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What does Friday say about the rest of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

What does Friday say about the rest of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

29-11-2019 18:32
1

Bevan Youl

Friday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Valtteri Bottas top the times for both practice sessions with few drivers stuggling to deal with the dusty conditions. But what does the three hours of running tell us for the rest of the weekend?

Mercedes back on top form?
 
Looking at the results from FP1 and FP2 with Bottas on top for both, and Lewis Hamilton propping up in third and second it’s like the first half of the season again.
 
Altough the Finn will be starting at the back it would be no surprise to see him make his way through the field early on and potentially grab a podium while Hamilton could add another win to his season, even after a practice session of experimenting with his car.
 
Ferrari to show pace in qualifying?
 
Considering the three straights that the Yas Marina Circuit has it was quite surprising to see Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finish fifth/seventh and third/fourth, a few tenths behind Mercedes.
 
But the Scuderia have massively stepped up their level in qualifying throughout the second half of the season so it would not be a surprise to see a sudden burst of pace from them for one lap stints tomorrow.
 
Whether that pace can translate into the race or not is another question.
 
Have Haas finally solved their car spec problems?
 
Haas have had a horror year compared to their fifth placed finish in the constructors in 2018, trying to deal with different car specifications and solving tyre problems.
 
Romain Grosjean was testing the spec used by Kevin Magnussen at the US GP and found himself finishing P6 in FP1 and P7 in FP2.
 
Impressive, up until the Frenchman was on the receiving end of a Bottas overtake which saw the two hit each other, sending Grosjean for a spin. Revealed later that they wouldn’t be able to run the spec anymore…
 
The battle for fifth place
 
Renault (91 points) and Toro Rosso (83 points) are locked in a battle with each other for fifth place in the constructors after McLaren sealed fourth, with SportPesa Racing Point a long shot chance back on 67 points.
 
Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly both finished in the top 10 for FP2 while Nico Hulkenberg just made it during FP1 as teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s car suffered from an oil leak on track.
 
Renault proved they had the better power unit back in Monza on the straights but the winding sections of the Yas Marina Circuit may play into Toro Rosso’s favour.
 
Qualifying will make for an interesting one regarding the midfield tomorrow!