Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019 Preview
Formula 1 2018 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Start, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Image credit to EPA-EFE. Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019 Preview.
Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019 Preview
After Max Verstappen won a wild Brazilian GP, which saw both Ferrari’s collide, the final round of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship returns to the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019. This will be the eleventh edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the eleventh time that event has been run as a World Championship round since the inaugural season in 1950.
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – A look at the Yas Marina Circuit
The Yas Marina Circuit is a permanent racing circuit located on the stunning Yas Island, 30 minutes away from the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. The circuit was designed by German designer Hermann Tilke. It is the second purposely built circuit for Formula One in the Middle East with the first being in Bahrain. The circuit twists through Yas Island off the Abu Dhabi coastline passing by the marina and through the iconic five-star, 499 room Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi Hotel designed by New York -based architects Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture of Asymptote Architecture, and winds its way through sand dunes, with several long straights and tight corners. The uniquely scenic waterfront marina-based development includes water and theme parks as well as residential areas, hotels and beaches. The track has five grandstand areas (Main Grandstand, West Grandstand, North Grandstand, South Grandstand and Marina Grandstand (aka Support)) and part of the pit lane exit runs underneath the circuit. It also features a team building behind the pits, Media Centre, Dragster Track, VIP Tower and the Ferrari World Theme Park. The circuit also features a powerful lighting system which ensures the transition from day to night racing action.
The cars hit top speeds of 320 kph and average speeds of 195 kph. As well as the waterside marina area, there are high-speed sections (including the longest straight on the F1 calendar), tight corners for overtaking, and sector three which resembles part of a twisty-style street circuit. Overall, its diverse elements come together to create one of the most demanding and longest circuits in the world.
The Yas Marina Circuit is 5.554km (3.451 miles) in length with 21 corners and runs in an anti-clockwise direction.
Race distance is 305.355km (189.739 miles) in length with 55 laps in total.
Sebastian Vettel holds the fastest lap record at the Yas Marina Circuit with a 1:40.279 set in 2009 in his Red Bull Racing Renault RB5.
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victories with four victories to his name.
Mercedes are the most successful constructors at the Yas Marina Circuit with five victories.
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – Onboard Pole Lap of the Yas Marina Circuit
Here is the onboard pole lap of the Yas Marina Circuit set at last year’s event by Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport F1 W09 EQ Power+, with the Briton posting a blistering 1:34.794. You can watch the video right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XrkcEfByqY
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – The Last Five Winners
2018: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2017: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1. 2016: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2015: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1. 2014: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1.
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – Tyres
Pirelli will be bringing to the Yas Marina Circuit, the softest tyres in its range, the white side-walled C3 Hards, the yellow-branded C4 P-Zero Medium compounds and the C5 red-marked P-Zero Soft tyres along with the green-branded Intermediate and blue-marked Full Wet tyre compounds in case of rain.
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon have selected nine sets of the softs and identical choices for the season-finale.
Toro Rosso and Williams also opted for nine sets of the softer compounds whilst all the remaining drivers on the grid will have eight sets of the softs with a few variations amongst the teams regarding the hards and medium rubber.
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – DRS Zones
As in 2018, there will be two DRS Zones at the Yas Marina Circuit. The first detection point will be 40 metres after turn seven with the first activation zone 390 metres after turn seven. The second detection point will be 50 metres after turn nine with the second activation zone at turn 10.
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – Pitlane Speeds
Pitlane speed limits will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.
ICYMI: Brazilian GP Rewind – Verstappen wins wild Brazilian GP as both Ferrari’s collide
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen claimed his eighth-career victory in an edge-of-your-seat Brazilian GP as Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly claimed his maiden podium and disaster struck for Ferrari.
Pole-sitter Verstappen had to pass Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton twice to score his third win of the season, whilst Gasly beat Hamilton in a straight-line drag race to the chequered flag after being handed second place when Hamilton and Alexander Albon tangled on the penultimate lap.
A collision between Ferrari team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc caused the second deployment of the safety car to set up a final four-lap climax to a thrilling Grand Prix, with Albon in second because Hamilton made a switch to the softer rubber under the SC and fell to third.
