Abu Dhabi GP - Friday
Q. A question to you all. Please give us a comment about the circuit, the facilities, the importance about being here in Abu Dhabi and how you felt it has been for you.
Bob BELL: As everyone I sure would agree it is an absolutely fantastic facility and it is a wonderful opportunity for the teams to showcase themselves at a facility like this. We have been well and truly looked after and hosted well. That side of it is all fantastic too. I think it is great for the sport to be on show and operating at new locations throughout the world. I think the teams have settled in. We have not had the greatest of days but overall I think that was down to us, nothing to do with the circuit in particular. I think overall it is a great thing to be here.
Mario THEISSEN: It is a magnificent place, outstanding facilities. I cannot image that this will be topped anywhere else in the world. Very good working conditions for the teams. An interesting track, especially the pit lane exit, which is very special. We feel very well here. I think it is really great and I hope for a good weekend, for a full house and this can establish as the signature event in the coming years.
Christian HORNER: I think it is unbelievable really. The bar has been raised by the introduction of several venues, Singapore included, then we come here and Bernie (Ecclestone) has been winding us up for the past 18 months saying 'wait until we get to Abu Dhabi.' I mean it is just unbelievable what the country has done to build a venue such as this. It is quite mind blowing really and the circuit looks a quality circuit as well, not just a pretty background. The drivers seem to be enjoying it. We have been fantastically well looked after. It reminds me a lot of Silverstone.
Ross BRAWN: Just a stunning facility. I think it is a massive credit to the people here and to Bernie. I know we give Bernie a hard time sometimes but he still creates races and encourages people to build facilities like this. It is a stunning facility. It is a very interesting track, quite interesting combinations, quite challenging from a racing perspective. The pit lane is controversial but sometimes I think we are getting a bit sanitized in Formula One, so a bit of extra challenge for the drivers is not necessarily such a bad thing. I think it is just fantastic.
Q. What has been the reaction from the drivers, particularly the change in light if there was any reaction at all? Are there any other concerns that the drivers have mentioned? What do they think of the grip level?
BB: Our drivers have not commented on the lighting. I spoke to Fernando (Alonso) about it and he was quite happy with it. He was quite comfortable. The grip level, I think, he felt was better than perhaps we came here expecting and the circuit did improve but it wasn't as bad as we imagined it to be. Overall on those two points very good.
Q. Can we include in that the pit lane exit? Were there concerns there?
BB: Well, it obviously raised some eyebrows to start with but we all seem to have got used to it and certainly our drivers have not raised any issues.
MT: Nick (Heidfeld) was very positive about the track right away. Robert wasn't so sure initially. The pit lane is really difficult, well, the track generally was quite dusty in the morning and during the day and we could see even until the end of the FP2 the times got quicker and quicker. Especially in the pit lane it was apparently even dustier, so they had to be careful there. But other than that only positive comments.
CH: I think both drivers have really enjoyed the circuit. The tyres look a bit conservative and took a while to warm up and come in here. I think the only concerns our guys have raised is how quick these guys (Brawn) are in sector two.
RB: Take the wing off and you will be quick in sector two.
CH: Yeah.
RB: The lighting, no comment from our drivers. It is interesting that the lighting is a long way away from the circuit and it doesn't seem to be casting any distracting shadows, so the lighting seems very good. They are enjoying the circuit. I think like any new circuit there will be some gentle evolution as the drivers get used to it and no doubt next year there will be a few modifications but nothing major is needed as far as we could see. They are enjoying it a great deal and I think it will be a great racing circuit. The slow entry onto the main straight and the slow exit may give a chance to overtake, so it is going to be quite hard on brakes. That will be a factor in the race and you saw a lot of teams they had problems with the graining of tyres but the track will improve tomorrow and that may not be an issue by Sunday. But as Christian said the tyres are perhaps a little bit conservative and as a result they are graining a little bit but no major issues.
Q. Bob, how is the team working forward to 2010? Are you expecting to remain Team Principal? Some people might suggest it is a rudderless ship in that there isn't a Team Principal or there is a temporary Team Principal.
BB: We are all focussed on 2010. We do not hold any expectations about 2009 and we are making good progress. The team has picked itself up and is moving on very positively with the support particularly of Renault and all our partners and indeed some new ones as witnessed this weekend which is both good for the team and good for the sport. We are all moving ahead very positively. As for me I am happy to see the team through the next few months. That is my prime concern. There are some big issues we need to get in place and resolve before we go racing next year and that is my clear focus. Beyond that if Renault feel the most appropriate thing is for someone else to take over the helm I don't have an issue with that and won't stand in their way and equally if that decision came my way that is something I would have to consider in due course. But right now I am not being distracted by it. It is important that we get to the end of the year in good shape.
Q. Mario, can you update us on the future of BMW Sauber or Sauber as it will be?
MT: Well, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. I think we are making progress but the crucial issue still is the place on the grid. That's all I can say, so there is no decision right now.
