A waning crescent in Scorpio
At the start the Sun is in Sagittarius at 14°25′, the sign of long horizons and blunt honesty, and the Moon is in Scorpio at 16°44′, a waning crescent: a thin sliver of Moon less than 28 degrees behind the Sun, close to the end of its cycle. In symbols a waning crescent is a time of rest and release, a quiet gathering of what is left before a new cycle begins. The Moon in Scorpio colors that rest with depth and privacy, so the mood is inward rather than loud. The event began on 1 November 2009 on Yas Island near Abu Dhabi as a day-night race, with floodlights on from the start so that daylight turned into darkness without a break, and it is due to stay at Yas Marina until at least 2030.
Mars in Virgo, fresh starts and slow turns
Mars is in Virgo at 3°54′, in the sign of precision and detail, and Jupiter in Leo at 26°58′ stands in the sign of warmth and display, so drive and growth keep to different signs. Mercury in Sagittarius at 0°17′ is at the very start of its sign, and Venus in Scorpio at 1°27′ is near the start of its own sign. Both move direct. Saturn in Aries at 7°57′, Neptune in Aries at 1°37′ and Uranus in Gemini at 3°14′ are retrograde, while Pluto in Aquarius at 3°41′ moves direct. Three of the eight planets in the table are retrograde, all of them slow. In symbols it is a sky of fresh starts for the quick planets and review for the slow ones.
Bottas, Antonelli and Bearman
Three natal Suns are touched. Transiting Mars sits on Valtteri Bottas's natal Sun in conjunction (orb 1.14°) and on Kimi Antonelli's natal Sun in conjunction (orb 1.77°), a symbol of energy and heat on the core of the chart. The Moon is opposite Oliver Bearman's natal Sun (orb 1.23°), an emotional pull from across the chart that, because the Moon moves quickly, passes within a day. All three orbs are under 2°, so the touches are close ones. Because Mars reaches two charts at once, Bottas and Antonelli share the same tone that evening, while Bearman's Sun meets a softer, lunar one. These are tendencies in symbols, not promises about the race.