When Hamilton attempted to pass Albon on the second to last lap, they hit each other, and the Red Bull spun. This gave Gasly a chance to jump Hamilton and then managed to resist the Mercedes on the rundown to the line in a narrow-close finish.
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz also clinched his first-career podium and the Woking-based outfit’s first since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix after being cleared of not using DRS under a double-waved yellow and following Hamilton’s post-race five second time penalty for his collision with Albon, which demoted the Briton to seventh and promoted the Spaniard to third from fourth.
Pole sitter Verstappen got a brilliant getaway but behind the Red Bull, Vettel not so well as Hamilton aggressively found his way around the Ferrari into turn two to snatch second.
Verstappen was already 1.7 seconds clear of Hamilton in the lead while Bottas was pressuring Vettel for third.
Charles Leclerc moved up a place after the start and managed to get in-front of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo before the end of the first lap.
The Monegasque-youngster tried to get past McLaren’s Lando Norris, but was blocked at Juncao – only to move past the MCL34 with ease on the main straight.
After lap five Verstappen lead from Hamilton by 2.5 seconds, with Vettel third, Bottas fourth and Albon fifth.
Hamilton was the first of the leaders to pit on lap 21 for a set of softs in an attempt to undercut Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Verstappen followed suit a lap later for a fresh set of soft rubber, but was stuck behind the released Williams of Robert Kubica, which allowed Hamilton to move by the Red Bull into the lead.
Hamilton and Verstappen were then behind the yet-to-pit Leclerc. They both flew past the Ferrari in quick succession.
Verstappen then quickly attacked Hamilton and dived on the inside of the Mercedes to reclaim the lead into the Senna S.
Hamilton tried to attack Verstappen again on the back-straight, but the Dutchman had it sorted and easily passed Red Bull team-mate Alexander Albon into third too.
Hamilton then went around the outside of Albon’s Red Bull into the Senna S to take fourth.
Hamilton reported he wasn’t properly informed about Verstappen’s attack yelling: “Come on guys, give me the information when my battery’s dead!”
Vettel then pitted from the lead and put on a set of medium tyres as the German emerged in fifth place between Ferrari team-mate Leclerc and Albon.
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas then dived into the pits, with Verstappen leading from Hamilton by 2.2 seconds.
On lap 27, Verstappen was 1.9 seconds ahead of Hamilton followed by the yet-to-pit Leclerc, with Vettel fourth and Bottas fifth.
Vettel then passed his yet to stop Ferrari team-mate Leclerc for third and then posted the new fastest lap of a 1:12.259.
Leclerc pitted as Ferrari put the Monegasque-youngster and made the switch to a fresh set of hards to re-join in sixth place behind Albon.
Kubica was then hit with a five-second timed penalty for an unsafe release for the incident with race leader Verstappen in pit-lane.
On the 40th lap, Verstappen lead from Hamilton by 3.3 seconds, with Vettel third, Bottas fourth, Albon fifth and Leclerc sixth.
Bottas made his second stop on lap 43 for a fresh set of mediums and emerged in sixth behind Leclerc.
Hamilton pitted a lap later also for a fresh set of mediums on lap 44 and came out in-front of fourth-placed Albon.
Race leader Verstappen reacted a lap later and emerged ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen and Hamilton who was tucked behind the Dane.
Verstappen took 1.5 seconds off race-leader Vettel on his first flyer lap with Hamilton a couple of tenths quicker than the Dutchman.
Vettel pitted from the lead on the 50th lap for a fresh set of soft rubber and came out in fourth behind Albon as behind the German, the battle for fifth between Leclerc and Bottas intensified.
Bottas was the first retiree from fifth place on lap 52 due to an overheated engine with the Finn slowing to a halt on the inside at the Descida do Lago.
It initially was double-waved yellows but required a safety car when a recovery vehicle came to retrieve the Mercedes.
The safety car was deployed on the 54th lap to clear Bottas’ Silver Arrow as race leader Verstappen took advantage to pit a lap later while Hamilton done the opposite of the Dutchman and remained on track.
When the race resumed, Verstappen immediately attacked Hamilton straight away as the Dutchman went around of the Briton into the second part of Senna S to reclaim the lead.
