David Coulthard's Abu Dhabi preview

I never experienced any true on-track feuds in my grand prix career, other than a couple of run-ins with Michael Schumacher. The difficulties there were a) he was very strong and successful in that period, and b) there was no talking to him!

When I suggested to him that he must've been wrong at least once in his life, he famously replied "not that I can remember". That's part of what made him successful, I guess.

Massa v Hamilton

I think the on-going spat between Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton is a consequence of Lewis being off-form and finding himself on the back foot, and that's why he's found himself racing Massa instead of being right at the front. It's hardly Prost v Senna or Piquet v Mansell. They're too fundamentally nice for that sort of thing! There's no hatred between them as far as I know.

Felipe has very much spent the season in the shadow of Fernando Alonso, irrespective of the fact that he's shown some good pace in qualifying recently. In the same vein, you have to say Lewis has not been at his best this season. What he appears to have lost, as well as his form, is that pure instinctive ability to race wheel to wheel he's always shown in Formula 1 since he burst onto the scene in 2007.

Hamilton has never been beaten by his team-mate in his F1 career, but all things being equal that will be the case this year. This downturn in his incredibly high-quality performance has coincided with him acknowledging that's he's not very happy and he's apologising to the team. It's almost like that Harry Enfield sketch of the German guy always apologising for his nation's behaviour in the war - we're getting that used to hearing Lewis saying "sorry" so much.

It seems he can't wait until the end of the season, to recharge and come ready to deliver those big results once more. Whatever has changed in his life this year has not put him in that position. There's a straightforward solution: put yourself in a happy place, and the rest just follows. Just ask Jenson.

Stewards' Decisions

I thought the decision of the stewards to penalise Massa in India was unusual. There is such a thing as a racing accident, you know. There doesn't always have to be blame game attached to a collision in a motor race.

Hamilton has been penalised a lot in 2011 © sutton

Did Massa turn in on Lewis with the deliberate intent of colliding? I absolutely don't believe that is the case. Or do you think Hamilton decided, "I'm not coming past you, I'm coming into you?" Ditto. I think he went for a move, believing it was going to come off, but it didn't quite align with the way he'd planned it. He tried to bail out, but by the time he'd made that decision it was already a collision.

I think that was a racing incident, regardless of whether Massa had looked in his mirrors or not.

You can't not turn in to a corner because you think someone may be there - they've either completed the pass or they haven't, and Lewis hadn't, so Massa was within his rights to turn in. If Felipe had left the door open, got onto the marbles and driven off the circuit, we'd be saying: "Well there you go, another average performance from Massa."

If the leading car isn't in control of that decision-making process, then who the hell should be?

Abu Dhabi one year on

Sebastian Vettel will get that extra boost as he steps back onto the ground where he was crowned champion 12 months ago. In the same way, Mark Webber and Fernando will reflect on what might have been - as well as Stefano Domenicali and the Ferrari boys.

One bad strategy decision, pitting to cover Mark without taking Seb and track position into account, cost them so dearly. That wasn't fate; it was a strategic error. And walking through those paddock gates this weekend will be a harsh reminder and tough to swallow.