In-Season Test #4 - Abu Dhabi - Day 2 Re-Cap & Times

It was another proper day of testing at Yas Marina circuit for most teams. But once again, McLaren-Honda's running was delayed. Reserve driver for the team, Stoffel Vandoorne only got to do 3 laps on Tuesday and this time only 2. He never got a time on the board either as there were too many electrical problems. Some of them were called "Unknown" 

It was a good day for newly appointed Mercedes Reserve driver, Pascal Wehrlein who ended the day with the fastest time. Pascal is currently a driver for the DTM series but hopes to have a future in F1.

Alex Lynn also made his F1 debut in the Lotus, taking the afternoon session after Esteban Ocon drove in the morning. 

And it was more problems for Toro Rosso when a Red Flag was called due to their car stopping on track with an engine problem. However their 2015 driver Max Verstappen ended 3rd fastest, so not a bad day overall for the young Dutch driver.

Here are the times from the session.

TIMES: 

1. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:42.624 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Raffaele Marciello - 1:43.208 / Ferrari-Ferrari

3. Max Verstappen - 1:43.763 / Toro Rosso-Renault

4. Marcus Ericsson - 1:44.551 / Sauber-Ferrari

5. Will Stevens - 1:44.888 / Caterham-Renault

6. Spike Goddard - 1:44.944 / Force India-Mercedes

7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:45.151 / Red Bull-Renault

8. Felipe Nasr - 1:45.937 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Alex Lynn (PM) - 1:46.168 / Lotus-Renault

10. Esteban Ocon - 1:47.013 / Lotus-Renault (AM)

11. Stoffel Vandoorne - No Time Set / McLaren-Honda

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In-Season Test #4 - Abu Dhabi - Day 2 Line-Up

Here's the line-up for Wednesday's test session.

Red Bull - Daniel Ricciardo

Mercedes - Pascal Wehrlein

Lotus - Esteban Ocon/Alex Lynn

Ferrari - Raffaele Marciello

Sauber - Marcus Ericsson

Force India - Spike Goddard

Williams - Felipe Nasr

Toro Rosso - Max Verstappen

McLaren - Stoffel Vandoorne

Caterham - Will Stevens

You can follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 for live commentary throughout the test.

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In-Season Test #4 - Abu Dhabi - Day 1 Re-Cap & Times

It was a warm day of testing at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi & the teams were hard at work trying out different programs on the cars and testing out the 2015 Pirelli tyres.

McLaren-Honda also made its public debut today with GP2 driver Stoffel Vandoorne behind the wheel.

There were a few red flag's during the session. The first due to Max Verstappen crashing the Toro Rosso into the wall at turn 19. However, the young driver was not at fault as the Toro Rosso team confirmed there had been a suspension failure.

2 other red flags were due to the Force India stopping on track with Jolyon Palmer behjnd the wheel. The team confirmed it was an issue with the engine.

Here are the times from the session.

TIMES:

1. Valtteri Bottas - 1:43.396 / Williams-Mercedes

2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:43.888 / Ferrari-Ferrari

3. Nico Rosberg - 1:44.512 / Mercedes-Mercedes

4. Jolyon Palmer - 1:44.516 / Force India-Mercedes

5. Carlos Sainz Jr. - 1:45.339 / Red Bull-Renault

6. Will Stevens - 1:45.436 / Caterham-Renault

7. Charles Pic - 1:46.167 / Lotus-Renault

8. Marcus Ericsson - 1:46.253 / Sauber-Ferrari

9. Max Verstappen - 1:47.194 / Toro Rosso-Renault

10. Stoffel Vandoorne - No Time Set / McLaren-Honda

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In-Season Test #4 - Abu Dhabi - Day 1 Line-Up

The 2014 season is now over and Lewis Hamilton has been crowned World Champion. But before everything comes to a complete close, there is one more set of testing. Today and Wednesday will be the final in-season test.

