Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil reopened their war of words over who was to blame for their opening-lap collision in the Brazilian Grand Prix in an extraordinary appearance alongside each other in Thursday’s FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi.
The pair crashed out of the Interlagos race two weeks ago while battling over fourth position, Trulli losing control of his Toyota as he attempted to pass his Force India rival on the kerb on the outside of turn five and slamming into the side of Sutil’s car.
Then after clambering out of their damaged cars after the incident, a clearly incensed Trulli ran over to Sutil and started gesticulating furiously at the German driver – actions which later resulted in him being fined $10,000 by race stewards.
Almost two weeks on from their acrimonious tangle, the pair appeared alongside each other in the first ever press conference at the new Yas Marina Circuit and a question asking whether they had now settled their differences triggered an amazing public resumption of hostilities.
Trulli, clearly still fuming about the incident he claims cost him a shot at a podium finish, said he expected the crash to be discussed in Friday’s driver briefing, a view that prompted Sutil to accuse the veteran Italian of “freaking out”.
"Obviously it was very disappointing to end the race like that, especially on the first lap,” Trulli said.
"I had every reason to be extremely furious. I've got all the evidence to show that I was there and was next to him, and tomorrow we are going to discuss it."
Sutil, however, felt the incident was cut and dried, adding: "I think there's nothing to discuss, it was quite an obvious incident.
"In the end it was very disappointing for myself I think even more because I was the one who was just driving, and he lost control of his car and crashed into my back.
"It was not my problem, it's his problem. I don't know why he's freaking out like that to be honest."
In an attempt to further his argument, Trulli then produced photographs of the incident which he claims proved he had managed to get his Toyota fully alongside Sutil’s car.
However, Sutil immediately fired back, saying his rival should clearly have backed out of the move while claiming Trulli had also made the same mistake when they crashed earlier in the season in Spain.
“I can show you some pictures, I don't know if you're blind, but I can clearly show you my front wing is next to your front wing,” Trulli said.
Sutil replied: "But you're trying to overtake me on the outside of the kerbing. There was not a problem. You were just not going off the power.
"The same happened in Barcelona where you lost control again and crashed again into a Force India car.
"You have to sometimes also respect the limits of the car. If there’s nowhere to go, you have to back off – that's how the racing is. I don't know how long you need to learn this."
Trulli was in no mood to accept this version of events, saying: "In Barcelona I spun and he hit me because he cut the kerb, cut the circuit completely, and he didn't slow down."
To which Sutil retorted: "I didn't hit you. You hit me. I don't know what is your problem. I don't understand really, sorry."
After watching the pair trade verbal blows for several minutes, Fernando Alonso was then asked for his view of the incident having run several cars behind the battling pair on the opening lap at Interlagos before being collected by the spinning Sutil.
The Renault driver was keen not to be drawn into the spat, simply saying the accident would be discussed in Friday’s driver meeting: “I saw everything more or less...but as Jarno said tomorrow in the drivers' briefing we will discuss it, deeply.”
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Friday 30 October 2009
Hamilton: There’s gonna be some racing this weekend!
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was certainly impressed with the new Yas Marina Circuit on Thursday. “It’s just mind-blowing,” the outgoing world champion said of the Abu Dhabi venue. “I can’t even comprehend how much money has gone into it. And I think there will be some overtaking here. There are the long straights, one of the 1.2 kilometres long… I think there is gonna be some racing this weekend!”
Hamilton wasn’t the only one being verbose. Thursday’s preparation day was enlivened by a lively debate on the rights and wrongs of the incident in Brazil which wiped out Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Force India’s Adrian Sutil on the opening lap, which all of the drivers will discuss later in Friday’s drivers’ briefing.
“I think I had every reason to be extremely furious,” Trulli said in the FIA press conference. “I’ve got all the evidence to show that I was there, I was next to him, so I think tomorrow we are going to discuss it.”
“I think there’s nothing to discuss,” Sutil countered. “It was a quite obvious incident. In the end it was very disappointing for myself, even more, I think, because I was the one who was just driving and he lost control of his car and crashed in my back, so it was not my problem, it was his problem. I don’t know why he’s freaking out like that, to be honest.”
Trulli laughed. “If you want, I can show you some pictures. I don’t know if you’re blind but they clearly show you that my front wing is next to your front wing, so…”
“Yeah,” Sutil snapped, “but you’re trying to overtake me on the outside on the kerbing. There was not a problem…”
“So you mean… you didn’t move there…”
“No, you were just not going off the power. The same happened in Barcelona where you lost control again and crashed again into a Force India car. You just have to sometimes also respect the limits of the car. If there’s no way to go, you have to back off, that’s how racing is, and I don’t know how long you want to learn it.”
“In Barcelona I spun and he hit me because he tapped the kerb,” Trulli pointed out, “he completely cut the circuit and he didn’t slow down, so basically… Anyway, I think it’s better…”
At this point and smirking Fernando Alonso looked at Kimi Raikkonen and laughed: “Shall we go?”
“No, no. Watch the race in Barcelona,” Sutil said angrily. “I didn’t hit you, you hit me. I don’t know what’s the problem, but maybe your eyes are a problem.”
“I was furious because I said ‘Didn’t you see me?’” Trulli ask, smiling. “I mean, I was next to him and he kept pushing me going outside until I was obviously on the kerbs. I couldn’t believe…”
“…the kerbs, not a problem to be on the kerb, I think,” said Sutil, poker-faced. “Where’s the problem?”
“Okay, no problem, it’s okay. As long as we know the rules.”
“I know the rules.”
“Fantastic.”
Like Hamilton said, we could have some really fun racing this weekend…
Hamilton wasn’t the only one being verbose. Thursday’s preparation day was enlivened by a lively debate on the rights and wrongs of the incident in Brazil which wiped out Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Force India’s Adrian Sutil on the opening lap, which all of the drivers will discuss later in Friday’s drivers’ briefing.
“I think I had every reason to be extremely furious,” Trulli said in the FIA press conference. “I’ve got all the evidence to show that I was there, I was next to him, so I think tomorrow we are going to discuss it.”
“I think there’s nothing to discuss,” Sutil countered. “It was a quite obvious incident. In the end it was very disappointing for myself, even more, I think, because I was the one who was just driving and he lost control of his car and crashed in my back, so it was not my problem, it was his problem. I don’t know why he’s freaking out like that, to be honest.”
Trulli laughed. “If you want, I can show you some pictures. I don’t know if you’re blind but they clearly show you that my front wing is next to your front wing, so…”
“Yeah,” Sutil snapped, “but you’re trying to overtake me on the outside on the kerbing. There was not a problem…”
“So you mean… you didn’t move there…”
“No, you were just not going off the power. The same happened in Barcelona where you lost control again and crashed again into a Force India car. You just have to sometimes also respect the limits of the car. If there’s no way to go, you have to back off, that’s how racing is, and I don’t know how long you want to learn it.”
“In Barcelona I spun and he hit me because he tapped the kerb,” Trulli pointed out, “he completely cut the circuit and he didn’t slow down, so basically… Anyway, I think it’s better…”
At this point and smirking Fernando Alonso looked at Kimi Raikkonen and laughed: “Shall we go?”
“No, no. Watch the race in Barcelona,” Sutil said angrily. “I didn’t hit you, you hit me. I don’t know what’s the problem, but maybe your eyes are a problem.”
“I was furious because I said ‘Didn’t you see me?’” Trulli ask, smiling. “I mean, I was next to him and he kept pushing me going outside until I was obviously on the kerbs. I couldn’t believe…”
“…the kerbs, not a problem to be on the kerb, I think,” said Sutil, poker-faced. “Where’s the problem?”
“Okay, no problem, it’s okay. As long as we know the rules.”
“I know the rules.”
“Fantastic.”
Like Hamilton said, we could have some really fun racing this weekend…
Hamilton heads first Abu Dhabi practice
Lewis Hamilton ended the first free practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix fastest of all following an entertaining battle with new world champion Jenson Button for the quickest time.
The pair duelled for time towards the end of the session as both lapped faster than Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
Rubens Barrichello was fourth fastest as less than three tenths separated the top four. Nick Heidfeld was fifth quickest for the departing BMW team ahead of Sebastien Buemi. Adrian Sutil was seventh, having sat out most of the session with a gearbox problem.
Mark Webber, Jaime Alguersuari and Jarno Trulli completed the top ten.
Unsurprisingly the brand new 3.451-mile Yas Marina track was covered in dust at the start of the session, despite the best efforts of the circuit organisers over the last few days.
Thus only the Toro Rossos of Alguersuari and then Sebastien Buemi, and fellow rookies Kamui Kobayashi and Romain Grosjean did much of the running in the first 30 minutes.
Indeed it wasn't until the halfway point of the 90-minute session that the big guns began to fire as Vettel set a 1m45.372s ahead of team-mate Webber.
A few minutes later and Hamilton signalled his intent lowering the mark to 1m44.908s.
That's the way it stayed for a while as drivers began to find the limits of the circuit, laying that all-important rubber line down in the process.
Then it was Webber's turn to move to the top with a 1m44.805s, suggesting that Abu Dhabi could be a Red Bull kind of track.
But that's not counting for the Brawns, which up until the 70-minute mark had proved very quiet in the midfield.
Then Button, free of the shackles of world championship pressure, suddenly banged in a 1m44.524s to quickest.
This sparked a neat little cameo between Britain's two active world champions as Hamilton and Button traded fastest laps, the P1 spot moving backwards and forwards between McLaren and Brawn twice before eventually ending up in Hamilton's corner - with a 1m43.939s lap.
Several drivers found tricky spots on the new track. Button was among many to be caught out at the Turn 19 left-hander after the tunnel under the hotel, spinning harmlessly.
Kobayashi also had a spin into the complex of turns after the pit straight. No one though, remarkably ended the session with any car damage despite the closer proximity of the barriers at the new track.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:43.939 18
2. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:44.035 + 0.096 20
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:44.153 + 0.214 28
4. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:44.207 + 0.268 23
5. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:44.667 + 0.728 23
6. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:44.687 + 0.748 32
7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:44.688 + 0.749 14
8. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:44.805 + 0.866 25
09. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:44.955 + 1.016 33
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:44.958 + 1.019 25
11. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:44.988 + 1.049 22
12. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:45.123 + 1.184 20
13. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:45.649 + 1.710 27
14. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:45.679 + 1.740 25
15. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:45.704 + 1.765 27
16. Alonso Renault (B) 1:45.865 + 1.926 23
17. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:46.239 + 2.300 22
18. Fisichella Ferrari (B) 1:46.267 + 2.328 26
19. Kobayashi Toyota (B) 1:46.364 + 2.425 28
20. Grosjean Renault (B) 1:46.411 + 2.472 27
The pair duelled for time towards the end of the session as both lapped faster than Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
Rubens Barrichello was fourth fastest as less than three tenths separated the top four. Nick Heidfeld was fifth quickest for the departing BMW team ahead of Sebastien Buemi. Adrian Sutil was seventh, having sat out most of the session with a gearbox problem.
Mark Webber, Jaime Alguersuari and Jarno Trulli completed the top ten.
Unsurprisingly the brand new 3.451-mile Yas Marina track was covered in dust at the start of the session, despite the best efforts of the circuit organisers over the last few days.
Thus only the Toro Rossos of Alguersuari and then Sebastien Buemi, and fellow rookies Kamui Kobayashi and Romain Grosjean did much of the running in the first 30 minutes.
Indeed it wasn't until the halfway point of the 90-minute session that the big guns began to fire as Vettel set a 1m45.372s ahead of team-mate Webber.
A few minutes later and Hamilton signalled his intent lowering the mark to 1m44.908s.
That's the way it stayed for a while as drivers began to find the limits of the circuit, laying that all-important rubber line down in the process.
Then it was Webber's turn to move to the top with a 1m44.805s, suggesting that Abu Dhabi could be a Red Bull kind of track.
But that's not counting for the Brawns, which up until the 70-minute mark had proved very quiet in the midfield.
Then Button, free of the shackles of world championship pressure, suddenly banged in a 1m44.524s to quickest.
This sparked a neat little cameo between Britain's two active world champions as Hamilton and Button traded fastest laps, the P1 spot moving backwards and forwards between McLaren and Brawn twice before eventually ending up in Hamilton's corner - with a 1m43.939s lap.
Several drivers found tricky spots on the new track. Button was among many to be caught out at the Turn 19 left-hander after the tunnel under the hotel, spinning harmlessly.
Kobayashi also had a spin into the complex of turns after the pit straight. No one though, remarkably ended the session with any car damage despite the closer proximity of the barriers at the new track.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:43.939 18
2. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:44.035 + 0.096 20
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:44.153 + 0.214 28
4. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:44.207 + 0.268 23
5. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:44.667 + 0.728 23
6. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:44.687 + 0.748 32
7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:44.688 + 0.749 14
8. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:44.805 + 0.866 25
09. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:44.955 + 1.016 33
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:44.958 + 1.019 25
11. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:44.988 + 1.049 22
12. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:45.123 + 1.184 20
13. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:45.649 + 1.710 27
14. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:45.679 + 1.740 25
15. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:45.704 + 1.765 27
16. Alonso Renault (B) 1:45.865 + 1.926 23
17. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:46.239 + 2.300 22
18. Fisichella Ferrari (B) 1:46.267 + 2.328 26
19. Kobayashi Toyota (B) 1:46.364 + 2.425 28
20. Grosjean Renault (B) 1:46.411 + 2.472 27
Barrichello: Williams on the way up
Rubens Barrichello thinks Williams is a team 'on the up', ahead of his expected switch to the Grove-based outfit next season.
Williams is set to announce on Monday that Barrichello will partner Nico Hulkenberg at the Cosworth-powered team in 2010, as the outfit opts for an all new driver line-up.
And although Barrichello has drawn short of confirming that he will be heading to Williams next year, he has openly spoken in praise of the outfit - after stating that his mind was now made up about his future plans.
"Williams has always been a team that anyone would have a look at," said Barrichello in Abu Dhabi. "That is no different right now.
"Everyone would look at a position at Williams, because it is one of the best teams out there – and they are on the way up. So I am definitely looking at that."
Barrichello said that he wanted to wait until after the season had finished before announcing his future plans, but he was hopeful that the car he will get his hands on in 2010 will allow him the chance to keep fighting for wins.
His comments come despite outgoing Williams driver Nico Rosberg saying that he had decided to leave the team because he felt it could not provide him with a winning car in 2010.
Barrichello said: "I want to win. I have a lot of passion for the speed. I have a lot of passion for the overtaking, and for the things that pump me up – the challenge of winning. That is what I want.
"The three years I had at Honda were very, very difficult, but you motivate yourself and you go for it. I am very hopeful of having a very competitive car next year, so that is what I want from myself. I want to go on and keep on winning."
He added: "I'm waiting for the season to end and just to come out and tell you everything I have to say. Right now, I'm not waiting for Jenson to do this, or some others to do that. My mind is pretty well fixed, but it is not the right time to talk about that right now."
Williams is set to announce on Monday that Barrichello will partner Nico Hulkenberg at the Cosworth-powered team in 2010, as the outfit opts for an all new driver line-up.
And although Barrichello has drawn short of confirming that he will be heading to Williams next year, he has openly spoken in praise of the outfit - after stating that his mind was now made up about his future plans.
"Williams has always been a team that anyone would have a look at," said Barrichello in Abu Dhabi. "That is no different right now.
"Everyone would look at a position at Williams, because it is one of the best teams out there – and they are on the way up. So I am definitely looking at that."
Barrichello said that he wanted to wait until after the season had finished before announcing his future plans, but he was hopeful that the car he will get his hands on in 2010 will allow him the chance to keep fighting for wins.
His comments come despite outgoing Williams driver Nico Rosberg saying that he had decided to leave the team because he felt it could not provide him with a winning car in 2010.
Barrichello said: "I want to win. I have a lot of passion for the speed. I have a lot of passion for the overtaking, and for the things that pump me up – the challenge of winning. That is what I want.
"The three years I had at Honda were very, very difficult, but you motivate yourself and you go for it. I am very hopeful of having a very competitive car next year, so that is what I want from myself. I want to go on and keep on winning."
He added: "I'm waiting for the season to end and just to come out and tell you everything I have to say. Right now, I'm not waiting for Jenson to do this, or some others to do that. My mind is pretty well fixed, but it is not the right time to talk about that right now."
Glock now likely to leave Toyota
Timo Glock has admitted it is now likely he will leave Toyota at the end of this season, with the German's future now set to be either with Renault or the new Manor outfit.
Although AUTOSPORT understands that Toyota has made him a firm offer for next season, sources suggest that Glock is keener to follow a new path in his career.
He is close to a deal to partner Robert Kubica at Renault, but it is also believed that he has not totally ruled out an option he has at the soon-to-be Virgin-backed Manor team.
Speaking in the Abu Dhabi paddock, Glock said he had no doubts that he would be racing in F1 next year - even though he is adamant nothing is signed for 2010 year.
"100 percent," he said, when asked by AUTOSPORT about how he rated his chances of competing in F1 next year. "We have, let's say, a good conversation with the teams. I am quite positive on that."
He added: "There are a lot of rumours going on at the moment, and we have a couple of good possibilities. And there could be maybe a surprise in the next one or two weeks, where nobody has been thinking in that direction. We will see... The possibilities are there and we just have to sort it out now."
Speaking about whether Toyota remained a possibility for him, Glock hesitated before saying: "It could be, but the chance is a bit lower I would say."
