The first two free practice sessions of the Abu Dhabi GP officially opened the decisive weekend for the assignment of the drivers and constructors world title, which will be decided on the renewed track of Yas Marina. An event that will therefore focus on the world championship fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, authentic protagonists of the last round of the world championship: while the English driver of Mercedes finished PL2 at the top of the standings, the same placement instead rewarded the Dutchman as the fastest driver of the PL1, on a day that highlighted the good race pace of the Red Bull.
The team principal of the Austrian team talked about this and much more, Christian Horner, who commented on the first sensations that emerged from free practice: “We still have 23 hours to find a better setup and more pace – analyzed the British manager – the long run looked pretty good, but we just have to readjust it for shorter ones. Mercedes looks pretty competitive here. It certainly is in the first and second sectors, while we are more so in the third. We now have a lot of data available that will allow us to refine some areas over the course of the night. So, it will be a long evening both here and in Milton Keynes, with whom we will work together in order to improve the car. With the change of the circuit layout I think that tire wear will be an important factor; the long left-hander, for example, puts a strain on the tires. From this point of view, it is a very demanding track at 50% of the distance, and it will be interesting to see which strategy prevails. The engine gave positive signals in terms of performance, though we need to make progress on the flying lap; we will do our best to be able to qualify as high as possible and then make our way into the race. First of all, I repeat, it will be necessary to complete a good qualification “.
In a GP in which Verstappen will start on equal points with his rival in the general standings, Horner also underlined the importance of the fight in the constructors’ championship, 28 points away from the leadership occupied by Mercedes. To bridge the gap, the contribution of the other Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez, will also be needed: “He already knows what work he will have to do this weekend – Horner specified on the role of the Mexican – the constructors’ championship would be a big blow, which would happen, however, in the event of a significant misstep by Mercedes. Sergio he will have to help his teammate like he’s been doing all season, and I’m sure he’ll do whatever it takes to support Max. We just want to see a great race and make sure we all see a great finale after such a hard-fought championship, regardless of being a Red fan. Bull, Mercedes or any other team. This has been an incredible season of racing, with two riders battling every single GP, hoping it will happen in this one too. Mercedes has more people in marketing than mechanics in its garage. Over the course of this World Championship Max has paid some tough decisions to his disadvantage, while other riders have gotten away with it, and I think Lewis would say the same with reversed parts. In some accidents, the spotlight has shone on Max and his driving style. We just want this weekend to continue like so many others, with Verstappen’s aim to bring out the maximum of his potential: if he succeeds, it will be a great aspect for this sport as well. Lewis and Mercedes are the favorites – he concluded – but this year Max drove with heart, passion, conviction and courage ”.
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