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Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes – Mercedes

Preview Quotes from the Mercedes Team ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2012 Qualifying – 8th, 2012 Race – DNF
“The Abu Dhabi weekend is a real favourite of mine and it’s a great event for the fans, our partners and the team. It’s also very unique as a twilight race and working on a different timetable makes a nice change from the usual race weekend. On the track, we will be looking to continue the pace and performance of the car that we saw in India and hopefully the result. It was a really positive weekend for me and I’m pleased that the team now has renewed momentum in our fight for second place.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2012 Qualifying – 1st, 2012 Race – DNF
“The race in Abu Dhabi is always a fun weekend and one which I really enjoy. The circuit and the whole Yas Marina complex are so impressive and racing from the sunshine into the twilight is quite special. With three races left of the season, we are still pushing and there is a lot that our team can achieve in that period. It’s all about consistency now and making sure that both Nico and I score good points so that we can keep the other teams behind us. We’re up for the challenge!”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
“The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is undoubtedly one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and a weekend that everyone at the team always enjoys. The uniqueness of the twilight racing and the wonderful facilities at the Yas Marina Circuit make for quite a spectacular show, both for the crowds at the track and for those watching on television. The circuit layout is challenging with the brakes under particular strain and overtaking can be tricky despite the long straights. This is a demanding period with four of the seven season-ending flyaway races now completed and I am pleased with how the motivation and commitment levels at our team are remaining so high. India was a strong weekend for us with some valuable points scored and we will aim to have another positive weekend in Abu Dhabi to consolidate our position.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director
“We delivered a good team result in India, with podium number eight this year and our biggest points total since the Belgian Grand Prix. Our target now is to build on that momentum in Abu Dhabi. We know what to expect at Yas Marina: a circuit where good traction is important, as well as strong straightline speed, and conditions in which it’s important to look after the rear tyres, especially through the first stint when the track temperatures are still high. All of us in the team know that the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship will go down to the final race. We are ready for the fight.”

October 31, 2013
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview Quotes – McLaren

Here’s what the McLaren boys had to say ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Jenson Button, McLaren
2012 Qualifying – 6th, 2012 Race – 4th
“I think the whole team ought to feel encouraged by our pace in India last weekend. Although the race didn’t come together for me, our overall speed and consistency were the strongest they’ve been all season, and, as always, the race team delivered on all fronts to ensure that, strategically and logistically, we lost nothing to our rivals. We’ll certainly be taking that momentum into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. While it’s a very different type of track – the final sector is much more stop-start and reliant on a strong mechanical balance – I’ve always enjoyed racing around the Yas Marina circuit and I think we can once again score points to consolidate our position in the constructors’ world championship. Now that the drivers’ world championship has been conclusively settled, I think the Formula 1 community will enjoy these last three races. While we’ll be competing with one another as fiercely as ever, we’ll also be treating our last three outings as opportunities to develop and understand the package we’ll take into the 2014 season. For me, that’s exciting: I’ll be looking forward to providing my input to ensure we end the year in as strong a position as possible, so as to be as well prepared for the new challenges of 2014 as we can be.”

Sergio Perez, McLaren
2012 Qualifying – 12th, 2012 Race – 15th
“I think that the Indian Grand Prix was my strongest performance of the season so far, and a good example of what I feel I’m capable of when I have a solid car beneath me, and the opportunity to push and press my opponents. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend. You won’t be surprised to hear that I’ll be aiming to carry that momentum over into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Yas Marina circuit is one of the most impressive and sophisticated racetracks in the world – the first two sectors, which are a series of high-speed sweeps and hard stops, are great fun to drive, while the final sector is a little trickier, because although it’s much slower it requires great precision. Getting the set-up right around here is always a compromise, also. After several races of poor luck, it was great to reverse that trend in India. Now, of course, I’ll be looking for another strong finish to carry me into my ‘home’ race in Austin, Texas, next month. I would love to be able to give my ‘home’ fans something extra to cheer about!”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“With three races remaining, and with the drivers’ world championship now settled, it’s only natural that Formula One’s collective focus should start turning towards 2014. However, there are three fantastic grands prix remaining this year, and, buoyed by a respectable result in India last weekend, we’ll be looking to ensure that we continue to maximise our performance at each of those last three rounds. In Jenson and Checo, we have two excellent team-spirited drivers who have motivated the entire workforce with their never-say-die attitude to this difficult season. Despite their contrasting fortunes in India last week, both guys showed the attitude and determination to fight hard from the race’s start to its finish. They have been an inspiration, often in adverse circumstances, and, in turn, the whole team is working hard to provide them with the machinery with which they can keep pushing until the very last lap of the very last race. I think everyone in Formula One enjoys the fantastic facilities on Yas Island, and the thrill and spectacle of a dusk race make this weekend a truly special event on the calendar. I hope we can once again deliver a good race – not only for the benefit of everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, but also for the benefit of Formula One as a whole, and most especially the fans.”

