2021 Abu Dhabi F1 GP Quali analysis by Peter Windsor
When Red Bull-Honda's Max Verstappen switched unexpectedly to Pirelli soft tyres in Q2 in Abu Dhabi - and followed that decision up by taking a stunning pole in Q3 - the tone of this championship-defining weekend changed in an instant.
Now Lewis Hamilton lines up second on the grid on the harder medium tyre, on the dirty side of the grid, surrounded by drivers like Lando Norris, Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz - all of whom will be starting with the superior grip of the soft tyre. For Lewis to take advantage of the medium Pirelli's superior longevity, he now needs to make a clean start into Turn One and avoid the pack around him. And that won't be easy, as Peter Windsor points out in this video.