Glock said there were many factors for him to consider – and made it clear he would not rule out the gamble of going with a new team, rather than an established outfit like Renault.
"Everybody says that the new teams are not interesting, but next year everything is possible," he said. "With the new rules, 150-160kg on board, it will be different. When you see the rule changes this year, and the ups and downs during the season, even a smaller team like Force India had the chance to come up to the top five.
"Brawn GP won the championship and Red Bull – there is no real constructor at the moment fighting for the championship. Sure, McLaren-Mercedes-Benz is really, really strong again at the moment, but the point is that it is more equal.
"I think you have to look in every direction because nobody knows what is going on next year. That makes it interesting and you can make the right decision, or you can make the wrong decision.
"It doesn't matter where you go, you never know what is going on next year. Sure the strong teams like McLaren and Ferrari, they will be on the top and fighting at the top, but you have to be open for everything."
Although AUTOSPORT understands that Toyota has made him a firm offer for next season, sources suggest that Glock is keener to follow a new path in his career.
He is close to a deal to partner Robert Kubica at Renault, but it is also believed that he has not totally ruled out an option he has at the soon-to-be Virgin-backed Manor team.
Speaking in the Abu Dhabi paddock, Glock said he had no doubts that he would be racing in F1 next year - even though he is adamant nothing is signed for 2010 year.
"100 percent," he said, when asked by AUTOSPORT about how he rated his chances of competing in F1 next year. "We have, let's say, a good conversation with the teams. I am quite positive on that."
He added: "There are a lot of rumours going on at the moment, and we have a couple of good possibilities. And there could be maybe a surprise in the next one or two weeks, where nobody has been thinking in that direction. We will see... The possibilities are there and we just have to sort it out now."
Speaking about whether Toyota remained a possibility for him, Glock hesitated before saying: "It could be, but the chance is a bit lower I would say."
Glock said there were many factors for him to consider – and made it clear he would not rule out the gamble of going with a new team, rather than an established outfit like Renault.
"Everybody says that the new teams are not interesting, but next year everything is possible," he said. "With the new rules, 150-160kg on board, it will be different. When you see the rule changes this year, and the ups and downs during the season, even a smaller team like Force India had the chance to come up to the top five.
"Brawn GP won the championship and Red Bull – there is no real constructor at the moment fighting for the championship. Sure, McLaren-Mercedes-Benz is really, really strong again at the moment, but the point is that it is more equal.
"I think you have to look in every direction because nobody knows what is going on next year. That makes it interesting and you can make the right decision, or you can make the wrong decision.
"It doesn't matter where you go, you never know what is going on next year. Sure the strong teams like McLaren and Ferrari, they will be on the top and fighting at the top, but you have to be open for everything."
Lotus F1 appoints new CEO
The Lotus Formula 1 team has appointed a new chief executive officer, with former Proton general manager Riad Asmat stepping up to the role.
The Malaysian-backed team, which is preparing to join the grid in 2010, made the announcement in the press conference at the Sepang circuit on Friday morning.
Team principal Tony Fernandes told a press conference: "Riad's expertise, which is a good blend of both corporate experience and motorsports knowledge, will provide the dynamic and success-oriented leadership that the Malaysian team requires.
"I'm confident that his knowledge of motorsports coupled with vast experience will contribute to the success of the 1Malaysia F1 Team."
The Malaysian-backed team, which is preparing to join the grid in 2010, made the announcement in the press conference at the Sepang circuit on Friday morning.
Team principal Tony Fernandes told a press conference: "Riad's expertise, which is a good blend of both corporate experience and motorsports knowledge, will provide the dynamic and success-oriented leadership that the Malaysian team requires.
"I'm confident that his knowledge of motorsports coupled with vast experience will contribute to the success of the 1Malaysia F1 Team."
Frank Williams confirms Cosworth switch
Frank Williams has officially confirmed that his team will switch to Cosworth engines next year, as AUTOSPORT revealed earlier this month.
Although the Grove-based outfit has so far kept silent about its engine plans, its move to Cosworth was decided on in the last few weeks after it ended talks it had held with Renault.
And now Williams himself has let the cat out of the bag about its intentions for 2010 after telling the Gulf News newspaper that his team was making the switch to Cosworth.
"We've finished our contract with Toyota and we've moved on to a British engine manufacturer Cosworth with whom we have won many world championships in the past," he said.
"They are 50 miles away from Williams which is very convenient. Besides we also like our independence. We will be not under the influence, not that Toyota ever bossed around, but we've just gone a private and independent route."
He added: "Our performance needs to improve. We staggered in the second half of the 2009 season. It's fundamental that the car is not fast enough, but from what I've seen we should have been a little more competitive."
Williams also revealed that the team will announce its driver plans for next year on Monday, with the team set to reveal Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg as its line-up.
"We will announce our drivers for next season on Monday," he said. "[Nico Rosberg] will be leaving and we just thought it was quite a long time.
"There are a few things going on at Williams for next season, with our engines, so we thought we can do better. Nico is German and Mercedes need at least one German driver to sit before their engine."
Thursday 29 October 2009
Q and A with Sebastian Vettel
Q. How do you approach a weekend on a new track?
Sebastian Vettel: Pretty much like every weekend. Obviously the team and myself try to prepare. It's clearly a bit different because it's a new circuit, so what do we do? We try to collect as much data and information as we can. The GP2 cars tested here last weekend and I've done some laps on the simulator too. Other than that we come here, do the usual track walk and get some information about the circuit. It looks quite interesting, quite challenging. I would say it's a mix of Singapore and Bahrain. Singapore because there are some quite slow corners, some left-right combinations, kind of Mickey Mouse. It's kind of smooth, so not bumpy at all. It's very smooth and has some long straights - one straight that's even longer than at Shanghai. We will see. It should be good for us. The car was competitive in the last few races, no matter where we were.
Q. Is the sun setting a concern?
SV: Now I don't know, but tomorrow we will have the practice in changing conditions with the sunlight and it depends on the circuit layout and the combination of where the sun goes down. To get a real idea you can only tell by sitting in the car and watching where the sun goes down. We will see, but if the sun is very low, and depending on the corners, it could be quite critical.
Q. What kind of visor did you use in Australia?
SV: A dark visor, because we started in the daytime and it was quite sunny. It was close to sunset when we finished. It was starting to get dark and the sun was very low at the end of the race. For here it will be something like medium because it will be dark for the last part of the race and bright to start off with. Actually it's a good question.
Q. Does the disappointment of Brazil ease a little after two weeks?
SV: It's normal to be disappointed. For sure it took some time, so it was a big disappointment. But in the end you have to see the positives and I think it was a very good season for us. A lot of things happened, we learned a lot of things, lessons... all in all there are a lot of things we can do better next year, but for now the focus has to be on securing second place in the drivers' championship and having a very good race on Sunday.
Q. So you're happy to finish second in the championship now then? In Brazil you said it didn't matter.
SV: Sometimes you get out of the car and say things. You don't have a lot of time to think about it. Generally I'm not here to finish second or third. This hasn't changed, but for now third is worse than second, so I want to win the vice title or be second in the championship.
Q. If someone had told you at the start of the season that you'd finish second in the championship, how would you have reacted?
SV: These questions always appear at the last few races, either positive or negative. This year was special because the rules changed so much that we didn't know what to expect. In the first test already we had a good feeling with the car. We were very happy, but we didn't know until Australia how competitive we were. It was very important to be competitive from the beginning right to the end. On top of that, this year was very up and down anyway for the different teams at the top. That was very important. If anyone had have told me, I'd probably have said 'If I have a car that's good enough to finish second, then why can't I be first?'
Q. Is Australia the big regret for the points that you gave away?
SV: No. Obviously there is one more race to go, but looking back, I don't think there's only one race where things went wrong. It's no secret in the end that the guy who wins the championship is the guy who scores the most points. You don't score points for first only, but also for second and third and down to eighth. Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you're not strong enough to win, but still it matters to bring the car home third, fourth, fifth and collect points. I think that at every race this year we were strong enough to finish in the top five - which no-one else was - except maybe Monza. Sometimes you may call it bad luck, but at other times we made mistakes with the strategy. Other times it was a mistake from myself. All in all, we had five races where we didn't finish and didn't score points. Australia was only one of those and it was a racing incident. You are going to have those kinds of situation when you are racing; I'm not on the circuit to wave people past as soon as they appear in my mirrors. I would say that these kinds of things just happen. But there were too many other things happening as well, and these things cost us important points.
Q. Have things you've done this year been the cause of that? For example, strategic decisions that were too aggressive because you wanted to win races and didn't think you'd be competing for the championship?
SV: Yeah. In the end, we are a team and we have done decisions that at the time you feel is best. After the race you learn whether you have made a good decision or not. Sometimes our decisions were not the smartest and for sure it's something we can improve on for next year. Obviously we were a little bit handicapped by the engines, but also everyone was expecting us to change at least one more engine before the last race, and here we are and we haven't had to do that. Thanks to Renault we made it. It's pretty simple in the end. Looking back we can see that there are things we perhaps could have done better, but the important thing is that we learn from those decisions and don't make those mistakes again.
Q. How do you compare these modern circuits to the older tracks like Spa and Suzuka? Which do you prefer?
SV: Well I haven't driven this circuit yet, so I don't know. As far as new circuits go, one thing missing is the history. When you go to Spa or Monza and you walk the track, you know that 10, 20, 30 years ago, Formula 1 was taking place and you can feel it. It's something special. Some of the corners are legendary... Eau Rouge, Parabolica etc. This is something new circuits cannot deliver yet because they are too new. But sometimes, obviously, circuits like here or Bahrain, all the new types of circuits, have much improved safety, but sometimes it’s difficult to give the circuit character, because they look the same. Inside the car, each circuit feels individual, but it looks all the same. There's lots of runoff everywhere so maybe sometimes you don't pay enough for your mistakes.
Sebastian Vettel: Pretty much like every weekend. Obviously the team and myself try to prepare. It's clearly a bit different because it's a new circuit, so what do we do? We try to collect as much data and information as we can. The GP2 cars tested here last weekend and I've done some laps on the simulator too. Other than that we come here, do the usual track walk and get some information about the circuit. It looks quite interesting, quite challenging. I would say it's a mix of Singapore and Bahrain. Singapore because there are some quite slow corners, some left-right combinations, kind of Mickey Mouse. It's kind of smooth, so not bumpy at all. It's very smooth and has some long straights - one straight that's even longer than at Shanghai. We will see. It should be good for us. The car was competitive in the last few races, no matter where we were.
Q. Is the sun setting a concern?
SV: Now I don't know, but tomorrow we will have the practice in changing conditions with the sunlight and it depends on the circuit layout and the combination of where the sun goes down. To get a real idea you can only tell by sitting in the car and watching where the sun goes down. We will see, but if the sun is very low, and depending on the corners, it could be quite critical.
Q. What kind of visor did you use in Australia?
SV: A dark visor, because we started in the daytime and it was quite sunny. It was close to sunset when we finished. It was starting to get dark and the sun was very low at the end of the race. For here it will be something like medium because it will be dark for the last part of the race and bright to start off with. Actually it's a good question.
Q. Does the disappointment of Brazil ease a little after two weeks?
SV: It's normal to be disappointed. For sure it took some time, so it was a big disappointment. But in the end you have to see the positives and I think it was a very good season for us. A lot of things happened, we learned a lot of things, lessons... all in all there are a lot of things we can do better next year, but for now the focus has to be on securing second place in the drivers' championship and having a very good race on Sunday.
Q. So you're happy to finish second in the championship now then? In Brazil you said it didn't matter.
SV: Sometimes you get out of the car and say things. You don't have a lot of time to think about it. Generally I'm not here to finish second or third. This hasn't changed, but for now third is worse than second, so I want to win the vice title or be second in the championship.
Q. If someone had told you at the start of the season that you'd finish second in the championship, how would you have reacted?
SV: These questions always appear at the last few races, either positive or negative. This year was special because the rules changed so much that we didn't know what to expect. In the first test already we had a good feeling with the car. We were very happy, but we didn't know until Australia how competitive we were. It was very important to be competitive from the beginning right to the end. On top of that, this year was very up and down anyway for the different teams at the top. That was very important. If anyone had have told me, I'd probably have said 'If I have a car that's good enough to finish second, then why can't I be first?'
Q. Is Australia the big regret for the points that you gave away?
SV: No. Obviously there is one more race to go, but looking back, I don't think there's only one race where things went wrong. It's no secret in the end that the guy who wins the championship is the guy who scores the most points. You don't score points for first only, but also for second and third and down to eighth. Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you're not strong enough to win, but still it matters to bring the car home third, fourth, fifth and collect points. I think that at every race this year we were strong enough to finish in the top five - which no-one else was - except maybe Monza. Sometimes you may call it bad luck, but at other times we made mistakes with the strategy. Other times it was a mistake from myself. All in all, we had five races where we didn't finish and didn't score points. Australia was only one of those and it was a racing incident. You are going to have those kinds of situation when you are racing; I'm not on the circuit to wave people past as soon as they appear in my mirrors. I would say that these kinds of things just happen. But there were too many other things happening as well, and these things cost us important points.
Q. Have things you've done this year been the cause of that? For example, strategic decisions that were too aggressive because you wanted to win races and didn't think you'd be competing for the championship?
SV: Yeah. In the end, we are a team and we have done decisions that at the time you feel is best. After the race you learn whether you have made a good decision or not. Sometimes our decisions were not the smartest and for sure it's something we can improve on for next year. Obviously we were a little bit handicapped by the engines, but also everyone was expecting us to change at least one more engine before the last race, and here we are and we haven't had to do that. Thanks to Renault we made it. It's pretty simple in the end. Looking back we can see that there are things we perhaps could have done better, but the important thing is that we learn from those decisions and don't make those mistakes again.
Q. How do you compare these modern circuits to the older tracks like Spa and Suzuka? Which do you prefer?
SV: Well I haven't driven this circuit yet, so I don't know. As far as new circuits go, one thing missing is the history. When you go to Spa or Monza and you walk the track, you know that 10, 20, 30 years ago, Formula 1 was taking place and you can feel it. It's something special. Some of the corners are legendary... Eau Rouge, Parabolica etc. This is something new circuits cannot deliver yet because they are too new. But sometimes, obviously, circuits like here or Bahrain, all the new types of circuits, have much improved safety, but sometimes it’s difficult to give the circuit character, because they look the same. Inside the car, each circuit feels individual, but it looks all the same. There's lots of runoff everywhere so maybe sometimes you don't pay enough for your mistakes.
Vettel out to clinch runner-up spot
Sebastian Vettel is determined to wrap up second place in the drivers' world championship at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver currently holds second, two points ahead of Rubens Barrichello, meaning that he is likely to hang on to the runner-up spot by finishing within one place of the Brazilian.
Despite Vettel's obvious disappointment in Brazil at failing to take the title fight down to the final round, he is happy with his season.
"Generally I'm not here to finish second or third," the German said. "This hasn't changed, but for now third is worse than second, so I want to be second in the championship.
"Of course it's normal to be disappointed [as he was in Brazil], but when you look at the positives, this has been a very good season for us. A lot of things happened and we learned a lot of lessons.
"All in all, there are a lot of things we can do better next year, but for now the focus has to be on securing second place in the drivers' championship and having a very good race on Sunday."
Vettel said that strategic errors from Red Bull, plus his own on-track mistakes, had robbed him of vital points across the season.
"Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you're not strong enough to win, but still it matters to bring the car home third or fourth or fifth and collect points," he added.
"I think that at every race this year we were strong enough to finish in the top five, unlike anyone else, except maybe for Monza.
"Sometimes you may call it bad luck, but at other times we made mistakes with the strategy. Other times it was a mistake from myself.
"All in all, we had five races where we didn't finish or didn't score points. What's important is we learn from this and don't make the same mistakes next year."
The Red Bull driver currently holds second, two points ahead of Rubens Barrichello, meaning that he is likely to hang on to the runner-up spot by finishing within one place of the Brazilian.
Despite Vettel's obvious disappointment in Brazil at failing to take the title fight down to the final round, he is happy with his season.
"Generally I'm not here to finish second or third," the German said. "This hasn't changed, but for now third is worse than second, so I want to be second in the championship.
"Of course it's normal to be disappointed [as he was in Brazil], but when you look at the positives, this has been a very good season for us. A lot of things happened and we learned a lot of lessons.
"All in all, there are a lot of things we can do better next year, but for now the focus has to be on securing second place in the drivers' championship and having a very good race on Sunday."
Vettel said that strategic errors from Red Bull, plus his own on-track mistakes, had robbed him of vital points across the season.
"Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you're not strong enough to win, but still it matters to bring the car home third or fourth or fifth and collect points," he added.
"I think that at every race this year we were strong enough to finish in the top five, unlike anyone else, except maybe for Monza.
"Sometimes you may call it bad luck, but at other times we made mistakes with the strategy. Other times it was a mistake from myself.
"All in all, we had five races where we didn't finish or didn't score points. What's important is we learn from this and don't make the same mistakes next year."
FIA Thursday press conference - Abu Dhabi
Drivers: Fernando Alonso (Renault), Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Jarno Trulli (Toyota)
Q: A question to you all. What are your reactions to seeing the Yas Island Circuit for the first time. The facilities? The circuit? Adrian, would you like to start?
Adrian Sutil: Impressive, let’s say. A very nice circuit, very big. I think it is the biggest I’ve ever seen. The facilities are amazing. It is going to be an interesting weekend really.