You can get full live commentary of the sessions on our twitter @F1Insider78

Here's the line-up for Day 1 (Tuesday)

Red Bull - Carlos Sainz Jr

Mercedes - Nico Rosberg 

Lotus - Charles Pic

Ferrari - Raffaele Marciello/Kimi Raikkonen

McLaren - Stoffel Vandoorne

Force India - Jolyon Palmer

Sauber - Marcus Ericsson

Williams - Valtteri Bottas

Toro Rosso - Max Verstappen

Caterham - Will Stevens

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Abu Dhabi GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was one of the most unforgettable races of the season. It was a day filled with emotions and adrenaline as everyone counted down the moments until a new world champion was crowned.

When the lights went out, Lewis Hamilton made a quick start, passing his team-mate Rosberg, who'd started on Pole Position. He was eager to get a lead early.

Nico Rosberg, who had a slower start, found himself wheel-to-wheel with the Williams drivers. Bottas and Massa narrowly avoiding the Mercedes around the first few turns.

First lap contact ensued when Kevin Magnussen first touched the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg and then hit Adrian Sutil in the Sauber. This caused damage to the McLaren driver and he found himself back in 13th only a few laps in. However, it was Hulkenberg who received a 5-second drive through penalty, which he was clearly shocked by. 

Sergio Perez who'd started 11th, was already making his way up to the front, passing as many cars as he could without too much tyre graining. 

Daniil Kvyat was the first retirement of the race a handful of laps in. He had a power unit failure and had to pull his car over at one of the escape paths. Not a happy way to end the season for the future Red Bull driver.

While Lewis Hamilton was battling up front with Felipe Massa, Mercedes made the announcement to Rosberg that his ERS had failed. His car was moving slower and he was being passed by multiple other cars. Rosberg knew he would not be winning, but he had hope that there was still a possibility he could claim the Championship title. He eagerly asked the team what could be done and what position he was in. Things did not look good for the German.

Pastor Maldonado was the second retirement. Things seemed okay for the Venezuelan until a loud boom and a puff of smoke plumed from the back of the Lotus. Within seconds, flames shot out from the car and he quickly pulled it over and got out. His race was over.

Felipe Massa led the race until he was called in for a late pit-stop. This moved Hamilton back to first and the crowds were going wild. The Mercedes garages looked tense, with people biting their nails and clutching random objects with nervousness.

The Red Bull drivers who'd started from pit-lane had battled up to the top 10. Sebastian Vettel was having trouble with maintaining 8th, with Sergio Perez coming up behind him. It didn't take long for the Force India driver to make the move and next on his list was Rosberg, who was practically forcing his Mercedes to even make it around the track. 

Kamui Kobayashi retired with only a few laps to go. We heard it was due to some issues with an odd vibration in the car. Although we're not 100% sure of the reason behind it, we're sure it wasn't the way he wanted his season to end. His team-mate for this race, Will Stevens, managed to bring his Caterham to the end and cross the finish line.

With only 2 laps to go, Mercedes urged Rosberg to Box so they could retire his car, stating over the radio that there were "Too many issues with the car" - However, Nico insisted he wanted to finish the race and the team allowed him. He finished in 14th, a long way back from his usual podium finishes this year.

Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line in 1st and emotions ran high. He was announced the 2014 F1 World Champion. This is his second championship win, his first in 2008. When he jumped from his car, he was greeted by his close family, girlfriend Nicole and the Mercedes AMG Petronas team.

Before the podium, he shared a friendly embrace with Rosberg, who even though disappointed, was happy for his team-mate and said he deserved to win the Championship.

Jenson Button, who currently has an undecided future, finished the race in 5th after a a lengthy wheel-to-wheel battle Fernando Alonso, who is looking to make a move to McLaren.

Sergio Perez finished 7th and his team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg finished 6th, giving Force India their best season to date. They secured 6th in the constructors and both drivers finished in the top 10 in the drivers standings. Both will remain with the team in 2015.

It was a good end for the Williams team with Massa in Second and Bottas rounding up the podium in Third. They passed Ferrari for 3rd in the constructors.

