F1 2025: Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina (Dec 7)

<b><span class="theme-aware-color" style="--user-color: Red;"><span style="display: inline-block; font-size: 113%; line-height: 1.45;"> F1 2025: Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina (Dec 7)</span></span></b>

Schedule:
https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2025/united-arab-emirates
(Start times adjusts automatically to your local time/date depending on your browsers/internet settings)

Circuit:
Yas Marina Circuit



Circuit stats:
First Grand Prix: 2021
Number of Laps: 58
Circuit Length: 5.281 km
Race Distance: 306.183 km
Lap Record: 1:25.637 (Kevin Magnussen 2024)

Tires:

https://press.pirelli.com/in-abu-dhabi-for-a-first-step-towards-the-f1-of-the-future/

Onboard Lap:
(2024 Lando Norris pole lap)
2024 thread:
F1 2024: Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina (Dec 8)

2024 race highlights:
2024 Lollipopman comic

So what are your predictions?

After the race in Qatar where Max Verstappen won in a fabulous way and McLaren made a very expensive mistake by not pitting during the SC this season got even crazier than it already was. Max managed to turn around the performance of the car completely and closing the gap to Lando Norris to only 12 points. This means that if Max wins, and Lando finishes 4th, Max is WDC 2025.
However, if Max wins and Lando finishes on the podium, Lando is the 2025 WDC.
This means it is fully up to Lando's performance whether or not he gets the 2025 WDC. He has the fastest car (something that Max has emphasized in various interviews) and he just has to make no big mistakes. Can he do that?

This is my prediction:

1. VER
2. NOR
3. PIA
4. RUS
5. LEC
6. ANT
7. SAI
8. HAD
9. TSU
10. BEA

...yes this means in my prediction Lando will be the 2025 WDC, I think the Yas Marina Circuit will favour the McLaren cars quite a bit
However, I'm all right with that, Max has given us a fantastic season to watch and in the end that's what it's all about

For people who don't place predictions: please refrain from giving negative comments after the race on predictions other members have given. Nobody makes perfect predictions, and if you don't make predictions yourself, you're not showing you know better.

As always, great post!

I'm very excited, hope it's going to be a trully tens weekend where all three will be in a winning position somewhere down the race.

Piastri is too far back in the points to win outside major catastrophe for both Max and Lando. He would certainly give up his place in the race if it helps Lando secure the third position. Max has absolutely no help with Yuki, he’ll be nowhere near the front as usual. Everything points to a Lando WDC win, but you can never count out Max! Looking forward to the finale!

Hoping for a hat trick of errors by the papaya to conclude that MAX takes the crown so..
1.MAX
2. PIA
3. SAI (on a roll
4. NOR (either this or a DNF
5. LEC
6. HAM
7. TSU
8. BEA
9.HUL
10. RUS

M5Rick wrote

Hoping for a hat trick of errors by the papaya to conclude that MAX takes the crown so..
1.MAX
2. PIA
3. SAI (on a roll
4. NOR (either this or a DNF
5. LEC
6. HAM
7. TSU
8. BEA
9.HUL
10. RUS

McLaren still runs with their 'old SPA Mercedes PU (!)
When will they finally break ? Or are they indestructible ?
It they run it at Abu Dhabi , then they have 12 races + sprint races on the clock...

And last weekend they ran still extremely strong at Qatar. It's just incredible (!?!?)

GuidoK wrote

So what are your predictions?

After the race in Qatar where Max Verstappen won in a fabulous way and McLaren made a very expensive mistake by not pitting during the SC this season got even crazier than it already was. Max managed to turn around the performance of the car completely and closing the gap to Lando Norris to only 12 points. This means that if Max wins, and Lando finishes 4th, Max is WDC 2025.
However, if Max wins and Lando finishes on the podium, Lando is the 2025 WDC.
This means it is fully up to Lando's performance whether or not he gets the 2025 WDC. He has the fastest car (something that Max has emphasized in various interviews) and he just has to make no big mistakes. Can he do that?