Jarno Trulli: I think I agree. I was impressed with the facilities and the place and the circuit. So far it seems to be very well made with the surface and the kerbs. I think the run-off area so far seems pretty good. Obviously before we judge the circuit lay-out we need to have a run.
Kimi Raikkonen: I have only seen the paddock area so far. I haven’t been around the circuit yet. It looks all new and you can see a bit that it is last minute but, overall, it is a very big, massive thing and it will be one of the nicest when everything is ready.
Q: Fernando, have you looked at it on the simulator?
Fernando Alonso: No, no simulator for us. Not even Play Station this time. It will be the first lap tomorrow. Again, the same as all the others, I am very impressed with all the facilities. The circuit itself and the lay-out I think we need to wait until tomorrow as in the car you have always different feelings and different sensations, so I am looking forward. It will be an interesting weekend especially with the late start for the race, with the lights, so it can be quite a good show for television.
Q: Adrian, you have tried it on the simulator, haven’t you?
AS: Yes, I tried it on the simulator. It is quite good to drive but let’s say, not overwhelming, but let’s see how it is in the real. It is always a different thing.
Q: Do you think you can continue the form you have shown in the last few races here?
AS: Well, hopefully yes. There are long straights on this circuit, so hopefully it will suit our car but it is hard to say where we are. It went really well in the last races, especially in qualifying where our pace was great. But it is a new circuit and we have no set-up here. For everybody it is a big challenge, so let’s see how we go but we try to do the best out of the car and hope for a really good race.
Q: There are a lot of right angle turns here. Do you think they will hurt the car?
AS: Yeah, a long straight and then hairpins. Some second gear corners, some first gear corners, so actually really slow corners everywhere. I am not sure if it suits us but we will have to try and make the best out of it. But when I walked the circuit today I had quite a good feeling, so hopefully it is the truth.
Q: What about your future? What are the chances of staying on at Force India?
AS: Well, at the moment I am still not confirmed but we are talking with Force India for sure and it would be a good thing to do another season there. Both sides are interested and I feel really well with my team at the moment.
Q: Jarno, a similar questions to you really, concerning your form over the last few races and your future.
JT: I think it was really good by the team to show the performance in the last few races after a poor middle of the season. It was nice to be back fighting for the front. I think we missed a little bit of luck but all in all it was nice to prove that Toyota was bouncing back after a fantastic start to the season. But to be honest we have gone through such an up and down season that it is difficult to predict what is going to happen for this race. These hot conditions should suit our car but it is only a hope and we will only find out during the weekend. Regarding the future, I have nothing to say or add at the moment.
Q: Are you talking to other teams as well at the moment?
JT: I prefer not to make any speculation. Obviously I have got some options.
Q: What are your thoughts on possibly leaving Toyota?
JT: Obviously there is a high chance to be leaving Toyota but it difficult to say and talk about. A lot is up in the air.
Q: Kimi, what are your thoughts on leaving Ferrari?
KR: Well, it is not any different than a few races ago. I don’t have a contract anymore with them. It is the last race and we try to make a good result and we will see what happens in the future.
Q: Is your focus totally on Formula One or would you like to pursue your rallying career?
KR: Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then make my decision.
Q: Would rallying be a consideration?
KR: It is definitely one of them, but I mean it is not just Formula One and rallying. There are other things I could do and we will see what happens.
Q: Just looking back at the second part of the season. You have only scored two points less than the person who has scored the most points. Considering that development has stopped on the car it is a pretty remarkable record, isn’t it?
KR: Yeah, I think we had a good second half. The car is definitely not the fastest but we found a pretty good way of working with the car and getting the best out of. It has been more normal to drive than for a long time before. Once you get something that you have a good feeling with, then usually you get good results. The bigger teams or the better teams who have been faster this year should have done better; better cars, better results and better points overall in the last part but they haven’t and I think we did pretty well.
Q: It seems almost unfair that the focus has been on your team-mates and how fast they have been going whereas you have been racking up points all the time.
KR: It makes no difference for me really. I don’t think they have been going very fast and they can talk to them as much as they want. We just try to score points and get good results. That has been our aim and is still our aim in the last race and hopefully we can get a bit more than McLaren.
Q: Fernando, looking at your future and leaving Renault. What are your thoughts on those?
FA: Well, obviously it is finishing one of the steps that you do in your career and now it is time to move forward and change team. It will be quite an emotional race as it has been many years with Renault now, seven years with them, and I know everybody in the team. Some of them after so many years are good friends to me, so for sure I will miss them in the future but a new challenge is ahead of me now and I am looking forward to next year as well.
Q: When do you go to Ferrari for the first time? Is there a date?
FA: No, there is not a date.
Q: No ideas?
FA: No, soon.
Q: Pretty soon?
FA: Hopefully, yes.
Q: I know for a long time you had somewhere to live in Oxford. Are you going to have somewhere in Maranello?
FA: No, I will be in Switzerland, where I am now, but it is not too far from Maranello. It is only three hours driving or whatever, or two, so it won’t be too difficult to go there.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Dan Knutson - National Speed Sport News) If I can ask all of you. Jean Todt is the new President of the FIA. What would you like to see him achieve and accomplish for Formula One? Jarno, would you like to start?
JT: I mean he knows better than me what Formula One needs at the moment. Probably stability and consistency in terms of rules as this will help the cost cutting. There are plenty of things that will be discussed with the team principals. They really have to work together in order to get Formula One back to where it was last year. This year has been pretty difficult in general. On our side, the drivers’ side, I think we have always had a good relationship with the FIA people. We look after safety and it will be important to talk to each other.
KR: I think he is going to do good work. I think he is a good guy for this work and he is very straightforward and not too much politics. But I know from working with him that he is going to be the right guy.
FA: The same. I think his experience in Formula One will be a huge help to improve things and he will have a better idea of what Formula One needs. He is quite a clever guy, so I am sure we are in good hands now.
AS: Yeah, I think a good President. He has a lot of experience in Formula One and he knows what’s important. I think the biggest point is maybe the drivers can also argue a little bit than just being asked about situations and stuff like that as it did not really happen, I think I had a feeling, in the last years. That will be the most important thing for myself that we are in there for discussions as well sometimes.
Q: (Chris Lines - Associated Press) Question for you all about the late start: starting in the afternoon, going into the evening. We had a situation in Australia, first race of the year, with a similar kind of timing. Towards the end of the race there were complaints from the drivers about the sun getting in their eyes, complaints about the track cooling down, so the grip wasn’t as good. Do you have concerns here for the same reasons?
KR: I don’t think there will be any problems. Of course, it might look a little bit different at some point when the sun disappears but the lights, at least in Singapore, were so good that you hardly see the difference between day and night. Here, it will be quite hot anyhow, so it should be OK.
Q: Would ten degrees make a lot of difference to the track temperature?
FA: I don’t think so. I think in Australia the temperatures were different. Here, the track temperature at the start of the race will maybe be 50 degrees, so it will never be cool enough to give you problems warming up the tyres.
AS: Very similar. I think it won’t be a real problem. The only place where we were quite late this year with the sunset was in Australia. It was a little bit difficult, for sure, in some corners but not a problem for me, and temperature-wise, well, it’s so hot here anyway, so we shouldn’t have a problem. For sure you have to readjust the temperatures but it’s about communicating with the engineers and just doing the right thing at the right time.
JT: I agree. In general temperatures shouldn’t be a problem. The only question mark which we will eventually find out about tomorrow will be the shadows because of the sunset in this twilight race. We’ve got the experience of Australia and all the time schedule has been moved, so already tomorrow we will find out, so we will get an idea.
Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Question to Jarno and Adrian: I’m just wondering if you two guys have settled your differences after your exchange of words following your first lap accident in Brazil?
JT: I think we’re going to discuss it probably tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing and in the GPDA briefing. Obviously it was very disappointing to end the race like that, especially on the first lap. Obviously I think I had every reason to be extremely furious. I’ve got all the evidence to show that I was there, I was next to him, so I think tomorrow we are going to discuss it.
AS: I think there’s nothing to discuss. It was a quite obvious incident. In the end it was very disappointing for myself, even more, I think, because I was the one who was just driving and he lost control of his car and crashed in my back, so it was not my problem, it was his problem. I don’t know why he’s freaking out like that, to be honest.
JT: (Laughing) If you want, I can show you some pictures. I don’t know if you’re blind but they clearly show you that my front wing is next to your front wing, so…
AS: Yeah, but you’re trying to overtake me on the outside on the kerbing. There was not a problem…
JT: So you mean… you didn’t move there…
AS: No, you were just not going off the power. The same happened in Barcelona where you lost control again and crashed again into a Force India car. You just have to sometimes also…
JT: I just lost…
AS: ...expect the limits of the car. If there’s no way to go, you have to back off, that’s how racing is, and I don’t know how long you want to learn it.
JT: In Barcelona I spun and he hit me because he tapped the kerb, he completely cut the circuit and he didn’t slow down, so basically… Anyway, I think it’s better…
FA: (to KR) Shall we go?
AS: No, no. Watch the race in Barcelona. I didn’t hit you, you hit me. I don’t know what’s the problem, but maybe your eyes are a problem.
JT: I don’t have any feeling about him.
AS: I don’t understand, really, sorry.
Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) I was actually going to ask a similar question, but maybe the two of you can agree on what you said after the incident in Brazil, because obviously Jarno was seen to be gesticulating and saying quite a few things. Could you just tell us what was said at the time?
JT: I was furious because I said ‘didn’t you see me?’ I mean, I was next to him and he kept pushing me going outside until I was obviously on the kerbs. I couldn’t believe…
AS: …the kerbs, not a problem to be on the kerb, I think. Where’s the problem?
JT: Ok, no problem, it’s OK. As long as we know the rules.
AS: I know the rules.
JT: Fantastic.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, you were behind these two guys. Could you give us your point of view and Kimi, we heard something about you taking a sabbatical next year in 2010. Is that true, it’s an option or not?
KR: I can if I want. I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven’t made my decision what I want to do yet.
FA: Yes, I saw everything, more or less. Second or third row, because I had two cars in front of me but as Jarno said, I think tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing we will discuss… deep.
Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP) Do you think, the four of you, that Jenson Button is a good champion for the sport, or just that he had the best car this year?
FA: I think he’s a good champion for Formula One and he deserved it. He did a very good job this season. It’s true that in the second half he maybe didn’t score the points that people expected but it was very difficult to keep the same average points as in the first half, when he won all the races. For that reason, you have the feeling that he stepped back a little bit but I think he did a very good job. If you look at the overall view of the championship from race one to the final race, he was the best of us, so he deserved it. It’s good for him, good for Brawn and good for the sport, I think.
AS: Yes, I think he deserved it, definitely. I think it was quite hard in the last races because he was maybe struggling a little bit with the car and the car just wasn’t the fastest anymore, so they were harder races for him, but I think he always made the best of his possibilities and scored points, a few points, sometimes more points but it was definitely enough for the championship, so my congratulations to him. He did a good job this year, yeah.
JT: I think he’s a very well deserved champion because it’s turned out a good season. Obviously he’s had some ups and downs but he managed to handle the situation; when he had the best car he proved he was a race winner and when he had to defend he just drove well, always keeping his head cool. I think in the end, he deserved it.
KR: Yeah, he had the most points, also at the end of the season but whoever gets the most points deserves it, so he’s definitely the right man for that.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti - Corriere dello Sport) Kimi, what would like to tell Fernando as he’s joining Ferrari to replace you?
KR: I don’t think I need to tell him anything; for sure he will find out. He’s been in Formula One a long time and he’s not going to have any issues there. I think he’s probably been there before and met the people already, so there’s not much to say.
Q: (Gautam Sharma - F1 Racing, Middle East) Question for Fernando: do you know anything about the car you will be driving next year and do you have any expectations for the season or are you just taking it as it comes?
FA: I don’t know anything so far, about the 2010 car but hopefully it’s quick enough to fight for the title which is the main goal not only for myself but for the team as well. After one season that was not good for me and maybe not good enough for Ferrari either, I think next year hopefully we have the possibility to fight and then you can win, you lose, it depends on many details but at least there is the possibility to be winning some races and afterwards you will see race by race. You never have any specific programme before the championship. You take it as it comes, later.
Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Question for Kimi: you talk about your options. I just wondered how important it would be if you decided to stay in Formula One, if you found another team, that you could do some rallying as well, like you did with Ferrari or whether that’s something of a stumbling block, wanting to do another form of motor sport as well as doing Formula One?
KR: It’s definitely going to be Formula One, it’s going to be in the contract that I’m allowed to do it (rallying). It’s not going to hurt you. Any kind of driving is always going to give you some experience, so I don’t see what’s the issue. It’s been working well this year, so as long as it doesn’t disturb what you’re doing in Formula One or whatever you do, I don’t see that there’s any problem.
Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP) Both championships have been settled. Will this race be the last opportunity to show yourselves, the ones that don’t have a team for next year?
JT: I think we race for the team as well. We don’t only race for us. We always want to do our best and obviously this is the last race and we want to finish on a high, not just for us or the team. Basically we’re in the same boat.
KR: You always try to do your best - at least, I try and it’s the same story in the last race: we try to get back third place in the championship for the team. I think it’s a bit late if you only try to do your best in the last race to try to prove yourself to some other team, then you shouldn’t be there. It’s the same story as any race this year: we try to do the maximum.
AS: For me it makes no difference. I’m always trying to get the best out of the car and do my best. It’s the last race but there’s no difference for me.
Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Fernando, after you won the title in 2005, there were still two races to go. How did you approach those? Just thinking of Jenson Button’s approach; he’s done it now, is there a sense of release, any different approach to the race?
FA: I think he will be more relaxed because you did the job already, and they also won the constructors’ championship, so there is nothing really to fight for, so you approach the race relaxed and you enjoy the weekend, while in the last two or three races you maybe had some stress when you arrived at a race. For me, 2005 was different because we were fighting for the constructors’ championship until the last race, so there was still a little bit of stress in the weekend, but for him it will be quite a fun weekend.
Q: A question to you all. What are your reactions to seeing the Yas Island Circuit for the first time. The facilities? The circuit? Adrian, would you like to start?
Adrian Sutil: Impressive, let’s say. A very nice circuit, very big. I think it is the biggest I’ve ever seen. The facilities are amazing. It is going to be an interesting weekend really.
Jarno Trulli: I think I agree. I was impressed with the facilities and the place and the circuit. So far it seems to be very well made with the surface and the kerbs. I think the run-off area so far seems pretty good. Obviously before we judge the circuit lay-out we need to have a run.
Kimi Raikkonen: I have only seen the paddock area so far. I haven’t been around the circuit yet. It looks all new and you can see a bit that it is last minute but, overall, it is a very big, massive thing and it will be one of the nicest when everything is ready.
Q: Fernando, have you looked at it on the simulator?
Fernando Alonso: No, no simulator for us. Not even Play Station this time. It will be the first lap tomorrow. Again, the same as all the others, I am very impressed with all the facilities. The circuit itself and the lay-out I think we need to wait until tomorrow as in the car you have always different feelings and different sensations, so I am looking forward. It will be an interesting weekend especially with the late start for the race, with the lights, so it can be quite a good show for television.
Q: Adrian, you have tried it on the simulator, haven’t you?
AS: Yes, I tried it on the simulator. It is quite good to drive but let’s say, not overwhelming, but let’s see how it is in the real. It is always a different thing.
Q: Do you think you can continue the form you have shown in the last few races here?
AS: Well, hopefully yes. There are long straights on this circuit, so hopefully it will suit our car but it is hard to say where we are. It went really well in the last races, especially in qualifying where our pace was great. But it is a new circuit and we have no set-up here. For everybody it is a big challenge, so let’s see how we go but we try to do the best out of the car and hope for a really good race.
Q: There are a lot of right angle turns here. Do you think they will hurt the car?
AS: Yeah, a long straight and then hairpins. Some second gear corners, some first gear corners, so actually really slow corners everywhere. I am not sure if it suits us but we will have to try and make the best out of it. But when I walked the circuit today I had quite a good feeling, so hopefully it is the truth.
Q: What about your future? What are the chances of staying on at Force India?
AS: Well, at the moment I am still not confirmed but we are talking with Force India for sure and it would be a good thing to do another season there. Both sides are interested and I feel really well with my team at the moment.
Q: Jarno, a similar questions to you really, concerning your form over the last few races and your future.
JT: I think it was really good by the team to show the performance in the last few races after a poor middle of the season. It was nice to be back fighting for the front. I think we missed a little bit of luck but all in all it was nice to prove that Toyota was bouncing back after a fantastic start to the season. But to be honest we have gone through such an up and down season that it is difficult to predict what is going to happen for this race. These hot conditions should suit our car but it is only a hope and we will only find out during the weekend. Regarding the future, I have nothing to say or add at the moment.
Q: Are you talking to other teams as well at the moment?
JT: I prefer not to make any speculation. Obviously I have got some options.
Q: What are your thoughts on possibly leaving Toyota?
JT: Obviously there is a high chance to be leaving Toyota but it difficult to say and talk about. A lot is up in the air.
Q: Kimi, what are your thoughts on leaving Ferrari?
KR: Well, it is not any different than a few races ago. I don’t have a contract anymore with them. It is the last race and we try to make a good result and we will see what happens in the future.
Q: Is your focus totally on Formula One or would you like to pursue your rallying career?
KR: Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then make my decision.
Q: Would rallying be a consideration?