October 31, 2013
Lotus F1 Team Preview Quotes – Abu Dhabi GP

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2012 Qualifying – 5th, 2012 Race – 1st
“It’s a great place to go. The circuit is connected to big entertainment centre and you’ve got all the boats moored next to the circuit. There are often a lot of passionate fans watching the race and for me the hotel is walking distance from the track which I like. It’s also good to race at a circuit where you have had a strong result before. I had a good result there last year, but I had a very boring race there the first time I visited in 2009. I’d prefer to have another good result, but you don’t know how strong you’ll be until you get to the circuit. The facilities are second to none. The track layout makes it really challenging for overtaking as there are not too many places to pass. You really have to qualify well to be at the front and get a strong result from there. There are many corners, you need good overall downforce and grip, plus the car has to ride the kerbs very well too. It’s a track where you really hope to get everything nicely together during the whole weekend. When you succeed with that, it’s a good place to race. I have had one very boring race being stuck in the middle group and then one great race fighting for the victory at the top. I know which I prefer. The evening race time means I can get up later! Having a mixture of day and night makes a different challenge from circuits that we see anywhere else. We start with the sun and finish with the lights. It’s different, interesting and spectacular for the fans to watch too.”

Romain Grosjean, Lotus
2012 Qualifying – 10th, 2012 Race – DNF
“Yas Marina is an amazing facility and it looks so impressive. It’s not used as much as some circuits over the course of the year so we know we’re going to get lower grip at the start of the weekend. For me, the layout is not my favourite – there are too many second gear corners for my liking – but not every circuit can be your favourite and the E21 certainly seems to be liking every track at the moment! My history in Abu Dhabi isn’t bad. Last year wasn’t the best weekend for me, as I qualified tenth and did not finish the race. It was however a great race for the team, so we know what is possible. I’ve been on pole position in the GP2 Asia Series and finished second in that race, then won a GT1 racing World Championship round there. My comeback to Formula One was also during an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice session in 2011, so I’ve got some good memories of the place. It would be nice to have some more…”

Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal
“Another win in Abu Dhabi would be fantastic and if Kimi could do the same again it would be a superb result. In a year we’ve made good progress. Our understanding of this year’s car and our design development processes are coming on well. We brought out the long wheelbase version of the E21 to prove a new method of assessing and evaluating our design development path, and this has proved to be a success. This is very good news for the future; especially as we look ahead to such significant changes in 2014. We head to this year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a strong car and we’re in a position where both our drivers are performing very well at the moment, so anything could be possible.”

Alan Permane, Lotus trackside operations director
“Kimi put in a fantastic drive (in Abu Dhabi last year) and was able to capitalise on Lewis Hamilton’s retirement. Similarly to our current E21 chassis, last year’s E20 managed its tyres extremely well and it happened to do so particularly well around the Yas Marina Circuit. With that in mind – added to the fact that Pirelli have been a step more aggressive in terms of tyre allocation this season – there’s no reason to suspect we can’t have a very strong weekend again here. You need a car which is capable of doing two things that aren’t complimentary of each other. You want a setup which is fast down the straights and supple over the kerbs, but also gives responsive change of direction for the chicanes and good grip through the slower second gear corners towards the end of the lap. It’s a fine balance to find between making time down the straights or through the twisty bits. Of course, this compromise must also factor in the tyres as running less downforce can be kinder on the life of the rubber in some circumstances, but at the same time a higher downforce setting will help avoid the fronts sliding on corner entry and the rears spinning up on exit. Having the medium and soft compound once again – as per last time out in India – will be a challenge I’m sure. Making the soft tyre last in the heat of Abu Dhabi will undoubtedly be tough. We need to keep one eye on track temperatures as they will start to drop away as darkness falls, but the drop-off is not particularly significant. We usually see ambient temperatures of around thirty degrees and this doesn’t change dramatically even in the evenings so it won’t be a problem; particularly with the tyre allocation here.”

