How can you attract the attention of viewers, if the fight for points is no surprise? Only one way — a sharp, honest and open battle on the track. And he waited, he was asked, he demanded...
But the modern «Formula 1» — not like that «right» and honest F1 70-80-ies. Now everything is subject to a different logic, and team boss and the drivers are the other gods. Therefore, the final stage of the season-2015 — Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — turned out bland and boring. However, as the season in general.
The main issue, as the penultimate stage, all the same: whether Nico Rosberg continued his winning streak in qualifying and the race?
In the first practice session Lewis Hamilton excelled. But the pace of Mercedes British driver has not confused his teammate — in the second and third training was already the fastest Nico Rosberg.
But recently the situation has developed as follows: — if the Germans found the pace, it will not stop. In qualifying it just happened.
Rosberg's best time was almost four-tenths of a second faster than Hamilton became the result — it is quite a lot. In turn, the same amount the Briton lost the best of Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen. Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricardo rounded out the top five.
The second half of the top 10 opened Valtteri Bottas. Further — Nico, Felipe Massa, Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz.
For the Germans completed the qualification, has barely begun. He did not come out even from the first segment, there is only 16th. And he was in the exciting company! Judge for yourself — in the top ten at the end of qualifying was only one representative of the engine Ferrari — Kimi Raikkonen.
In the third five, formed at the end of the second segment — is also one representative in the person of Felipe Nasr (Sauber-Ferrari). But in the final five of them turned out to be just four! Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Marcus Ericsson (Sauber-Ferrari), and both pilots Manor-Ferrari Roberto Mary and Will Stevens.
But Sebastian did not much want to be something so far — his team made a mistake. After the first attempt to Ferrari for some reason decided that shows the results of the German enough to pass on. But there is not enough...
Thank Vettel — he presented the race at least some intrigue. Though hardly anyone doubted that the Germans would be able to break through the peloton and finish among the leaders.
The race turned out to be quiet. Well, almost — with the exception of the collision, which took part Felipe Nasr, Fernando Alonso, Pastor Maldonado and Sebastian Vettel. With a score of 3: 1 Venezuelan driver lost this battle, his Lotus with a broken suspension stood on the sidelines. And the Spaniard got a penalty than was very dissatisfied.
But the main events developed in tandem leaders. Nico Rosberg took the lead from the start, Lewis Hamilton chased him on his heels. At first, there were no signs of the scandal, but he held on.
It turned out that the British have a cunning plan! First, he pulled up to the last race in the pit stop. A tire changing told the team that he wants to reach the finish line on the rubber SuperSoft. Intrigue? Intrigue!
But the intrigue lasted a few seconds — from the bridge Hamilton pulled sharply, not allowing him to realize his adventurous plan. As a result, Lewis dutifully visited the pits again, he put a set of rubber Soft, and the gap between Rosberg was already nearly a dozen seconds. In such a situation to talk about the fight for victory was impossible.
So Rosberg with Hamilton and finished the race in first and second place — it has become a tradition. Boring tradition. Third place — both at the start and at the finish — Kimi Raikkonen won.
And what about his teammate Sebastian Vettel, who started at the tail of the peloton? German leaders chose different from the tactics, starting and driving the first long stretch of rubber Soft. This allowed him to gradually rise as much as the second (!) Place! After the pit stops, he was dropped to sixth place, but ahead of Daniel Ricardo and Sergio Perez went to the fourth position, which kept to the finish.
The Mexican finished the race fifth, the Aussie is the sixth, then finished Nico, Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean and our Daniel Kvyat.
During the race — apart from the accident at the start — there was only a single incident. Releasing after a pit stop on the road Valtteri Bottas Williams team officials did not notice the approaching car of Jenson Button. As a result, the car collided, and he turned out to be the most affected Bottas! He turned a broken front wing and had to re-pits. In addition, it «was awarded the» five-second penalty...
Season 2015 is over. Not the most interesting is not the most dynamic and the most intriguing. But what to do — it is hoped that next year the cars will be worse than the current Mercedes...