This is my prediction:

1. VER
2. NOR
3. PIA
4. RUS
5. LEC
6. ANT
7. SAI
8. HAD
9. TSU
10. BEA

...yes this means in my prediction Lando will be the 2025 WDC, I think the Yas Marina Circuit will favour the McLaren cars quite a bit
However, I'm all right with that, Max has given us a fantastic season to watch and in the end that's what it's all about

For people who don't place predictions: please refrain from giving negative comments after the race on predictions other members have given. Nobody makes perfect predictions, and if you don't make predictions yourself, you're not showing you know better.

'THX for posting my friend . Great job as usual (!)

///M Power-Belgium wrote

McLaren still runs with their 'old SPA Mercedes PU (!)
When will they finally break ? Or are they indestructible ?
It they run it at Abu Dhabi , then they have 12 races + sprint races on the clock...

And last weekend they ran still extremely strong at Qatar. It's just incredible (!?!?)

This is another of the unusual Larenthings that don't make sense, are they using alien technology of some kind or is something else up.

M5Rick wrote

This is another of the unusual Larenthings that don't make sense, are they using alien technology of some kind or is something else up.

Yeah . It must be something like this =>

GuidoK wrote

So what are your predictions?

A questionable racing incident with Norris and Verstappen making contact, damaging their cars and subsequently Piastri clinching the 2025 WDC title with either P1 or P2. Piastri emotionally saying with a broken voice through the onboard radio that it's a dream come true, thanking everyone and topping it off with a couple of donuts as the chef's kiss. The end (except for some post-race bickering between Norris and Verstappen).

July 9, 2025: “Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing"

Mekies allows Verstappen more freedom to overrule RBR engineers regarding car setup.

I'm going with

1. Max
2. Lando
3. Oscar
4. Carlos
5. Kimi

The rest, entirely up to you all

I think there will be a surprise in store for this race where the final positions will differ

Thanks GuidoK

///M Power-Belgium wrote

Yeah . It must be something like this =>

The great unanswered

Artemis wrote

July 9, 2025: “Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing"

Mekies allows Verstappen more freedom to overrule RBR engineers regarding car setup.

It's gotten down for sure but still not close enough for MAX.

i predict oscar takes lando out and completes the villain arc by helping max win wdc.

you know what? i actually don't know who's going to win.

i wonder if McLaren has another SNAFU in them or we've seen all they've got.

G30M wrote

you know what? i actually don't know who's going to win.
i wonder if McLaren has another SNAFU in them or we've seen all they've got.

McLaren squandered the chance to change the power units prior to the Qatar Sprint.

During the Qatar GP, Piastri and Norris pushed hard their PU's to attempt, in vain, to catch and beat Verstappen. In cycling, that's called "une chasse patate" (litteraly: 'a potato chase/hunt') (also in Flanders we use that French term).

McLaren may pray to the race gods that their PU's won't give up the ghost in Abu Dhabi. That would be three strikes: Las Vegas plank wear DSQ, 'we don't need a Safety Car pit stop' hubris in Qatar and a blown PU in Abu Dhabi.

toxik wrote

i predict oscar takes lando out and completes the villain arc by helping max win wdc.

Best post so far ..

But let's be honest for a moment (!)

Oscar Piastri is experiencing a significant amount of stress or a feeling of urgency to perform or succeed, often due to a demanding situation such as getting screwed by that a$$hole Zak Brown and his own McLaren clown pit strategy .
That's why Oscar looked "very pale" right after the Qatar GP .
As you can see..

Artemis wrote

McLaren squandered the chance to change the power units prior to the Qatar Sprint.

During the Qatar GP, Piastri and Norris pushed hard their PU's to attempt, in vain, to catch and beat Verstappen. In cycling, that's called "une chasse patate" (litteraly: 'a potato chase/hunt') (also in Flanders we use that French term).

McLaren may pray to the race gods that their PU's won't give up the ghost in Abu Dhabi. That would be three strikes: Las Vegas plank wear DSQ, 'we don't need a Safety Car pit stop' hubris in Qatar and a blown PU in Abu Dhabi.

That's right (!)

But a blown chasse patate (a blown potato chase) exists too ...

Red Bull to announce their 2026 driver line up today

Expected: Max & Hadjar, Lawson & Lindblad

G30M wrote

you know what? i actually don't know who's going to win.

i wonder if McLaren has another SNAFU in them or we've seen all they've got.

Just let me help you ...