Q. Do you have a time frame when you can expect a decision?
MT: We don't have a clear deadline but it is clear that time is running and it gets more and more difficult for the team as obviously you can only sign drivers and sponsors when you have a place on the grid.
Q. Is Robert's problem in the last session going to require a ninth engine?
MT: Well, it has been an engine failure and it is related to our decision some events ago not to pick up a ninth engine for Robert. What we are trying to do is cover the final four race events with one engine, so Robert's race engine for Sunday has had three races already. The consequence is that especially on this final Friday we had to use an engine with way in excess of 2000kms, so we were aware of the risk. I just had hoped it would blow up in the final lap of the session.
Q. So in fact you have got another engine which you will be using for the rest of the weekend which is still within the eight?
MT: Yes.
Q. Christian, how are you getting on with Sebastian's (Vettel) engine plan?
CH: We are looking okay now. We got critical after a failure in Valencia. That plus us under quite a bit of pressure but I have to say Renault have supported us brilliantly and managed the mileage and exceeded the mileage with their target kilometres significantly. I think we were one of the highest mileage teams today. Sebastian has a race engine I think he last used in Japan for the race tomorrow, so there is absolutely no risk in terms of us using a ninth engine. Even if that engine failed we have another engine we could utilise. With the help of Renault we have managed to manage the situation.
Q. You're definitely not going to win the World Championship for drivers and you are definitely going to finish second in the Constructors'. Is there a feeling of disappointment or is there great optimism and enjoyment of finishing in those positions?
CH: I think you have to reflect on the year and you have to reflect where the team has come from as well. This year has presented a significant step for the team. We have emerged as race winners and we were title contenders with both drivers throughout the bulk of the championship. A championship is, obviously this year, over 17 races and hats off to Jenson (Button) and the Brawn team. They quite simply did a stronger job over the duration. They stole a march on us earlier in the year, had great reliability. They dropped three points' scores to our 12, but when you reflect on the second half of the season I don't think there is anybody that has scored more points. For the team it has been a huge step and I am extremely proud of what all the guys in Milton Keynes have managed to achieve and we have got good foundations. We have been well supported by Renault as you don't win races and achieve the kind of results we have had without great support from your engine supplier. There are a lot of lessons that have been learnt for this year and a lot we will take forward into 2010 and with continuity and reasonable stability in the regulations we think we can really build on what we have achieved this year and hopefully take the next step.
Q. Ross, obviously you did take lots of steps this season. What is the atmosphere like in the team back at the factory and here as well since Brazil?
RB: Obviously euphoria at what we have managed to achieve. Firstly, I would like to say the championship has been fought in a great spirit. I know sometimes the media likes grief or needle in the championship but I must say this championship has been notable for the spirit in which it has been fought. Good battles, good spirit within the teams and for me obviously with the results that we had a great championship to be proud of. It probably wasn't until I got back to the factory that I appreciated how much it had meant to a lot of our people because they have been there a long time and not had any success and the team had won one race up until this year. We have still got people there from the very beginning of this version of the team as the team goes back as far as Tyrrell. It is a long-standing team but guys did come up and say we have worked a very long time for this and it was special to go back and share the pleasure of the championships with a lot of the people there who had been working hard for so long. They never gave up. We had such a difficult winter with no clear vision of where the team was going and the guys still worked enormous hours, made enormous commitments, worked their weekends and did everything that was needed not even knowing if they were going to go past February, so it has been very special in many ways and for me quite exceptional because of the contrast of where we were over the winter and where we are now. I must say in those circumstances I think Mario to a fair degree is seeing it now. Formula One does come together when teams are in difficulty. We had a lot of support from everyone during that period. We have our fierce competition, but I am glad to say Formula One still sticks together to help each other when teams are in difficulty.
Q. There has been quite a lot of focus on your drivers for 2010. Is there anything more you can tell us? Have you got closer to working things out with Jenson?
RB: No, we agreed that we would get through the championship. We agreed that nothing would happen for a few weeks after the championship, so the next two weeks will be pretty busy.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q. (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Ross, just on that. You mentioned in a radio interview on Sunday that you were 99 per cent certain that Jenson would re-sign for the team. Jenson remarked yesterday that he would not want to put any kind of percentage on it. What makes you so certain that you will actually re-sign him at the end of the day?
RB: I see the way Jenson works with the team and I see the way we work with him. I think we have given him the equipment this year to show what he can do and he knows our plans for the future. We have got another little matter that we have got to sort out, but I am sure we will find a resolution to that, so that's why I am reasonably confident. Of course I want to keep Jenson in the team, so we are working hard to find the solution to keep Jenson in the team. He has done a fantastic job this year and I think he will be even stronger in the future with this championship behind him.
Q. (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) Mario Theissen answered this question in a press conference earlier this weekend, so can I ask the other three gentlemen to give a brief assessment of the direction you would like to see Formula One take now that Jean Todt is the president of the FIA?