October 31, 2013
Abu Dhabi Preview Quotes – Caterham F1 Team

Here’s what the Caterham F1 Team had to say ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
2012 Qualifying – n/a, 2012 Race – n/a
“Straight on to Abu Dhabi and race 17. I have a couple of days off to recharge after India which was obviously a disappointing end to what had been a pretty good weekend until my race ended so early. It’s good that the next race is in Abu Dhabi as it’s a track I know well having raced there in GP2 and run for two days in the F1 rookie test last year with Caterham. For me Abu Dhabi’s a great place to race, for the teams and fans. People used to have a go at the circuit layout but I think it’s pretty cool. The garages are air conditioned, the only ones like that anywhere we race, and that makes life a bit easier for the boys in the garage. That’s important, particularly as we go to Abu Dhabi straight after India, but it’s not just that, it’s everything about the circuit that makes it a great race. The organisers have worked really hard to put on a lot of entertainment for the fans, not just the racing, the facilities are top class and there’s a really good atmosphere around the whole place for the race week. After a tough couple of races the main goal is obviously to get back to the performance levels we were putting in at races like Spa. The Caterham team have the pace on Sundays to fight, we have the determination to keep pushing the teams ahead and maybe we just need a bit of the luck that seems to have deserted us recently. Our time will come, I’m sure of that.”

Charles Pic, Caterham
2012 Qualifying – 20th, 2012 Race – DNF
“India didn’t go to plan at all, but with Abu Dhabi back-to-back with the Indian GP we have the chance to come back right away at a track we all know very well. Our car does seem to perform better when the track conditions are hot and even though we race from the late afternoon into the evening, it’s still hot so we are definitely aiming to get back to the performance levels we’ve targeted for this stage of the season. Before going to Abu Dhabi I’m doing a couple of days filming in Dubai with Renault and what they have planned looks really cool. I’m excited about seeing how it all comes out and even though it’s obviously still work it will be a good way to relax away from the circuit for a few days. After the filming I’ll be going to Abdu Dhabi and straight to work on Thursday. The track itself is a good technical challenge for both drivers and engineers and grip levels evolve a lot as the weekend continues but one thing we have to watch closely is how the tyre behaviour changes as the track temperatures go up and down – they can differ by up to 10°c between FP3 and qualifying so understanding how to get the best out of the tyres in the different conditions is very important. It’s also a track where you can overtake, at the end of the two long straights, so with DRS and KERS it’s a track where you do see fights up and down the grid – and that’s what both the fans and the drivers want!”

October 31, 2013
Video: Red Bull donuts on helipad on the Burj in Dubai!

Red Bull decided to do a little bit of celebrating by sending David Coulthard to do a few donuts on the helipad on top of the iconic Burj in Dubai. INCREDIBLE!

October 31, 2013
Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes – Marussia F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Marussia Team ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia
2012 Qualifying – n/a, 2012 Race – n/a
“We enjoyed a very strong race in India last weekend, so we are keen to carry this momentum forward with the advantage of just one week between races. Abu Dhabi is a fantastic venue to race at and I enjoyed the track a lot when I drove in FP1 last year. It’s quite exciting to be able to start a race in full daylight and finish it at night with the track artificially lit – another new and interesting experience for me. Our car performance is quite strong at the moment and we have the new suspension development to work with again here, so I’m really hoping for a race where I am finally able to make the most of those factors.”

