The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has never been accompanied by so much anticipation and suspense. Placed at the end of the championship since its appearance in 2009 on the Formula 1 calendar, the race disputed on the Yas Marina circuit still had a little stake for the title of world champion on only four occasions (2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016).
Sunday 12 December, for the final act of the 2021 season, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will compete for the coronation while they are perfectly tied in the standings. Cyril Abiteboul, the former director of the Renault team (now Alpine), analyzes the decisive GP that is ahead.
Franceinfo: sport: in your opinion, which car between Mercedes and Red Bull does the Yas Marina circuit favor?
Cyril Abiteboul: Historically it was the kind of track that suited Red Bull well. With a slightly lower engine sensitivity, a car with real aerodynamic downforce, a wheelbase (distance between the axles) and a rake (angle of inclination of the car, quite high at Red Bull) rather Red Bull type . Afterwards, they made a lot of changes to the route. I discussed it with Daniel (Ricciardo), I know there will be a bit faster portion, it changes the stability a bit. It could put Mercedes and Red Bull on an equal footing. I don’t think it’s going to be mechanical, very frankly. It is essentially in the driver’s gloves that things will be done and especially under the helmet because the psychological factor will be at its height.
Who do you think is the most solid to withstand the pressure between Hamilton and Verstappen?
It is complicated. Lewis Hamilton came out of this very good dynamic with three straight wins which gave him confidence. What must be pondering in his head is that the animal he has in front of him is ready for anything, unpredictable. For a week, we have time to rehash what happened, everything that the opposing pilot is capable of doing and therefore to create doubt, uncertainty about what Lewis Hamilton can expect from from Max (Verstappen). If Lewis had won easily last Sunday, he would feel extremely strong and in the best position to attack Abu Dhabi. There, the fact that it is so contested probably creates a little doubt in him, which can only play to the advantage of Max.
On this circuit, is pole position particularly decisive?
I think that on Saturday and the first corner, then the first braking on Sunday will be very important. But that could also have been said of Jeddah, knowing that it will still trigger fewer red flags in Yas Marina. Last Sunday, we knew that an incident would cause a red flag, a new start and therefore new opportunities for the first turn and the first braking. We can expect a Grand Prix, the outcome of which will be strongly determined by who takes the lead after the first corner, and therefore largely by qualifying.
Which driver do you think has the advantage in qualifying?
In qualifying, I made a small bet on Lewis who is still robust, very clean. We saw Max’s mistake in Q3 last week, even though he was going to beat Lewis because his first two sectors were better. On the race, it will be another kettle of fish. I can see a Lewis in the lead on the grid but a Max who manages to recover at the first corner. Then there will be a few laps left …
Can we imagine that the teammates, Sergio Perez for Red Bull and Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes, play a role in this duel?
Verry much. They already have a role for the constructors’ championship which is also important even if it is less publicized. It is no less important in particular on the financial aspects because the financial redistribution the following year is made on the basis of the constructors’ championship and not on that of the pilots. Second, they are also important for the drivers’ championship. Having two cars is extremely important. The ideal is to be two against one, that allows you to put strategic pressure on the pilot alone. Two against two, it neutralizes. But above all, you have to have the two pilots very close. They have a huge role to play.