BB: I think that one of the things that Formula One needs desperately is good strong leadership and direction. I'm not necessarily suggesting that we didn't see that in the previous regime – we did, but perhaps it wasn't always in the direction that we agreed with, but I think the thing we would want most from Jean is clear direction, positive dialogue with the teams, to ensure the direction that we take is in the best interests of the whole of Formula One and is sensibly balanced to meet the needs of the teams that are supported by manufacturers, the manufacturers' requirements, all the stakeholders, the public, the sponsors, the circuits. There's a lot of diverse requirements in Formula One and I think the FIA has a role to play in showing strong leadership that marshals all of those needs and does its utmost to ensure that they are all satisfied and I hope that's what he brings to it and I have to hope that he will. His governance of Ferrari was obviously exceptional and if he can apply the same to Formula One in general then I think we will be in reasonably good shape for the future.
CH: I think I agree with Bob to be honest. I think that the really reassuring fact is that Jean has sat here, he's had the problems that we face in running a team, so he can relate to the issues that we face in Formula One as he can in World Rally, as he can in sports cars, so his experience of motor sport is quite unique, he's proved to be a phenomenal manager and achieve great success in his competitive career. He now steps into a different role and one where he's responsible for fair play, for stability within the rules, for reducing costs, for improving safety and I think he's a great candidate. I think there's a real opportunity for the Formula One teams to work closely with Jean and his team, whomever he appoints to really focus on those aspects. Hopefully we can see a renewed close collaboration between the teams and the FIA.
RB: I think he's an incredibly worthy successor to Max (Mosley) in that role. As Christian just mentioned, he's experienced our sport and other sports at all levels. He was a navigator and won the World Championship as a rally navigator, ran a World Championship-winning rally team, ran a World Championship-winning Formula One team. There are very few people with that experience. Jean's very good at bringing people together and finding solutions to difficult problems and finding solutions when there are a lot of different interests involved. He steered the ship of Ferrari over 12 or 13 years, I think, and particularly through the early periods it was very difficult and he managed it extremely well. He's got a great ability to manage situations, and he particularly likes working in a team environment. He's very strong at bringing out the qualities of people in a team environment and I know that he's building a very good team around him at the FIA, so I look forward to the future with a great deal of optimism. A huge amount has been achieved over the last period: safety in Formula One is at a very high level, lots of things in Formula One are great and I think Jean will take that forward.
Q. (Walter Koster – Saarbrücker Zeitung) Quite another question and therefore it's an unusual one: Mr Theissen, a short test of your memory after ten years in Formula One. Do you remember your colleagues the first time that you were sitting on such a podium as here and do know your first answer to the mediator's question?
MT: No idea. Have you ever heard of the Alzheimer disease? But I'm sure the mediator knows... (He doesn't).
Q. (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Question to Bob Bell: we heard that Heikki Kovalainen or Timo Glock could join Renault next year, or perhaps another driver. So could you tell us more about this? And the second question which links to it is what would that mean then for the French driver Romain Grosjean who comes from its ranks? Would it mean that Renault can't keep a guy who comes from its own programme after six or seven races?
BB: It is a fact that there are quite a few drivers on the market at the minute, and I think, to do justice to the team, we have to look at all of the options, which is what we're doing. We're in the process of evaluating all of the drivers that are available and we will make a decision on which driver we attempt to reach agreement with as rapidly as we can. It's important for the team to do that and we're not ruling out any possibilities. Romain still remains a possibility but, as I say, in fairness to ensuring that we deliver the best driver line-up to the team, we need to look at all the possible options. If Romain does drop out of the equation, yes, it will be sad to lose him from the Renault programme and obviously he's French, so that carries some consequences for the team but ultimately, and I think Renault fully support us in this, we need to put the best drivers in the car that we can afford for next year and if that's Romain, fine, if it isn't, if it's someone else, then so be it but our objective next year is to have the strongest line-up.
Q. (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for Christian: have you, in your mind, already decided your engine for next year?
CH: We've had, as I said earlier, tremendous support from Renault. We have a great working relationship. It hasn't just been this year, it's been for the last three years and we're reaching a critical path now where we're going to have to make a commitment, taking everything into account. We believe we have all the facts in front of us now and we will be looking to make a decision pretty much imminently – immediately following this race, I think.
Q. (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Ross, have you met Luca di Montezemolo here as the new World Champion?
RB: No, we've spoken on the phone. He's been very gracious in his congratulations to me. We've had a quiet word on the phone but no, he very kindly spoke to me and sent a note both before and after the race, and then we spoke a few days ago.
Q. (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Christian, you joked at the start about Silverstone, but that track now appears to be the only option for a British Grand Prix next year, bearing in mind that Donington has fallen by the wayside, given its financial difficulties. Bernie said this week that Formula One does not need a British Grand Prix but I'm sure yourself and Ross and Bob as team principals of British-based teams would disagree with him.
