Category: Previews

McLaren Yas Marina Preview Quotes

McLaren

Fernando Alonso

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend represents many things for us at McLaren-Honda: the end of a challenging season and a significant learning curve; the opportunity to collect as much information as possible and continue our learning; and the start of the winter period where we are all focussed on working incredibly hard on next year’s package, and seeing more progress and results from our efforts throughout this year.

“Yas Marina is always an exciting racetrack to drive on – it’s one of those circuits that changes its character all the way through the lap, which makes it a lot of fun for the drivers. The spectacle of a twilight race, and feeling the atmosphere change as the light fades during the sessions over the course of the weekend is pretty incredible. Abu Dhabi is a fantastic place to end the season and we are hoping to take what we can from the weekend and enjoy it as much as possible.

“After a few difficult weekends, we will of course be pushing hard to finish the year on a positive note, but the whole team knows the work we have to do over the winter, and there’s huge commitment from everyone already to start seeing results. Every session this weekend will be an opportunity to learn more and take that development into next year’s car, so as usual we will continue fighting as hard as we can to the end.”

Jenson Button

“It’s great to be heading back to Yas Marina, not least because of the excitement and buzz that the fans bring and the incredible setting Abu Dhabi provides for a racing venue, but also because it is the end of a long and challenging year for the whole team. Although we’ve had some difficult weekends over the past few races, the mood back at MTC is still very upbeat, and everyone is already working hard for next year.

“It’s testament to the strength of our team that we continue to come out fighting every race weekend, and Abu Dhabi will be exactly the same. Yas Marina is a tricky circuit with lots of different elements coming together: sweeping faster sections, two long back straights, and a slower-speed tight, twisty infield section at the end of the lap. It makes set-up a challenge and particularly for our package it’s not well suited, but we’re hopeful of a more positive performance there than we found at Interlagos.

“If we can push for some points in Abu Dhabi, it’ll definitely be a boost for the team to end the season, and will reward all the efforts from every single member of the team over the past year. We already have our heads firmly on the development push over winter, so anything positive we can take from this weekend will help us start our next chapter together with even more energy. Our motivation is as strong as ever.”

Eric Boullier, racing director, McLaren-Honda

“The last race of the season always offers an incredibly unique and exciting atmosphere. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the season that has passed, enjoy the last racing weekend of the year, and turn our attention to the new chapter to come.

“Yas Marina is a hugely impressive facility and a superb venue to go racing at, and its twilight backdrop is a fitting way to end the season. We’ll go there on the back of a challenging year, there’s no doubt about that, but with the determination to finish the season on a high and provide the ever-enthusiastic fans with a fantastic weekend of racing.

“Although it is the last race of the season, our development has not stopped, and we are still bringing new parts and design elements to the car for the final grand prix. Our development is constant and we place huge importance on learning at every opportunity. All of our efforts this weekend will be beneficial to next year’s car, and it’s essential that we maximise the final sessions of the year, not only to end the season on a high, but to use the invaluable information we can glean from them and channel it into tangible progress over the winter period.

“It’s important to thank each and every member of the McLaren-Honda team: those on the road, at the McLaren Technology Centre, in Sakura and in Milton Keynes, for their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication all year. Our energy and commitment will continue relentlessly over the winter, with our shared goal firmly in our minds: to win. Equally, thank you to our Partners, both longstanding and new, who understand our vision and the immense work going on behind the scenes to assure us of more positive results to come.

“Last but certainly not least, I’d like to express huge gratitude to our loyal fans, who have demonstrated unwavering support through challenging times, and share our optimism for a successful future ahead. We look forward to an exciting weekend against the stunning scenery of Yas Marina, and the start of an exciting next phase for McLaren-Honda.”

Yasuhisa Arai, Honda R&D senior managing officer – chief officer of motorsport

“So much has happened since McLaren-Honda’s new beginnings here in Abu Dhabi last year. We have come a long way since that first test, and although we have had a difficult and eventful season in 2015, the team is as united as ever.