Sauber brought both cars across the finish line in 15th and 16th. Although they missed out on points this season, they're looking to come back strong next year. Monisha Kaltenborn, team principal, thanked Esteban Gutierrez, Adrian Sutil and reserve Giedo Van Der Garde for their hard work and loyalty and wishes them the best in their future. Next year Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson will complete Sauber's main driver line-up with a reserve yet to be named.

The season has now come to a close and we're over 100 days from the 2015 Australian GP. It's been an incredible season with amazing memories and now it's time to look forward to the next season.

While we're celebrating all the results from Abu Dhabi, our thoughts are also with Jules Bianchi. We continue to pray for his recovery and we send our support and love to the family and friends of the Marussia driver.

Here are the final results from the double-point season finale!

RACE RESULTS: 

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 50 Points

2. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 36 Points

3. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 30 Points

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 24 Points

5. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 20 Points

6. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 16 Points 

7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 12 Points

8. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 8 Points

9. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 4 Points

10. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 2 Points

11. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark

12. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France

13. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France

14. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

15. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico

16. Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

17. Will Stevens / Caterham-Renault / Great Britain

RETIRED - Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan / Vibrations

RETIRED - Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela / Power Unit Failure

RETIRED - Daniil Kyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia / Power Unit Failure

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Abu Dhabi GP: Qualifying - Results

STARTING GRID:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

4. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

5. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

6. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain

7. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

8. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain

9. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark

10. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France

11. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

13. Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico

15. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela 

16. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan

17. Will Stevens / Caterham-Renault / Great Britain

18. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France*

Pit Lane:

Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia**

Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany**

* = Grosjean received a 20-Place-Grid-Penalty for changing multiple engine components.

** = Both Red Bull racing cars were excluded from Qualifying after the FIA found they breeched the rules concerning changes to the wings and multiple other parts on the cars.

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

The last Practice Session of the 2014 season went quickly and now we're just hours away from finding out the 2014 World Champion. Will it be Hamilton or Rosberg? We're tweeting all throughout the day so follow us @F1Insider78

This session was another unlucky one for Fernando Alonso who had more issues with his Ferrari and required an engine change.

For everyone else, things seemed to go along pretty smoothly, so with that being said, we'll get straight to the times from the session.

TIME SHEET:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:41.424 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:41.793 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Felipe Massa - 1:42.429 / Williams-Mercedes

4. Fernando Alonso - 1:42.653 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:42.679 / Red Bull-Renault

6. Jenson Button - 1:42.768 / McLaren-Mercedes

7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:42.773 / Red Bull-Renault

8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:42.794 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Daniil Kvyat - 1:42.809 / Toro Rosso-Renault

10. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:43.038 / Ferrari-Ferrari

11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:43.112 / McLaren-Mercedes

12. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:43.352 / Toro Rosso-Renault

13. Sergio Perez - 1:43.360 / Force India-Mercedes

14. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:43.501 / Force India-Mercedes

15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:43.643 / Sauber-Ferrari

16. Pastor Maldonado - 1:43.718 / Lotus-Renault

17. Romain Grosjean - 1:43.778 / Lotus-Renault

18. Adrian Sutil - 1:44.022 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:45.044 / Caterham-Renault

20. Will Stevens - 1:45.959 / Caterham-Renault

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

With FP1 over and completed it was time to move on to the second session of the last F1 weekend of 2014.

This session did not start out well for Adrian Sutil. He sat out the first session as Adderly Fong drove his C33, and then at the start of this session, he had a huge off-track moment, before reporting that he'd had a brake disc failure. After a change of the front brakes, he was able to get back out, but every minute lost in a session is precious time.

There was an early yellow flag when Fernando Alonso's Ferrari stopped on track. Once the marshals pushed it off track, the session resumed. However, it was session over for Alonso. Also unlucky was Jenson Button, who'd sat out most of FP1 due to a mechanical failure. He was able to get out this time about 30 minutes in.

The rest of the session went along pretty smoothly and it was another Mercedes 1-2. Here are the rest of the times.

