[Race] 2013 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Preview)

[321Go]

Race Preview

2013 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
1-3 November 2013

After a decisive Indian Grand Prix, Formula One makes the short trip to the United Arab Emirates. The destination this week is the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 17th round of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship.

F1’s only day/night race presents an interesting challenge to teams and drivers alike, with each sector asking a different set of questions. Sector one features high-speed cornering, then, after the hairpin the two long back straights make for a high-speed, heavy-braking section demanding good traction out of the corners. Finally, Yas turns into a street circuit with a twisty, low-speed final sector, skirting the perimeter of the yacht basin and diving under the Yas Viceroy hotel. The demands of each sector are far from complimentary, making the best compromise on set-up even more difficult to locate than is usually the case.

Tyre wear may be less of a factor than was the case in India. While Pirelli is bringing the same pairing of medium and soft compounds to Yas, this circuit in the past has shown itself to induce less wear than Buddh International. The race does, however, introduce the quirk of a swiftly falling temperature gradient. The rapid transition from day to night in the Gulf state means the race may finish with track temperatures 15°C lower than those experienced in the early laps.

Despite both championships being mathematically decided last week, the final three races of the season are far from dead rubbers. The battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship is intense: thanks to a double-points finish in India, Mercedes moved marginally ahead of Ferrari, while Lotus also made ground. Meanwhile, at the back Marussia and Caterham are scrapping over the all-important tenth spot. There’s much at stake this weekend.




YAS MARINA CIRCUIT

Length of lap: 5.554km
Lap record:
1:40.279
(Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 2009)
Start/finish line offset: 0.115km
Total number of race laps: 55
Total race distance: 305.355km
Pitlane speed limits:
80km/h throughout the weekend.

CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2012
► Speed bumps similar to those used around the first chicane at Monza have been installed two metres from the track edge around the outside of Turns Eight and 11.

DRS ZONES
► The DRS zones at Yas Marina are on the two back straights. The first zone has a detection point 40m before Turn Seven, with activation 390m after Turn Seven. The second zone’s detection point is 50m after Turn Nine with activation at the apex of Turn 10.


Abu Dhabi GP Fast Facts

► Qualifying in pole position at Yas Marina has been a poisoned chalice. The driver in P1 has failed to finish three out of the four Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. In the inaugural race, Lewis Hamilton retired with a brake problem, and again in 2012 after losing fuel pressure. He went further than Sebastian Vettel who led away from pole in 2011 only to suffer a first corner puncture.

► Kimi Räikkönen’s victory from fourth at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the only occasion on which the race has been won from behind the front row. Vettel won from second place in 2009 and from pole in 2010. Hamilton won from second in 2011.

► Räikkönen’s victory was the first of his return to F1 after a two-year sabbatical. It was the 19th F1 win of his career and the first victory for the Enstone-based team since Fernando Alonso’s win at Fuji in the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix. It was also the first victory for the Lotus name since Ayrton Senna triumphed in 1987 on the streets of Detroit.

► Räikkönen’s previous grand prix victory came on 30th August 2009 at the Belgian Grand Prix, making his interval between victories 1163 days. That’s less than half the interval of record-holder Riccardo Patrese who went 2403 days between wins at the 1983 South African Grand Prix and 1990 San Marino Grand Prix.

► When he collects the Drivers’ Championship Trophy at the FIA Gala Prize-Giving in December, Sebastian Vettel will draw level with Alain Prost as a four-times World Champion. He now has only Juan Manuel Fangio (five) and Michael Schumacher (seven) in front of him. Like Fangio and Schumacher he will have the distinction of four consecutive championships – though neither of the latter pair managed the feat with their first four titles.

► By virtue of a fourth place for Jenson Button, McLaren set a new record for consecutive races in the points at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was their 56th consecutive score, beating the record previously set by Ferrari. The run, which started at the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, eventually extended to 64 races, halting when Sergio Pérez and Jenson Button finished 11th and 12th at the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix. Ferrari can take the record back this weekend: they pulled level in India thanks to Felipe Massa’s fourth place, having started their latest run at the 2010 German Grand Prix.

► Last year McLaren, Lotus, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Sauber and Caterham stayed in Abu Dhabi after the Grand Prix to conduct the Young Drivers’ test. From the 14 drivers that took part, Esteban Gutiérrez and Giedo van der Garde advanced to F1 race seats for 2013. Marussia race driver Max Chilton also made his debut in Abu Dhabi – though he appeared in the first free practice session of the race weekend rather than the test (in which the Anglo-Russian team were not participating).

[jsTrecu]

Thanks


FOM testting a rotating camera on Alonso's car, pretty cool, but the rotation is a bit slow maybe...

[321Go]

FP1 results below. Grosjean on top.



FP1 review:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111021

[321Go]

Kimi's late arrival to the track explained. It is reported Kimi was not going to race this weekend because he was upset about the way Alan Permane spoke to him during the closing stages of the Indian GP, when Permane asked Kimi to kindly move out of the way... pretty please.