“The amount of changes that have gone into both the car and the power units this year with such speed has been incredible. Both Woking and Sakura have been working tirelessly throughout the year, and together with the drivers, their bond has become stronger as the season progressed. I am thankful for all their hard work, and encouraged by their enthusiasm to improve further over the winter.

“Yas Marina Circuit is an entertaining event that is fitting for the final battle of the season. Our focus will be to end the season giving it our all, and to continue making improvements.”

November 26, 2015
Sauber Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes from the Sauber F1 Team

Marcus Ericsson

“Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the season – it is unbelievable how time flies. It is very exciting to come back to Abu Dhabi, and I am looking forward to enjoying the race weekend there. This grand prix in the Middle East is always a great event attended by lots of fans from many countries. It is a race in the desert with the start at sunset. The track itself is in perfect condition, it is very modern and has some run-off areas.

As the circuit has a few long straights, engine power will be crucial. On the other hand, there are also hairpins and some slow speed corners. I am quite familiar with that track from my time in the GP2 series, and I also drove there for my first test for the Sauber F1 Team in November last year. Certainly, we will again do our best to score points – for a successful completion to the season.”

Felipe Nasr

“The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is another great event, and I will enjoy driving on this track with our car for the first time. So far, I have driven there as a GP2 driver and I have also had an F1 test with Williams. I can also say, because of my family’s Lebanese roots, I always receive a warm welcome and a lot of support both in the UAE and the whole of the Middle East. They make me feel I am also at home. I like the people, their traditions, their cultures and, of course, the food.

On the track it will be important again to find the right set-up, and this is where we need to concentrate our focus the most on Friday. The track in the desert sands is quite spectacular with unique surroundings. All in all, the atmosphere is special. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starts late in the afternoon, which makes it even more interesting, because of the floodlit-style à la Singapore. We will keep on with our fight for a good result.”

Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Head of Track Engineering

“After coming back empty-handed from South America, the whole team looks forward to fighting hard for more points and so to close this long season on a high at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race start at sunset and finish in the dark means the temperatures will go in the opposite direction to what we usually experience, so the drivers and engineers will have to account for this, especially in the practice sessions happening earlier in the day in much hotter conditions.

The focus will be on braking performance, as well as traction optimisation. The car will need to be reactive and precise for the final sector and, at the same time, fast on the straights that dominate the earlier part of the lap. Lastly, trading off tyre performance against durability will be a challenge in the race, as Pirelli has confirmed last year’s choice of soft and supersoft compounds.”

November 26, 2015
F1 2015: Abu Dhabi GP Preview – Abu Dhabi Ready To Dazzle

From Australia to seventeen different cities and circuit Formula 1 makes its final stop of 2015 at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit.

The first race around the visually stunning circuit was held in 2009. It remains unique to the F1 calendar for its twilight start and in its six grand prix has delivered dramatic outcomes and significant duels that are hard to forget.

In its first year on the calendar Jenson Button arrived already crowned as champion after a dominant season in his blindingly quick Brawn. While Sebastian Vettel was up the road and on his way to victory a late race scrap between Button and then Red Bull driver Mark Webber is what truly ignited the first-ever season finale in Abu Dhabi. Not far out from the chequered flag Button pitted for a new set of tyres and proceeded to close down second-placed Webber at a blinding pace. The newly-crowned champion gave it his all to overtake the Aussie and though it wasn’t to be it still produced an exhilarating and memorable wheel-to-wheel battle. “I was giving everything to take second place from Mark,” said Button, “but I couldn’t quite make the moves stick. He’s a very difficult guy to overtake but it was a good clean fight and we were really on the edge.

