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Take a look at the funniest moments from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, together with Shaquille O’Neal’s three phrases for Martin Brundle and Ted Kravitz dressed to impress in a tuxedo!
Take a look at the funniest moments from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, together with Shaquille O’Neal’s three phrases for Martin Brundle and Ted Kravitz dressed to impress in a tuxedo!
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is hopeful the workforce may have tempo to return to the rostrum at this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi GP, as they purpose to carry off Ferrari for second place within the Constructors’ Championship.
Mercedes’ benefit over their Italian rivals has come down to only 4 factors – the identical because it was after 2023’s season-opening race in Bahrain again in March – after a Las Vegas GP race day which didn’t go their approach regardless of the W14 exhibiting much-improved tempo in comparison with the race earlier than in Brazil.
Lewis Hamilton, who completed seventh, twice misplaced floor in unlucky collisions whereas George Russell noticed fourth place become eighth by a five-second penalty for colliding with Max Verstappen.
Ferrari completed second with Charles Leclerc and sixth with Carlos Sainz, which means they outscored Mercedes by 16 factors to carry themselves into hanging distance within the standings for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi finale.
“Sad to say yet another time that we had pace but just no result,” Wolff informed Sky Sports activities F1 about Mercedes’ Las Vegas GP.
“George after the incident with Verstappen, where he got the penalty, that was pretty much game over. [The car had] pace for the front. Maybe not [to challenge] Max, but behind. It is what it is.”
On Abu Dhabi, Wolff added: “We have seen pace-ish today. I think we hopefully can recover and score solid podiums.”
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George Russell and Max Verstappen collide and particles goes in all places, finally resulting in a security automobile
Two years on from the controversial conclusion to the 2021 drivers’ title race in Abu Dhabi, when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton began degree on factors, Wolff, in a thinly veiled swipe at former race director Michael Masi, added to the written media: “We are going there pretty much on equal points – with a proper race director, so that should be fine – and let’s race.
“It is all right down to the final weekend. They’re very fast, they’ve accomplished an excellent job. I believe we might have been on par [in the Las Vegas race] however the consequence exhibits one thing totally different. So let’s race.
“To be honest, it’s good to have P2 as a positive to finish the season, but P2, P3 for me, that it doesn’t make it better for me.”
Mercedes vs Ferrari in F1 2023
| Mercedes | Ferrari | |
| Factors | 392 | 388 |
| Wins | 0 | 1 |
| Podiums | 7 | 8 |
| Poles | 1 | 7 |
| Two-car factors finishes | 14 | 13 |
| Laps led | 19 | 117 |
| DNF/DNS/DSQ | 5/0/1 | 4/2/1 |
What is the significance of second in F1? | Ferrari’s Vasseur: ‘Momentum is for us’
With Crimson Bull completely dominant this season, Mercedes and Ferrari – the winners of 24 constructors’ titles between them – have needed to revise their pre-season targets downwards and every try to at the very least safe the subsequent greatest place on supply, even when, as Wolff alludes, ending second will finally not be trigger for explicit celebration.
However along with sporting delight, there are helpful prize cash concerns too – the distinction between second and third within the Constructors’ Championship is regarded as within the area of $10m.
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The perfect of the motion from an eventful Las Vegas Grand Prix
Since overtaking fast-starting Aston Martin for second within the groups’ standings at June’s Spanish GP, Mercedes have seen their benefit over third place fluctuate amid the season’s unpredictable race-to-race pecking order behind Crimson Bull.
Ferrari had been a season-high 56 factors behind Mercedes after July’s Hungarian GP however have whittled that hole down to only 4 within the 10 races since.
After a problematic begin to the yr, workforce boss Frederic Vasseur says the way in which the factors hole has come down exhibits Ferrari are on a “good path”. However he additionally made clear, that whereas Vegas went properly for them, “Abu Dhabi will be another story”.
“Four points is nothing or a lot,” added Vasseur.
“We were able to perform in Monza, in Singapore, in Austin, in Mexico, during this weekend on different tracks with different race conditions, different [tyre] compounds, and we can be more than motivated before Abu Dhabi.
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Charles Leclerc blames the safety car for his second-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and says that ‘today should have been our day’
“The momentum is for us and let’s have a look at what occurs.”
The fight is a role reversal of last year when it was Ferrari who were defending second from Mercedes going into the Abu Dhabi finale, albeit holding a larger 19-point lead. However, the Scuderia outscored their rivals at Yas Marina to confirm the runner-up Red Bull.
Which car will Abu Dhabi suit?
Ferrari’s superior straight-line speed will be critical again at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, so they will be very quick in the first half of the lap which also features the Turn Five hairpin, where Max Verstappen overtook Hamilton in the controversial 2021 Grand Prix, and the Turn Six-Seven chicane.
One of Ferrari’s biggest strengths is traction out of the slow corners, so they will even be a threat to Red Bull once again here.
It’s the second half of the lap which features more flowing, medium-speed turns which should bring Mercedes back into play. However, the corners were opened up ahead of the 2021 race, so the final sector is not that technical anymore.
Overall, Ferrari are going to have the outright pace, particularly over one lap, and it’s just a case of will there be enough tyre wear for Mercedes to come back at Leclerc and Sainz over a long stint.
Sky Sports F1’s live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Thursday November 23
- 11am: Drivers’ Press Conference
Friday November 24
- 7am: F2 Practice
- 9am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)
- 10.55pm: F2 Qualifying
- 12.45pm: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)
- 2.15pm: The F1 Show
Saturday November 25
- 10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Three
- 12.15pm: F2 Sprint
- 1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
- 2pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying
- 4pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday November 26
- 9.10am: F2 Feature Race
- 11.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Abu Dhabi GP build-up
- 1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
- 3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction
- 4pm: Ted’s Notebook
After the thrills of Las Vegas, Formula 1 heads to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit for the 2023 season finale and another stunning spectacle under the lights. Watch the Abu Dhabi weekend live on Sky Sports F1, with lights out on Sunday at 1pm. Stream F1 on Sky Sports activities with NOW