Max Chilton, Marussia
2012 Qualifying – n/a, 2012 Race – n/a
“Taking part in FP1 at the Yas Marina Circuit last year was one of the highlights of my career and racing here for the first time is certainly one of the things I have been most looking forward to in my debut season. It’s a great circuit, in a part of the world I love. With GP2 Series running with us here in Abu Dhabi it has been nice to spend some time ahead of the business end of the week training and relaxing with drivers I raced alongside over the past few years. I had a great race last Sunday and it has been nice to reflect on that and think about how we can maintain our current stride with three very important race weekends remaining. Yas Marina Circuit is a tough track technically and physically, but I’m feeling confident and aiming for a repeat performance from India.”

John Booth, Marussia team principal
“The Abu Dhabi GP will be another tough back-to-back for the race team, who have been pretty much straight on the case with unpacking the freight from India and setting up for the weekend ahead. The task is made easier by the fact that Yas Marina Circuit is a magnificent track – aesthetically pleasing, technically interesting and demanding of drivers and engineers. The Drivers’ Championship may have been decided but for us there are still three critical races ahead. We took a great deal of heart from our performance in New Delhi last weekend and we would hope to continue in much the same vein here this weekend. We will conduct a further evaluation of our new suspension developments on Friday morning and see how things go from there. Generally we are feeling positive about our current performance level.”

October 30, 2013
Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes – Sauber F1 Team

Here’s what the Sauber F1 team had to say ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi GP.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
2012 Qualifying – 11th, 2012 Race – DNF
“The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a stunning event, especially during twilight when you get some really nice footage and pictures. The paddock is really nice and probably has the best atmosphere of the year with very modern facilities. The track is pretty tricky and technical, especially the last sector which has a lot of twisty, 90-degree corners. It’s easy to get it wrong and overdo it in qualifying. It’s not one of my most favourite circuits. I think it’s too much stop-and-go and it’s missing a flow. We will have plenty of work to do so we can understand the tyres.”

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber
2012 Qualifying – n/a, 2012 Race – n/a
“The Yas Marina Circuit is a great place to have a Formula One race. I really enjoyed racing there in GP2 and also testing for Formula One in previous years. The track is pretty straightforward and I have quite a bit of mileage there. Sector one has two high-speed corners that are fun. Sectors two and three have a few tight corners, which require a lot of traction. After the Indian GP we will approach the weekend in a positive way and look forward to getting the maximum out of it. In terms of racing, to me it doesn’t make a difference if we race during the day or at night, but the atmosphere in Abu Dhabi is always good, and I look forward to the weekend.”

Tom McCullough, Sauber head of track engineering
“The Yas Marina Circuit has three very different sectors. The first one is short with a medium and two higher speed corners, the middle sector is dominated by long straights and tight low speed corners, while the final sector is a relentless sequence of mainly low to medium speed corners. The nature of the track is typically hard on the brakes and rear tyres. As in Delhi, Pirelli will provide the medium and soft tyre compounds. The main aim during free practice on Friday will be to understand how these tyres work at a very different circuit. We aim to continue our strong run of getting into Q3 to give ourselves the best chance of scoring points on Sunday.”

October 30, 2013
F1 Tyres for the Abu Dhabi GP – Preview Quotes – Pirelli

Here’s what Pirelli’s Paul Hembery has to say about the F1 tyres for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Pirelli
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director

“The way that the track temperature falls in Abu Dhabi obviously has an effect on both tyre wear and degradation, meaning that teams are able to do longer runs even on the softer compound tyres later in the race. There are some important implications for strategy here, which means that it’s often possible to try something different in Abu Dhabi than you would in other places, which might well pay off at the end of the race. As a company, Abu Dhabi is a circuit that we know very well because it’s where we did some F1 tyre testing before we started in Formula One. It’s also where the Formula One teams got to sample our tyres for the first time, back at the end of 2010. When it comes to the actual venue, Yas Marina is one of the most modern and spectacular circuits of the year with a number of different technical challenges that test most aspects of a tyre’s overall performance. Tyre wear and degradation isn’t especially high here: last year, when we also nominated the medium and soft tyres, most drivers just stopped once. As the compounds are generally softer this year we’d expect two stops this time, although it’s quite possible that some teams might try just one. We will have to wait for the Friday running until we have a clearer picture of the time difference between the two compounds but overall we’d anticipate race pace among the frontrunners to be reasonably closely balanced, and it’s always under these circumstances that having the right strategy can really make a significant difference. Although there’s quite a high degree of track evolution, and conditions in free practice aren’t always representative of the race, the work done during the Friday and Saturday sessions will be instrumental in shaping each team’s understanding of which strategies are both possible and advantageous on Sunday.”