KR: It is definitely one of them, but I mean it is not just Formula One and rallying. There are other things I could do and we will see what happens.
Q: Just looking back at the second part of the season. You have only scored two points less than the person who has scored the most points. Considering that development has stopped on the car it is a pretty remarkable record, isn’t it?
KR: Yeah, I think we had a good second half. The car is definitely not the fastest but we found a pretty good way of working with the car and getting the best out of. It has been more normal to drive than for a long time before. Once you get something that you have a good feeling with, then usually you get good results. The bigger teams or the better teams who have been faster this year should have done better; better cars, better results and better points overall in the last part but they haven’t and I think we did pretty well.
Q: It seems almost unfair that the focus has been on your team-mates and how fast they have been going whereas you have been racking up points all the time.
KR: It makes no difference for me really. I don’t think they have been going very fast and they can talk to them as much as they want. We just try to score points and get good results. That has been our aim and is still our aim in the last race and hopefully we can get a bit more than McLaren.
Q: Fernando, looking at your future and leaving Renault. What are your thoughts on those?
FA: Well, obviously it is finishing one of the steps that you do in your career and now it is time to move forward and change team. It will be quite an emotional race as it has been many years with Renault now, seven years with them, and I know everybody in the team. Some of them after so many years are good friends to me, so for sure I will miss them in the future but a new challenge is ahead of me now and I am looking forward to next year as well.
Q: When do you go to Ferrari for the first time? Is there a date?
FA: No, there is not a date.
Q: No ideas?
FA: No, soon.
Q: Pretty soon?
FA: Hopefully, yes.
Q: I know for a long time you had somewhere to live in Oxford. Are you going to have somewhere in Maranello?
FA: No, I will be in Switzerland, where I am now, but it is not too far from Maranello. It is only three hours driving or whatever, or two, so it won’t be too difficult to go there.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Dan Knutson - National Speed Sport News) If I can ask all of you. Jean Todt is the new President of the FIA. What would you like to see him achieve and accomplish for Formula One? Jarno, would you like to start?
JT: I mean he knows better than me what Formula One needs at the moment. Probably stability and consistency in terms of rules as this will help the cost cutting. There are plenty of things that will be discussed with the team principals. They really have to work together in order to get Formula One back to where it was last year. This year has been pretty difficult in general. On our side, the drivers’ side, I think we have always had a good relationship with the FIA people. We look after safety and it will be important to talk to each other.
KR: I think he is going to do good work. I think he is a good guy for this work and he is very straightforward and not too much politics. But I know from working with him that he is going to be the right guy.
FA: The same. I think his experience in Formula One will be a huge help to improve things and he will have a better idea of what Formula One needs. He is quite a clever guy, so I am sure we are in good hands now.
AS: Yeah, I think a good President. He has a lot of experience in Formula One and he knows what’s important. I think the biggest point is maybe the drivers can also argue a little bit than just being asked about situations and stuff like that as it did not really happen, I think I had a feeling, in the last years. That will be the most important thing for myself that we are in there for discussions as well sometimes.
Q: (Chris Lines - Associated Press) Question for you all about the late start: starting in the afternoon, going into the evening. We had a situation in Australia, first race of the year, with a similar kind of timing. Towards the end of the race there were complaints from the drivers about the sun getting in their eyes, complaints about the track cooling down, so the grip wasn’t as good. Do you have concerns here for the same reasons?
KR: I don’t think there will be any problems. Of course, it might look a little bit different at some point when the sun disappears but the lights, at least in Singapore, were so good that you hardly see the difference between day and night. Here, it will be quite hot anyhow, so it should be OK.
Q: Would ten degrees make a lot of difference to the track temperature?
FA: I don’t think so. I think in Australia the temperatures were different. Here, the track temperature at the start of the race will maybe be 50 degrees, so it will never be cool enough to give you problems warming up the tyres.
AS: Very similar. I think it won’t be a real problem. The only place where we were quite late this year with the sunset was in Australia. It was a little bit difficult, for sure, in some corners but not a problem for me, and temperature-wise, well, it’s so hot here anyway, so we shouldn’t have a problem. For sure you have to readjust the temperatures but it’s about communicating with the engineers and just doing the right thing at the right time.
JT: I agree. In general temperatures shouldn’t be a problem. The only question mark which we will eventually find out about tomorrow will be the shadows because of the sunset in this twilight race. We’ve got the experience of Australia and all the time schedule has been moved, so already tomorrow we will find out, so we will get an idea.
Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Question to Jarno and Adrian: I’m just wondering if you two guys have settled your differences after your exchange of words following your first lap accident in Brazil?
JT: I think we’re going to discuss it probably tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing and in the GPDA briefing. Obviously it was very disappointing to end the race like that, especially on the first lap. Obviously I think I had every reason to be extremely furious. I’ve got all the evidence to show that I was there, I was next to him, so I think tomorrow we are going to discuss it.
AS: I think there’s nothing to discuss. It was a quite obvious incident. In the end it was very disappointing for myself, even more, I think, because I was the one who was just driving and he lost control of his car and crashed in my back, so it was not my problem, it was his problem. I don’t know why he’s freaking out like that, to be honest.
JT: (Laughing) If you want, I can show you some pictures. I don’t know if you’re blind but they clearly show you that my front wing is next to your front wing, so…
AS: Yeah, but you’re trying to overtake me on the outside on the kerbing. There was not a problem…
JT: So you mean… you didn’t move there…
AS: No, you were just not going off the power. The same happened in Barcelona where you lost control again and crashed again into a Force India car. You just have to sometimes also…
JT: I just lost…
AS: ...expect the limits of the car. If there’s no way to go, you have to back off, that’s how racing is, and I don’t know how long you want to learn it.
JT: In Barcelona I spun and he hit me because he tapped the kerb, he completely cut the circuit and he didn’t slow down, so basically… Anyway, I think it’s better…
FA: (to KR) Shall we go?
AS: No, no. Watch the race in Barcelona. I didn’t hit you, you hit me. I don’t know what’s the problem, but maybe your eyes are a problem.
JT: I don’t have any feeling about him.
AS: I don’t understand, really, sorry.
Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) I was actually going to ask a similar question, but maybe the two of you can agree on what you said after the incident in Brazil, because obviously Jarno was seen to be gesticulating and saying quite a few things. Could you just tell us what was said at the time?
JT: I was furious because I said ‘didn’t you see me?’ I mean, I was next to him and he kept pushing me going outside until I was obviously on the kerbs. I couldn’t believe…
AS: …the kerbs, not a problem to be on the kerb, I think. Where’s the problem?
JT: Ok, no problem, it’s OK. As long as we know the rules.
AS: I know the rules.
JT: Fantastic.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Fernando, you were behind these two guys. Could you give us your point of view and Kimi, we heard something about you taking a sabbatical next year in 2010. Is that true, it’s an option or not?
KR: I can if I want. I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven’t made my decision what I want to do yet.
FA: Yes, I saw everything, more or less. Second or third row, because I had two cars in front of me but as Jarno said, I think tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing we will discuss… deep.
Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP) Do you think, the four of you, that Jenson Button is a good champion for the sport, or just that he had the best car this year?
FA: I think he’s a good champion for Formula One and he deserved it. He did a very good job this season. It’s true that in the second half he maybe didn’t score the points that people expected but it was very difficult to keep the same average points as in the first half, when he won all the races. For that reason, you have the feeling that he stepped back a little bit but I think he did a very good job. If you look at the overall view of the championship from race one to the final race, he was the best of us, so he deserved it. It’s good for him, good for Brawn and good for the sport, I think.
AS: Yes, I think he deserved it, definitely. I think it was quite hard in the last races because he was maybe struggling a little bit with the car and the car just wasn’t the fastest anymore, so they were harder races for him, but I think he always made the best of his possibilities and scored points, a few points, sometimes more points but it was definitely enough for the championship, so my congratulations to him. He did a good job this year, yeah.
JT: I think he’s a very well deserved champion because it’s turned out a good season. Obviously he’s had some ups and downs but he managed to handle the situation; when he had the best car he proved he was a race winner and when he had to defend he just drove well, always keeping his head cool. I think in the end, he deserved it.
KR: Yeah, he had the most points, also at the end of the season but whoever gets the most points deserves it, so he’s definitely the right man for that.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti - Corriere dello Sport) Kimi, what would like to tell Fernando as he’s joining Ferrari to replace you?
KR: I don’t think I need to tell him anything; for sure he will find out. He’s been in Formula One a long time and he’s not going to have any issues there. I think he’s probably been there before and met the people already, so there’s not much to say.
Q: (Gautam Sharma - F1 Racing, Middle East) Question for Fernando: do you know anything about the car you will be driving next year and do you have any expectations for the season or are you just taking it as it comes?
FA: I don’t know anything so far, about the 2010 car but hopefully it’s quick enough to fight for the title which is the main goal not only for myself but for the team as well. After one season that was not good for me and maybe not good enough for Ferrari either, I think next year hopefully we have the possibility to fight and then you can win, you lose, it depends on many details but at least there is the possibility to be winning some races and afterwards you will see race by race. You never have any specific programme before the championship. You take it as it comes, later.
Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Question for Kimi: you talk about your options. I just wondered how important it would be if you decided to stay in Formula One, if you found another team, that you could do some rallying as well, like you did with Ferrari or whether that’s something of a stumbling block, wanting to do another form of motor sport as well as doing Formula One?
KR: It’s definitely going to be Formula One, it’s going to be in the contract that I’m allowed to do it (rallying). It’s not going to hurt you. Any kind of driving is always going to give you some experience, so I don’t see what’s the issue. It’s been working well this year, so as long as it doesn’t disturb what you’re doing in Formula One or whatever you do, I don’t see that there’s any problem.
Q: (Joris Fioriti - AFP) Both championships have been settled. Will this race be the last opportunity to show yourselves, the ones that don’t have a team for next year?
JT: I think we race for the team as well. We don’t only race for us. We always want to do our best and obviously this is the last race and we want to finish on a high, not just for us or the team. Basically we’re in the same boat.
KR: You always try to do your best - at least, I try and it’s the same story in the last race: we try to get back third place in the championship for the team. I think it’s a bit late if you only try to do your best in the last race to try to prove yourself to some other team, then you shouldn’t be there. It’s the same story as any race this year: we try to do the maximum.
AS: For me it makes no difference. I’m always trying to get the best out of the car and do my best. It’s the last race but there’s no difference for me.
Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Fernando, after you won the title in 2005, there were still two races to go. How did you approach those? Just thinking of Jenson Button’s approach; he’s done it now, is there a sense of release, any different approach to the race?
FA: I think he will be more relaxed because you did the job already, and they also won the constructors’ championship, so there is nothing really to fight for, so you approach the race relaxed and you enjoy the weekend, while in the last two or three races you maybe had some stress when you arrived at a race. For me, 2005 was different because we were fighting for the constructors’ championship until the last race, so there was still a little bit of stress in the weekend, but for him it will be quite a fun weekend.
Raikkonen says McLaren the only option
Kimi Raikkonen has revealed that his only real opportunity to remain in Formula 1 next year is to complete a deal with McLaren.
The Finn is a free agent after this season, having agreed an early end to his contract with Ferrari, yet he has not yet firmed up his plans for 2010.
He has been linked with moves to both McLaren and Toyota next year - but he revealed ahead of Abu Dhabi that there was only one real chance for him if he was going to remain in F1.
"Toyota has not even been discussed," Raikkonen told Finnish television station MTV3. "If I want to drive [F1] cars, then McLaren in the only option. I should know the situation in the next few days."
Raikkonen said in the official FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi that there were other options for him outside of F1 – including rallying or even a sabbatical.
"Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then make my decision," he said.
When asked specifically about rallying, Raikkonen said: "It is definitely one of them, but I mean it is not just Formula 1 and rallying. There are other things I could do and we will see what happens."
Speaking about the possibility of taking a sabbatical, Raikkonen said: "I can if I want. I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven't made my decision what I want to do yet."
Raikkonen's decision not to pursue an offer from Toyota leaves the Japanese manufacturer facing increasing difficulties to try and find a top-line driver for 2010 – with Robert Kubica also having rejected its overtures to sign a deal with Renault.
The team is understood to have offered both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock deals for next year, but it is looking likely that both will leave – Trulli potentially for Lotus with Glock closing in on a deal with Renault.
McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen could be one option for Toyota, with Force India's Adrian Sutil also being linked in connection with the team. Japanese Kamui Kobayashi will also put himself firmly in the frame if he impresses again this weekend, following an encouraging debut in Brazil.
The Finn is a free agent after this season, having agreed an early end to his contract with Ferrari, yet he has not yet firmed up his plans for 2010.
He has been linked with moves to both McLaren and Toyota next year - but he revealed ahead of Abu Dhabi that there was only one real chance for him if he was going to remain in F1.
"Toyota has not even been discussed," Raikkonen told Finnish television station MTV3. "If I want to drive [F1] cars, then McLaren in the only option. I should know the situation in the next few days."
Raikkonen said in the official FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi that there were other options for him outside of F1 – including rallying or even a sabbatical.
"Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then make my decision," he said.
When asked specifically about rallying, Raikkonen said: "It is definitely one of them, but I mean it is not just Formula 1 and rallying. There are other things I could do and we will see what happens."
Speaking about the possibility of taking a sabbatical, Raikkonen said: "I can if I want. I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven't made my decision what I want to do yet."
Raikkonen's decision not to pursue an offer from Toyota leaves the Japanese manufacturer facing increasing difficulties to try and find a top-line driver for 2010 – with Robert Kubica also having rejected its overtures to sign a deal with Renault.
The team is understood to have offered both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock deals for next year, but it is looking likely that both will leave – Trulli potentially for Lotus with Glock closing in on a deal with Renault.
McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen could be one option for Toyota, with Force India's Adrian Sutil also being linked in connection with the team. Japanese Kamui Kobayashi will also put himself firmly in the frame if he impresses again this weekend, following an encouraging debut in Brazil.
Fisichella: I don’t regret switching to Ferrari
When Giancarlo Fisichella imagined himself driving for Ferrari, he probably didn’t envisage he’d end up further down the grid than he had been at Force India. But unfortunately that is what has transpired for Fisichella since he switched teams in September to fill in for the injured Felipe Massa.
Fresh from scoring Force India’s first pole position and podium finish at August's Belgian Grand Prix, the 36 year-old decided to fulfil his boyhood fantasy and drive for the Scuderia. However, with his best qualifying position 14th and his best race result ninth, things haven’t quite gone to plan. The Italian, however, insisted on Thursday that he doesn’t have any regrets.
“I think for me, the opportunity to race for Ferrari was a dream I’d had since I was a child,” he said. “In the end it came true, when I had given up hope that it would ever happen. So you should never say never! I am very happy with what I have done and I would not turn back the clock, even if I have struggled in these last few races with Ferrari.”
Since making his debut almost two months ago, Fisichella's difficulties have been well documented. However, at the recent Brazilian Grand Prix he was within four tenths of his team mate Kimi Raikkonen’s fastest lap, and he’s hopeful he may be able to make amends in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
“It is not easy to get into a car you don’t know, which was made even more complex because of the use of KERS, and the fact it handled very differently under braking,” he explained. “Recently, I was able to match Kimi’s pace in the race, so this weekend, I hope to have a better qualifying which would be the first step to getting some points. I will give it my best shot.”
After his spell racing for Ferrari, Fisichella has been contracted to become the team’s third driver for the 2010 season. But the veteran hasn’t quite given up on a return to a Formula One race seat just yet.
“I have a contract with Ferrari for next year,” he said. “But If there was an offer from another team, I would along with Ferrari and evaluate whether or not it would be feasible to be the third driver and race for another team in F1. At the moment, there is no decision. But to be the third driver for a top team like Ferrari is already something to be very proud of. The atmosphere is fantastic here and I really feel at home.”
With current Renault driver Fernando Alonso set to partner a returning Massa at Ferrari next season, this weekend’s Yas Marina race will also be Raikkonen’s last for the team. And ahead of the on-track action in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo paid tribute to the departing Finn.
“Kimi entered the history of the Scuderia, winning the world title in his first year,” said Montezemolo. “He has always been an honest boy, transparent and loyal and we will always remember him with joy. I’m glad that I can be here with him and the team on the occasion of his last Grand Prix in this particularly difficult year. Let’s hope we can gain a good result.”
Raikkonen has yet to reveal his plans for 2010.
Fresh from scoring Force India’s first pole position and podium finish at August's Belgian Grand Prix, the 36 year-old decided to fulfil his boyhood fantasy and drive for the Scuderia. However, with his best qualifying position 14th and his best race result ninth, things haven’t quite gone to plan. The Italian, however, insisted on Thursday that he doesn’t have any regrets.
“I think for me, the opportunity to race for Ferrari was a dream I’d had since I was a child,” he said. “In the end it came true, when I had given up hope that it would ever happen. So you should never say never! I am very happy with what I have done and I would not turn back the clock, even if I have struggled in these last few races with Ferrari.”
Since making his debut almost two months ago, Fisichella's difficulties have been well documented. However, at the recent Brazilian Grand Prix he was within four tenths of his team mate Kimi Raikkonen’s fastest lap, and he’s hopeful he may be able to make amends in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
“It is not easy to get into a car you don’t know, which was made even more complex because of the use of KERS, and the fact it handled very differently under braking,” he explained. “Recently, I was able to match Kimi’s pace in the race, so this weekend, I hope to have a better qualifying which would be the first step to getting some points. I will give it my best shot.”
