Toro Rosso, Renault, Haas: who will emerge victorious in the fight for 6th place?

While the Drivers and Constructors titles are known for a long time, there remains an unknown to be clarified during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (start at 14 p.m. French time, to be followed on our live text). Toro Rosso, Renault et Haas are preparing to compete for sixth place in the Manufacturers' ranking; barely six points separate these teams, to the advantage of the Italian team.

This three-way fight may seem trivial, but big money awaits the best team. A sixth place is in fact synonymous with 6,5 million dollars in bonus prizes compared to an eighth position. In a championship where expenses are staggering, the slightest gain is vital.

After the qualifications, Renault seems to be best equipped to beat Toro Rosso to the post. Of the three teams mentioned above, only the Diamond firm managed to place at least one driver in the top 10 (Nico Hulkenberg, 7th, ahead of the Force India). “We know it’s just qualifying and anything can happen in the race, but we are ideally placed.”, recognizes the German. “The pace on the long runs seems pretty good and I felt good behind the wheel. We are as confident as we can be at this point. »

The Haas of Kevin Magnussen (14e) and Romain Grosjean (16th) have been suffering for several events. The Frenchman constantly points out the erratic behavior of his car. “I had no grip at the front” explains Romain Grosjean. “Kevin likes it, but I don’t. We struggled to find the right balance. I have difficulty driving this car this way. These are not excuses, but it does not suit my feelings. We will work hard and try to find what we can improve for Sunday. It’s always been like that for eight or nine races. »

On a Yas Marina circuit renowned for its lack of overtaking opportunities (Fernando Alonso had spent 40 laps blocked behind Vitaly Petrov in 2010), the task promises to be difficult for Toro Rosso. Little helped by recalcitrant reliability (10 penalty places for Brendon Hartley),  it was rejected in the 17th (Pierre Gasly) and 20th rank (Brendon Hartley). “All we have to do is attack.”, noted the New Zealander. “Getting into the points may be complicated, and keeping our place in the championship will be an equally difficult mission. »

To steal this coveted 6th place, Renault must at least score the points for 7th position (6 points) and bet on a finish outside the top 10 of Toro Rosso.