Since this 2009 duel the Abu Dhabi circuit has crowned Sebastian Vettel champion on two occasions in 2010 and 2013. In between Kimi Raikkonen won a memorable race for the Lotus team which is remembered for the now famous radio message of “leave me alone, I know what I’m doing.” Coincidentally, Raikkonen’s famous victory was the only time a driver has won this grand prix after not starting on the front row of the grid.

Sebastian Vettel isn’t the only world champion that has been crowned at the season-ending race either. In 2014 Lewis Hamilton was crowned with his second driver’s title after a season at the wheel of the absurdly dominant Mercedes. “Last year, this place brought probably the most intense weekend of my life,” recalls Hamilton.

Twelve month on Hamilton arrives in Abu Dhabi a triple world champion but still with something to play for. A 50^th pole position is in the offing if the Brit can recover his qualifying mojo. Recently, teammate Nico Rosberg has well and truly had the beating of Hamilton on Saturday and stands on the cusp of joining quite an elite group. Should the German secure a sixth consecutive pole position he will join a list of only four drivers who has achieved this feat in the sport.

As far as the Yas Marina circuit layout goes it isn’t the most technically challenging on the calendar. Instead, the layout is mostly dominated by medium speed corners and long straights. “The first sector is generally medium speed with a couple of high speed corners and not too technically challenging; a reasonable level of downforce works fine here. The second sector is more power hungry with two good straights and two low speed corners – a low speed hairpin and a low speed chicane so it’s important to manage these well. The final sector is quite technical with a number of low and medium speed corners where the car needs to be well balanced and work well to achieve a good lap time,” explains Lotus technical director Nick Chester. “Putting all that together is key – you need a car that works well in low speed corners and be good in the long straights.”

In 2015 the United Arab Emirates is celebrating its 44^th national day. It is a day which marks the unification of the seven emirates and the founding of the country. It could be just per chance that it matches Lewis Hamilton’s number 44. Or is it a sign that the three-time champ is set to light up the Abu Dhabi grand prix?

November 26, 2015
Williams F1 Team Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes

Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team

Valtteri Bottas – Williams F1

“I really like Abu Dhabi as a place. The weather is guaranteed to be good and the facilities are great. It’s the track where I had my first official Formula One test, so I have good memories there.

It’s the season finale, so it would be very nice to end the season with a strong result with both of our cars like we did last season. We have good memories from last year, everyone in the Williams F1 team was so happy, it was a really special feeling after such a difficult season in 2013 to confirm third in the constructors’ and my fourth place in the drivers’ championship.

Hopefully we can make more great memories this time.”

Felipe Massa

“Abu Dhabi last season, I think this was the best race I’ve had in my time at the Williams F1 Team. To be able to fight for the victory was amazing, there have been two races we were really fighting for the victory, one was Silverstone this year and the other was Abu Dhabi. We got very close to winning the race, it was the best result for the Williams F1 team with both cars on the podium.

The race starts in the day time and finishes in the evening, it’s almost like two separate races.

I really hope we can have a similar performance as we had last year there because the car was really very strong.”

Rob Smedley, head of Williams F1 Team performance engineering

“The Williams F1 Team have already secured third in the constructors’ championship which is a great achievement for the team and takes any pressure off, other than that that we put on ourselves. We aim to have a really strong race and finish the season on a high.

The circuit should be suited to the characteristics of our car and we delivered a great performance last year so hope to replicate that. Abu Dhabi is always somewhat of a challenge as half of the practices are in the midday sunlight, but the important sessions are during the twilight hours.

We have to divide our programme up to utilise this time efficiently and not get carried away with car handling data we obtain during the day. It is a great facility with a very international fan base and a great way to finish the season, they put on an outstanding event.”

November 26, 2015
Pirelli Abu Dhabi Preview Quotes

Abu Dhabi Preview Quotes from Pirelli

Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director

“It’s incredible to think that the 2015 season is over already: it seems a lot less than a year since we were at Abu Dhabi for the final race of 2014.