CH: Absolutely. You also have to consider the difference in resources available to the different circuits. This circuit has a nation behind it; Silverstone is effectively a private entity. I think Silverstone and the British Grand Prix is a very important and significant part of the calendar. It's a historic race, it's been there since the start of the World Championship, it's a great circuit, the drivers love it, it's a local Grand Prix to probably more than fifty percent of the teams and I really sincerely hope that now that the Donington bit appears to have stumbled, that a solution can be found between Silverstone and FOM, and I'm sure that every effort is being made to achieve that. We would certainly see Silverstone as a great loss from the calendar should it not be there in 2010.
RB: We saw what was a fantastic event Silverstone was this year, the huge support it had. I think it was Damon Hill who made the point, which I completely concur with, that Formula One is what it is because of the balance of races it has, the history it has, the heritage it has. And the reason that Formula One as a championship and as a series is so attractive to countries like Abu Dhabi and the new races we're going to is because of that heritage and that history, and if we destroy that, then perhaps we don't remain as attractive for countries in the future. So we've got to get a balance between keeping the history and heritage of Formula One and the new opportunities we have at fantastic circuits like this, so I think it would be a tragedy if we lost Silverstone and I hope Bernie can find a solution with Silverstone to keep the race there. The Donington episode has been an unfortunate distraction but let's hope that he can find a solution for the BRDC to run the race at Silverstone in the future.
BB: I totally agree with Ross that I think one of the great strengths of Formula One is its diversity and it would be very, very wrong to threaten that with an all new era and so that's important and equally, as Christian said, it is the home Grand Prix for probably the majority of people who work in Formula One. And I know how important that is to the ordinary members of staff in the factories that turn out the pieces for Formula One and provide the entertainment, and I think it would be a great shame for all of those people and their families if they weren't able to enjoy it locally. So I'm a great supporter of it, the team is a great supporter of it, and it would be a great shame if it was lost.
Q. (Amina Bentoutah – Al Dhafrah Magazine) What do you have as a project in the future concerning Formula One here in UAE, because we heard that they built a school for learning how to drive this kind of racing cars here in UAE on Yas Island, so will you send your drivers for six months or so next year?
RB: I must apologise, I'm not aware of driver training. What is very interesting is the technology side. There is a lot of interest from a number of countries to set up technology bases and I understand Williams have set one up in Qatar and we're very interested in that sort of opportunity to share the technology and get benefits from both sides to train people. I'm very keen on the strength of Formula One as a medium for training engineers and developing technology, so I think there are great opportunities in those areas. I'm not so sure about the driving side. I'm not so aware of that, but certainly on the technology side, there's huge interest in that side.
CH: The main thing is that you've got world class facilities, not just here in Abu Dhabi but in Bahrain, there's a fantastic circuit just up the road in Dubai. Motor sport in the region is obviously taking off, and that's not just the circuits, that's the infrastructure behind it and I think karting infrastructures have been put in place and out of that will come drivers, will come technicians and any incentive to help youngsters to enter the world of motor sport we would fully support, and I think it's only a matter of time before that happens.
MT: We have established Formula BMW in Asia/Pacific some years ago, including a racing centre for driver education in Bahrain. Initially it's been quite difficult because there was no racing infrastructure. Young talents in Europe usually go karting for four, five or even more years before jumping into a formula car. This is different or has been different here but meanwhile the series has come along quite strongly and so we will continue next year.
BB: We're not involved in any specific driver training facilities here or elsewhere but I certainly feel that Formula One can benefit and it can benefit the countries that it visits by a technological relationship. For example, we have some partnerships with academic institutions around the world where there are circuits, and I think that's great for the local community, great for Formula One. It goes on quietly in the background, but it's part of the business that we do and it's important.
Q. (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Back again to Mr Bell: same topic, pretty much. Apart from the fact that he's young and quite inexperienced, how would you grade Romain Grosjean's performance this year so far? Apart from the fact that he's young and inexperienced&ldots;
BB: Well, one of those points is fairly key and that is the inexperience. It is genuinely a fact that it is extremely difficult for a young driver now to enter Formula One mid-season with no real testing experience behind him. If he's fortunate enough to be introduced to the team before the season starts and can get through a winter testing programme then that's one thing to be dropped (into the team) in mid-season as Romain was. It's very hard for any of them and so that's a problem that Formula One has put upon itself, quite rightly so. The reduction in testing was done for good reason, I'm not being critical of it but it does make it difficult for drivers, so he's had an uphill struggle. He's done a sound job in dealing with that. He has two problems that he has to confront. Firstly, his team-mate is a double World Champion and that's a hard metric to judge yourself against as a young driver. And we haven't given him a particularly good car and that is equally hard for a young driver to come in. So it hasn't been an easy birth for him in Formula One but that doesn't deny that he's got a lot of talent and I'm very sure that in the future we will see that talent exploited.
