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Nate Saunders
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F1 Associate Editor- • Used to work in the British rugby union and Superbikes
• Graduated in history from the University of Reading
• Joined ESPNF1 in February 2014 -
Laurence Edmondson
ABU DHABI – Construction of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been dominated by Max Verstappen and title decider Lewis Hamilton, but there’s a lot going on across the pitch that deserves attention.
As the last race of the current season, it marks the end of several things, including the Formula One career of the sport’s most experienced driver, Kimi Raikkonen.
Iceman said goodbye
Raikkonen is known to be pretty normal about most things – his final race prospect seems to be one of them.
His Thursday press conference went as you might expect. Yesterday he joked that his wife Minttu would probably be more upset about it than he would be.
Alfa Romeo is sending a farewell message to the 2007 world champion in their car this weekend and has a mural on their garage in his memory.
In a unique gesture you don’t usually see from driver to driver, Raikkonen’s teammate Antonio Giovinazzi – who is also facing the possibility of his last F1 race – has signed on to race in Formula E next year – running Finn’s 2007 title-winning helmet to mark the occasion.
Time to celebrate a legend, time to thank a true friend ❤️#Kimi #Legendary #Thank you pic.twitter.com/6DutZvPb2i
– Antonio Giovinazzi (@Anto_Giovinazzi) December 10, 2021
Gene Haas please stand up
Year-end photography is a tradition among Formula One teams. Each team tells their staff to iron their shirts in the morning, be outside the garage at a set time, and stand in perfectly ordered rows for a yearbook-style photo. .
But what if the most important person on your team can’t make it? Simple: Rely on your PR office’s photographic skills to change history and make sure no one knows the difference.
Our Class of 2021 😊
A challenging year but a huge thank you to our entire team for all the hard work – both on the track and back on the premises# HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/iPNwAAaomL
– Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) December 10, 2021
Such was the case at Haas on Friday when the team released its year-end photo with a radiant Gene Haas front and center. However, zoom in on the photo and it’s clear that, unlike the rest of the team, Haas’s face is illuminated from the left, not the right. Zoom in closer and it’s very clear that the team owner’s head has been digitally sewn onto someone else’s body.
The internet doesn’t represent such things, and the edited photo was quickly posted on Twitter. Haas has responded in his stride, releasing a photo of Friday’s Godzilla attack on the Yas Marina Circuit with a Haas car captured in the foreground…
There’s no photoshop here either pic.twitter.com/6csfUoQ6v9
– Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) December 10, 2021
Williams gets the King’s Man treatment
Williams has a new sponsor this weekend. The group has teamed up with 20th Century Studios to promote the upcoming King’s Man movie at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of its UK release on December 26.
George Russell, competing in his last race before replacing Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes next year, has a chance to enter the pit-lane race before the weekend.
The King’s Man logo on the Halo and the side of the car.
Russell was also one of many riders to wear a one-off helmet for this weekend’s race – his white hat was covered with personal messages from fellow Williams at his farewell race .
The members of the group left their messages of good luck on @ georgerussell63Helmets of Abu Dhabi! ️ pic.twitter.com/SL0OpXbDpm
– Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) December 10, 2021
Plan El
Fernando Alonso has talked a lot about this year’s “Plan El”. The phrase is on Alonso’s car this weekend.
It’s time for our last practice of the year! 🙌
And, @alo_ofting and @OconEsteban there is a new addition to them @ AlpineF1Team car# F1 🇦🇪 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/bDDWkKU1jv
– Formula 1 (@ F1) December 10, 2021
He doesn’t explain what it is specifically, but it stems from Kimoa releasing a shirt with the tagline “Trust in the plan”.
The Kimoa website states “Fernando Alonso and the PLAN have been talked about for several months on social media, in the grand prix, in the forums, in the backstage… Trust the PLAN, it was conducted … “
