During the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, the atmosphere was different compared to our previous visit to Japan. This time, the flowers were in full bloom. However, regardless of the season, it is clear that Max Verstappen is dominating. He had a 20-second advantage over the nearest non-Red Bull driver in Suzuka, just as he did six months ago. The only noticeable difference was that this time there was another Red Bull car separating Verstappen from the Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz.
The race between Sergio Perez, Lando Norris in McLaren, and the two Ferrari drivers was captivating. They employed different strategies and made varied tire choices. However, all this action was happening far behind Verstappen, who was comfortably leading the race.
Being unchallenged at the front allowed Verstappen to further extend his lead. His exceptional tire management skills were rewarded on a track known for its high tire degradation, especially on hot days like this. Verstappen managed to run the first stint longer than anyone else, giving him an advantage in the remaining two stints. As the race progressed, the gap between Verstappen and the other drivers continued to widen.
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, was at a loss for words to describe Verstappen’s performance. Other teams are also acknowledging Verstappen’s dominance. Toto Wolff, after seeing his Mercedes drivers finish in seventh and ninth places, admitted that no one will be able to catch Verstappen this year. Verstappen’s driving skills and his car’s performance are truly remarkable, especially when it comes to tire management.
The race would have been completely different without Verstappen’s presence. Unlike the situation in Melbourne, where Verstappen was absent, this race saw intense battles between Perez, Norris, Sainz, and even Fernando Alonso. Perez successfully defended his position against Norris, Sainz, and Alonso at the first corner and in the Esses section. He repeated this feat after the race resumed following a red flag caused by a collision between Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon.
During the red flag period, teams had the opportunity to change their starting tires. Only Mercedes and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda decided to change compounds among the top 10 drivers. Mercedes opted for a one-stop strategy, switching from medium to hard tires. Tsunoda, on the other hand, changed from medium to soft tires. As a result, Charles Leclerc, who started on medium tires, managed to pass Hamilton on the restart, and Tsunoda overtook Russell.
The break also allowed teams to adjust the angles of the front wings. Red Bull drivers took advantage of this opportunity to make changes, as the track conditions were different from previous days. Verstappen, however, was initially hesitant to make any adjustments.
Overtaking was extremely difficult on this track due to high tire degradation. It was only after pit stops that overtaking began to occur, as cars with new tires were much faster than those with old tires. Perez, Norris, and Sainz easily passed the Mercedes drivers, showing the advantage of new tires.
Hamilton and Russell realized that their one-stop strategy was not working as their tires were deteriorating rapidly. Meanwhile, Leclerc, who was on a one-stop strategy, managed to run much longer than Alonso, Piastri, and even the Mercedes drivers with their hard tires. Leclerc’s performance highlighted the speed of the Ferrari.
Norris, who made an early pit stop, could not hold off Perez, who had fresher tires. Leclerc made his first pit stop at the same time Norris made his second. As the race progressed and different strategies unfolded, it was on lap 36 that everyone made their final stops.
In the distance, Verstappen was on his way to his third victory in four races. Perez was comfortably ahead of Leclerc and Norris, but Sainz was quickly closing in on them with his fresher tires. Sainz overtook Norris and was instructed by the team to pass Leclerc and continue his pursuit of Perez. However, Sainz was too far behind Verstappen to pose a serious challenge.
Ferrari secured a respectable 3rd and 4th place, with their two-stop strategy proving superior to Leclerc’s one-stop strategy. Leclerc, despite his one-stop strategy, managed to beat Norris, mainly due to Sainz forcing McLaren to make an early pit stop.
Alonso had a tactical race, strategically slowing down to keep Piastri within his DRS zone and prevent Russell from overtaking. There were some tense moments between the Mercedes and McLaren drivers, but Russell managed to pass Piastri on the final lap, finishing in 7th place behind Alonso.
Hamilton, who was not threatened by Tsunoda in 10th place, managed to score a point, much to the delight of the local crowd.
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