After his spell racing for Ferrari, Fisichella has been contracted to become the team’s third driver for the 2010 season. But the veteran hasn’t quite given up on a return to a Formula One race seat just yet.
“I have a contract with Ferrari for next year,” he said. “But If there was an offer from another team, I would along with Ferrari and evaluate whether or not it would be feasible to be the third driver and race for another team in F1. At the moment, there is no decision. But to be the third driver for a top team like Ferrari is already something to be very proud of. The atmosphere is fantastic here and I really feel at home.”
With current Renault driver Fernando Alonso set to partner a returning Massa at Ferrari next season, this weekend’s Yas Marina race will also be Raikkonen’s last for the team. And ahead of the on-track action in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo paid tribute to the departing Finn.
“Kimi entered the history of the Scuderia, winning the world title in his first year,” said Montezemolo. “He has always been an honest boy, transparent and loyal and we will always remember him with joy. I’m glad that I can be here with him and the team on the occasion of his last Grand Prix in this particularly difficult year. Let’s hope we can gain a good result.”
Raikkonen has yet to reveal his plans for 2010.
Q and A with Robert Kubica
AUTOSPORT catches up with Robert Kubica ahead of his final race with the BMW Sauber team, before he begins life as a Renault driver.
Q. There's rumours that Renault want to offload its team, what is your information on that?
Robert Kubica: As you say, it's a rumour, and this is my comment. You say it's a rumour and I will not comment on a rumour. I have never done it in the past and there are many rumours going around and that's how it is. We will see in the future. We will see who was right, and that's how it is.
Q. Can you sum up the season for you?
RK: I think it has been a difficult season. A season with a lot of difficulties, I think not only one. The first one was of course the performance of the car. Then another one was the KERS, no KERS situation. First pushing with the KERS car and to then switch completely to a non-KERS car. And then another one was about BMW not continuing in F1. So for sure many difficult moments.
From a driving point of view it was also not an easy season. I think I did a few races with very good performance, like in Australia or Malaysia. If you review the Australia race and see where we were with the car I think it was not so bad, or even the last race in Brazil. When you have a car to fight for P12 in the middle of the season it's difficult to make an impression. The difficulties to the season started from trying to really concentrate on KERS, which didn't work out for us.
Q. You are one of the drivers who has his future sorted out for next season, how much of a help is that in preparing?
RK: Apparently not (laughter). I think today, when everything in F1 is quite uncertain with many questions marks on drivers and teams, I think I'm very happy I'm quite well placed for the future with Renault. I'm sleeping well, so that's good. And I'm looking forward to the new challenge. For sure it will be a big challenge because I think Renault is very motivated to come back, to put the negative moments behind and that's why I think we have a good chance to do well next year.
It will be much better for me to test in two weeks' time and know where I'm standing. Otherwise you'd be all winter just guessing and believing the numbers and just hoping the numbers will be good. As I said, there's huge motivation in the team I'm joining and I'm motivated very much for the new challenge, so I think it should be okay.
Q. What are your impressions of the new circuit?
RK: I think it's a different style of circuit. If we talk just about the circuit it's difficult to say because I have not driven it, but it looks interesting, although I think there are two different parts. What is interesting is the the practically free long straightlines where you will reach 300 or over or just under and then heavy breaking. And then you go on the other part with low-speed corners so you have to try to have downforce but also a good top speed. Around the circuit is nice, but to be honest, I don't know what's going on around. Everything is new so it's looking good.
Q. Do you think this is going to become one of the "real" tracks?
RK: I think real tracks are where you pay for your mistakes. I haven't driven here so I cannot say. I'm a big fan of street circuits so you can imagine the more run-off area you give me, the less I like it. But they are safer, so you have to find the best balance. Everything is nice until there's accidents. Once there's an accident you prefer to have more run-off area, so that's why I'm saying the balance is the most important thing.
Q. What is your feeling knowing that your current team may not be in F1 next year?
RK: For sure I'm concentrating on the race, but knowing that the situation for many people in the team... That's why I say I'm very happy to be well placed for the future, because I understand that most of the people their future is still uncertain. For sure it's not nice for them and not nice for me, because I have worked with them for four years with the same people, so your relationship gets closer.
You'd like to see them on the grid. I hope we will see them on the grid. Maybe not all of them because even if the Sauber team continues there will be not as many people as we have now. But I hope they will continue and I hope all the people working at BMW Sauber they will get a job they like.
Q. What would you like Jean Todt to do for F1 as FIA president?
RK: To be honest, I don't know exactly what's the president's job for Formula 1, so it's difficult to talk about something I don't know. I believe he will do a good job for general motorsport, because we are talking here about Formula 1, but motorsport is not only Formula 1. Motorsport is much bigger than Formula 1, and a lot of people is this paddock are forgetting the lower categories. But I believe he will do a good job.
Q. You are a big rally fan. Sebastien Loeb was hoping to race here, but it wasn't possible. Would you like to see him in F1?
RK: First of all congratulations for another world championship for him. It was a close battle. I think it would not be easy for him. I think it would be a very nice challenge, and a nice opportunity, because if I was asked to do the opposite I would enjoy it. Of course I wouldn't go there to compete at the top.
He knew he would not compete to win, that's for sure. His approach would be the same as if I do rallying: just enjoy it, take it as a nice challenge and try to do your best, but without any targets. I believe he would struggle because racing is different than rallying, but it'd be the same if an F1 driver goes to rallying.
Q. There's rumours that Renault want to offload its team, what is your information on that?
Robert Kubica: As you say, it's a rumour, and this is my comment. You say it's a rumour and I will not comment on a rumour. I have never done it in the past and there are many rumours going around and that's how it is. We will see in the future. We will see who was right, and that's how it is.
Q. Can you sum up the season for you?
RK: I think it has been a difficult season. A season with a lot of difficulties, I think not only one. The first one was of course the performance of the car. Then another one was the KERS, no KERS situation. First pushing with the KERS car and to then switch completely to a non-KERS car. And then another one was about BMW not continuing in F1. So for sure many difficult moments.
From a driving point of view it was also not an easy season. I think I did a few races with very good performance, like in Australia or Malaysia. If you review the Australia race and see where we were with the car I think it was not so bad, or even the last race in Brazil. When you have a car to fight for P12 in the middle of the season it's difficult to make an impression. The difficulties to the season started from trying to really concentrate on KERS, which didn't work out for us.
Q. You are one of the drivers who has his future sorted out for next season, how much of a help is that in preparing?
RK: Apparently not (laughter). I think today, when everything in F1 is quite uncertain with many questions marks on drivers and teams, I think I'm very happy I'm quite well placed for the future with Renault. I'm sleeping well, so that's good. And I'm looking forward to the new challenge. For sure it will be a big challenge because I think Renault is very motivated to come back, to put the negative moments behind and that's why I think we have a good chance to do well next year.
It will be much better for me to test in two weeks' time and know where I'm standing. Otherwise you'd be all winter just guessing and believing the numbers and just hoping the numbers will be good. As I said, there's huge motivation in the team I'm joining and I'm motivated very much for the new challenge, so I think it should be okay.
Q. What are your impressions of the new circuit?
RK: I think it's a different style of circuit. If we talk just about the circuit it's difficult to say because I have not driven it, but it looks interesting, although I think there are two different parts. What is interesting is the the practically free long straightlines where you will reach 300 or over or just under and then heavy breaking. And then you go on the other part with low-speed corners so you have to try to have downforce but also a good top speed. Around the circuit is nice, but to be honest, I don't know what's going on around. Everything is new so it's looking good.
Q. Do you think this is going to become one of the "real" tracks?
RK: I think real tracks are where you pay for your mistakes. I haven't driven here so I cannot say. I'm a big fan of street circuits so you can imagine the more run-off area you give me, the less I like it. But they are safer, so you have to find the best balance. Everything is nice until there's accidents. Once there's an accident you prefer to have more run-off area, so that's why I'm saying the balance is the most important thing.
Q. What is your feeling knowing that your current team may not be in F1 next year?
RK: For sure I'm concentrating on the race, but knowing that the situation for many people in the team... That's why I say I'm very happy to be well placed for the future, because I understand that most of the people their future is still uncertain. For sure it's not nice for them and not nice for me, because I have worked with them for four years with the same people, so your relationship gets closer.
You'd like to see them on the grid. I hope we will see them on the grid. Maybe not all of them because even if the Sauber team continues there will be not as many people as we have now. But I hope they will continue and I hope all the people working at BMW Sauber they will get a job they like.
Q. What would you like Jean Todt to do for F1 as FIA president?
RK: To be honest, I don't know exactly what's the president's job for Formula 1, so it's difficult to talk about something I don't know. I believe he will do a good job for general motorsport, because we are talking here about Formula 1, but motorsport is not only Formula 1. Motorsport is much bigger than Formula 1, and a lot of people is this paddock are forgetting the lower categories. But I believe he will do a good job.
Q. You are a big rally fan. Sebastien Loeb was hoping to race here, but it wasn't possible. Would you like to see him in F1?
RK: First of all congratulations for another world championship for him. It was a close battle. I think it would not be easy for him. I think it would be a very nice challenge, and a nice opportunity, because if I was asked to do the opposite I would enjoy it. Of course I wouldn't go there to compete at the top.
He knew he would not compete to win, that's for sure. His approach would be the same as if I do rallying: just enjoy it, take it as a nice challenge and try to do your best, but without any targets. I believe he would struggle because racing is different than rallying, but it'd be the same if an F1 driver goes to rallying.
Drivers want clarification on standards
Formula 1 drivers look set to ask race director Charlie Whiting for a clarification about driving standards in Friday night's briefing in Abu Dhabi following a host of incidents in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
While most of the spotlight remains on the opening lap collision between Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil, which continued with the pair arguing in public during an official FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, concerns have emerged about other incidents in the race.
Outgoing Williams driver Nico Rosberg said that he would be seeking a clarification from Whiting about what was acceptable these days - with the German believing drivers were now being too aggressive in defending positions.
His comments come after separate collisions between Mark Webber/Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello/Lewis Hamilton and Kamui Kobayashi/Kazuki Nakajima which all occurred after the driver ahead moved across on his rival in a bid to keep hold of his position.
"Barrichello, Webber and Kobayashi did exactly the same thing," said Rosberg. "With Webber, Raikkonen lost his front wing, with Kobayashi, Nakajima had a massive off, which could have been much worse - you can really hurt yourself, marshals and others in that sort of accident.
"With Barrichello, Lewis ran into the back of his tyre. That was the third time – and it is not allowed to happen.
"It is Michael Schumacher who started this, like at Spa [in 2000], when Mika Hakkinen tried to overtake him and he ran him off the track. When the guy behind has made a decision [to pass] and the guy in front then moves over, it is very dangerous. You cannot do that."
"That was the first time I remember it being a dangerous issue, so it needs to be looked at and clarified from my point of view. I will be mentioning it in the drivers' briefing."
"I am not saying anyone has done anything wrong [in Brazil], because there has not been a clarification about it, but the view of the drivers needs to be taken into account and we say it is very dangerous. Something needs to be changed."
Former world champion Fernando Alonso, who was an innocent victim of the Trulli/Sutil incident in Brazil, agreed that a clarification in the rules must be sought.
"I saw everything more or less, second or third row because there were some cars between us," he said. "But I think tomorrow in the drivers' briefing we will discuss it a bit deeper."
While most of the spotlight remains on the opening lap collision between Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil, which continued with the pair arguing in public during an official FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, concerns have emerged about other incidents in the race.
Outgoing Williams driver Nico Rosberg said that he would be seeking a clarification from Whiting about what was acceptable these days - with the German believing drivers were now being too aggressive in defending positions.
His comments come after separate collisions between Mark Webber/Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello/Lewis Hamilton and Kamui Kobayashi/Kazuki Nakajima which all occurred after the driver ahead moved across on his rival in a bid to keep hold of his position.
"Barrichello, Webber and Kobayashi did exactly the same thing," said Rosberg. "With Webber, Raikkonen lost his front wing, with Kobayashi, Nakajima had a massive off, which could have been much worse - you can really hurt yourself, marshals and others in that sort of accident.
"With Barrichello, Lewis ran into the back of his tyre. That was the third time – and it is not allowed to happen.
"It is Michael Schumacher who started this, like at Spa [in 2000], when Mika Hakkinen tried to overtake him and he ran him off the track. When the guy behind has made a decision [to pass] and the guy in front then moves over, it is very dangerous. You cannot do that."
"That was the first time I remember it being a dangerous issue, so it needs to be looked at and clarified from my point of view. I will be mentioning it in the drivers' briefing."
"I am not saying anyone has done anything wrong [in Brazil], because there has not been a clarification about it, but the view of the drivers needs to be taken into account and we say it is very dangerous. Something needs to be changed."
Former world champion Fernando Alonso, who was an innocent victim of the Trulli/Sutil incident in Brazil, agreed that a clarification in the rules must be sought.
"I saw everything more or less, second or third row because there were some cars between us," he said. "But I think tomorrow in the drivers' briefing we will discuss it a bit deeper."
Heidfeld 'pretty certain' of F1 seat
Nick Heidfeld says he is confident he will be in Formula 1 next year, despite not having secured a contract for 2010 yet.
The German driver's future was left facing uncertainty after BMW announced it will leave Formula 1 at the end of the season.
Although the financial future of the team has been secured with a buyout from a Swiss company, the Hinwil-based squad still has no place on the grid for next year, with some teams not willing to expand the grid even further.
Despite that, Heidfeld is "pretty certain" he will have a seat in F1 next season.
"I think it's pretty certain that it's going to be BMW Sauber's last race. I hope Sauber will be here next year, and I'm pretty certain I will be here next year," Heidfeld told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
"Obviously it's special in terms of the emotions."
When asked if he was confident he will be in F1 next year, he said: "Yes. Nothing's signed yet. We are talking to a couple of teams and I won't say more than that."
The BMW Sauber driver admitted it would be a "huge pity" if the team was absent from the championship in 2010.
"Hopefully they will be, because obviously you can't really regard it as a new team. I think Sauber will do a lot better than the other new teams in terms of how they will perform," he added.
"I think that should be more important than having new teams in Formula 1. Obviously is good to bring new teams and more cars, but it would be a huge pity if the team was not there. It would be difficult to understand."
And although Heidfeld concedes the staff is having a tough time, he reckons everybody in the team is still focused on doing a good job.
"I think everybody is able to focus on the job when they have to do it. It's not an easy situation for a lot of the people not knowing what they will do next year, or if Sauber will do next year. But I think it doesn't influence the work they do on track."
The German driver's future was left facing uncertainty after BMW announced it will leave Formula 1 at the end of the season.
Although the financial future of the team has been secured with a buyout from a Swiss company, the Hinwil-based squad still has no place on the grid for next year, with some teams not willing to expand the grid even further.
Despite that, Heidfeld is "pretty certain" he will have a seat in F1 next season.
"I think it's pretty certain that it's going to be BMW Sauber's last race. I hope Sauber will be here next year, and I'm pretty certain I will be here next year," Heidfeld told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
"Obviously it's special in terms of the emotions."
When asked if he was confident he will be in F1 next year, he said: "Yes. Nothing's signed yet. We are talking to a couple of teams and I won't say more than that."
The BMW Sauber driver admitted it would be a "huge pity" if the team was absent from the championship in 2010.
"Hopefully they will be, because obviously you can't really regard it as a new team. I think Sauber will do a lot better than the other new teams in terms of how they will perform," he added.
"I think that should be more important than having new teams in Formula 1. Obviously is good to bring new teams and more cars, but it would be a huge pity if the team was not there. It would be difficult to understand."
And although Heidfeld concedes the staff is having a tough time, he reckons everybody in the team is still focused on doing a good job.
"I think everybody is able to focus on the job when they have to do it. It's not an easy situation for a lot of the people not knowing what they will do next year, or if Sauber will do next year. But I think it doesn't influence the work they do on track."
Rosberg confirms he will leave Williams
Nico Rosberg has confirmed he will leave the Williams team at the end of the 2009 season, after four years with the British squad.
Rosberg has been linked with a switch to the Brawn GP team for several weeks, and he has made it clear he wants to be driving a winning car in 2010.
The 24-year-old confirmed in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that he is to leave Williams after his current contract ends.
"It is my last race for Williams," said Rosberg. "And that is it really. It is a bit strange because for four or five years it is the only team I have worked with, so it has been a long time.
"I get on with everybody really well, obviously, and a lot of respect has built up - with the mechanics and everyone. So it will be quite strange to leave.
"I can also use this opportunity to thank the team, because all in all I think they have done, for my career, a lot of good. Especially Sir Frank [Williams], Adam Parr, Sam Michael and Patrick [Head], they supported my career all these years. So it is a big thank you to them."
He added: "I don't want to talk about my future. I just want to say that I won't be at Williams, because that is for sure."
Rosberg has been linked with a switch to the Brawn GP team for several weeks, and he has made it clear he wants to be driving a winning car in 2010.
The 24-year-old confirmed in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that he is to leave Williams after his current contract ends.
"It is my last race for Williams," said Rosberg. "And that is it really. It is a bit strange because for four or five years it is the only team I have worked with, so it has been a long time.
"I get on with everybody really well, obviously, and a lot of respect has built up - with the mechanics and everyone. So it will be quite strange to leave.
