F1 2011: Abu Dhabi.

[Ferry_vO]

Pole position #14 for Vettel, equaling Nigel Mansell's 1992 record (Although the 1992 season only had 16 races.)!

1	1	Sebastian Vettel	RBR-Renault	1:40.478	1:38.516	1:38.481	16
2	3	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1:39.782	1:38.434	1:38.622	15
3	4	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	1:40.227	1:39.097	1:38.631	14
4	2	Mark Webber	RBR-Renault	1:40.167	1:38.821	1:38.858	19
5	5	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	1:41.380	1:39.058	1:39.058	16
6	6	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:41.592	1:39.623	1:39.695	20
7	8	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	1:41.120	1:39.420	1:39.773	17
8	7	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	1:42.605	1:40.554	1:40.662	18
9	14	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Mercedes	1:40.595	1:40.205	1:40.768	17
10	15	Paul di Resta	Force India-Mercedes	1:41.064	1:40.414	No time	15
11	17	Sergio Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	1:41.311	1:40.874		18
12	10	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	1:40.955	1:40.919		18
13	18	Sebastien Buemi	STR-Ferrari	1:41.737	1:41.009		15
14	9	Bruno Senna	Renault	1:41.391	1:41.079		15
15	19	Jaime Alguersuari	STR-Ferrari	1:41.386	1:41.162		16
16	16	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	1:41.613	1:41.240		17
17	12	Pastor Maldonado	Williams-Cosworth	1:42.258	1:41.760		13
18	20	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Renault	1:42.979			11
19	21	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Renault	1:43.884			11
20	24	Timo Glock	Virgin-Cosworth	1:44.515			9
21	22	Daniel Ricciardo	HRT-Cosworth	1:44.641			9
22	25	Jerome d'Ambrosio	Virgin-Cosworth	1:44.699			8
23	23	Vitantonio Liuzzi	HRT-Cosworth	1:45.159			8
24	11	Rubens Barrichello	Williams-Cosworth	No time			0
		Q1 107% Time		1:46.766

<tbody>
<th>Pos</th><th>No</th><th>Driver</th><th>Team</th><th>Q1</th><th>Q2</th><th>Q3</th><th>Laps</th>
</tbody>

 

[eddie]

I hope Webber wins, do you think he can do it?

 

[Ferry_vO]

Looking at the previous 17 races I'd say he has no chance.. Unless both McLarens and Vettel retire!

 

[Wing_Z]

"Good Evening, Mr. Mansell"

...heard on the RBR pit radio - they are very aware of all those records waiting to be knocked off!
Mansell's 1992 season with Williams was spectacular, and it's not as if it was a pushover, there were people like Ayrton Senna keen to see him off.
What a contrast, to see present day shots of those old folks (Williams & Head) presiding over a team that has its two cars at grid slots 23 and 24, in a field of 24.
Maybe Raikonnen and other new blood can make a difference next year.
Six previous World Champions on the same grid, quite a prospect!

Another radio call I found fascinating came from Schumacher's pit, in Q2:
"Michael, the cutoff for this session is going to be 1:45.5..." (he was circulating at around 1:46).
The next lap from Schumacher is 1:45.55.
The top 10 runners and perhaps more, are in total control of their game, and that makes Vettel and RBR look even more spectacular, to find a tenth at the last moment and take pole.

Mind you, under the lights at Yas Marina, all the cars look spectacular, even the tyres are shiny!

 

[Ferry_vO]

Mansell's 1992 season with Williams was spectacular, and it's not as if it was a pushover, there were people like Ayrton Senna keen to see him off.

Even a trained monkey could have driven that car to the title! It was, and probably still is, the most advanced F1 car ever built with ABS, traction control, active suspension and who knows what else! Not to mention by far the best engine of the field.
A far cry from this weekend's performance, with the worst grid positions in the history of the team...

 

[wombat666]

Even a trained monkey could have driven that car to the title! It was, and probably still is, the most advanced F1 car ever built with ABS, traction control, active suspension and who knows what else! Not to mention by far the best engine of the field.
A far cry from this weekend's performance, with the worst grid positions in the history of the team...