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:42.113 / Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:42.196 / Mercedes-Mercedes
3. Kevin Magnussen - 1:42.895 / McLaren-Mercedes
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:42.959 / Red Bull-Renault
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:43.070 / Williams-Mercedes
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:43.183 / Red Bull-Reanult
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:43.489 / Ferrari-Ferrari
8. Jenson Button - 1:43.503 / McLaren-Mercedes
9. Daniil Kvyat - 1:43.546 / Toro Rosso-Reanult
10. Felipe Massa - 1:43.558 / Williams-Mercedes
11. Sergio Perez - 1:43.746 / Force India-Mercedes
12. Pastor Maldonado - 1:44.005 / Lotus-Reanult
13. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:44.068 / Force India-mercedes
14. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:44.157 / Toro Rosso-Renault
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:44.316 / Sauber-Ferrari
16. Adrian Sutil - 1:44.763 / Sauber-Ferrari
17. Romain Grosjean - 1:44.986 / Lotus-Renault
18. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:45.505 / Caterham-Reanult
19. Will Stevens - 1:47.057 / Caterham-Renault
20. Fernando Alonso - NO TIME SET / Ferrari-Ferrari

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

As we head towards the final race of the 2014 F1 season, it was time for the first session of the weekend: Free Practice #1

Things went smooth for some teams, while other teams faced some issues. Williams was off to a bad start when bodywork came loose on both of the cars, forcing Massa and Bottas out of the session very early.

Jenson Button missed most of the session due a mechanical failure early on. His team-mate, Kevin Magnussen, caused a bit of commotion when he bumped wheels with soon-to-be Ferrari driver, Sebastian Vettel. 

Will Stevens, who will be racing for Caterham this weekend, alongside Kamui Kobayashi, suffered from car issues and barely made it out with just 15 minutes left. Jean-Eric Vergne suffered from battery issues later on.

Both Sauber & Lotus ran a different driver in this session. Adderly Fong drove Sutil's Sauber while Esteban Ocon drove Grosjean's Lotus. Just recently, Romain Grosjean was confirmed to stay at Lotus for 2015, when the team will switch to Mercedes engines.

As many expected and hoped, it was a Mercedes 1-2 finish with Lewis Hamilton on top of the time sheets. Here are the rest of the times:

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:43.476 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:43.609 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Fernando Alonso - 1:45.184 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:45.334 / Red Bull-Renault

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:45.361 / Red Bull-Renault

6. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:45.718 / Toro Rosso-Renault

7. Daniil Kvyat - 1:45.835 / Toro Rosso-Renault

8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:45.913 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Sergio Perez - 1:45.983 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:46.030 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:46.049 / McLaren-Mercedes

12. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:46.131 / Ferrari-Ferrari

13. Felipe Massa - 1:46.549 / Williams-Mercedes

14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:46.556 / Sauber-Ferrari

15. Pastor Maldonado - 1:46.711 / Lotus-Renault

16. Esteban Ocon* - 1:47.066 / Lotus-Renault

17. Jenson Button - 1:47.235 / McLaren-Mercedes

18. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:47.971 / Caterham-Renault

19. Adderly Fong* - 1:48.269 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Will Stevens - 1:50.684 / Caterham-Renault

* = Driving in this session only

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Preview Quotes - Sauber

Esteban Gutierrez - “The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is another great event, and I will enjoy driving on this track. It will be important to find a good set-up, and this is where we need to put our focus the most on Friday. The track is quite spectacular with nice surroundings that are quite unique. One example is the hotel on top of the track. All in all, the atmosphere is special. The race starts late in the afternoon, which makes it even more interesting, and I would say the event has a bit of the same style as Singapore. It is very exciting to come back to Abu Dhabi, and I am looking forward to enjoying the race weekend there. We will keep fighting for a good result.”

Adrian Sutil - “The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the last race of the season. It is always a great event attended by many fans. The track itself is in perfect condition, it is very modern and it has some run-off areas. As the circuit has a few long straights, engine power will be crucial. On the other side, there are also hairpins and some slow speed corners. Besides that, the surroundings are also nice. We will again do our best to score points, and, especially on this weekend, we have to take the opportunity for double points. I am looking forward to an exciting weekend.”