"I can also use this opportunity to thank the team, because all in all I think they have done, for my career, a lot of good. Especially Sir Frank [Williams], Adam Parr, Sam Michael and Patrick [Head], they supported my career all these years. So it is a big thank you to them."
He added: "I don't want to talk about my future. I just want to say that I won't be at Williams, because that is for sure."
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview
The 17th and final round of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship takes place at the Yas Marina Circuit, around 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This will be the inaugural event for the purpose-built circuit.
Designed by Herman Tilke, the circuit features 21 turns, 12 left and nine right, and runs in an anti-clockwise direction. The Yas Marina Circuit features a combination of three chicanes, six 90-degree corners and a hairpin leading to the back straight, along with sand dunes which wind through the man-made island. The circuit features four main grandstand areas and part of its pitlane exit runs underneath the track through a tunnel under turn one. Drivers will be faced with the challenges of the Arabian climate and will have to cope with heat, dehydration and sand on the track.
The race is scheduled to begin at 5pm local time, seeing the Grand Prix starting in daylight and ending at night time, with the sun setting in Abu Dhabi at around 6pm.
Designed by Herman Tilke, the circuit features 21 turns, 12 left and nine right, and runs in an anti-clockwise direction. The Yas Marina Circuit features a combination of three chicanes, six 90-degree corners and a hairpin leading to the back straight, along with sand dunes which wind through the man-made island. The circuit features four main grandstand areas and part of its pitlane exit runs underneath the track through a tunnel under turn one. Drivers will be faced with the challenges of the Arabian climate and will have to cope with heat, dehydration and sand on the track.
The race is scheduled to begin at 5pm local time, seeing the Grand Prix starting in daylight and ending at night time, with the sun setting in Abu Dhabi at around 6pm.
To Abu Dhabi and beyond...
The coming weekend in Abu Dhabi will be the beginning of an exciting new race and the end of other stories in Formula 1. The sport has new leadership with Jean Todt having been elected as FIA President and everyone is waiting to see what the Frenchman is planning to do. There are hopes and there are fears. Todt is a man who has been divisive in the past, but he now has a clean sheet or paper and an opportunity to do things differently. Some say that a leopard does not change its spots but one can hope that Todt's focus and commitment will be used be used for the good of F1 and that it will end the confrontational style of management that has existed under Max Mosley.
There are significant rule-changing next year with the end of refuelling in races. The knock-on effect of this will be cars that are very different to the current machinery with much larger fuel tanks and the need for drivers to be more careful with their tyres. Whether this will mean better racing remains to be seen. There will still be tyre strategies and pit stops but will there be more overtaking? Time will tell. The reality about overtaking is that it is not just about the cars. The design of the circuits needs to be taken into account as well and with too much money leaving the sport and disappearing into the pockets of venture capitalists and bankers, who care nothing for F1 beyond what they can make out of it, it is not easy for this to change. In many respects the NASCAR financing model, which gives 60% of the revenues back to the circuits is a much more sustainable structure in the longer term. A decent percentage of that money finds its way back to the teams from prize funds and appearance money. In addition the competitors get 25% directly from NASCAR, leaving the sanctioning body with a fair 15% of the take. This is ultimately better for the sport - mainly the fans - who pay less for their tickets and thus have more available money if they wish to invest in merchandising.
Formula 1 needs to look very carefully at its funding models in the years ahead as there are increasing signs - recession or no recession - that the current structure is becoming unssutainable in the traditional F1 markets. There is nothing wrong with expansion to new markets, but the balance needs to be right and when the sport is not in the world's biggest consumer market then something is clearly wrong.
The race in Abu Dhabi will also be the end of the current chapter in BMW's F1 history. The Munich firm will probably come to regret the decision to pack up and leave, taken because of new environmental goals that need to be addressed. The whole withdrawal has been very badly managed by the folk in Munich and one hopes that the Sauber team will emerge in one piece from the current crisis over entries. The team could have achieved a great deal more if it hd been given a little more time.
Elsewhere in the paddock there is much movement with some of the top names switching between the teams. Next year we will see Fernando Alonso at Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen is on the move and will end up somewhere unless his financial demands catch him out. Rubens Barrichello is on his way to Williams and Nico Rosberg seems on his way to Brawn. And the talented Robert Kubica is going to Renault, where hopefully his talents will be better used than they have been at BMW Sauber.
There is therefore much to look forward to.
The season has flown by very quickly and in the offseason will no doubt do the same. There are four and a half months in which there will be no races but no doubt when we get to Bahrain in March it will seem like yesterday that we were in Abu Dhabi.
There are significant rule-changing next year with the end of refuelling in races. The knock-on effect of this will be cars that are very different to the current machinery with much larger fuel tanks and the need for drivers to be more careful with their tyres. Whether this will mean better racing remains to be seen. There will still be tyre strategies and pit stops but will there be more overtaking? Time will tell. The reality about overtaking is that it is not just about the cars. The design of the circuits needs to be taken into account as well and with too much money leaving the sport and disappearing into the pockets of venture capitalists and bankers, who care nothing for F1 beyond what they can make out of it, it is not easy for this to change. In many respects the NASCAR financing model, which gives 60% of the revenues back to the circuits is a much more sustainable structure in the longer term. A decent percentage of that money finds its way back to the teams from prize funds and appearance money. In addition the competitors get 25% directly from NASCAR, leaving the sanctioning body with a fair 15% of the take. This is ultimately better for the sport - mainly the fans - who pay less for their tickets and thus have more available money if they wish to invest in merchandising.
Formula 1 needs to look very carefully at its funding models in the years ahead as there are increasing signs - recession or no recession - that the current structure is becoming unssutainable in the traditional F1 markets. There is nothing wrong with expansion to new markets, but the balance needs to be right and when the sport is not in the world's biggest consumer market then something is clearly wrong.
The race in Abu Dhabi will also be the end of the current chapter in BMW's F1 history. The Munich firm will probably come to regret the decision to pack up and leave, taken because of new environmental goals that need to be addressed. The whole withdrawal has been very badly managed by the folk in Munich and one hopes that the Sauber team will emerge in one piece from the current crisis over entries. The team could have achieved a great deal more if it hd been given a little more time.
Elsewhere in the paddock there is much movement with some of the top names switching between the teams. Next year we will see Fernando Alonso at Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen is on the move and will end up somewhere unless his financial demands catch him out. Rubens Barrichello is on his way to Williams and Nico Rosberg seems on his way to Brawn. And the talented Robert Kubica is going to Renault, where hopefully his talents will be better used than they have been at BMW Sauber.
There is therefore much to look forward to.
The season has flown by very quickly and in the offseason will no doubt do the same. There are four and a half months in which there will be no races but no doubt when we get to Bahrain in March it will seem like yesterday that we were in Abu Dhabi.
Renault on Abu Dhabi - Alonso and Permane tackle Yas Marina
For every member of the Formula One fraternity, this weekend’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be a step into the unknown. For the drivers and engineers, however, there’s a lot more to worry about than where they’re going to eat and rest their heads, with a brand-new circuit to learn and - hopefully - conquer. Renault’s Fernando Alonso and the team’s chief engineer, Alan Permane, explain how they’ve been preparing to do just that…
Q: Fernando, what are your first impressions of the new circuit in Abu Dhabi?
Fernando Alonso: It looks like it will be quite a demanding circuit for the drivers as there are over twenty corners in the lap - and some of them look very challenging. However, when you are looking at a map it's difficult to really understand a circuit and it's only when you get there and walk the circuit that you start to feel what it is really like.
Q: How do you normally prepare for a new circuit?
FA: We look at a lot of simulation data and I work very closely with the team to understand the demands of the track - much more than I would do for a track that I already know. We will probably spend five times longer preparing for a new venue and the circuit walk becomes very important for me and the engineers.
Q: Which corners have caught your attention?
FA: I think Turns 11, 12 and 13 look interesting. I remember when we first saw the map of the circuit it reminded me of the difficult turn ten chicane in Singapore. It looks like Turns Eight and 11 will be the two big braking zones and for sure there will be opportunities to overtake there.
Q: How long does it take you to learn a new track?
FA: It doesn't take long because we jump in the car knowing the circuit perfectly in our mind as we have studied the map. After three or four laps you realise the lines and the braking points so I would say five laps is enough to know the track pretty well. But it's true that every lap you feel more confident and you learn more about the track and how to get the most from it. The final laps of the race are usually your best laps as you know the track so well by then.
Q: Alan, tell us about the team's technical preparations for a new circuit…
Alan Permane: We usually begin our preparations about two months ahead of the race, which is when we receive a detailed map showing the layout and characteristics of the circuit. This gives us an idea of the set-up we will need in terms of the downforce levels and the demands on the brakes and the engine. We then feed the circuit map into our computers to create a virtual circuit where we can run simulations with a computer model of our car. This allows us to evaluate many different set-up options which can be easily changed to help us work out a good base set-up.
Once we have arrived at the circuit and run the car in free practice, we will send the real circuit data back to the factory, which can be used to run more accurate simulations. The logged data from Friday practice can also be used on our chassis dynamics rig to explore the ride characteristics of the circuit and can reveal improvements to the damping or perhaps to the spring rates. Any suggestions from the factory for improving the set-up of the car usually come through by the end of Friday so that we can try them on Saturday morning ahead of qualifying.
Q: What are your first impressions of the Abu Dhabi circuit?
AP: There are a couple of reasonably long straights, but it does look like it will be quite stop-start - a bit like the street circuit in Valencia. In terms of downforce, it will be on the higher side, although we won't run maximum downforce settings because of the long straights where straight-line speed will be important. There are a lot of right-angled corners, but it's difficult to predict the impact this will have on car set-up as it depends on the layout of the curbs. That's one thing we will examine during our track walk.
What we do know already is that the drivers will want a car that is biased towards traction as the circuit doesn't have high-speed changes of direction, which would require a stiffer car set- up. So to aid good traction from the low-speed corners we will aim to give the drivers a softer rear end. In terms of braking, our simulations have shown it to be similar to Valencia and Melbourne so it's by no means an easy circuit on the brakes, but it's not as tough as Monza.
Q: Which parts of the track look challenging to you?
AP: I agree with Fernando that Turns 11, 12 and 13 will be interesting and certainly worth a lot of lap- time. Drivers always enjoy the high-speed corners, but most of the gains can be found in these low-speed corners where you spend the most time. So, with this in mind, Turns Five, Six and Seven will also be a section of the lap where the car needs to work well so we can maximise the gains in lap-time
Q: Fernando, what are your first impressions of the new circuit in Abu Dhabi?
Fernando Alonso: It looks like it will be quite a demanding circuit for the drivers as there are over twenty corners in the lap - and some of them look very challenging. However, when you are looking at a map it's difficult to really understand a circuit and it's only when you get there and walk the circuit that you start to feel what it is really like.
Q: How do you normally prepare for a new circuit?
FA: We look at a lot of simulation data and I work very closely with the team to understand the demands of the track - much more than I would do for a track that I already know. We will probably spend five times longer preparing for a new venue and the circuit walk becomes very important for me and the engineers.
Q: Which corners have caught your attention?
FA: I think Turns 11, 12 and 13 look interesting. I remember when we first saw the map of the circuit it reminded me of the difficult turn ten chicane in Singapore. It looks like Turns Eight and 11 will be the two big braking zones and for sure there will be opportunities to overtake there.
Q: How long does it take you to learn a new track?
FA: It doesn't take long because we jump in the car knowing the circuit perfectly in our mind as we have studied the map. After three or four laps you realise the lines and the braking points so I would say five laps is enough to know the track pretty well. But it's true that every lap you feel more confident and you learn more about the track and how to get the most from it. The final laps of the race are usually your best laps as you know the track so well by then.
Q: Alan, tell us about the team's technical preparations for a new circuit…
Alan Permane: We usually begin our preparations about two months ahead of the race, which is when we receive a detailed map showing the layout and characteristics of the circuit. This gives us an idea of the set-up we will need in terms of the downforce levels and the demands on the brakes and the engine. We then feed the circuit map into our computers to create a virtual circuit where we can run simulations with a computer model of our car. This allows us to evaluate many different set-up options which can be easily changed to help us work out a good base set-up.
Once we have arrived at the circuit and run the car in free practice, we will send the real circuit data back to the factory, which can be used to run more accurate simulations. The logged data from Friday practice can also be used on our chassis dynamics rig to explore the ride characteristics of the circuit and can reveal improvements to the damping or perhaps to the spring rates. Any suggestions from the factory for improving the set-up of the car usually come through by the end of Friday so that we can try them on Saturday morning ahead of qualifying.
Q: What are your first impressions of the Abu Dhabi circuit?
AP: There are a couple of reasonably long straights, but it does look like it will be quite stop-start - a bit like the street circuit in Valencia. In terms of downforce, it will be on the higher side, although we won't run maximum downforce settings because of the long straights where straight-line speed will be important. There are a lot of right-angled corners, but it's difficult to predict the impact this will have on car set-up as it depends on the layout of the curbs. That's one thing we will examine during our track walk.
What we do know already is that the drivers will want a car that is biased towards traction as the circuit doesn't have high-speed changes of direction, which would require a stiffer car set- up. So to aid good traction from the low-speed corners we will aim to give the drivers a softer rear end. In terms of braking, our simulations have shown it to be similar to Valencia and Melbourne so it's by no means an easy circuit on the brakes, but it's not as tough as Monza.
Q: Which parts of the track look challenging to you?
AP: I agree with Fernando that Turns 11, 12 and 13 will be interesting and certainly worth a lot of lap- time. Drivers always enjoy the high-speed corners, but most of the gains can be found in these low-speed corners where you spend the most time. So, with this in mind, Turns Five, Six and Seven will also be a section of the lap where the car needs to work well so we can maximise the gains in lap-time
Williams establish technical centre in Qatar
Williams are to open the first Formula One-related technical centre outside of Europe in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar. The Williams Technology Centre (WTC) will be based at the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and will be tasked with developing F1 technologies for commercial application.
Initially it will focus on two such projects, both with clear commercial goals - the industrial application of large Magnetically Loaded Composite (MLC) flywheels and the advancement of Williams’ simulator know-how for competition and road car use.
The flywheel project will address their potential to store and release energy very quickly. Initial target markets include mass transit systems such as trains and trams. The development of new driver simulation technology will be aimed at road car training, safety and entertainment, as well as competition simulators for other motorsport series.
The WTC is expected to employ 20 staff, with a multi-million dollar R&D budget and a carefully projected revenue stream that will reward both Williams and QSTP, who are investing in the project and are already renowned for the research, development and commercialisation of new technologies by companies such as Shell and Microsoft.
“It is perhaps outside of conventional practice for a Formula One team to move such activities out of Europe, but we have been very impressed with the fertile environment QSTP presents for research and development and the vision Her Highness Sheikha Mozah has for Qatar leading in the development of beneficial technologies,” said team boss Frank Williams.
“After detailed consideration, we've decided this is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss, and we look forward to supporting the future of Williams F1 in part from the development and application of F1-inspired technologies to the wider world.”
To celebrate the agreement, the QSTP identity will form a prominent part of Williams’ race livery for this weekend’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Initially it will focus on two such projects, both with clear commercial goals - the industrial application of large Magnetically Loaded Composite (MLC) flywheels and the advancement of Williams’ simulator know-how for competition and road car use.
The flywheel project will address their potential to store and release energy very quickly. Initial target markets include mass transit systems such as trains and trams. The development of new driver simulation technology will be aimed at road car training, safety and entertainment, as well as competition simulators for other motorsport series.
The WTC is expected to employ 20 staff, with a multi-million dollar R&D budget and a carefully projected revenue stream that will reward both Williams and QSTP, who are investing in the project and are already renowned for the research, development and commercialisation of new technologies by companies such as Shell and Microsoft.
“It is perhaps outside of conventional practice for a Formula One team to move such activities out of Europe, but we have been very impressed with the fertile environment QSTP presents for research and development and the vision Her Highness Sheikha Mozah has for Qatar leading in the development of beneficial technologies,” said team boss Frank Williams.
“After detailed consideration, we've decided this is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss, and we look forward to supporting the future of Williams F1 in part from the development and application of F1-inspired technologies to the wider world.”
To celebrate the agreement, the QSTP identity will form a prominent part of Williams’ race livery for this weekend’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
McLaren aims for strong finish
McLaren is aiming to leave this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as "winner of the second half of the season," according to team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
Since the German Grand Prix in July, driver Lewis Hamilton has scored 40 points - more than any other driver – and climbed from 11th to sixth in the drivers' standings as a result. Only Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen has come close to Hamilton's consistency, the Finn scoring 38 points over the same period.
Likewise, in the constructor's championship, McLaren's 57-point haul since the Nurburgring is greater than world champion team Brawn, and has only been beaten by Red Bull, on 61. Should Hamilton and his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen finish 1-2 on Sunday, the team will have achieved its aim.
Given McLaren's shaky start to the season, Whitmarsh is delighted with the progress made with the MP4-24.
"I'm very proud [of the turnaround]," he said during a conference call with UK media. "It was a poor start for us and Lewis.
"Now though, it’s interesting to see how, during a season when a lot of teams put in a lot of effort to improve, if we look at German GP onwards than Lewis has scored more points than any other driver and we're [as a team] only a few points shy of what Red Bull has done in the constructors’ [championship].
"Hopefully this weekend we can establish ourselves as having won the second half of the season. I firmly believe we can win in Abu Dhabi as well with Lewis and Heikki."