Behind them, Albon moved passed the Ferrari of Vettel to move into third.
Albon then closed in on the Briton for second but found himself under pressure from Vettel again when the Ferrari launched a move around the outside into turn one with seven laps remaining, but Albon managed to resist.
With five laps remaining, Verstappen lead from Hamilton with Albon third, Vettel fourth and Leclerc fifth.
Disaster struck for Ferrari, when Leclerc attacked team-mate Vettel on the inside into the first corner, but when Vettel charged back on the run down to the Descida do Lago the German moved left and the two Ferraris collided.
The impact broke Leclerc’s front right wheel and forced the agitated Monegasque-youngster into retirement, whilst Vettel – who blamed Leclerc – suffered a right-rear puncture.
This deployed the final safety car under which Hamilton opted to pit yet again, dropping the Briton to fourth place behind Albon and Gasly.
A two-lap dash to the finish ensured the safety car period ended and saw Albon and Hamilton collide. Hamilton accepted blame for the incident and was hit with a five-second timed penalty after being held under investigation from the stewards with Albon dropping to 14th and the Briton was relegated to seventh.
Gasly scored an emotional second place by keeping Hamilton at bay by keeping the Silver Arrow behind until Hamilton drew level at Juncao, but the Honda-powered STR14 racer narrowly stayed ahead in a drag to the chequered flag.
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz clinched the Woking-based outfit’s best result of the season finishing third following Hamilton’s post-race penalty after starting at the rear of the grid due to not taking part in qualifying.
Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi scored the team’s best result of the year in fourth and fifth respectively, in-front of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, who came back from a broken front wing and a five-second timed penalty for his early collision with Magnussen to finish sixth.
The aforementioned Hamilton following his post-race five second timed penalty for his collision with Albon was demoted to seventh.
McLaren’s Lando Norris came home eighth and ahead of ninth-placed Racing Point of Sergio Perez and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat who completed the points places.
The aforementioned Magnussen was 11th and in-front of ROKiT Williams Racing’s George Russell who finished 12thand Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean who took 13th.
The aforementioned Albon was 14th and ahead of Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg who was demoted to 15th from twelfth after being hit with a post-race five second-time penalty for overtaking before the race restart.
The other ROKiT Williams Racing FW42 of Kubica finished at the rear and one lap down.
SportPesa Racing Point’s Lance Stroll was the other casualty on lap 65 after running over debris from the Ferrari incident.
Abu Dhabi GP Preview – The Situation
Lewis Hamilton returns to Abu Dhabi with the Driver’s Championship wrapped up on 387 points and 73 points ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas who is second of 314 points while Max Verstappen is a further 127 behind the Briton in third on 260 points.
Mercedes comes to the Yas Marina Circuit with the Constructors Championship secured on 701 points and are 222 points clear of nearest rivals Ferrari who are second on 479 points while Red Bull Racing are third and a further 310 behind the Silver Arrows in third on 391 points.
Formula 1 2019 World Driver’s Championship Standings – Top 10
- Lewis Hamilton – 387 Points.
- Valtteri Bottas – 314 Points.
- Max Verstappen – 260 Points
- Charles Leclerc – 249 Points.
- Sebastian Vettel – 230 Points.
- Pierre Gasly – 95 Points.
- Carlos Sainz – 95 Points.
- Alexander Albon – 84 Points.
- Daniel Ricciardo – 54 Points.
- Sergio Perez – 46 Points.
You can see the full World Driver’s Championship standings at the following link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2019/drivers.html
Formula 1 2019 World Constructors Championship Standings
- Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport – 701 Points.
- Scuderia Ferrari – 479 Points.
- Aston Martin Red Bull Racing-Honda – 391 Points.
- McLaren-Renault F1 Team – 140 Points.
- Renault F1 Team – 91 Points.
- Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda – 83 Points.
- SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team – 67 Points.
- Alfa Romeo Racing – 57 Points.
- Rich Energy Haas F1 Team – 28 Points.
- ROKiT Williams Racing – 1 Point.
The Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend begins Friday November 29 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday November 30 and the 55 lap Race Sunday December 1.