After a few phone conversations between the Fin and Lotus management (Lopez and Boullier), Kimi jumped into a plane late Thursday from Switzerland, and arrived at the Yas Marina track an hour before FP1 was scheduled to start.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Well, Calado was actually within 1 second of his teammate! Good for Grosjean, leading FP1 and making his mark. Can see Hamilton get pole...

[Bononi]

Let's see what this exciting GP weekend has to offer.

[chillibowl]

thanks for the intro!

Originally Posted by 321Go

After a few phone conversations between the Fin and Lotus management (Lopez and Boullier), Kimi jumped into a plane late Thursday from Switzerland, and arrived at the Yas Marina track an hour before FP1 was scheduled to start.

do they still give out reprimands for missing scheduled press conferences?

i seem to recall he has a few this year although some might have been considered team infractions like an unsafe release from the pits. he did get one in Monaco i believe for driving to slow behind the SC.

[bella]

Originally Posted by 321Go

Kimi's late arrival to the track explained....

meanwhile, will buxton suggests a different side to the story... http://willthef1journo.wordpress.com...31/elementary/

[chillibowl]

really good article. thanks for sharing.

intriguing to read about the social media aspect and how the teams are using it to their advantage, or in this case their disadvantage.

[321Go]

FP2 results. Normality has been restored.



FP2 review:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111025

[321Go]

Originally Posted by bella

meanwhile, will buxton suggests a different side to the story...

Interesting...

[Adam43]

hashtag care factor nil.

[321Go]

Meanwhile... a bit more on the Kimi saga. He was indeed persuaded to come to Abu Dhabi by Lopez, and even Kimi says that's the only reason he showed up at the track on Friday. So not sure what Buxton's on about.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24776816

http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/11/01/k...ine-somewhere/

Some other F1 reporters (Kravitz, Saward, etc) also saying Raikkonen wasn't going to race, and the conversations Kimi had with Lopez and Boullier is the only reason he came to the track. Doesn't sound as if Buxton's report is true at all.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Excellent intro, full of detail.

Can't say this is my favourite race on the calendar but hopefully it won't be anything like the Indian GP, with tyre stops on the second lap.

This business involving Kimi Raikkonen is interesting and I liked the Sherlock Holmes quote, from the Buxton Blog “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”; Ockham's razor no less.

[321Go]

FP3 results. A Red Bull one two.



FP3 review:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111056


FIA will be strictly policing the track limits during qualifying. But only for the last corner!??

[bjohnsonsmith]

FIA will be strictly policing the track limits during qualifying apparently. But only for the last corner!?? [/QUOTE]

There's more on the last corner here,

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111054

[321Go]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

There's more on the last corner here,

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111054

Funny how the drivers say running wide in the final corner is the only spot on the track that does give an advantage. When it's exactly the opposite. The final corner has astro turf and and a step in the kerb so when running wide there it's actually more an hindrance, not much of a gain.

If the final corner is the only spot that gives an advantage, just watch how many drivers run beyond the track limits in other corners, notably turn 19 and 20, where you actually DO gain an advantage.

[321Go]

Webber put's it on pole, and was the only one out of the top three who didn't drive beyond the track limits in the final corner for his Q3 time. Vettel and Rosberg did. Let's see if the FIA will do anything shall we? My guess is they won't. Because if they did, they will have to do the same for 2/3 of the grid.

[321Go]

As expected, the FIA have now come up with another bulls**t excuse, and will not penalise the drivers that ran wide at turn 21. They now say running beyond the track limits and turn 21 is in fact a disadvantage, and by doing so you gain no advantage. You have to be deemed to have gained an advantage by leaving the track to have broken the rule!

Pathetic FIA. Just plain pathetic.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by 321Go

As expected, the FIA have now come up with another bulls**t excuse, and will not penalise the drivers that ran wide at turn 21. They now say running beyond the track limits and turn 21 is in fact a disadvantage, and by doing so you gain no advantage. You have to be deemed to have gained an advantage by leaving the track to have broken the rule!

Pathetic FIA. Just plain pathetic.

I missed qualifying but I'm watching the re-run on BBC1 and yes it is pathetic.

[andy666]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I missed qualifying but I'm watching the re-run on BBC1 and yes it is pathetic.

F1 must be an exception because during GP3 quali Carlos Sainz had his time deleted for exceeding track limits , I am sure a couple of others suffered the same penalty aswell .

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Marcus Ericsson lost his GP2 pole position WHAT IS THIS????!!!!!

Am glad Mark's got pole!

[andy666]

And to add to Kimi's problems this weekend he will be starting from the back of the grid (or pit lane) for the race . His car failed a floor test , according to BBC F1 site . Sorry I don't have a clue how to post a link !

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by andy666

And to add to Kimi's problems this weekend he will be starting from the back of the grid (or pit lane) for the race . His car failed a floor test , according to BBC F1 site . Sorry I don't have a clue how to post a link !

Here's the link. All you do is copy the page address in the navigation tool bar and paste it into your post.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24791401

[andy666]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Here's the link. All you do is copy the page address in the navigation tool bar and paste it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24791401

Cheers, ~keep your head up princess, your tiara is falling~ . WHAT !!!!! I take it I did something wrong !