'Verstappen won only in Abu Dhabi due to deliberate handicap at Mercedes'

Expectations for 2021 are already high after Max Verstappen's victory in Abu Dhabi. Is Red Bull Racing really on the right track or did Mercedes fool the competition and fans all in the last race of the season?

Mercedes disabled in Abu Dhabi?

Mercedes has been known for years to look beyond the next race. By the time a title has been won, the factory is working much harder on next season's car, where other teams are still working hard on this year's car. In Abu Dhabi, Mercedes may have taken an extra step.

The German Formel1.de wonders aloud whether Mercedes has driven in Abu Dhabi with the best parts. The 2021 car is, of course, very similar to the 2020 car, so new parts can easily be tested. According to the medium, in 2018 and 2019 Mercedes also hung a pitot tube under the car to test parts. This ensures that the car weighs more, but in addition to the tests, data could now even be collected in the race.

New parts for Mercedes

With that extra weight you are of course at a disadvantage during the race and that could explain why Verstappen could suddenly win. Giorgio Piola of Formel1.de, saw even more parts that were also on the car during the test. According to the German medium it could be that the car had already been prepared for the test in Abu Dhabi towards 2021, so it could collect even more data.

It would not be the first time that Mercedes would sacrifice performance in the short term in order to gather more knowledge for the coming season. In recent years the competition has been getting closer and closer throughout the season, but there was another huge lead at the beginning of the year for Mercedes. Will this be the case in 2021 as a result of this trick?