The chequered flag will fall on the 2019 season at the conclusion of Formula 1’s first December race since 1963. Motorsport Week takes a look at the key talking points as the championship heads to the Abu Dhabi finale.
Who will enter the winter on a high?
Since the start of the hybrid era Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit has established itself as the season finale on the Formula 1 schedule. It is a pleasant place at which to end the campaign for the weary paddock folk – and since 2014 Mercedes has departed the twilight race with the winner’s trophy in its pocket. Mercedes’ package has suited the venue throughout the hybrid era and it is one of just two venues – along with Sochi – at which the team remains unbeaten. Will it stay that way in 2019? It already has both titles in the bag but both Ferrari and Red Bull will want to end the campaign on a high. Max Verstappen and Red Bull arrive in Abu Dhabi fresh off the back of a dominant Interlagos performance, while Ferrari – even accounting for its disaster – has two substantial straights along which to flex its power unit… assuming that it is can avoid haemorrhaging time through the twisty final sector.
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Can Toro Rosso wave goodbye on a high?
Don’t panic – Toro Rosso isn’t quitting Formula 1. But after 14 seasons, 267 grands prix and several alumni that have gone on to register Formula 1 success, the Italian translation of Red Bull will disappear from the entry list. Goodbye Toro Rosso, hello Alpha Tauri for 2020. Why the name change? Red Bull is keen to give additional promotion to the clothing brand that it founded back in 2016. This has already been an amazing season by Toro Rosso’s standards, with its pair of podiums a just reward for the legwork it put in with Honda – prior to Red Bull making the switch – in 2018. But on both occasions the podium finish was not a mere fluke, but rather the perfect execution of strategy by team and driver in question. A third 2019 trophy in Abu Dhabi? Hugely unlikely. But it is just eight points behind an under-pressure Renault team in the fight for fifth in the standings. Sixth for Team Faenza is already a superb achievement. Fifth would be borderline sensational.
How will F1 remember Hulkenberg?
There was a statistic that did the rounds after Brazil and it epitomised the fortunes of one driver. Discounting the four rookies (which includes Antonio Giovinazzi), just one driver on the current grid is without a podium finish. That driver is Nico Hulkenberg. He will not be on the starting grid when the 2020 season begins in Australia next March, meaning that this weekend’s event in Abu Dhabi could be his swansong in the championship. Hulkenberg himself has reiterated that he is content with his nine seasons, would have made different decisions with hindsight, and is keen for a few months to relax and recharge before taking his next step. If this is the final chapter then how will Hulkenberg be remembered? As a junior prodigy who failed to make the required step? Or as a gifted driver whose career moves were ill-judged? The reality is probably somewhere in the middle. Hulkenberg’s talent shone through but each time he put himself in a strong position the result slipped through his grasp. Here’s to a successful next career move, whatever it may be.
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Can anyone get a head-start on 2020?
Teams are always developing, learning and understanding new components and procedures to try and chase ever-decreasing margins, particularly as a regulatory phase nears its conclusion. Lewis Hamilton spoke in Brazil of Mercedes regarding the final two rounds as ‘freebies’ and there’s little doubt it will soak up all of the information it can after its defeat. Even at the final round expect to see teams trial devices and updates, particularly in the first 90-minute practice session, which bears little relevance for the remainder of the weekend due to the timetable. Of more importance is what comes next Tuesday and Wednesday. All 10 teams will stay on at the Yas Marina Circuit for two days of testing that focuses on running next year’s Pirelli tyres. There were gripes in Austin, where the 2020 tyres were run, but Pirelli blamed exceptionally low temperatures for any issues encountered. Two full days of running in hot weather will provide greater conclusions.
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