ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
2025 FP2
Track Characteristics & Environmental Impact
● Speed Distribution Weight: Data indicates that high-speed zones (>200km/h) account for a dominant 63.1% of the lap. This implies that Aerodynamic Efficiency and Power Unit (PU) ERS Deployment are the decisive factors for lap time.
● Medium Speed Zone: The 120-200km/h range constitutes 26.7%, primarily concentrated in the T2-T3 sequence and T9 Marsa Corner. Vehicles require immense Lateral Support in these sectors.
● Low Speed Trap: Zones <120km/h make up only 10.2%, focused mainly on the T5 hairpin, T6/T7 chicane, and the T12-T15 hotel section. Despite the low percentage, this is the critical battleground for Mechanical Grip and Tire Overheating management.
● Elevation Change Impact: The total elevation change is a mere 11.1m. This extremely flat surface allows teams to run aggressive Ride Height setups to maximize Ground Effect without compromising Suspension Geometry for vertical compression.
● Critical Corner Risks: According to Yearly Flags Statistics, T1 is the highest risk zone, recording 5 Yellow Flags and 7 Double Yellow Flags in 2024. T1 kerbs and lap 1 squeezing dynamics are primary risk sources.
Track Temp
● Track Temp Decay: Telemetry reveals a track temperature decline from approximately 31.5°C at the start of FP2 to 28.5°C by the end. This 3°C delta is critical for mitigating C5 (Soft) Graining but significantly narrows the Warm-up Window for the C3 (Hard) compound.
● Air Temp Stability: Air temperature remained stagnant around 27°C. This implies constant engine intake temperatures and cooling requirements, negating the need for mid-race louver adjustments.
● Wind Speed Turbulence: Wind speed fluctuated violently between 1.0 m/s and 3.0 m/s. The openness of Yas Marina allows Gusts to unpredictably affect high-speed stability into T16 and T9, a primary cause for lap time variance during long runs.
● Rainfall Null: Data confirms zero rainfall, allowing strategy models to completely exclude wet weather variables.
Tire Strategy Evaluation
FP2 long runs revealed distinct strategic paths:
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Front-Runners (McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari): Mostly utilized Mediums for high-fuel stints before switching to Softs for qualifying sims. The low degradation observed for NOR and VER suggests a viable 1-stop strategy (Medium -> Hard).
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Midfield: Teams like Kick Sauber and Haas focused on Hard tire benchmarks, hinting at an "overcut" strategy to gain track position during the pit window.
Full Lap Pace & Team Performance Ranking
FP2 long runs revealed distinct strategic paths:
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Front-Runners (McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari): Mostly utilized Mediums for high-fuel stints before switching to Softs for qualifying sims. The low degradation observed for NOR and VER suggests a viable 1-stop strategy (Medium -> Hard).
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Midfield: Teams like Kick Sauber and Haas focused on Hard tire benchmarks, hinting at an "overcut" strategy to gain track position during the pit window.
Vehicle Setup Analysis
McLaren (NOR/PIA)
NOR’s setup is the gold standard; his speed transition from T6 to T8 is flawless. PIA is slightly slower at the T6 apex, costing him roughly 0.1s in S3
Red Bull (VER/TSU)
The biggest teammate performance gap. VER leads in both top speed and acceleration. While TSU’s top speed is competitive, his braking inconsistency costs him 0.8s compared to VER’s ideal lap.
Ferrari (LEC/HAM)
Both drivers opted for high-braking-performance setups. LEC shows superior deceleration force in telemetry. HAM matches the braking force but is clearly still finding the balance between entry speed and exit traction.
Kick Sauber (HUL/BDR)
The dark horse of FP2. HUL and BDR’s setup is perfectly tuned for Yas Marina’s straights. Positioned in the top-right of the Speed/Acceleration scatter plot, they’ve achieved an ideal balance between low drag and power deployment.
Williams (SAI/ALB)
SAI’s arrival brings massive acceleration gains to Williams, outperforming the midfield in T6 exits. ALB holds a higher top speed, indicating two distinct tuning philosophies within the team.
Alpine (GAS/COL)
The worst-performing setup. Both drivers are bottom-tier in top speed, acceleration, and apex speeds. This suggests fundamental flaws in the A525’s power unit and aero efficiency, making it unsuitable for this track.
FP2 Analysis: McLaren Dominates, Alpine Struggles
The FP2 telemetry reveals a clearly stratified field: Lando Norris dominates the ideal lap rankings with zero-error execution, followed closely by Max Verstappen. The shock of the session is Kick Sauber’s resurgence, utilizing high-speed efficiency to potentially challenge the top three rows in qualifying.
Conversely, it’s a grim picture for Alpine. Both GAS and COL are languishing at the bottom of every key performance metric, suggesting a long race ahead. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton is still wrestling with his braking balance, with significant lap time yet to be unlocked.