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Raikkonen Nearly Boycotts Abu Dhabi GP

Kimi Raikkonen has confirmed that he had to be convinced to attend the final three races of the season including this weekend’s Abu Dhabi grand prix.

The Finn was nowhere in sight of the Yas Marina paddock by Thursday raising speculation about the reason for the 2007 champion’s absence. Although many believed that Raikkonen’s non-appearance was a result of the tension caused by a coarse radio message from trackside operations director Alan Permane during the Indian GP. While what transpired in India played some part it wasn’t the only reason Raikkonen was contemplating not driving at all.

“It’s a small part of it,” Raikkonen told Sky Sport. “Those things shouldn’t happen but unfortunately it happened and that’s not really the issue. It’s the other stuff and obviously all the things come together in the end.

“It’s easy to say that’s the reason why I didn’t almost come, it’s not that simple. Sometimes it’s not very nice when you hear that you don’t have the interests of the team [first] and then you’ve been paid zero euros the whole year.”

It isn’t often that Raikkonen is bothered by anything and it’s an even more rare occurrence for him to talk about behind-the-scenes issues; it says a lot that the 2007 champion has spoken out in the manner that he has.

Since the Indian GP the Lotus PR machine has been working overtime to calm the waters. An interview with team owner Gerard Lopez was posted on Lotus’ official webpage chock full of praise for Raikkonen; quite a turnaround from Singapore where Lopez branded the driver as “ungrateful.”

Raikkonen has further confirmed that he is willing to skip the races in Texas and Brazil if the issues are not resolved.

It is quite difficult to fathom why Lotus’ demeanour towards Raikkonen has taken such a dramatic turn. Surely some gratitude should be shown towards the driver that is consistently delivering points and doing so despite not earning a red cent from them.

November 1, 2013
Vettel On Top in FP2 in Abu Dhabi

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets at the end of the second free practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The young German set the pace this evening in Abu Dhabi with a 1:41.335 with his team mate Mark Webber P2 with a 1:41.490, 0.155s slower than Vettel. What was also encouraging for Red Bull was the very good long run pace they had on the primes and on the soft option tyre.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished the session in P3 with a 1:41.690, 0.355s off the pace of Vettel. Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen finished P4 with a 1:41.728 and Nico Rosberg ended his session in P5 with a 1:41.758. Raikkonen was very strong on his long run pace this session, his team mate Romain Grosjean who finished FP1 in P1 finished FP2 in P12.

McLaren’s Sergio Perez received some very encouraging news towards the end of the session from his race engineer Andy Latham telling him that they were very similar on pace to Mercedes and they were quicker than Ferrari. Checo ended the session in P6. Jenson Button trailed a very different setup by running a very shallow rear wing. The proof of which reflected in the speed traps where he was quickest.

Ferrari seemed to be struggling for pace in the session. Fernando Alonso ended the session in P8 and his team mate Felipe Massa finished in P10. They’re long run pace seemed to be there about, but nothing close to Lotus or Mercedes. It looks like its going to be a difficult weekend for them.

The full time sheet for the session is included below:

November 1, 2013
Grosjean fastest in first Friday practice at Abu Dhabi

Romain Grosjean topped the time sheets after the first practice session this morning with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton taking up the second spot. Four time world champion, Sebastian Vettel finished the practice session in 3rd place.

The track was super hot with temperatures over 45C and saw Hamilton and Vettel trading quickest times for most of the session. But it was Grosjean who beat the heat to put in the top practice time of 1.44.241 with less than two minutes of the session remaining.

Vettel’s time in third place was just over a quarter of a second slower than Grosjean’s time.

Jenson Button, who finished the session in 8th place once again had difficulty with traction, at one stage complaining to his team, “WOW! We really have no grip at all!”.

Rather surprisingly, both Ferrari drivers finished outside of the top 10 with Fernando Alonso in 12th and Felipe Massa down in 17th place.

Here is the full time sheet for the first free practice session at Abu Dhabi.

Photo by Lotus F1 Twitter Team

November 1, 2013
Abu Dhabi Preview Quotes – Force India

Force India preview quotes ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Paul di Resta, Force India
2012 Qualifying – 13th, 2012 Race – 9th
“We will certainly go to Abu Dhabi to try and repeat the performance (from India). The direction we’ve taken with the car recently is more of a back-to-basics approach, which has helped. It’s given me more confidence and I can be more committed with the car. That’s really important for a driver and it will help us for both qualifying and the race.

“I enjoy driving in Abu Dhabi because it’s a twilight race and one of the more spectacular events of the year – a bit like Singapore. As a track you don’t have to rely too much on aero performance because it’s mostly low-speed and that should suit our car quite well.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India
2012 Qualifying – n/a, 2012 Race – n/a
“Yas Marina is one of the most perfect tracks on the calendar because there’s not a stone out of place! It almost feels like a futuristic venue and with the harbour location it’s like a second Monaco. The track layout is not my favourite because it’s mostly low-speed, but as an event it’s certainly a highlight of the year.”

October 31, 2013
Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes – Red Bull Racing

After sewing up both the Driver and Constructors’ Championships for the fourth consecutive year, here’s what the Red Bull Racing team had to say ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2012 Qualifying – DSQ, 2012 Race – 3rd
“The race in Abu Dhabi is one of the highlights of the racing calendar. Starting at dusk and finishing in the dark makes it pretty impressive. I have special memories of the Abu Dhabi GP after winning the first race here in 2009 and then repeating the victory in 2010 to win my first world championship, that was an event I will never forget.

“The circuit is impressive: 5.5 kilometres, 55 laps counter clockwise with large run-off areas and a pit lane that leads through a tunnel to the other side of the straight. A few key points of the track for me are; Turn 1 because it is very difficult to see and is very fast. The last corners, (Turns 20 and 21) must be regarded as one, because you have to exit perfectly from the first to catch the last corner correctly. The trick here is to get on the throttle as early as possible in order to build up enough speed for the subsequent straight.”

Mark Webber, Red Bull
2012 Qualifying – 2nd, 2012 Race – DNF
“Racing in the twilight and finishing at night with a spectacular backdrop; the Abu Dhabi GP is a unique event in that sense. The track temperature is dropping during the race which is an interesting point for us, performance-wise, with the tyres. Also we’ll have a different visor tear-off for the first part of the race, for the first 10 or 15 laps we’ll have a dark tear-off because of the low sun in the last sector, and then when the sun has gone behind the grandstand we can get rid of that tear off and run a clear one for the rest of the race.”

October 31, 2013
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