With the championships decided the teams can obviously push to the maximum and our tyre choice in Abu Dhabi provides them with an interesting challenge: while the surface is very smooth, the tyres are still pushed quite hard due to the track layout, so tyre management becomes an important part of the strategy, particularly under acceleration in the traction areas, where it is very easy to spin the wheels.

This is the same nomination as last year, so we’d probably expect another two-stop race, but track temperatures can be quite variable as the sun goes down and this can clearly have an effect on the tyres and therefore strategy.

Just two days after the chequered flag on the 2015 season, we already begin testing for 2016: there will be a dedicated Pirelli tyre test from 9am to 9pm on Tuesday 1 December.

With all the teams running one car to test some 2016 constructions and the new ‘ultrasoft’ tyre, which will carry purple markings at next year’s races.”

November 26, 2015
Mercedes F1 Team Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes

Here’s what the Mercedes F1 Team members had to say ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton

“The Yas Marina really is a stunning place to hold the season-ending Grand Prix. The organisers clearly spent a lot of time and effort on designing the most spectacular venue imaginable and the track is one I really enjoy driving. It’s actually a really challenging circuit. There are a couple of high speed corners but it’s mostly medium to low speed, so despite the long straights you need to set the car up with a downforce level tuned for low speed grip. It’s also a twilight grand prix, starting late afternoon and running into the night, which is quite unusual and I imagine must be pretty cool to watch on TV. Last year, this place brought probably the most intense weekend of my life. I didn’t sleep much through nerves and not knowing what was ahead. But this time around there’s no pressure, so I’ll be well-rested and aiming to go out on a high. A lot of British fans come out to the Abu Dhabi grand prix so it’s like another home crowd for me. To win for them and show how grateful I am for the fantastic support I’ve had all year would be the best way to end an incredible season.”

Nico Rosberg

“I’ve had two really great grand prix weekends now in Mexico and Brazil, so I’m heading into the final race on a massive high. The Abu Dhabi grand prix hasn’t always been an easy one for me. Of course, last year was probably my biggest disappointment – losing the title at the last moment with a mechanical problem. But I showed my speed there with pole position and I have good momentum behind me right now, so I’m aiming to end the season on a big positive this time around. Of course, it’s also the last grand prix for this incredible Silver Arrow – and it deserves a spectacular send off. Everyone at the factories has done such a fantastic job one again this year. A car like this is something every driver dreams of having in their hands, so I’ll be pushing hard to make the most of it for one last time as a tribute to all their hard work. Of course, it will be close as always with Lewis and we saw a big push from Ferrari in São Paulo, so it won’t be straightforward. But I’m up for a battle and hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans to end the year.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“It was very satisfying to leave the Brazil grand prix with another top result after a race that was far less straightforward than it might have looked. We now go to the Abu Dhabi grand prix with the best possible Championship positions secured and a chance to reflect on an incredible year. We can all be extremely proud of what we have achieved in 2015. To raise the bar from 2014 was always going to be a huge challenge – but everybody at Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart has taken on that challenge exceptionally well. While we celebrate a job well done this time around, however, the next challenge will be upon us before we know it. 2016 will undoubtedly provide our biggest test yet as a group. We will not be backing off – and an entertaining battle at the front between our boys for one last time in 2015 will be the ideal way to show that.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical)

“After another strong showing at the Brazil grand prix, a fantastic season for the team comes to a close at one of the most glamorous and spectacular venues on the calendar in Abu Dhabi. The Yas Marina circuit is a challenging track with a lot of corners around the lap and contrasting styles to each sector meaning drivers need to use all of their skill to string together a fast time. Despite the long straights that also feature it’s difficult to overtake here, so qualifying will be important. It’s a different scenario for us compared to last year as we don’t have a showdown for the Drivers’ Championship – which made this an incredibly tense weekend for everyone involved. This time around, we approach the grand prix weekend with a little less pressure and can look to enjoy the racing a bit more – but hopefully with a good battle between Lewis and Nico to sign off for the year in style. Lewis has always been very strong at this track, while Nico has been on a rich run of form over the past few races. So, the stage is set for an entertaining evening under the lights. It’s a fond farewell to the W06 Hybrid too – a truly magnificent car which has been a huge credit to the men and women who designed, built and ran it this year. We hope to give it a send-off which reflects what both the car and the team have achieved over the past 18 grand prix races.”