Adrian Sutil - 11th: The car was performing well today, although we still have some work to do to get the balance right. We are missing a little grip on the harder tyre but it's going well with the softer compound, although we are struggling with warm up on both. We lost a little time with a brake problem in the morning but it didn't affect our programme too much as the grip was not really there at the start. At the end of the first I was still able to do 25 mins and two runs and got a good position in FP1 and could follow it up in the second practice too. The circuit is OK, but I miss some of the high speed sections you find in other tracks. There are a lot of second gear slow sections and the flow is not really there, but it's still a big challenge as it's very slippery so you are always fighting with oversteer. There wasn't a problem with the changing light as the lighting is very good: you still know it's at night but you can really see clearly. Driving into the sunset was OK - I don't think there will be a problem on Sunday.
Tonio Liuzzi - 15th: It's a great facility here, still quite slippery with the dust but it was very interesting to drive in such different light conditions over the day. It went quite well today. I think we are very competitive and have a very strong car on higher fuel loads. We still need to work a lot on the low fuel conditions as we are not spot on but I think we are going in the right direction with the car and can be happy with the progress we made today. We knew it would be hard but it's not easy for anybody with this high temperature to find a balance but I am positive for tomorrow.
Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer: Today's objectives were to allow the drivers to familiarise themselves with the circuit in the real world rather than on the simulator, ensure our cooling and brake system fundamentals were suitable, validate our wing level selection and understand the tyre behaviour as usual. We completed these steps and will review the results overnight. Adrian lost a bit of track time in both sessions with some minor issues, but this hasn't caused any setback. What is clear without needing to look at any data however, is that this is a world-class race track and will definitely deliver an excellent event this weekend.
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today's running?
"Today was all about learning this fantastic new circuit so for the teams and the drivers it was a big challenge. As with any new circuit the grip level increased a lot through the day and we saw a big improvement in lap times. Our desert location means there was sand and dust on the track at the beginning of the day too. In the later session the track temperature dropped quite quickly after sunset, but even the coolest temperature seen was still quite warm."
How do you expect this allocation to work over the weekend?
"We expect the track to further improve tomorrow. We are currently analysing today's data as it is still very early to say how exactly the medium and soft will work in the race. We saw graining today, especially on the rear. There was more graining on the soft compound, as you would expect. Whilst there was good grip improvement on the racing line, off-line the track is still quite dirty so drivers need to be vigilant here. A good qualifying and race set-up will depend on how well the teams predict the grip improvement from the track."
First Session
K. Raikkonen: 15° 1.45.704, 27 laps, chassis 279
G. Fisichella: 18° 1.46.267, 26 laps, chassis 280
Second Session
K. Raikkonen: 10° 1.41.987, 39 laps, chassis 279
G. Fisichella: 17° 1.42.932, 37 laps, chassis 280
Weather
First session: air 32/34 °C, track 46/49 °C; sunny.
Second session: air 30 °C, track 35/32 °C; clear skies.
Formula 1’s debut at the new Yas Marina circuit did not produce any change in Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s situation, not that there was any reason to expect it. “We are aware of the difficulties we will face this weekend,” said Stefano Domenicali. “Our main rivals in the fight for third place in the Constructors’ classification are going through a very positive phase, while we are having to make a virtue of necessity, trying to get the most out what we have got to work with. However, this does not mean we will not be fighting right down to the last lap, as we are not the sort to give up that easily. As for the technical aspect of this first day of free practice, on behalf of the entire team I wish to congratulate the organizers of the Grand Prix for the work they have done: Yas Marina will become, partly thanks to the Ferrari World Park Abu Dhabi, the place to be for all racing fans.”
Kimi Raikkonen: “The car is not bad to drive, but it is simply slow and lacks grip, as in fact has been the case very often this year. It’s not as though there is a specific reason why it’s not going well, but most of all, its down to our choice to stop development of the F60, so our performance level compared to the others is going down race by race, given that so many teams are still working on this year’s cars. There are only a few corners where you can make a difference, near the start of the lap. Then there are so many heavy braking points and slow speed corners, where stability on entry and acceleration on exit are the important factors. Going from daylight to artificial light? After two races in Singapore, it doesn’t cause a problem. The pit lane exit? In terms of its layout it’s quite similar to Interlagos, except there’s a wall instead of a guardrail.”
Giancarlo Fisichella: “This will become a sort of second home Grand Prix for Ferrari, as rising above the back of the circuit, will be the first ever theme park dedicated to the Maranello company. As for the track, I can say the nicest part is the first section with the quick corners. I think there is some chance of overtaking on the long straights, while the pit lane exit is a bit dangerous, but there is nothing that can be done to change it. In the second session, when the temperature dropped, the track became less slippery. In the first session, I was struggling a bit to stay on track and I had a lot of graining. We have nothing new on the car and we must try and do our best, working on its set-up.”