And the trained monkey drove it to a World Championship!!
Actually the FW15 was the high point of F1 Technology, so much so that most of the tech was banned for 1994.
As for Vettel and RBR, ticking off the numbers is just the right way annoy me.
Neither are comparable to a Jimmy Clark and Lotus for example.

And a PS: The only way Williams will be 'saved' is for both Frank Williams and Patrick Head to retire.

 

[Panther_99FS]

Even a trained monkey could have driven that car to the title! It was, and probably still is, the most advanced F1 car ever built with ABS, traction control, active suspension and who knows what else! Not to mention by far the best engine of the field.
A far cry from this weekend's performance, with the worst grid positions in the history of the team...

This is why I debate that F1 is more (or used to be) more about the car & designers than driver..... And also hence why the Constructor's Championship is so coveted....(or used to be)....

The new generation of F1 fans don't understand this....

 

[Wing_Z]

Even a trained monkey could have driven that car to the title!...

Yes I'm not actually a huge fan of Our Nige... I've just realised that like the Red Bull RB7, the Williams F14B was also a Renault-powered car - and designed by a certain Mr. Adrian Newey!

 

[wombat666]

Loved the second corner ground loop by Vettel.

 

[Ferry_vO]

First retirement for Vettel in 20 races! He finished no lower than fourth in the last nineteen races.

Full results:

1	3	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	55	1:37:11.886	2	25
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	55	+8.4 secs	5	18
3	4	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	55	+25.8 secs	3	15
4	2	Mark Webber	RBR-Renault	55	+35.7 secs	4	12
5	6	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	55	+50.5 secs	6	10
6	8	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	55	+52.3 secs	7	8
7	7	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	55	+75.9 secs	8	6
8	14	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Mercedes	55	+77.1 secs	9	4
9	15	Paul di Resta	Force India-Mercedes	55	+101.087 secs	10	2
10	16	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	54	+1 Lap	16	1
11	17	Sergio Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	54	+1 Lap	11
12	11	Rubens Barrichello	Williams-Cosworth	54	+1 Lap	24
13	10	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	54	+1 Lap	12
14	12	Pastor Maldonado	Williams-Cosworth	54	+1 Lap	23
15	19	Jaime Alguersuari	STR-Ferrari	54	+1 Lap	15
16	9	Bruno Senna	Renault	54	+1 Lap	14
17	20	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Renault	54	+1 Lap	17
18	21	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Renault	53	+2 Laps	18
19	24	Timo Glock	Virgin-Cosworth	53	+2 Laps	19
20	23	Vitantonio Liuzzi	HRT-Cosworth	53	+2 Laps	22
Ret	22	Daniel Ricciardo	HRT-Cosworth	48	+7 Laps	20
Ret	18	Sebastien Buemi	STR-Ferrari	19	+36 Laps	13
Ret	25	Jerome d'Ambrosio	Virgin-Cosworth	18	+37 Laps	21
Ret	1	Sebastian Vettel	RBR-Renault	1	Puncture damage	1

<tbody>
<th>Pos</th><th>No</th><th>Driver</th><th>Team</th><th>Laps</th><th>Time/Retired</th><th>Grid</th><th title="Points">Pts</th>
</tbody>

 

[Panther_99FS]

The pressure is now on Massa to NOT become the only Ferrari driver in 20 years to go a full season without a podium finish.
And to show my bias, good to see Nico ahead of Michael again.....:mixedsmi:

 

[Wing_Z]

The pressure is now on Massa to NOT become the only Ferrari driver in 20 years to go a full season without a podium finish...

As sure as God made Little Green Apples...the podium has been occupied by Five drivers this whole year.
Massa is consistent only in arriving at the finish in sixth place (fifth if a Real Driver falls off the track).

Loved the second corner ground loop by Vettel.

Man, was he annoyed! There is some number that has now got away from him, maybe forever. Sebastian was pounding away at the laptop in the pits to trace this Major Aberration.

Yas Marina, as hard as they might try to Rah-Rah, is no Monaco.
Is there anything cheesier than Ferrari World??

 

[wombat666]

Two 'Ferrari Worlds'?????