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In the latest of the W Series drivers’ columns for The Race, Alice Powell says George Russell’s Sakhir Grand Prix performance was as important for Britain’s future Formula 1 interest as it was for Mercedes
The 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is not one that will live long in the memory, but Valtteri Bottas and Alex Albon may well look back on it fondly as the day they proved a point.
It was a masterclass by Max Verstappen at the front. The Dutchman dominated from start to finish and had so much in-hand that he was able to give his Red Bull team the option of turning his engine down towards the end of the race. He will go into the winter break with renewed confidence and hope for next season.
His team-mate, Albon, impressed me too. He looked racy early on, secured fourth place and built gradually from there. He was catching Lewis Hamilton quickly at the end and a few more laps would have provided a proper scrap for the final podium position. It was the type of calm, clean drive that Red Bull boss Christian Horner will want more of next year should the team extend his stay in its driver line-up.
Such consistency is precious, and it is for that reason that I would be amazed if Mercedes suddenly ripped up Bottas’ contract for next year and promoted George Russell in his place. Bottas was under big pressure to perform in Abu Dhabi – he was outpaced by Russell in Bahrain last weekend and now faced a Hamilton who was not fully fit. There were times during the race when Hamilton was catching his team-mate quickly, but the Finn responded and managed the gap well.
Much was made of the radio messages by Toto Wolff and others in the Mercedes garage urging Bottas on throughout the weekend, but for me they were a sign of genuine encouragement and nurture, and not an ultimatum. Bottas is a consistent and unfussy performer who gives neither Hamilton nor Wolff many headaches over the course of a season.
Mercedes, like all the teams, cherish the constructors’ championship dearly and so I don’t expect it to roll the dice for 2021, particularly now that the major technical regulation changes have been pushed back 12 months and next year will be Hamilton’s best chance to win a record-breaking eighth world title.
Who knows what might happen after that at Mercedes – Hamilton, as always, will make the first move and dictate it – but Bottas has a contract for 2021 and I don’t see that changing. I, and I’m sure many others, just hope he can push Hamilton for longer next year because, as yesterday proved, season finales in Abu Dhabi are tough to watch when there is little to play for.
I’ve raced at Yas Marina in the MRF Challenge and GP3 and actually like the circuit. It is technical and tricky thanks to the mix of corner speeds. The triple right-hander around the hotel section typifies that as you brake while turning and it’s easy to lock a wheel.
You feel like you are on the edge for much of the long lap, which tests a driver’s ability to the maximum. Patience is key – you know overtaking is tough and you might spend a few laps staring at somebody’s rear wing, so you have to bide your time and analyse where the driver ahead of you is weak and make your move accordingly.
They require different driving styles, of course, but I found that my mindset was similar at Yas Marina to, say, Monaco and Brands Hatch, two more circuits where overtaking is tough and you are computing a lot.
They may not produce the best spectacle, but I’d love to race at them all again. I got a text from a friend during yesterday’s race which said: “I bet you’re glad W Series isn’t racing in Abu Dhabi next year?” That definitely isn’t true, but I am delighted with the calendar as it is.
To have W Series on the F1 support bill for eight races in 2021 after just one on-track season is remarkable and just shows the level of respect that the championship has.
As a British driver, I am obviously looking forward to racing at Silverstone on British Grand Prix weekend in front of what will hopefully be a big crowd. A home race is always special, and it is proper pinch myself stuff when I think that I will be charging down the newly-renamed Hamilton Straight on the same weekend as the man himself goes for an eighth British Grand Prix win.
I know I speak for all the W Series drivers when I say that we are incredibly grateful for and excited by the opportunity and just can’t wait to get started in France next June. Here’s to a great 2021!
Alice Powell finished third in the inaugural W Series championship in 2019, winning the final race at Brands Hatch last August. The 27-year-old Briton was the first woman to win a Formula Renault championship and score points in GP3.