Chris Dyer: “It was a Friday like so many others we have experienced this season. We were able to complete our entire programme with both drivers and picked up a lot of data to analyse this evening and tomorrow, in preparation for qualifying and the race. Our race pace seems pretty good, while we are struggling to get a good time out of the car on the first timed lap, which could go against us in qualifying. As for the tyre performance, it is not yet clear, at least from what we have seen today, which will be the quickest compound to use for qualifying, so we might see some different choices to usual.”
Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari team principal:
"We are aware of the difficulties we will face this weekend. Our main rivals in the fight for third place in the constructors' classification are going through a very positive phase, while we are having to make a virtue of necessity, trying to get the most out what we have got to work with. However, this does not mean we will not be fighting right down to the last lap, as we are not the sort to give up that easily. As for the technical aspect of this first day of free practice, on behalf of the entire team I wish to congratulate the organizers of the Grand Prix for the work they have done: Yas Marina will become, partly thanks to the Ferrari World Park Abu Dhabi, the place to be for all racing fans.”
Fernando Alonso - 16th: "Today we experienced Yas Marina for the first time so we had to learn the circuit and work out the best way to set the car up. We tried a lot of different things and made some good progress by concentrating on getting good grip and traction in the low-speed corners. As we expected, the track was a bit dirty to begin with, but when more rubber was laid down I started to get a good feeling for the circuit and the car. We have a lot of information to look over tonight so that we can make some changes in the morning to find some more performance from the car before qualifying."
Romain Grosjean - 18th: "The circuit is very nice and it feels like there are two different parts. The first part is like a 'normal' track and the second part, including the third sector, has a lot of 90-degree corners that are very challenging. I quite like sectors one and two, but not sector three as you cannot afford to make any mistakes there. These very different sectors are a challenge when it comes to setting up the car. Also, the temperature difference between the sessions played a relatively big role in today's programme as we ran on the track during the day and the night, which allowed us to see what it will be like for the race. Now I'm look forward to tomorrow and building on today's work."
Bob Bell, Team Principal: "It was an interesting first day in Abu Dhabi. Coming here we thought we would struggle more with the track, but it was cleaner than we expected. For us the day was mainly about the tyres, and in both sessions our main issue was with drop-off in rear tyre performance, particularly in the low-speed corners, which caused the cars to oversteer. In the high-speed corners the cars had a better balance with a bit of understeer. By the end of the day we had made good progress and have a good idea of how to move forward tomorrow."
Sebastian Vettel, P1 - 1:44.153, 3rd; P2 - 1:41.591, 4th
“So, that was the last Friday practice of this year. I’d like to say thanks to Renault - many people didn’t believe that we’d succeed without having to change an engine, but here we are having completed a lot of miles on another Friday without a single problem. Abu Dhabi is a new circuit, so new conditions - including starting driving in the daylight and finishing the session at night, which is quite exciting. Obviously, the circuit was very green and slippery to begin with, but overall it’s quite a thrill to drive, with some good corners. It’s also pretty special to go under a hotel! Performance wise, we’re looking quite good. We didn’t know what to expect around here, but it seems as though we’re quite competitive, although we will have to wait to see how competitive. Even though it’s a new track, it was a normal Friday practice and we were testing which tyre works best.”
Mark Webber, P1 -1:44.805, 8th; P2 - 1:41.684, 7th
“A productive first day at a new track. We had an engine change between P1 and P2 - the guys did a brilliant job to get the car turned around in time. Other than that, we got on with the normal tyre comparisons and other tests we do on a Friday - so, although a new track, a normal Friday. The track’s pretty good - it’s not Spa, but it’s also not Bahrain! It’s not bad. There was a difference in clarity between driving in the afternoon for P1 and in the early evening during P2 - it’s a different atmosphere when the lights are on, but we’re used to that from Singapore.”
Jenson Button, P1 - 1:44.035, 2nd; P2 - 1:41.541, 3rd
"The Yas Marina circuit is certainly an interesting one. When you look at the layout, it doesn't seem that exciting but when you actually drive it, it's fantastic. The track has a bit of everything with high and low speed corners, positive and negative camber and the walls are pretty close to you most of the way round. We had a good first day of practice here with just a few balance issues to work on overnight."
Rubens Barrichello, P1 - 1:44.207, 4th; P2 - 1:41.831, 8th
"First of all, I'm really pleased with the new track here in Abu Dhabi. The venue looks sensational and it's quite challenging to drive which is makes it a lot more fun for the drivers. The car felt good here over the two sessions and we were able to make several improvements over the course of the day. I'm quite happy with the balance and looking forward to tomorrow."
Ross Brawn, Brawn GP team principal:
"The Yas Marina Circuit is a stunning facility and a massive credit to Abu Dhabi, Bernie, Philippe Gurdjian and the team behind it. The track layout is very interesting with some good combinations and quite challenging for the drivers. They seem to be enjoying the experience. We are pleased with how our practice programme went today. The track was very dirty at the start of the first session with high track temperatures but it was a good opportunity for the drivers to familiarise themselves with the new track. The temperatures fell dramatically going into the second session which is consistent with what we expect to see in qualifying and into the race so we worked through our usual Friday programme with the tyres and aerodynamic set-up collecting some good data."