Adderly Fong (Driving in FP1) - “I am very excited about my Formula One debut in Abu Dhabi, but also at the same time a little bit nervous. Last month I drove the Sauber C31 for the first time in Valencia, and it was good to get the mileage to be able to familiarize myself with the speed of a Formula One car. Obviously the C33 is a bit different, as it is a new generation car with a 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engine. It will be interesting to see how the ERS and the brake-by-wire systems work. As I will have only 90 minutes in FP1, I will not have a lot of time to get used to the car. However, being able to drive during a Formula One weekend is a great privilege, and I am very happy to have the opportunity. It is good that I already know the track as at the same time here last year I did a GP3 race.”

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - "A great track facility, nice hotels to stay in, good food and lovely sunny weather – a pleasant way to end the season. As for the track itself, it is not one of my favourites, but it does present some interesting challenges. The race itself is bound to be interesting because of the double points on offer. The fact the race starts in daylight and ends under floodlights also adds something to the ambience. I think the atmosphere in the paddock will be electric this weekend because it's the championship decider."

Daniil Kvyat - "Last year I was in Abu Dhabi, but not to drive in FP1. I was only focussing on my GP3 weekend, which went very well as I won the championship, making it a very memorable weekend for me. I was aware of everyone watching me very closely as it had already been announced that I would be racing for Scuderia Toro Rosso the following year. It was important to show what I was made of. I like the track a lot, as it has an interesting and technical layout, which encourages you to push hard. It will be very different in a Formula One car naturally and I'm looking forward to finding out what it's like. The season comes to an end on Sunday night and although everyone needs a break sometimes, you like to do what you do, so in a way it's a shame it will be over. But I will be pleased to recharge my batteries in preparation for next year when a new challenge lies ahead and I am already looking forward to that."

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Preview Quotes - Williams

Felipe Massa - “The track is like a street-circuit in one sector with slow corners and barriers quite close, and then a traditional circuit in the other with very long straights and flowing corners. We race in the evening but practice during the heat of the day, so to adapt the car towards cooler conditions is important, it can save a lot of time if you get this right. Being the final race of the season and with double points it is a very important race to finish in the top ten.”

Valtteri Bottas - “Abu Dhabi is going to be an exciting race and it could play out one of two ways. The double points could be interesting and we will try and play it to our advantage. We have been trying to secure our position in the championship and so continue to focus on this, but I can still finish fourth in the Drivers’ Championship I will focus on this as well. It’s a nice place to go to, the temperature is warm, the people are friendly and the facilities good so I am looking forward to the race.”

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Preview Quotes - McLaren

Jenson Button - "I really like going to Yas Marina. I've been on the podium there three times and it's a fun, tricky track to drive on. It's a circuit of a number of almost completely different sections: fast corners and two long straights in Sectors One and Two, and a tight, twisty, slow-speed bit in Sector Three. It means set-up is an interesting challenge, but, as it's not such a fast circuit, it doesn't require quite as much downforce as some of the other circuits we've been to recently.

The result at Interlagos was a great boost for the team. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work by the guys and girls back at the factory and a consistent push to develop the car right up until the last race of the season. I managed the tyres as well as I could and it paid off, so we'll be aiming for more of the same in Abu Dhabi. Tyre wear isn't quite so crucial there because the race takes place at dusk as the temperature is dropping, so we'll try to get as much out of the car's performance as we can up to the very last lap. Abu Dhabi is a great place and a cool location to host the last race of the season. It should be an exciting race, as everyone will be pushing to finish 2014 on a high. For the whole team our ambition is to fight hard but fair as always, and get the result that is deserving of all the hard work everyone has put in to increase our performance throughout the year. I'm really looking forward to it."

Kevin Magnussen - "Although I've never raced at the Yas Marina circuit before, I drove there in the Young Driver Test in 2012, so it's great to finish this season by going back to a place with such good memories. It's another anti-clockwise circuit, too, like Austin and Interlagos, so by now we should definitely be in the swing of things!

