From Broken Wings to Podiums: The Abu Dhabi GP Story
Round 2 of Season 3 brought Fixxxer Racing Syndicate to Abu Dhabi, and while the circuit is famous for clean racing and long stints, this one still delivered its usual Fixxxer blend of chaos, comedy, and an absurd amount of storyline for only the second round of a 12-race season.
Qualifying: two clear leaders
Qualifying immediately showed a split at the top. 35Y and Daniep looked like they were in a different session compared to everyone else — two clear front-runners with clean air and clean execution. Behind them, the fight tightened up with Rednas in P3, Abrantes returning for his first race of the season in P4, and Lewis completing the top five. Everyone lining up on mediums set the tone: this wasn’t going to be a “send it on softs” race, it was going to be about pace management, clean exits, and not throwing away points with silly mistakes.
Qualifying Top 5
35Y
Daniep
Rednas
Abrantes
Lewis
Lights out: immediate damage for a title contender
The race start was aggressive across the board, because everyone knew how important early momentum is in a long season. But Daniep’s night took a brutal hit right away. Exiting Turn 1 he overdid it, clipped the barrier, and destroyed his front wing, instantly wiping out any “fight for P1” hopes. The image of a wounded Haas crawling back to the pits set the tone: Abu Dhabi might look calm, but the margins were still razor thin.
From there, the race settled into distinct groups battling their own wars:
P1 and P2 were locked in a high-speed, high-pressure fight with no breathing room.
P3 to P5 formed a DRS train, with Abrantes doing what champions do — controlling the pace, defending smartly, and keeping Lewis and Dunk behind without overdriving.
P6 to P8 became its own rotating scrap, positions changing constantly and drivers taking turns being brave and being punished.
And at the back, the rest mostly drove solo — or, as the paddock joked, competed for the unofficial “most penalties in one race” championship instead.
Strategy chaos, early softs, and Fixxxer comedy
Early on, Tuartle pitted for softs, either because of an incident or because strategy calls were already getting desperate. But the bigger headline in the “what are we doing here” category belonged to Max. Max’s race ended early in a DNF that was described in classic Fixxxer fashion: his alcoholism “led to it,” earning him a qualifying ban and forcing him to sign up to an AA program. Abu Dhabi had only just begun and the season was already producing memes.
By Lap 9 the spread was huge — over a minute between first and last — showing just how quickly the race pace gaps and mistakes were stretching the field.
The Safety Car: DS’ brother joins the family tradition
Just when the race looked like it was settling, a mid-race Safety Car arrived — triggered by the DNF of DS’ replacement driver… his brother, with the commentary basically confirming it: crashing runs in the family tree. The neutralisation was a lifeline for some and a disaster for others, and it scrambled everything.
It also kicked off one of the funniest “pit crew moment” storylines of the season. Dunk had an issue on the restart and had to pit, but his crew apparently decided they were Ferrari for a moment and put him on softs, a call that completely ruined his position and dropped him out of the top-five fight. Elpica, involved in the same restart mess, chose to retire the car and picked up a qualifying ban as well.
During the Safety Car stops, Abrantes briefly inherited P1 because 35Y and Rednas pitted, but it didn’t last long once the green flag returned.
Restart: 35Y takes control, Salmon fights like a demon
As soon as the race restarted, 35Y wasted no time taking back the lead, breaking away and finally getting out from under Rednas’ grip. Rednas didn’t disappear though — instead he became Abrantes’ shadow, constantly annoying him and looking for a way into P2.
Meanwhile, Daniep’s recovery was still alive — but his progress got stalled in one of the best battles of the race: Daniep vs Salmon. Salmon drove like he had something personal to prove, fighting harder than anyone, refusing to be bullied, and turning the middle of the race into a proper scrap. That intensity, plus a strong overall performance, earned Salmon Driver of the Day — and it felt deserved.
In the background, Tuartle’s early soft stint started to pay off as he climbed back into the fight, eventually putting himself into a strong finish.
The finish: pace, recovery, and consistency rewarded
By the end, the standings matched the story of the race:
35Y controlled the front, stayed calm under pressure, and brought home another win.
Abrantes, in his first race of the season, proved why he’s a reigning champion — steady, smart, and always there when opportunities opened.
Daniep completed one of the most impressive recoveries of the night after Lap 1 damage, salvaging a podium that keeps Haas firmly in the early constructors fight.
Top 3
35Y
Abrantes
Daniep
Behind them:
Salmon delivered his best showing in a while for P4 and Driver of the Day.
Haru, rookie of the race, impressed massively with P5, spending much of the event holding strong positions and looking completely at home.
Tuartle recovered brilliantly to finish P6 after the early soft gamble.
Gustavo, barely seen all race due to running alone, quietly grabbed P10.
Dunk, ruined by the “Ferrari pit crew” moment, ended up P11.
Tomslick, whose race didn’t go to plan, still found points through consistency, finishing P8.
Abu Dhabi didn’t reward the fastest drivers alone — it rewarded the drivers who stayed clean, adapted when chaos hit, and didn’t throw it away. And if this is what “Round 2” looks like, Hungary is going to be carnage.
Next week: Round 3 – Hungary.
