRace]

Double-DSQ for bringing the sport into disrepute.

Bottas wins his first of nine titles. 

 

Alfa Romeo must have something saved up then.

[Requiem84]

as much as I hate it (partly after Interlagos and mostly after yesterday), I think Max will take the title.

 

Based on which scenario do you think this?

[carlb5253]

I think a collision is inevitable, all season we have been heading towards this point and its going to be one of those races that defines Max Verstappens career.

For all the wrong reasons.

[Redaxo]

Rocket engine of Hamilton goes bang.

[Requiem84]

I'm at peace with Mercedes and Hamilton winning both titles in Abu Dhabi.

Max needs to learn that sometimes you simply can't win. And going all in with moves that aren't on shouldn't be made (at least not multiple times). There's a point where he should understand he's been beaten. 

[JeePee]

Why do they need to speak to Merc, they think Hamilton will crash into Max? They only need to speak to Max and say "if its deliberate we will DSQ from the championship" thats all they need to do and he will keep it clean.

Small reminder that the season is longer than the last race and both Mercedes drivers have taken out both Red Bulls this year a bit more than te other way around.