November 26, 2015
Toro Rosso Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes

Abu Dhabi Preview Quotes from the Toro Rosso F1 Team

Carlos Sainz

“It’s unbelievable how quickly my first season in Formula 1 has gone by! I still remember this time last year as if it was yesterday…It was a very special moment in my career too as, after the 2014 Abu Dhabi test with our friends at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, I was confirmed as a Scuderia Toro Rosso driver. It will now be good to go back there and race…

“I have some very good memories [of my Toro Rosso season]: scoring my first ever F1 points in my first race in Australia; qualifying in P5 in front of my home crowd in Barcelona; racing from pits to points in Monaco. Okay, then there’s been a bit of an unlucky streak, but we were able to overcome that and I’ve had some more good races lately, like Austin. I’ve learned so, so much this year that I can be sure I’ve become a better driver and I can use this experience to grow even more. This year was all about gaining experience, and that’s what we’ve done!”

Max Verstappen

“It’s a shame that it’s already the last race of the season, it would be good to keep on racing for another few weeks! At least I have my simulator at home, I can race on that until the season starts again!

“I’m very happy with my first year in Formula 1 with Toro Rosso. It’s been a steep learning curve. The Toro Rosso team has scored some really good results, ending up very close to the podium thanks to our two P4’s in Hungary and Austin! I’ve also had a lot of fun out on track – hopefully I can have some more this week.

“Even though [the Yas Marina Circuit] has long straights, there are also plenty of corners, which is good. The atmosphere is also special, with the harbour so close, and it will be interesting to race starting in the daylight and finishing at night. It’s the perfect setting for our last day at school. If we could finish the season sixth, that would be great – so let’s go for it! We will all push together, that’s for sure.”

November 26, 2015

Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The final round of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

After a very long seasons, the teams and drivers will no doubt want to give their all before going off on a well earned winter break.

The 5.554km Yas Marina Circuit sits on Yas Island about half an hour out from Abu Dhabi. The circuit runs in a counter-clockwise direction and has 21 corners in total. The first and second sectors are high speed sections with long straights and sweeping corners punctuated by a hairpin and a few chicanes. The third and final sector is the slow section of the track with a few 90-degree corners with a lot of stop-start action. The cars will depend heavily on the mechanical grip from the tyres to get the drive out of the slow corners.

Teams tend to favor a medium down force setup which strikes the balance between the high speed opening sector and the slow final sector.

Although the drivers and constructors championships have been wrapped up, don’t expect to see a muted race to the finish. There will be some teams and drivers racing hard till the end. It will be the final throw of the dice in the battle of the teams mates at most of the teams.

Lotus’ Romain Grosjean will say goodbye to Lotus after the race as he moves to Haas F1 at the end of the year. The battle between the two Mercedes team mate is still going on. Lewis Hamilton has not been able to secure pole position for quite some time now and he’ll want to finish strong going into the break. Nico Rosberg who’s riding a wave of confidence at the moment has proven that he can fight up there at the best of times and soaks up the pressure like a dried up chamois.

Ferrari fancy their chances at a victory this weekend but remain cautious about getting anyone’s hopes up.

The season ends off with a twilight race which means an early evening finish for everyone in Europe and Africa.

