MorrisF1

A tense race from start to finish, with the drama ramping up towards the end. Betting-wise, it was green, which is a nice way to end a very peculiar season (but I’ll blather about that in the season review). The race was characterised by three things: great drives from Verstappen and Vettel due to varying strategy, and Hamilton backing up Rosberg. Off the line it was fairly straightforward, excepting that Raikkonen got the jump on Ricciardo. However, Verstappen had a slightly slow start (Red Bull perhaps compromised more than expected by starting on the supersoft when surrounded by ultrasoft-starters?) and was spun when he struck Hulkenberg slightly. At the end of lap 1, Verstappen was last. Ahead, the Mercedes were a bit faster but not scampering away, and the Ferraris and Ricciardo were evenly matched. Verstappen set about cutting his way through the field. After the first pit stops (two planned), Hamilton led, Verstappen (who alone had not pitted) was next, then Rosb...

Well, qualifying ran pretty much to form with Hamilton easily on pole and Rosberg alongside him. The one real surprise was that the Red Bulls both went for the supersoft in Q2, which means they start on the slightly more durable tyre. The rest of the top 10 are on the ultrasofts. Both Saubers and Toro Rossos (who are having a dreadful weekend so far) exited in Q1, as did Ocon and Magnussen. Both Haas drivers failed to reach Q3, and were joined in the departure lounge of Q2 by Wehrlein (slowest in the session), Palmer, Button and Bottas (the last two behind ahead of the Haas). Alas, Q3 was a bit predictable. Hamilton had daylight between him and Rosberg, a yawning three-tenth gap. That said, Rosberg was over half a second faster than Ricciardo. Raikkonen and Vettel split the Red Bulls (who, alone of the top 10, start on the supersoft rather than ultrasoft). After 6 th -placed Verstappen, Hulkenberg leads Perez, and it turns out Alonso is faster than Massa, the pair makin...

Well, here we are. The final race of the season, the title decider, the last race before the rules change. A brief look to 2017, as it’s been confirmed Germany will not have a race due to financial problems. Rain, which plagued my Brazil bets, is unlikely to be a complicating factor in Abu Dhabi. In first practice Hamilton was nearly half a second ahead of Rosberg, who was just half a tenth up on Verstappen with Ricciardo close behind. Vettel, Perez and Raikkonen were next, with Sainz, Massa and Ericsson rounding out the top 10. In second practice the same two were at the top, but Hamilton was just a tenth up, and Rosberg was two-tenths ahead of Vettel. Verstappen and Ricciardo came next, then Raikkonen, Bottas, Perez, Hulkenberg and Massa. Third practice had a rather different set of chaps at the top. Vettel was fastest, two-tenths up on Verstappen, who was within a tenth of the Dutch Wunderkind. Hamilton and Rosberg were next (a tenth between them). Ricciard...

Neither bet was anywhere near coming off because the forecast I saw was the most wrong of any forecast I’ve seen since 2009, when I started regularly tipping on F1. Had it been more accurate, the bets I would’ve looked at would’ve involved Red Bull, Hulkenberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo and Button [Verstappen did well, the rest did not]. So, all red, but if the weather and the forecast are radically different it’s hard to feel I misjudged things because my own tips were based on flawed information. Anyway. It was very wet before and at the start. So wet, in fact, that Grosjean lost control on his way to the grid. The start was under the safety car. At the time, I thought this was typically limp-wristed weak-kneed nonsense, but in hindsight it was probably the right call (the start was delayed by 10 minutes but this appeared to make the conditions slightly worse). After trundling around behind the safety car for a few laps, the race began. Verstappen pounced on Raikkonen l...

In Q1 the Saubers were slowest, and right ahead of them were the Manors. Magnussen was 18 th and the slight surprise departure was Button in 17 th . He’d looked good in the hot/dry on Friday, but the colder conditions didn’t suit him at all. In Q2, Palmer was slowest, with the Toro Rossos (suffering a bit with the 2015 Ferrari engine) just ahead. Gutierrez qualified 12 th , the meat in a Williams sandwich (bit surprised both Williams left at this stage). The final session was close. Initially, Hamilton was 0.16s ahead of Rosberg, but both men improved on the final run. Hamilton ended up one-tenth ahead of his rival, for yet another Mercedes front row. Raikkonen was over half a second behind them, and less than a tenth ahead of Verstappen. Vettel was a hundred off the Dutchman, and Ricciardo half a tenth off Vettel. Rather close between Ferrari and Red Bull. In the dry, better tyre wear may help Ferrari, although bad luck and poor strategy could prove a problem. G...

Off-track news first. To my surprise, Palmer has been confirmed as Hulkenberg’s team mate at Renault. I really did think he was a goner. Magnussen has jumped ship to Haas, so presumably Gutierrez will be off (perhaps to Sauber, if Nasr gets the vacant Force India seat). Lance Stroll, the Canadian teenager, has been confirmed as Bottas’ team mate at Williams for next year (as widely expected). Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon, who replaced Rio Haryanto at Manor halfway through the season, joins Force India as Perez’s team mate. Do not underestimate the importance of the weather in determining both this race and the title. In the dry, Rosberg is looking good. If it’s very wet, Hamilton could be favourite for both. In first practice Hamilton was fastest, a tenth ahead of Verstappen, and three-tenths up on Rosberg. Ricciardo, Bottas, Perez and Hulkenberg were next, with Massa, Vettel and Raikkonen round out the top 10. In second practice Hamilton was a mere three-hundredt...