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Team Summary:
With the start of the opening eighteen minute period for qualifying for the
2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix there would be a flood of drivers all coming out
on the soft tyre. Both Red Bull cars were out early looking to check their
cars having made changes to their rear wings prior to the period. Perez
would set a 1m:24.253 but Tsunoda would move ahead then Verstappen with a
1m:23.680. Gasly was now second from Tsunoda and Perez. Both Williams cars
were out running on the soft tyre as we had both Ferrari's running on the
medium. Hamilton would go quickest with a 1m:23.266 with Bottas now second.
Verstappen was now third followed by Norris, Alonso, Gasly, Tsunoda,
Ricciardo, Perez and Sainz tenth.
After their first runs the Williams cars were now 14th and 18th. Verstappen
would improve to be second ahead of Bottas and Perez with Norris able to
move into fourth ahead of Perez as the session would be red flagged to allow
for the recovery of a bollard that had been hot by Schumacher sending it
into the middles of the track where it was hit by Norris. With the field
returning to their pits the bollard would be recovered. The period would
restart with a rush of drivers coming out all on the soft tyre. The Williams
cars weer currently 15th and 18th as they started their second runs.
Hamilton would go quicker with a 1m:22.845 as we would see both Williams
cars out of qualifying. Hamilton would finish ahead of Bottas with
Verstappen third and Perez fourth. Tsunoda was fifth followed by Leclerc,
Gasly, Norris, Sainz, and Ocon tenth.
The second period would see the majority of drivers out on the medium tyre
except for the Aston Martins who were on the soft tyre. But they would be
joined by both Ferrari's, Alpine's and Ricciardo all on the soft tyre. The
first runs would see Hamilton quickest with a 1m:23.185 followed by
Verstappen, Bottas, Tsunoda, Norris, Perez, Stroll, and Giovinazzi eighth.
But using the soft tyres Leclerc was now fourth and Alonso and Ocon seventh
and eighth. but it would be Sainz who would go quickest with a 1m:23.174
using the soft tyre.
Verstappen would say that he had flat spotted his race set of medium tyre so
he would pit taking on the soft tyre for his next run. On their second runs
Hamilton would go quicker with a 1m:23.145 but Perez would move ahead but
using the soft tyre with a 1mL23,135. Alonso using the soft tyre Verstappen
would go quicker with a 1m:22.800. Perez was now second followed by
Hamilton, Sainz, Leclerc, Bottas, Norris, Tsunoda, Ocon, and Ricciardo
tenth.
The final period would commence with every driver on the soft tyre and after
their first flying laps it would be Verstappen quickest with a 1m:22.109
followed by Hamilton, Perez, Bottas, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris, Ocon and
Ricciardo. But for Tsunoda his first lap had been deleted seeing him with no
time. On their second runs Hamilton would not improve remaining in second
behind Verstappen. Norris was now third followed by Perez, Sainz, Bottas,
Leclerc, Tsunoda, Ocon and Ricciardo tenth. So we would have the two main
championship rivals starting on the front row of the grid. For Williams
their grid positions were somewhat less than the team would have no doubt
hoped for but 16th and 17th could see them achieve a positive result in
Sundays race. |
