[Official] Rate the Grand Prix: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021

[greentrumpet]

1, a travesty. Rip up the rule book to fix the championship. I wouldn't blame Mercedes if they just pulled the plug.

[Tourer]

Gave it a 7 - plenty of it was leaning towards mundane but at times (not just the last five laps) it really came alive.

[seanyb505]

Meh driving on the first lap, a few stout defences in the middles, and a fairly obvious overtake for the win. Should we have even been in that situation? Common sense might think not, but it was a car race. Championship storylines couldn't drag that past a 3.

[E.B]

I will defer voting until the crap-fighting is over. It could be anywhere between 1 and 10 depending.

[smellysocks]

For the exciting and proper ending a 10.

[John Turner]

2 - Another race, another farce!

[S griffin]

Was actually enjoying it, tense if not a thriller. Then it ended farcically, so I'm only giving it a 1.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by smellysocks

For the exciting and proper ending a 10.

Proper ending?

[dsg]

A deserving WDC was crowned but the process to get there was comical.

[BertMk2]

1 - utter shambles. The stewards made an absolute hash of it and there's no clean way out of the situation they find themselves in.

[FIRE]

Entertainment value 10

[AndreasDavour]

Seriously. Michael Masi needs to go.



Let me say this with emphasis, I am not a Hamilton fan. Neither do I hate Max Verstappen.


But, Masi is a weak willed fool. They had a situation where they could have kept the lapped cars in between Lewis and Max, given them blue flags and had two laps where Max could do the best of the fresh tires and the fact they accepted to loose track position to take those tires. Then you could hear Horner get on the line during the Sky broadcast, and hear how Masi wavered on his voice, and then suddenly they decide to basically gift Max the win...


Horner is a manipulative mastermind, and a forceful personality. Masi is no match for him. What a farce.


If they keep Masi for the season to come, Horner and Wolff (another forceful manipulator, no less than Horner) should not be allowed to talk to him, ever. Actually make that anyone.



This left a taste of ashes in the mouth. I have not felt so bad after a race since Rubens let Schumi past in the last corner.


A solid 1 for me. I feel terrible.

[AndreasDavour]

Let me add that I think Max deserves a championship, but not in that way.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by AndreasDavour

Seriously. Michael Masi needs to go.

Let me say this with emphasis, I am not a Hamilton fan. Neither do I hate Max Verstappen.

But, Masi is a weak willed fool. They had a situation where they could have kept the lapped cars in between Lewis and Max, given them blue flags and had two laps where Max could do the best of the fresh tires and the fact they accepted to loose track position to take those tires. Then you could hear Horner get on the line during the Sky broadcast, and hear how Masi wavered on his voice, and then suddenly they decide to basically gift Max the win...

Horner is a manipulative mastermind, and a forceful personality. Masi is no match for him. What a farce.

If they keep Masi for the season to come, Horner and Wolff (another forceful manipulator, no less than Horner) should not be allowed to talk to him, ever. Actually make that anyone.

This left a taste of ashes in the mouth. I have not felt so bad after a race since Rubens let Schumi past in the last corner.

A solid 1 for me. I feel terrible.

I agree with you, Masi needs to go. This isn't the first time he has messed up but is he a weak willed fool, or just bad at assessing the situation? He came under a lot of criticism for how he handled Jeddah, particularly the red flags. If a race needed to be red flagged, it should have been this one but I think he bailed because of what happened at Jeddah.

Having said that I think you are correct, both Horner and Wolff are manipulative masterminds but I think this is more to do with Masi just being bad at assessing the initial situation, rather than succumbing to outside pressure.

[AndreasDavour]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I agree with you, Masi needs to go. This isn't the first time he has messed up but is he a weak willed fool, or just bad at assessing the situation? He came under a lot of criticism for how he handled Jeddah, particularly the red flags. If a race needed to be red flagged, it should have been this one but I think he bailed because of what happened at Jeddah.

Having said that I think you are correct, both Horner and Wolff are manipulative masterminds but I think this is more to do with Masi just being bad at assessing the initial situation, rather than succumbing to outside pressure.

I think he cares too much about what people think. "Oh ****, people did not like red flags, I'd better stay away from those in the next race". He looks like he is flailing about.



Also, he is a lousy liar. He claimed the reason they ran the laps they did in Spa for safety reasons. What? They ran it so it could be called a race, don't treat us like we're stupid. Like Lewis said then, money talks.



He has no spine. If he really thought they could race after those two or three laps or whatever it was, then he is outright dangerous! I'd rather think it was Domenicali calling him and saying they had to run two laps for financial reasons and Masi folding for that.

[Adam43]

For Spa I argued the benefit of the doubt that Masi wasn’t directly influenced and I think that is the case here.

Just being a bit crap might explain it. Prompted by too much influencing all around him. Consider this, do that, it’s not fair, etc…

So, whatever cut the lines of communication to him and certainly don’t broadcast it.

[bathurst77]

i am a lewis supporter so i give it 1
i am a max supporter so i give it 10
there is no middle ground

[Adam43]

What if it wasn’t the reason?
I’m neither. Neither are in my top 5. I gave it a 2. It was a most unenjoyable race for me. Especially for a title decider.

But if you are a Max fan and the fact he won overcame all this and that is what you rate as most important in a race then great.

And if you’re a Lewis fan and that disappointed is the most important thing for you to consider when voting fine too.

[Beau2]

I gave it a 5. I wanted to Max to win but he's not my favourite racer. For most of the race it was a 6. The last lap in normal circumstance was a 10, but Masi going rogue with the rules reduces the score of the whole event in my eyes.

[AndreasDavour]

I find it hilarious in a way that among the kinder words to describe the race director at the "pinnacle of motorsport" we use "just being a bit crap".


Yeah, maybe Spa was just being stupid. I'm going to sit in a corner and just despair for a few moments.

[AndreasDavour]

Taking a step back and ignoring the last lap, I really can't find many reasons so give this race a better score than 5 or 6. It was Monaco-like.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Just being a bit crap might explain it. Prompted by too much influencing all around him. Consider this, do that, it’s not fair, etc…

only experience will allow a replacement to resist those with influence.

can control Germans very well, more then a match for Italians and Austrians, and pretty good at standing up to the Brits...Merkel may be looking for a new job!

[Akrapovic]

2. Because after all the nonsense Masi spouted about race control not wanting to be involved in the title battle, he injected himself in at the end with a spine like a jellyfish anyway.

Very pleased for Max. Very sad his title came through race controls need for drama.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

2. Because after all the nonsense Masi spouted about race control not wanting to be involved in the title battle, he injected himself in at the end with a spine like a jellyfish anyway.

Very pleased for Max. Very sad his title came through race controls need for drama.

Well, without Masi's need for drama, Max would not be world champion.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by JamesH

Well, without Masi's need for drama, Max would not be world champion.

Hm? I don't care who won as I'm neither a Max or Lewis fan. I just want to see good clean proper racing. And race control decided we needed a Netflix dice roll in there. It has tainted Max title for me, and that's sad.