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Wild that Piastri went from 90% in mid-October to 6% in December. Also wild that Verstappen went from 1% om September to 23% in December.
Partially on PIA but just as much thanks to McLaren/Zak Brown. Still hoping that Oscar can pull off a miracle but would rather see Lando win it than Max.
Here's what happened in 2024. Going into turn one it was Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri. But Verstappen and Piastri touch wheels and spin out.
I can definitely see something like that happening again this year, but who will be tagged out? You'd almost think that Norris would let Verstappen and Piastri go away to avoid being near them.
I think Verstappen has the least pressure as he's already won multiple championships and he's probably just happy to even have a shot. OTOH, Norris and Piastri's tension has been brewing all year. So I predict a McLaren double DNF.
17008257[/url]]I think Verstappen has the least pressure as he's already won multiple championships and he's probably just happy to even have a shot. OTOH, Norris and Piastri's tension has been brewing all year. So I predict a McLaren double DNF.
just needs a safety car and them staying out again
Lando bins it every time trying to win the race first lap, first turn. I wouldn't be surprised if he does it in Abu Dhabi and loses the WDC as a result.
I think the starting grid will be Norris, Piastri, Verstappen. But Verstappen will touch with Piastri at the first corner, resulting in Piastri spinning out and retiring. Zak will then order Norris into the pits to retire so that they are fair to Piastri. Thereby handing the WC to Verstappen.
1976: James Hunt won the championship from Niki Lauda in the final race in Fuji, Japan.
1986: Alain Prost won the championship at the Australian Grand Prix after Nigel Mansell suffered a tyre failure while in a championship-winning position.
1994: Michael Schumacher won the championship at the Australian Grand Prix after a collision with Damon Hill, who retired from the race.
1997: Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve were in contention for the title at the final race in Jerez, but a collision between the two drivers at the beginning of the race ultimately resulted in Villeneuve winning the championship after Schumacher was disqualified from the season.
2007: Kimi Räikkönen won the championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix after a series of mistakes from the McLaren team and their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
2010: Sebastian Vettel won his first world championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after starting the race in fourth place and overtaking multiple cars to secure the necessary points.
2012: Sebastian Vettel won his third world championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix after an early collision left him in the lead and required him to navigate the pack.
2016: Nico Rosberg secured his first and only world championship title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after his teammate Lewis Hamilton failed to make enough progress through the field.
2021: Max Verstappen won his first world championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in a highly controversial final-lap overtake on Lewis Hamilton.
2025: The current season is set to culminate in a final-race showdown at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the championship decided at the final race.
AI summary of all championships that went to the final race.
My favorite was 1994 at Australia. I was up all night watching it live. Brilliant night.
Second favorite was 2010 in Abu Dhabi. Amazing four way battle in the last race. Vettel went into the race in 3rd place in the championship and ended the race as champion.
Third favorite was 2021 in Abu Dhabi. That safety car was legendary.
2021 was an awful 50/50 damned if you, damned it you don't situation. Would not have wanted to be the one to make that call. And I'm not the biggest fan of either driver.
I don't think he's done with the sport but he's definitely done with the SF25.
Hamilton seemed quite jubilant with the team for end of the season team photo. He also seemed upbeat in the Ferrari garage with Ana de Armas
Originally Posted by F23A4
Yeah, this downforce era (error) of cars didn’t suit him well at all. Let’s see how he is next season before we call ToD on his F1 career.
QFT, the propoising of these ground effect cars never suited Hamilton at MB or Ferrari. Stiff suspension, the back end unloading at bad places (mid-corner) made for unpleasant ride for most drivers.
Happy for Lando, a deserving driver. Seemed to have the best car at the start of the season were it mastered rear tire wear and temperature with it's supposed phase change material in the brake cooling drum are. As RBR got their car under control with a early mid-season floor change resulted in a win in Emilia Romagna Grand Prix but then the rest of the mid-season the RBR race/performance engineers had a very difficult time setting up a race pace competitive RB21 until they were able to understand how to setup the car for it. Then the last third of the season the RB21 with some minor tweaks to the mid-season floor which supposidly made the car more consistent over ride height, fuel load and tire wear. It's be very interesting to have Max drive the MCL39 and Lando/Oscar drive the RB21 to compare.
Fitting that Sauber ends with a points finish with Hulkenberg finishing in 9tth. Back in 1993, JJ Lehto finished in 5th on their debut, back when only the top 6 scored points.
So longer Sauber, at least for now. Sauber kind of disappeared back when BMW took over. So never say never, if Audi ever gets tired of F1.
Ben Sulayem officially re-elected as FIA president
Has there ever been a more self centered FIA president? The most cringe thing that occurs at every race is how he inserts himself in the post race activities at every turn. Shakes the hands of the podium drivers after they get out of the cars and have a chat when them. Shakes the hands of the podium drivers again on the podium. Then gives out the winner medal that he created.
Marko said he met Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff in Dubai on Monday. I expressed my wish. After some discussion, he accepted it. He tried to persuade me, but saw that I was consistent, he noted.
He said Red Bull majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya was brought into the talks and described the outcome as amicable.
Has there ever been a more self centered FIA president? The most cringe thing that occurs at every race is how he inserts himself in the post race activities at every turn. Shakes the hands of the podium drivers after they get out of the cars and have a chat when them. Shakes the hands of the podium drivers again on the podium. Then gives out the winner medal that he created.
Not to mention running his hands through Lando's hair being excessively cringe. No doubt, MBS has his own version of a Diddy Party.
Ferrari has bid farewell to its 2025 reserve driver Zhou Guanyu as the Chinese driver parted ways with the Maranello outfit ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Zhou joined Ferrari as a reserve driver alongside Antonio Giovinazzi in 2025 after losing his seat at Sauber at the end of 2024. He was also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2014 to 2018.
"Grateful for Zhou Guanyu’s commitment and contribution as Ferrari Reserve Driver this season! Wishing him all the best ahead," the team wrote in a social media post.The 26-year-old driver had hoped that remaining in the F1 scene would help him secure a seat for 2026, with his main target being the new Cadillac F1 team, which will make its debut as the championship's 11th team this year.
“I do have the hunger to step back in a race seat, a full-time F1 drive,” Zhou toldF1.com at the start of the 2025 season. “In terms of the long-term goal, this is very clear and very straightforward. I’m sure everybody knows that.
“But I do think that while you have years like this, [it helps] to be settled down, and still it’s a very important role. It’s not like being a reserve driver that I feel like I’ve been left [out]. I feel like I have a very [big] responsibility with the team.“You’re there trying to win races, you’re still making your impact, so it’s very important, and everything really matters here. I’m still going to be working hard for that, but if there’s a chance, an opportunity, there’s no doubt I’m going to fight for it, for a comeback."
Cadillac instead opted to sign former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and Zhou's former Sauber team-mate Valtteri Bottas, leaving Zhou once again without a contract for 2026.
Some big team staff changes in the last few weeks/months