Whitmarsh said that McLaren's 2010 driver lineup was still not yet decided and that no decision on Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate would be taken until after the end of the season.
"The reality is we're going into the last race, which is what we're concentrating on for now," he added.
"We are very fortunate that there appears to be a number of drivers who are interested in McLaren. Following the end of the season, we'll sit down and analyse the situation."
Since the German Grand Prix in July, driver Lewis Hamilton has scored 40 points - more than any other driver – and climbed from 11th to sixth in the drivers' standings as a result. Only Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen has come close to Hamilton's consistency, the Finn scoring 38 points over the same period.
Likewise, in the constructor's championship, McLaren's 57-point haul since the Nurburgring is greater than world champion team Brawn, and has only been beaten by Red Bull, on 61. Should Hamilton and his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen finish 1-2 on Sunday, the team will have achieved its aim.
Given McLaren's shaky start to the season, Whitmarsh is delighted with the progress made with the MP4-24.
"I'm very proud [of the turnaround]," he said during a conference call with UK media. "It was a poor start for us and Lewis.
"Now though, it’s interesting to see how, during a season when a lot of teams put in a lot of effort to improve, if we look at German GP onwards than Lewis has scored more points than any other driver and we're [as a team] only a few points shy of what Red Bull has done in the constructors’ [championship].
"Hopefully this weekend we can establish ourselves as having won the second half of the season. I firmly believe we can win in Abu Dhabi as well with Lewis and Heikki."
Whitmarsh said that McLaren's 2010 driver lineup was still not yet decided and that no decision on Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate would be taken until after the end of the season.
"The reality is we're going into the last race, which is what we're concentrating on for now," he added.
"We are very fortunate that there appears to be a number of drivers who are interested in McLaren. Following the end of the season, we'll sit down and analyse the situation."
Renault signs first sponsor since scandal
Renault has signed its first sponsor since being involved in the race-fixing controversy, after announcing a tie-up with Dutch watchmaker TW Steel on Wednesday.
Although the fall-out from the Singapore Grand Prix crash affair resulted in title sponsor ING quitting the team with immediate effect, the matter has actually resulted in an increased commitment from parent company Renault to make a success of its Formula 1 plans.
And the team was able to announce a three-year deal with TW Steel, which will become its official timing partner, ahead of the final race of the season. The logos of the watch brand will appear on the nose cone, front wing flags and sidepods of the Renault cars from this weekend's race in Abu Dhabi.
Renault's managing director Jean-Francois Caubet said: "The partnership brings great value for both the Renault F1 Team and TW Steel and confirms the team's positive outlook for the years ahead."
Although the fall-out from the Singapore Grand Prix crash affair resulted in title sponsor ING quitting the team with immediate effect, the matter has actually resulted in an increased commitment from parent company Renault to make a success of its Formula 1 plans.
And the team was able to announce a three-year deal with TW Steel, which will become its official timing partner, ahead of the final race of the season. The logos of the watch brand will appear on the nose cone, front wing flags and sidepods of the Renault cars from this weekend's race in Abu Dhabi.
Renault's managing director Jean-Francois Caubet said: "The partnership brings great value for both the Renault F1 Team and TW Steel and confirms the team's positive outlook for the years ahead."
Whitmarsh: F1 needs British GP
Formula 1 would suffer huge damage if the British Grand Prix is lost from next year's calendar, claims McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
Amid continued uncertainty about the future of the race, with no official news from Donington Park about the state of its plans for next year, there are now concerns that the race may not be a feature of the 2010 schedule.
The situation is far from clear after a report in the Daily Express on Wednesday suggested that Donington Park leaseholder Simon Gillett had paid outstanding money to Bernie Ecclestone - although it was not clear whether or not this had been completed before close of business on deadline day.
Furthermore, Silverstone sources have indicated that the track will only commit to a deal with Bernie Ecclestone if the commercial terms make sense - and the two parties remain some distance apart on the finances so far.
AUTOSPORT understands that Silverstone's managing director Richard Phillips will be present at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to try and make progress on a deal with Ecclestone to secure the British GP's future.
However, until that deal is done, question marks remain over the event - something that has left Whitmarsh worried about the state of play.
"It's not just McLaren, but everyone in F1 knows the importance of the British Grand Prix," said Whitmarsh in a phone-in call with media on Wednesday.
"You couldn't say [of the races] any are absolutely vital, but losing the British GP would be massively damaging to the sport. It's the kind of support from the fans there. It's different to other places.
"You just have to walk through the campsites and the area around the circuit and see how committed the fans are. We'd be very sorry to see it lost."
Hill said about the state of negotiations over a new contract: "The BRDC [which owns Silverstone] have to sign a contract which makes sense and can't sign up to a contract which could get them into the same dangers as Donington.
"Silverstone is not responsible to provide a grand prix, and it's not Bernie Ecclestone's job to give a discounted race to Britain."
Amid continued uncertainty about the future of the race, with no official news from Donington Park about the state of its plans for next year, there are now concerns that the race may not be a feature of the 2010 schedule.
The situation is far from clear after a report in the Daily Express on Wednesday suggested that Donington Park leaseholder Simon Gillett had paid outstanding money to Bernie Ecclestone - although it was not clear whether or not this had been completed before close of business on deadline day.
Furthermore, Silverstone sources have indicated that the track will only commit to a deal with Bernie Ecclestone if the commercial terms make sense - and the two parties remain some distance apart on the finances so far.
AUTOSPORT understands that Silverstone's managing director Richard Phillips will be present at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to try and make progress on a deal with Ecclestone to secure the British GP's future.
However, until that deal is done, question marks remain over the event - something that has left Whitmarsh worried about the state of play.
"It's not just McLaren, but everyone in F1 knows the importance of the British Grand Prix," said Whitmarsh in a phone-in call with media on Wednesday.
"You couldn't say [of the races] any are absolutely vital, but losing the British GP would be massively damaging to the sport. It's the kind of support from the fans there. It's different to other places.
"You just have to walk through the campsites and the area around the circuit and see how committed the fans are. We'd be very sorry to see it lost."
Hill said about the state of negotiations over a new contract: "The BRDC [which owns Silverstone] have to sign a contract which makes sense and can't sign up to a contract which could get them into the same dangers as Donington.
"Silverstone is not responsible to provide a grand prix, and it's not Bernie Ecclestone's job to give a discounted race to Britain."
Ten facts about Abu Dhabi
This weekend's inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks an exciting new chapter for Formula 1 - with a state-of-the-art facility set to raise the benchmark for grand prix venues.
AUTOSPORT brings you 10 facts about the Abu Dhabi track ahead of its first F1 race.
• The new Yas Marina circuit features the longest straight on the Formula 1 calendar. It stretches for 1.2 kilometres.
• The end of that straight is also unique - as it features a run-off area that extends below the West Grandstand. Cars spinning off will therefore carry on underneath the spectators.
• Abu Dhabi is proud to boast that every single grandstand seat at the track is covered – a first for a Formula 1 circuit.
• The pitlane exit is the only underground one on the calendar. After leaving the pits, the drivers descend into a tunnel that turns 90 degrees left and runs underneath the track after Turn 1.
• The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be Formula 1's first day-night race. The event starts in twilight at 5pm and will finish at night – although the track will be illuminated by floodlights.
• The track runs underneath the posh five-star Yas Hotel – which will be lit for much of the Abu Dhabi weekend.
• More than 14,000 staff worked on creating the new Yas Marina circuit from scratch in February 2007. It took them a total of 35 million man hours to complete the track.
• Race organisers have gone out of their way to make sure the teams are comfortable – by installing air-conditioned pit buildings for the mechanics
• There is a nice bit of number symmetry to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It will be 55 laps around a 5.55 kilometre track.
• The corporate blue branding of the Yas Marina circuit has been chosen because it matches the colour of the local water.
AUTOSPORT brings you 10 facts about the Abu Dhabi track ahead of its first F1 race.
• The new Yas Marina circuit features the longest straight on the Formula 1 calendar. It stretches for 1.2 kilometres.
• The end of that straight is also unique - as it features a run-off area that extends below the West Grandstand. Cars spinning off will therefore carry on underneath the spectators.
• Abu Dhabi is proud to boast that every single grandstand seat at the track is covered – a first for a Formula 1 circuit.
• The pitlane exit is the only underground one on the calendar. After leaving the pits, the drivers descend into a tunnel that turns 90 degrees left and runs underneath the track after Turn 1.
• The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be Formula 1's first day-night race. The event starts in twilight at 5pm and will finish at night – although the track will be illuminated by floodlights.
• The track runs underneath the posh five-star Yas Hotel – which will be lit for much of the Abu Dhabi weekend.
• More than 14,000 staff worked on creating the new Yas Marina circuit from scratch in February 2007. It took them a total of 35 million man hours to complete the track.
• Race organisers have gone out of their way to make sure the teams are comfortable – by installing air-conditioned pit buildings for the mechanics
• There is a nice bit of number symmetry to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It will be 55 laps around a 5.55 kilometre track.
• The corporate blue branding of the Yas Marina circuit has been chosen because it matches the colour of the local water.
Williams Mark Barnett reviews the Brazillian GP
The Brazilian Grand Prix promised much for AT&T Williams, but ultimately it delivered nothing. We registered our first double-DNF of the season, which was very disappointing and meant that we weren’t able to execute the strategies that we’d planned for our drivers.
For the fourth time this year, Nico and Kazuki both started inside the top 10 and Nico was looking good for a podium finish until he was stopped by a suspected gearbox problem. However, I’d like to think that both drivers were on competitive strategies because I’m one of the team’s two strategy engineers!
I do a lot of preparatory work before each race because information is key in my job. I need to know things like the amount of time lost in the pitlane, the expected fuel consumption per lap and tyre performance. We’d never previously used these slick tyres at Interlagos, so a lot of my preparation before Brazil was predictive, using data that we’d gathered at other tracks.
I then fed this data into my simulation programmes back at the factory, which gave me the optimum strategy for the 71-lap race. It also gave me an idea of how to run the cars in Q3, should they make it into the final segment of qualifying.
I travelled to Sao Paulo on the Tuesday before the race, arriving early on Wednesday morning. After a brief pitstop at the hotel to change clothes, the rest of the day was spent at the racetrack, getting everything ready for the weekend ahead. I prepared things like my analysis spread sheets and software tools so that I could begin my analysis of events as soon as the track action began on Friday morning.
On Thursday I did a track walk with the drivers and the engineers. I do this at every race and it’s incredibly useful because it gives me a look at any changes to the track layout or kerbs that might affect strategy or tyre wear, and I get to hear the drivers’ thoughts on the car and the track. After completing the track walk at Interlagos, we had an engineering meeting with the drivers present to discuss the plan for the weekend.
A large part of Friday morning’s practice session was spent monitoring the performance of the other teams, before focusing on our performance in the afternoon session. I analysed tyre performance and used this information – alongside data from Bridgestone about the other teams’ tyre sequences – to calculate tyre degradation. I then came up with a qualifying plan in which I worked out the number of runs for each of our drivers, the timings of those runs and the tyre sequence.
The weather forecast was for heavy rain on Saturday and then a dry race. That meant we’d have to keep a dry set-up on the car for qualifying, which would make life quite tricky for the drivers, and I also adjusted the timing of their first pitstops in the race in case of more rain. At Interlagos, you never know!
The AT&T Williams driver who’s quickest in Q2 gets the choice of stop laps in the race and last weekend it was Nico (although they were both very quick in the rain, ending Q2 in P1 and P2). There’s no favouritism in this decision; it’s a simple matter of who’s quicker and what’s best for the team.
After qualifying I came up with a list of default strategies. That helped me to work out what to do in the race if there was a Safety Car, or if one of both of our cars were involved in a first-corner accident and needed to pit for a new nose. Such decisions would have to be made very quickly, so preparation was essential.
During the race I sat next to chief operations engineer Rod Nelson and we constantly fed off each other and bounced ideas around. Unfortunately, both of the cars were out of the race before half distance (Nico: gearbox, Kazuki: accident), so we weren’t able to capitalise on our top 10 starting positions.
We now move to Abu Dhabi, where we’ll try to end the season on a high note.
For the fourth time this year, Nico and Kazuki both started inside the top 10 and Nico was looking good for a podium finish until he was stopped by a suspected gearbox problem. However, I’d like to think that both drivers were on competitive strategies because I’m one of the team’s two strategy engineers!
I do a lot of preparatory work before each race because information is key in my job. I need to know things like the amount of time lost in the pitlane, the expected fuel consumption per lap and tyre performance. We’d never previously used these slick tyres at Interlagos, so a lot of my preparation before Brazil was predictive, using data that we’d gathered at other tracks.
I then fed this data into my simulation programmes back at the factory, which gave me the optimum strategy for the 71-lap race. It also gave me an idea of how to run the cars in Q3, should they make it into the final segment of qualifying.
I travelled to Sao Paulo on the Tuesday before the race, arriving early on Wednesday morning. After a brief pitstop at the hotel to change clothes, the rest of the day was spent at the racetrack, getting everything ready for the weekend ahead. I prepared things like my analysis spread sheets and software tools so that I could begin my analysis of events as soon as the track action began on Friday morning.
On Thursday I did a track walk with the drivers and the engineers. I do this at every race and it’s incredibly useful because it gives me a look at any changes to the track layout or kerbs that might affect strategy or tyre wear, and I get to hear the drivers’ thoughts on the car and the track. After completing the track walk at Interlagos, we had an engineering meeting with the drivers present to discuss the plan for the weekend.
A large part of Friday morning’s practice session was spent monitoring the performance of the other teams, before focusing on our performance in the afternoon session. I analysed tyre performance and used this information – alongside data from Bridgestone about the other teams’ tyre sequences – to calculate tyre degradation. I then came up with a qualifying plan in which I worked out the number of runs for each of our drivers, the timings of those runs and the tyre sequence.
The weather forecast was for heavy rain on Saturday and then a dry race. That meant we’d have to keep a dry set-up on the car for qualifying, which would make life quite tricky for the drivers, and I also adjusted the timing of their first pitstops in the race in case of more rain. At Interlagos, you never know!
The AT&T Williams driver who’s quickest in Q2 gets the choice of stop laps in the race and last weekend it was Nico (although they were both very quick in the rain, ending Q2 in P1 and P2). There’s no favouritism in this decision; it’s a simple matter of who’s quicker and what’s best for the team.
After qualifying I came up with a list of default strategies. That helped me to work out what to do in the race if there was a Safety Car, or if one of both of our cars were involved in a first-corner accident and needed to pit for a new nose. Such decisions would have to be made very quickly, so preparation was essential.
During the race I sat next to chief operations engineer Rod Nelson and we constantly fed off each other and bounced ideas around. Unfortunately, both of the cars were out of the race before half distance (Nico: gearbox, Kazuki: accident), so we weren’t able to capitalise on our top 10 starting positions.
We now move to Abu Dhabi, where we’ll try to end the season on a high note.
Force India - new Chief Operating Officer - Omar Szafnaur
Otmar - It’s a great team
Shortly before the Brazilian GP Force India announced that Otmar Szafnauer had joined the team in the role of Chief Operating Officer, replacing Simon Roberts, who returns to McLaren after a year on secondment from the Woking-based outfit. The British-based American has held senior management roles at Ford, British American Racing and Honda and, as such, brings a wealth of experience to the role.
We talked to Otmar about his new job and how he sees the future.
How did your new role come about?
The first discussions were about a year ago after the team’s first season in F1. The team was looking at making some structural changes, including changing engine supplier and some personnel changes, and that’s when the discussions first started. At that time Honda had just announced they were pulling out of F1, and I was looking at where else can my skills be applied meaningfully. This team looked like they were on the path to doing what’s necessary to improve performance, and it seemed like a perfect match.
How did things progress?
On November 10 the McLaren-Mercedes drivetrain package was announced and Simon [Roberts] joined from McLaren to facilitate the partnership. At that stage, since everything was so new, the board wanted to see how the relationship would gel together. It came to September 2009 and as Simon’s secondment was nearing completion, I was asked to come to Monza and meet Dr Mallya. It came together very quickly as working closely at that level it’s more than experience that counts, it’s also personality and chemistry. It’s a great team, and Vijay is fantastic. He runs lot of businesses, but the minute he’s focussed on F1 he has instincts about what he’s talking about, and asks the right questions.
What is the biggest challenge you face?
My biggest task is to maintain this current level of performance, but it will be a very difficult thing to do as the path of improvement has been so steep already and it’s going to be much harder the higher we go. If you look back a year ago to what’s happening now, there has been a big step. This jump in performance came for a few fundamental reasons, and I don’t think you can duplicate that for the next step. Yet somehow with the resources we have, we need to keep improving. That will be looking at procedures, processes and understanding the team’s strengths and areas requiring improvement, then implementing the enhancements with the goal of improving performance.
How will you go about that?
My philosophy is before you make any changes, you have to understand what you have, otherwise you get lost. My short term steps are to deeply understand how the team works, what areas could require more resource, with the goal always of improving performance. There have been a lot of people in the industry who come in as a new management team and they make change because they think that’s the right thing to do. I’ve seen it in F1 teams, where a big company puts a new management team in: sometimes that works, but for me that’s like closing your eyes and throwing a dart! Sometimes you hit the dartboard, but not always. You should see where it is before you throw. From what I see so far the team is massively in the right direction, so it will be about honing rather than making fundamental changes.
How excited are you by your new role?