	Local	GMT	GMT+2
Free Practice 1	Fri 13:00	Fri 09:00	Fri 11:00
Free Practice 2	Fri 17:00	Fri 13:00	Fri 15:00
Free Practice 3	Sat 14:00	Sat 10:00	Sat 12:00
Qualifying	Sat 17:00	Sat 13:00	Sat 15:00
Race	Sun 17:00	Sun 13:00	Sun 15:00

November 25, 2015

Weather report for the 2015 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix

The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace formerly known as Interlagos has hosted the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1990 and has, marked the end of the Formula 1 season. For the second year now, the circuit hosts the penultimate race of the season and round 18 of the Formula 1 World Championship.

At the end of last year, the circuit underwent a major upgrade to the pit complex and so the track surface. The upgrades were scheduled to be complete before the teams reach Brazil this year. Some of the upgrade was still going on as the teams started arriving but the Grand Prix will go ahead as planned.

On the tyre front Formula 1 tyre supplier, Pirelli, are bringing the Yellow soft and White medium compound tyres to Brazil this year. This is the same compound that was chosen last year. They expect the surface to be vastly different to the previous races but they have stuck with the safest tyre option available to them.

With the slow middle sector mechanical grip will be required to power out of the slow corners while in the first and 3rd sectors the cars will depend on aerodynamic grip through the medium speed corners. A good balance between mechanical and aerodynamic grip will be required at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace where teams tend to run quite high down force levels.

Initial forecasts for the weekend were very good forecasting sunny weather with a few thundershowers. The forecast at the time of writing had changed slightly with more thundershowers forecast throughout the weekend with temperatures still quite high.

Forecasts suggest that the practice sessions, qualifying and the race fall just outside of the rain window. Temperatures will range from the mid 20s to low 30s with Friday forecast to be the hottest. Apart from the spots of rain that is forecast, expect most of the weekend to be sunny and hot.

November 11, 2015
Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix

The penultimate round of the Formula 1 World Championship takes us to Sao Paulo in Brazil for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace is a 4.209km track with 15 corners situated in the southern part of the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The land for the track was initially earmarked for property development in 1926. The parcel of land was unsuitable for a housing development and it was decided that a race track will be built.

Construction on the circuit began in 1938 and was completed in 1940. The original layout of the track consisted of 26 corners and was 7.960km long. Formula 1 started racing at Interlagos in 1972 which was a non-championship race. The first championship race was hosted the following year and was won by Sao Paulo local Emerson Fittipaldi.

The track underwent a few modifications in 1989 during which the Brazilian leg of the F1 World Championship was moved to Rio. The championship returned to Sao Paulo after Ayrton Senna came to the fore.

The track layout has remained largely the same since 1990 with a few modifications being made to the corners and some resurfacing work being carried out.

Overtaking opportunities are quite limited considering the slow and twisty middle sector of the track. Overtaking is usually done into Turn 1 at the Senna Esses and at the medium speed Turn 4 after the second DRS zone. The middle sector is slow and twisty where one corner leads to the next, Cars will rely heavily on the mechanical grip from the tyres through the middle sector.

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg will want to carry his momentum from his race in in Mexico into this weekend while his team mate, Lewis Hamilton battles illness to be fit to race this weekend. Ferrari on the other hand are aiming for the win. Sebastian Vettel seems fairly confident that victory is possible in the final two races of the season.

Below are the broadcast times for the 2015 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix

GMT GMT+2 Local

Free Practice 1 12:00 14:00 10:00

Free Practice 2 16:00 18:00 14:00

Free Practice 3 14:00 15:00 11:00

Qualifying 16:00 18:00 14:00

Race 16:00 18:00 14:00

November 11, 2015

	GMT	GMT+2	Local
Free Practice 1	12:00	14:00	10:00
Free Practice 2	16:00	18:00	14:00
Free Practice 3	14:00	15:00	11:00
Qualifying	16:00	18:00	14:00
Race	16:00	18:00	14:00

Category: Previews

McLaren

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes from the Sauber F1 Team

Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes from the Williams F1 Team

Here’s what the Mercedes F1 Team members had to say ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Preview Quotes from the Toro Rosso F1 Team