October 30, 2013
Video: Pirelli Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview

Pirelli Racing Manager Mario Isola tells us about the compounds that Pirelli are bringing to the Abu Dhabi Grand prix and talks about the effect of temperature changes on tyres

October 30, 2013
F1 2013: Race Preview – Amazing Abu Dhabi

Less than twelve months ago Sebastian Vettel stood on the cusp of becoming a three-time world champion ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. One year later Vettel returns as a four-time champion and no less hungry for victory that the first time he rolled out onto a Formula 1 starting grid.

The only twilight race on the F1 calendar is unquestionably one of the most stunning venues of the season. Set against the fabulous backdrop of the setting Arabian sun the cars hardly look more spectacular at any other stage of the season. Even though the Yas Marina circuit still feels like a fairly recent addition to the calendar, the 2013 grand prix will be the fifth visit to the east coast of Abu Dhabi.

Similar to the Indian GP, Pirelli will provide the medium and soft compound tyres to the teams. The Budhh International circuit rendered the yellow walled soft tyre extremely fragile but in Abu Dhabi is expected to have a significantly longer lifespan. “The way that the track temperature falls in Abu Dhabi obviously has an effect on both wear and degradation, meaning that teams are able to do longer runs even on the softer compound later in the race,” said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery.

It is an important time of the season for those drivers who still need to secure a 2014 seat. Despite being linked to several front-running teams it seems as if Nico Hulkenberg will not be jumping into a leading car, at least not in 2014. The immensely talented Hulkenberg has been linked with a move to Lotus with the German having supposedly signed a provisional agreement during the Japanese GP weekend. However, recent rumbling suggest that this agreement has been scrapped because the team cannot afford Hulkenberg. Instead Pastor Maldonado, and his PDVSA sponsor, look set to snatch the Lotus seat.

Nevertheless, Hulkenberg will be focusing on the task at hand this weekend and getting the best possible position by the end of the fifty-five lap race. The Yas Marina circuit should play to the strengths of the Sauber.

The first sector is relatively short and punctuated with several medium speed corners and bolstered with turns two and three acting as the two high-speed corners in the sector. The middle sector mainly distinguished by long straights with low-speed corners in the mix to provide some challenge to the drivers. The final sector of the 5.554km long lap is an unyielding series slow to medium speed corners which require the utmost precision. “The track is pretty tricky and technical, especially the last sector which has a lot of twisty, 90-degree corners. It’s easy to get it wrong and overdo it in qualifying,” said Nico Hulkenberg.

Red Bull has already sewn up both driver’s and constructor’s titles for 2013 but the battle for second and third place rages on. Whilst second place in the constructor’s standings for Ferrari holds an important psychological connotation, Lotus’ quest for the top three is purely financially motivated. Reports about financial trouble have hounded the Enstone based team throughout the season and the supposedly ‘done deal’ with Quantam (formerly Infinity) has allegedly hit a snag in recent times.

While several important stories develop behind the scenes it is on the track where the attention will be focused this weekend. Fernando Alonso is due a better result than he has been able to achieve in the last few races. It will be a difficult task however since the Ferrari doesn’t have a great record around Abu Dhabi. In addition, Alonso has appeared to be slightly dejected at the last few race meetings but Ferrari has dismissed talks about tension between the team and the Spaniard.

A team that cannot talk away the tension amidst their ranks is Lotus. Alan Permane’s now infamous race message to Kimi Raikkonen has been well publicised and met with a vast amount of criticism. Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has released a subsequent statement apologising for the message and the team will undoubtedly want to focus on fighting for a better position in the constructor’s championship.

There is nothing to suggest that Sebastian Vettel won’t be the odds on favourite to yet again occupy the top step of the podium. But just maybe the stars are aligning for someone else. However the cards fall for the Abu Dhabi GP, a cracking race is surely in prospect.

October 30, 2013