I’m very excited. It’s very different from my previous teams as the size is different. The job is the same, you have to go racing, you have to be competitive, you have to design a car, you have to build a car, you need quality control, you need a marketing group. You have to do all the same tasks, just with fewer people so that means the people you have have a wider sphere of influence. I really like this ethos as you also get satisfaction from performance when your involvement is bigger. With that comes the fact that you’ll be able to know more intimately every individual, which is a very important point when you are building a team. It is about personalities and understanding who everybody is, to make sure they work together and go in the same direction.
Shortly before the Brazilian GP Force India announced that Otmar Szafnauer had joined the team in the role of Chief Operating Officer, replacing Simon Roberts, who returns to McLaren after a year on secondment from the Woking-based outfit. The British-based American has held senior management roles at Ford, British American Racing and Honda and, as such, brings a wealth of experience to the role.
We talked to Otmar about his new job and how he sees the future.
How did your new role come about?
The first discussions were about a year ago after the team’s first season in F1. The team was looking at making some structural changes, including changing engine supplier and some personnel changes, and that’s when the discussions first started. At that time Honda had just announced they were pulling out of F1, and I was looking at where else can my skills be applied meaningfully. This team looked like they were on the path to doing what’s necessary to improve performance, and it seemed like a perfect match.
How did things progress?
On November 10 the McLaren-Mercedes drivetrain package was announced and Simon [Roberts] joined from McLaren to facilitate the partnership. At that stage, since everything was so new, the board wanted to see how the relationship would gel together. It came to September 2009 and as Simon’s secondment was nearing completion, I was asked to come to Monza and meet Dr Mallya. It came together very quickly as working closely at that level it’s more than experience that counts, it’s also personality and chemistry. It’s a great team, and Vijay is fantastic. He runs lot of businesses, but the minute he’s focussed on F1 he has instincts about what he’s talking about, and asks the right questions.
What is the biggest challenge you face?
My biggest task is to maintain this current level of performance, but it will be a very difficult thing to do as the path of improvement has been so steep already and it’s going to be much harder the higher we go. If you look back a year ago to what’s happening now, there has been a big step. This jump in performance came for a few fundamental reasons, and I don’t think you can duplicate that for the next step. Yet somehow with the resources we have, we need to keep improving. That will be looking at procedures, processes and understanding the team’s strengths and areas requiring improvement, then implementing the enhancements with the goal of improving performance.
How will you go about that?
My philosophy is before you make any changes, you have to understand what you have, otherwise you get lost. My short term steps are to deeply understand how the team works, what areas could require more resource, with the goal always of improving performance. There have been a lot of people in the industry who come in as a new management team and they make change because they think that’s the right thing to do. I’ve seen it in F1 teams, where a big company puts a new management team in: sometimes that works, but for me that’s like closing your eyes and throwing a dart! Sometimes you hit the dartboard, but not always. You should see where it is before you throw. From what I see so far the team is massively in the right direction, so it will be about honing rather than making fundamental changes.
How excited are you by your new role?
I’m very excited. It’s very different from my previous teams as the size is different. The job is the same, you have to go racing, you have to be competitive, you have to design a car, you have to build a car, you need quality control, you need a marketing group. You have to do all the same tasks, just with fewer people so that means the people you have have a wider sphere of influence. I really like this ethos as you also get satisfaction from performance when your involvement is bigger. With that comes the fact that you’ll be able to know more intimately every individual, which is a very important point when you are building a team. It is about personalities and understanding who everybody is, to make sure they work together and go in the same direction.
A special weekend for Ferrari at Abu Dhabi
Maranello, 27 October 2009 - This Sunday marks the end of a very unusual season of Formula 1 Grands Prix, characterised by significant technical regulation changes which in turn led to a new order, with the more established teams, including Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, having to make way for new names at the top of the classifications. While both championships were decided a fortnight ago in Brazil, this still promises to be a very interesting weekend, as it takes place at the brand new Yas Marina circuit, a facility which even makes some of the more recent additions to the calendar look slightly dated.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a special weekend for Ferrari, as the Maranello company has several strong links to this event: Mubadala is the investment company of the government of Abu Dhabi, a shareholder in the company and a sponsor of the team. Another team sponsor, Etihad, is also the title sponsor of this race. Additionally, the Yas Marina circuit is located on the same island that is home to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park. It is due to have its official opening next year and this coming Thursday at 10.30, Ferrari S.p.A. vice-president, Piero Ferrari will attend a press conference, when the roof of the park will be unveiled, featuring a large Prancing Horse logo. Interest in Ferrari and the Scuderia is already very high in the Gulf and on Wednesday afternoon, both Kimi Raikkonen and Giancarlo Fisichella will be in neighbouring Dubai, for the official opening of a new Ferrari store, which will be the largest of all the Ferrari stores in the world.
The track itself is interesting and unusual, starting with a couple of fast corners, with very slow turns leading into two very fast straights, followed by a twistier section, which is very reminiscent of the Singapore track. Finding the correct balance for the car will therefore not be a straightforward task. Although this circuit is near the sea, sand on the track surface asphalt – which incidentally is provided by Ferrari partner Shell – could also cause problems, in terms of its affect on grip and on the need to protect components from its abrasive properties, especially on Friday, when cars take to the track for first practice and it will also depend on what the wind is doing at the time. KERS should be very useful here, given the track layout features fast straights following on from slow corners, which is the typical scenario where a power boost can give a significant advantage. Although it does not present a specific technical difficulty, the pit lane is certainly interesting and innovative as it include a tunnel that takes cars from one side of the track to the other, as the entrance is on the right hand side and the exit on the left.
After Singapore, this will be the second race to be run under floodlights. The local start time of 5pm means that approximately the first forty minutes should take place in daylight, however any risk of the drivers being dazzled by the setting sun will be counteracted by the artificial lighting. This three hour delay compared to a normal Grand Prix start also means that the intense heat, with temperatures in the mid-thirties and a high level of humidity in the middle of the day, should also be less of a problem, while for the mechanics, working conditions will be helped by the fact that the garages are air-conditioned.
As has been the case throughout this fascinating season, tyres will play a key role and in Abu Dhabi, teams will have a choice of Bridgestone’s soft and medium rubber, marking a return to the use of two adjacent compounds. While it is fair to say that the F60 is no longer an obvious candidate to produce a race win, those who like to bet based on happenstance might wish to consider that this tyre combination is the same as that available in Spa and Monza, where Ferrari took a win and a third place respectively. However, this should not be seen as any sort of guarantee of success!
The Bahrain Grand Prix has featured on the calendar for six years now and this additional Middle East race means that interest in Formula 1 and motor sport in general is growing in this part of the world, as proven by the fact that all tickets are already sold out. This will also be a special end of season for both our drivers, as Kimi Raikkonen is leaving the team after three years and Giancarlo Fisichella will take on the role of official test and reserve driver for the Scuderia after this weekend. The Italian experienced the Yas Marina circuit on the simulator last week and his avowed aim will be to end his short stint as a Ferrari race driver in the points, because although the titles are decided, the team is still determined to end the year third in the Constructors’ classification, in which it currently stands fourth, one point behind McLaren.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a special weekend for Ferrari, as the Maranello company has several strong links to this event: Mubadala is the investment company of the government of Abu Dhabi, a shareholder in the company and a sponsor of the team. Another team sponsor, Etihad, is also the title sponsor of this race. Additionally, the Yas Marina circuit is located on the same island that is home to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park. It is due to have its official opening next year and this coming Thursday at 10.30, Ferrari S.p.A. vice-president, Piero Ferrari will attend a press conference, when the roof of the park will be unveiled, featuring a large Prancing Horse logo. Interest in Ferrari and the Scuderia is already very high in the Gulf and on Wednesday afternoon, both Kimi Raikkonen and Giancarlo Fisichella will be in neighbouring Dubai, for the official opening of a new Ferrari store, which will be the largest of all the Ferrari stores in the world.
The track itself is interesting and unusual, starting with a couple of fast corners, with very slow turns leading into two very fast straights, followed by a twistier section, which is very reminiscent of the Singapore track. Finding the correct balance for the car will therefore not be a straightforward task. Although this circuit is near the sea, sand on the track surface asphalt – which incidentally is provided by Ferrari partner Shell – could also cause problems, in terms of its affect on grip and on the need to protect components from its abrasive properties, especially on Friday, when cars take to the track for first practice and it will also depend on what the wind is doing at the time. KERS should be very useful here, given the track layout features fast straights following on from slow corners, which is the typical scenario where a power boost can give a significant advantage. Although it does not present a specific technical difficulty, the pit lane is certainly interesting and innovative as it include a tunnel that takes cars from one side of the track to the other, as the entrance is on the right hand side and the exit on the left.
After Singapore, this will be the second race to be run under floodlights. The local start time of 5pm means that approximately the first forty minutes should take place in daylight, however any risk of the drivers being dazzled by the setting sun will be counteracted by the artificial lighting. This three hour delay compared to a normal Grand Prix start also means that the intense heat, with temperatures in the mid-thirties and a high level of humidity in the middle of the day, should also be less of a problem, while for the mechanics, working conditions will be helped by the fact that the garages are air-conditioned.
As has been the case throughout this fascinating season, tyres will play a key role and in Abu Dhabi, teams will have a choice of Bridgestone’s soft and medium rubber, marking a return to the use of two adjacent compounds. While it is fair to say that the F60 is no longer an obvious candidate to produce a race win, those who like to bet based on happenstance might wish to consider that this tyre combination is the same as that available in Spa and Monza, where Ferrari took a win and a third place respectively. However, this should not be seen as any sort of guarantee of success!
The Bahrain Grand Prix has featured on the calendar for six years now and this additional Middle East race means that interest in Formula 1 and motor sport in general is growing in this part of the world, as proven by the fact that all tickets are already sold out. This will also be a special end of season for both our drivers, as Kimi Raikkonen is leaving the team after three years and Giancarlo Fisichella will take on the role of official test and reserve driver for the Scuderia after this weekend. The Italian experienced the Yas Marina circuit on the simulator last week and his avowed aim will be to end his short stint as a Ferrari race driver in the points, because although the titles are decided, the team is still determined to end the year third in the Constructors’ classification, in which it currently stands fourth, one point behind McLaren.
2009 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX - PREVIEW BRAWN
The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the 2009 Formula One season, takes place this weekend at the new Yas Marina Circuit on the eastern side of Abu Dhabi.
The spectacular 5.554km track, designed by renowned Formula One architect Hermann Tilke, is located on Yas Island just thirty minutes from Abu Dhabi city. Running alongside Yas Island’s new marina, the anti-clockwise circuit has many unique features including a pitlane exit which crosses under the circuit and part of the track passing under the Yas Marina Hotel.
Abu Dhabi will host Formula One’s first twilight race with the lights going out in late daylight conditions at 17:00hrs on Sunday and the chequered flag falling in the evening around ninety minutes later. With Brawn GP and Jenson Button successfully securing the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships at the last race in Brazil, the team are now looking forward to putting on a great show in Abu Dhabi this weekend at the final race of the season.
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Q. After such an emotional weekend in Brazil, what are your thoughts ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
"Brazil was a fantastic weekend and to have won the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championships with Brawn GP is a very special achievement. I am incredibly proud of the whole team at Brawn GP and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. We’ve all had a few busy days since returning to the UK and it was great for both Jenson and I to get back to the factory and thank everyone in person for their contribution to our successes. At the same time, we have been looking ahead to the final race and ensuring that all our preparations are in place for Abu Dhabi which is an important weekend for the team as we look to secure second position in the Drivers’ Championship with Rubens. The new Yas Marina Circuit looks extremely impressive and we’re looking forward to getting out to Abu Dhabi and having our first look at the track. With the challenge of a new circuit, we are able to use data provided by the FIA to create a circuit map which can be used in our simulator at the factory. We went through this process for the new street circuits in Valencia and Singapore last year so it is a process that the team is familiar with. Knowing the circuit when they arrive helps the drivers to get into a rhythm quickly during the first practice sessions and allows us to check gear ratios and compare set-up items. We can also use the simulator to understand tyre behaviour. From this we get an understanding of the car balance and that allows us to determine our start set-up for the weekend.”
JENSON BUTTON
Q. What are your thoughts on the new Yas Marina Circuit?
"It’s a fantastic feeling to be going into the final race having achieved my ambition of winning the Drivers’ Championship and with the team having wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship in Brazil. We want to finish the season in style with a great result but we can be a little more relaxed in our approach to the weekend! I had a short break in the Gulf region after the Bahrain Grand Prix and went to have a look at the Yas Marina Circuit. Even back then, when the construction work was still underway, the facilities looked outstanding and the organisers have done a great job in creating a spectacular venue. It’s always fun to try a new race track, particularly one which looks as unique as Yas Marina with the unusual pitlane exit and the day/night race. I’m sure Abu Dhabi is going to host an exciting weekend and a great finale to the 2009 Formula One season.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. Are you looking forward to racing on a new track in Abu Dhabi?
“It’s always a good challenge to race at a new venue and the Yas Marina Circuit looks extremely impressive from the reports that I have seen. The layout of the circuit seems both fun and challenging and it will be interesting to start the race in daylight and to finish in evening conditions. Our track walk on Thursday will be important to get an initial feel for the characteristics of the circuit and we will spend the first few laps on Friday getting to grips with the layout. From then on, it will be business as usual with our standard practice programme. The team has had a great season so far and we want to finish on a high with a strong performance this weekend.”
Yas Marina Circuit Stats
Circuit Length: 5.554km
Race Distance: 305.470km
Number of Laps: 55
Full Throttle: 60%
Brake Wear: High
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Medium
Downforce Level: High - 8/10
Tyre Usage: Medium
Average Speed: 188kph (117mph)
Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)
Friday 30 October
Practice 1: 1300 - 1430
Practice 2: 1700 - 1830
Saturday 31 October
Practice 3: 1400 - 1500
Qualifying: 1700 - 1800
Sunday 1 November
Race: 1700
The spectacular 5.554km track, designed by renowned Formula One architect Hermann Tilke, is located on Yas Island just thirty minutes from Abu Dhabi city. Running alongside Yas Island’s new marina, the anti-clockwise circuit has many unique features including a pitlane exit which crosses under the circuit and part of the track passing under the Yas Marina Hotel.
Abu Dhabi will host Formula One’s first twilight race with the lights going out in late daylight conditions at 17:00hrs on Sunday and the chequered flag falling in the evening around ninety minutes later. With Brawn GP and Jenson Button successfully securing the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships at the last race in Brazil, the team are now looking forward to putting on a great show in Abu Dhabi this weekend at the final race of the season.
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Q. After such an emotional weekend in Brazil, what are your thoughts ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
"Brazil was a fantastic weekend and to have won the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championships with Brawn GP is a very special achievement. I am incredibly proud of the whole team at Brawn GP and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. We’ve all had a few busy days since returning to the UK and it was great for both Jenson and I to get back to the factory and thank everyone in person for their contribution to our successes. At the same time, we have been looking ahead to the final race and ensuring that all our preparations are in place for Abu Dhabi which is an important weekend for the team as we look to secure second position in the Drivers’ Championship with Rubens. The new Yas Marina Circuit looks extremely impressive and we’re looking forward to getting out to Abu Dhabi and having our first look at the track. With the challenge of a new circuit, we are able to use data provided by the FIA to create a circuit map which can be used in our simulator at the factory. We went through this process for the new street circuits in Valencia and Singapore last year so it is a process that the team is familiar with. Knowing the circuit when they arrive helps the drivers to get into a rhythm quickly during the first practice sessions and allows us to check gear ratios and compare set-up items. We can also use the simulator to understand tyre behaviour. From this we get an understanding of the car balance and that allows us to determine our start set-up for the weekend.”
JENSON BUTTON
Q. What are your thoughts on the new Yas Marina Circuit?
"It’s a fantastic feeling to be going into the final race having achieved my ambition of winning the Drivers’ Championship and with the team having wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship in Brazil. We want to finish the season in style with a great result but we can be a little more relaxed in our approach to the weekend! I had a short break in the Gulf region after the Bahrain Grand Prix and went to have a look at the Yas Marina Circuit. Even back then, when the construction work was still underway, the facilities looked outstanding and the organisers have done a great job in creating a spectacular venue. It’s always fun to try a new race track, particularly one which looks as unique as Yas Marina with the unusual pitlane exit and the day/night race. I’m sure Abu Dhabi is going to host an exciting weekend and a great finale to the 2009 Formula One season.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. Are you looking forward to racing on a new track in Abu Dhabi?
“It’s always a good challenge to race at a new venue and the Yas Marina Circuit looks extremely impressive from the reports that I have seen. The layout of the circuit seems both fun and challenging and it will be interesting to start the race in daylight and to finish in evening conditions. Our track walk on Thursday will be important to get an initial feel for the characteristics of the circuit and we will spend the first few laps on Friday getting to grips with the layout. From then on, it will be business as usual with our standard practice programme. The team has had a great season so far and we want to finish on a high with a strong performance this weekend.”
Yas Marina Circuit Stats
Circuit Length: 5.554km
Race Distance: 305.470km
Number of Laps: 55
Full Throttle: 60%
Brake Wear: High
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Medium
Downforce Level: High - 8/10
Tyre Usage: Medium
Average Speed: 188kph (117mph)
Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)
Friday 30 October
Practice 1: 1300 - 1430
Practice 2: 1700 - 1830
Saturday 31 October
Practice 3: 1400 - 1500
Qualifying: 1700 - 1800
Sunday 1 November
Race: 1700
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