Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Qualifying
The drivers have had three practice sessions to become familiar with this new circuit; fastest the sessions were: LH (1:43.939) in Practice 1, HK (1:41.307) in Practice 2, and JB (1:40.625) in Saturday practice.
There’s a problem with erosion from the wind and sand – it’s making a real mess of the cars’ front wings’ leading edge. The track’s dusty, and the change in temperature (the race spans sunset tomorrow) is going to make it difficult for them to maintain enough grip to keep the cars on
the black stuff. Current conditions: air temperature 30°C; track 33°C; wind 3.1m/s; humidity 55%
At least the grand stands look a little more full that yesterday but it’s still not attracting as many paying spectators as Silverstone does … but that won’t sway Bernie.
Nice to see Ron Dennis in the McLaren garage – he’s only visiting though, after Bernie & Max got their way and ousted him.
Fillipe Massa is on the Ferrari timing wall – looks like the plastic surgeon’s done a great job.
My notes are, as always, after the cut… Read more
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Practice
There’s a little news to catch up on first:
- “Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has categorically insisted there will be no British Grand Prix at Donington Park next year.” [BBC]
It’s about time Bernie finally pulled the plug on Donington – they’ve had deadline after deadline. Mind you, he’s still got a hate on for Silverstone – the BBC quotes the poison dwarf as saying “Do we need a British Grand Prix? No.”
“Silverstone have a contract in front of them. We’ve no commercial arrangement in place for a British Grand Prix for next year. That is why the race has an asterisk beside it on the 2010 calendar. If they can’t make it work then don’t do it. If that happens, there won’t be a British Grand Prix. Simple as that. No-one is forcing them to take it. This is business. We have offered them a deal.”
Mind you, Silverstone aren’t helping as they’re asking for a discount giving how they’re stepping in at the last minute. Nice try but they won’t win – Bernie will take his toys elsewhere.
- I’ve already written about the not-so-surprising but nonetheless disappointing result of the election to succeed Max Mosley as President of the FIA; Max “the slimebag” Mosley will be replaced by ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt. Well done guys – you’ve voted to maintain the Ferrari bias and dictatorial strangehold on Formula One; way to kill off the sport!
- Disgraced ex-Renault team boss Flavio Briatore is fighting his expulsion from F1 (re: Singapore 2008 investigation). Meanwhile he’s selling his New York apartment and has just cut the asking price from $38m to $25m – what a bargain.
- Finally some good news: there’ll be 350 British marshals on duty in Abu Dhabi. [pitpass.com]
Given the poor (sometime life-threateningly atrocious) state of marshals at some races, I’m pleased to see the organisers of the new race are getting help from the best. If you doubt that the British marshals are that much better, I’ve personally seen marshals rushing to a car that was still airborne mid-accident and I’ve never seen them ignore a driver the way I have in many other Grands Prix – the most recent example that springs to mind is Liuzzi’s accident in Q2 in Brazil, when he’d just destroyed the Force India against the tyre wall and was still in the car, you could clearly see a couple of marshals walk past the car and it was well over 30 seconds before anyone moved to help him.
So, finally, on to practice for the final race of the 2009 season. The Yas Marina circuit reportedly cost £30bn investment and took 35 million man hours to build, and is the only F1 circuit where the pit lane exit is actually through a tunnel! Oh, and this will be the first twilight race, so the drivers will have clear visors on their helmets but use tinted tear-off strips until it gets dark. Read more
Egg carton vibe
Today’s Dilbert is yet another that hits too close to home:
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