2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was another classic grand finale that no one had expected. Sebastian Vettel had a brilliant drive to win the race and claim the title from being third on the standing prior to the race. It was a phenomenal come back for the 23 years old German after the DNF in Korea.
However this would not be possible if Ferrari did not make the crucial strategy error. It just showed even the smartest people in the world such as Ferrari strategists and race engineers could make silly mistakes under tension.
This crucial mistake seemed to be avoidable. As it was the final race of the season, there were plenty examples of race strategies to look back on and to analyse what was the best option.
In Silverstone, Jenson Button had a poor qualifying session and had to start 14th in the race. He had the option to start on the hard tyres but he chose to start the race on the soft tyres. During the race he held onto those soft tyres till late so he was able to overtake Barrichello in pit stop. Button finished the race 4th.
In Monza, Sebastian Vettel started the race behind Mark Webber, but he was able to finish in front of Webber because he held onto the soft tyres until the final lap. This was because he was never held up in the traffic while Webber was held up by Hulkenberg.
In Suzuka, Button chose to qualify using the harder tyres. However the strategy backfired as the hard tyres were worn out half way through the race and he was not able to push when he needed to. He lost the opportunity to challenge for podium that day.
Just from these examples, it is easy to come into conclusion that firstly both types of tyres suffer the same rate of degradation in the beginning phase of the race. This is due to the heavy fuel load that the cars carry. However the lap times would improve as more and more fuel is burnt and cars become lighter. Secondly they key to a good result is not to be held up by a slower car. This fact is evident in many other occasions this season.
And yet Ferrari made such simple and silly mistake during Abu Dhabi GP. It was a suicidal move for Mark Webber when he made the pit stop early in the race, however he pretty much lost his chance of winning the title on Saturday when he qualified only 5th.
Alonzo was looking good to finish the race 4th until Ferrari chose to pit him early in the race. At the mean time all front runners were still lapping faster than Alguersuari, Petrov and Rosberg. They simply forgot what happened in the previous 18 races of the season. The soft tyres the front runners chose to stay on were proven to still be competitive later in the race when Vettel, Hamilton and Button all set fastest lap times.
Although the focus of 2010 Abu Dhabi GP seemed to be on Sebastian Vettel having a miraculous victory and becoming the yougest F1 World Champion. Rather it was definately a championship that slipped out of Ferrari and Alonzo’s hands.
In the end this was an unique season as there were four World Champions competing. And towards the final race of the season there were still four title contenders. The season could not have been more dramatic and exciting.
In 2011 there will be five World Champions on the grid. Let’s hope next season will be even more exciting.