Heikki Kovalainen, P2 - 1:45.123, 12th; P2 - 1:41.307, 1st
“The whole day was pretty good. We’d already done some good work in Woking preparing for this circuit, so we had a good balance right from the start this morning. However, we had a brake issue during first practice which we couldn’t sort out during the session. This afternoon, we got it sorted and were able to improve considerably, with both tyres working well. The circuit is cool - it’s very smooth with good grip and the kerbs are nice. Turns Two and Three are not easy-flat, but, with the good balance of the car, they’re fun. On the straight, KERS gives us an additional benefit. We can use it for maximum performance and it’s worth three-and-a-half to four tenths. The light is no problem with our slightly tinted tear-off visors, which we could remove once the sun had set.”
Lewis Hamilton, P1 - 1:43.939, 1st; P2 - 1:41.504, 2nd
“It looks like we might be quite competitive here - our long runs appear to be good, the car feels great and the track is great - it’s quite interesting coming from daylight into nighttime, you don’t notice the difference through the twilight. They’ve done an incredible job here. It’s a really nice circuit to drive - there are a lot of technical corners, where braking stability is important. It’s a great track and I really enjoy driving it. The only bit I don’t like is the tunnel - but it’s a challenge! We’ll have to see what happens tomorrow, because the track conditions are always changing, but we feel quite comfortable with the pace we have. Our car seems to behave quite well over the kerbs, we’ve got the balance feeling quite good today. Our car is probably driving better than it has all year - it’s just been getting better and better. In a way, it’s been an excellent year: it’s a bit like a race when you start from the back of the field and fight back to the front – that’s what our season has been like. And I’m extremely proud of everyone in our team, they’ve done a fantastic job all year and I’d like to finish on a high for all of them.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal:
“I think everybody in the Formula One paddock has been overwhelmed by the scale and ambition of the Yas Marina circuit - it sets standards within our sport that I think will be almost impossible to eclipse. It is a truly fantastic facility, and a fine testament to the incredible vision of our hosts here in Abu Dhabi, who have treated everyone in our team with enormous warmth and hospitality. To finish the second practice session in first and second positions on the timesheets is, of course, highly encouraging, but we are aware that there are a number of closely matched teams who will be working hard to win this race. Both Heikki and Lewis did a fantastic job today. Now, our efforts will shift towards maximising our performance and ensuring we are fully prepared for a thrilling qualifying session tomorrow.”
Norbert Haug, vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“An exceptional new racetrack with fantastic facilities. Sincere compliments to the hosts in Abu Dhabi for establishing the new benchmark of new grand prix racetracks. The atmosphere here - especially at night - is absolutely fascinating, and I am sure this will become even better during tomorrow’s qualifying and Sunday's race. Our performance on this new track was very good today. Both Lewis and Heikki posted very competitive lap times during their race simulation long runs on both tyre compounds. I guess this was our most competitive Friday performance of the whole season.”
Nick Heidfeld, P1 -1:44.667, 5th; P2 - 1:42.278, 13th
“The track offers everything you can ask for. The tarmac is good and the lay-out is quite good with the first sector having the fast corners, the second sector providing this endless straight and a possibility for overtaking, and the third one being rather narrow and windy, but flowing nicely. I’m not happy with the car’s set-up and balance yet. This is especially for a single quick lap as on the long runs the lap times were improving. The visibility during sunset and twilight wasn’t an issue today. I hope this doesn’t change if we get more dust in the air. In respect of the total darkness and floodlighting, I have the feeling it was brighter in Singapore.”
Robert Kubica, P1 - 1:44.988, 11th; P2 - 1:43.708, 20th
“The track is quite interesting, although there are not a lot of high speed corners and most are quite short. The final sector of the track reminds me of Singapore. We were just starting to work on the set-up and the tyre evaluation in the second free practice session when I had an engine failure. Now the track conditions are improving with each lap, this is a big loss and I lost nearly one hour of valuable track time.”
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering:
“At the beginning of the first free practice we realized we had been quite accurate with what we expected from the track based on our simulations. However, it’s not easy to assess our own performance after day one. We have worked on race preparation, as usual. Obviously, the engine failure on Robert’s car cost us time working on the set-up. However, I believe we have enough data available to draw the right conclusions for the remainder of the weekend.”
Kamui Kobayashi, P1 - 1:46.364, 19th; P2 - 1:41.636, 5th
"Today went well and it was interesting to drive on this track for the first time; it is a fantastic venue. This is the second time in two weeks I have had to learn a new circuit so it is becoming a familiar experience. I learnt a lot from the Brazil weekend which has already helped me here in Abu Dhabi. It will also be helpful to have a completely dry weekend so I can really become familiar with the car and tyres on this track; that didn't happen in Brazil but I am confident it will this weekend! We have quite a lot of data from today and that will allow us to find areas to improve. I believe we can make another step in terms of performance before qualifying and then I will do my best to start as high as possible."