Jenson's result in the last race in Brazil was really positive for the whole team, and shows that our car's performance is definitely improving. For me personally it was a tough weekend as the car definitely had potential, but we didn't manage to get the most out of it on my side of the garage, so that's something we'll really be focusing on in Abu Dhabi. Yas Marina is a great circuit to drive on as it has the best of both worlds: a technical, slower-speed section as well as fast, sweeping corners and long straights, which make it great fun. The atmosphere is fantastic there too, and I'm really excited about racing at dusk for the first time. I really want to finish this season with a decent result for the whole team, who have all worked so hard to keep improving our package race by race."

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Preview Quotes - Force India

Nico Hulkenberg - "Abu Dhabi is a nice venue: very modern and with great facilities. The racing looks really cool on TV as the day turns into night and the track is pretty challenging for us in the car as well. The light is not really an issue once you are in the cockpit, but the layout makes it very easy to make mistakes and lose time, especially in qualifying. It's very stop-start, with a few chicanes and tight corners, so it is very difficult to get a good rhythm. It was nice to be back on the pace in Brazil and hopefully we will have similar pace in Abu Dhabi. It has been a great year for everyone in the team and it would be nice to end the season in style with some more points."

Sergio Perez - "Abu Dhabi is a special race on a circuit I really enjoy. It's where I first drove a Formula One car and that is something that will remain with me forever. The facilities are great and the track is not easy to master: this year we also have double points and that gives you even more motivation to do well. Everything in the lap requires some compromise - you need a set-up that works on fast corners, stop-start turns and the twisty final sectors. You also need to think carefully about your choice of helmet visor: you start the race with a low sun that requires a dark visor, and end the race in the night needing a clear one."

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Preview Quotes - Lotus

Romain Grosjean - “I think it’s a good track with very nice paddock facilities which in my opinion are amongst the best on the calendar. It’s also a very special Grand Prix given that it starts in the day and finishes under lights, which makes it incredible for the fans as they can see through our visors and watch how hard we are concentrating. However, it is very difficult to work on car set-up in FP1 and FP3 as conditions are not representative of those you’ll find in qualifying and the race. Therefore, FP2 becomes even more important for both the engineers and myself, which makes it a rather pressurized session. It’s a circuit with low-speed corners - so it’s one we may have a few problems with - but I’m confident we can dial-in the car to achieve the maximum result possible. Pastor and I will be doing everything we can.

We’ve got a few upgrades coming which should give us a bit more power and with double points on offer, you never know! We are going to try our hardest to get the best result we can and create a positive mood over the winter for the team back in the factory. When things aren’t going right for you, it’s difficult on everyone so a bit of positivity will help the whole team. Pastor and I will be trying our upmost to bring back some strong points. Sometimes a bit of luck and some clever decisions is all you need to achieve great results, and that’s what we’ll be aiming for on Sunday.”

Pastor Maldonado - “It’s always a special event and with it being the final race on the calendar this year, it’s going to be even more exciting. Away from the track, the people are always really welcoming, the weather is great and the place is spectacular. The pit and paddock complex is also amongst the best there is with excellent facilities.

The first sector at the circuit stands out with Turns 2, 3 and 4 being particularly enjoyable and the final sector is incredibly picturesque. Although it is a reasonably new track on the calendar, the team has built up a lot of data from the five previous races there and various post-season testing sessions, so we’re used to the challenging set-up dilemma it poses. It’s a twilight race so it’s all about finding a balance between the hot daytime conditions and cooler temperatures when the sun sets. I’m sure it’s going to be one of the best races of the year. It’s been fun driving there in the past so I’m hoping to have another good race at Yas Marina. I think it’s crucial that we try and improve our qualifying pace because as soon as we are in the top 12, things should be on the up and we’ll be in a good position to fight for points. We’ve seen that our race pace is quite competitive so it’s all about starting from the highest grid position possible. We know this is an area we need to make big strides forwards and Romain and I are working closely with the engineers to improve our qualifying results.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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