Jarno Trulli, P1 - 1:44.958, 10th; P2 - 1:42.409, 14th
"I must say that was an enjoyable day for me and it was interesting to drive on the new track for the first time. It was good fun and I am looking forward to racing here. They have done a great job with the facilities and the track is really well built, so I am impressed. The first laps were difficult because there was just no grip, but that is normal for a new circuit like this and as the day went on the situation improved. Driving during twilight was a new experience for me and the view does change a little, with some shadows, but generally it is similar to Singapore so it's not a problem. All in all, the car seemed competitive and well-balanced so if we can improve again tomorrow we can have another strong weekend."
Dieter Gass, Toyota chief engineer race and test:
"First of all, big congratulations to the organisers who have created a really extraordinary and exciting facility here at Yas Marina. It is a pleasure to see the cars running around this track. For us it was pretty much a trouble-free day during which we focused initially on getting all the necessary information on the new track and allowing the drivers to get used to it. Everything went well and we also did some aerodynamic comparisons, mainly in the first session. In the evening session we looked more at the tyres and the results were largely as we expected; both compounds seem to be in a workable range so we can expect a consistent race. In terms of performance, as usual it is difficult to evaluate on a Friday but that is particularly true here because the effect of carrying more or less fuel is quite pronounced."
Objectives P1
• Mechanical, aero and fuel systems checks
Objectives P2
• Long runs for race balance, brake wear analysis, tyre compares, starts
Conclusions – Rod Nelson, Chief Operations Engineer
“As with any new circuit, it is very important to get out for maximum track time. The circuit is very professional and immaculately presented, however, being near the desert, it is sandy which possibly coloured the times we saw today. Looking at our tyre tests, we have plenty to think about overnight. It will be interesting to see what condition the track starts in tomorrow as it certainly improved significantly over the course of today.”
Nico Rosberg
Runs P1: 1 new prime (1 lap) install, 2 new prime (8 laps) baseline, 3 scrubbed prime (6 laps) aero test, 4 scrubbed prime (5 laps) aero test, 5 scrubbed prime (7 laps) fuel system test Runs P2: 1 scrubbed prime (5 laps) baseline run, 2 new option (10 laps) long run race tyre test, 3 new prime (10 laps) long run race tyre test, 4 scrubbed prime (7 laps) mechanical set-up test, 5 new option (7 laps) qualifying analysis, grid start. I enjoyed driving the track for the first time today. It was dirty to begin with and then of course in the second session we were interested in the artificial lighting conditions in the dark and the effect on the tyres of the temperature dropping. Visibility-wise it was fine in the second practice session and again, the temperature change didn’t seem to have too big an effect on us. The more unknown element is the choice of tyre and it is hard to say which is better. In terms of set-up, we have definitely found a direction especially on the mechanical side. All in all, a good day which has given me confidence that we can score some points here this weekend.
Kazuki Nakajima
Runs P1: 1 new prime (1 lap) install, 2 scrubbed prime (9 laps) baseline, 3 scrubbed prime (8 laps) aero test, 4 scrubbed prime (7 laps) fuel system test Runs P2: 1 scrubbed prime (4 laps) baseline run, 2 new prime (9 laps) long run race tyre test, 3 new option (9 laps) long run race tyre test, 4 new option (6 laps) qualifying analysis, 5 scrubbed option (7 laps) aero & mechanical set-up test, grid start “It was an interesting day, running P1 in the daylight and P2 in the evening. The track has improved a lot and we have spent a useful day finding a set-up direction. The tyre selection is quite tricky, which will be the key factor we will look at tomorrow.”
Sebastien Buemi - 6th: "This new circuit has some interesting features which we are not used to, like the tunnel and it's a nice feeling to start running in daylight and going into the dark. This morning was a bit difficult, but we improved the car quite a lot in the afternoon, so I am not unhappy.
"You have to consider that there is a huge difference in the track between the first session and the second, as it is a lot quicker in the evening when it's cooler. It was a bit difficult to get the tyres working properly, especially the Option, but apart from that, the car is not too bad. Now we have to see what we can do for tomorrow, when it will be important to qualify well."
Jaime Alguersuari - 19th: "I have enjoyed driving this new circuit. It has nothing particularly tricky about it and it reminds me in parts of Valencia. This morning I was learning the track and I also had to get used to an F1 car again, as last weekend, I was racing in the World Series.
"The first session went pretty well and so did the afternoon, apart from a small problem on the car towards the end. Degradation does not seem to be an issue with the tyres and they are lasting well. In FP2 the track of course had more grip and was generally faster, helped by the fact it was cooler in the dark."
