The Formula One season concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday but with the titles already decided, teams and drivers are already beginning to look to 2016. It’s been another tough year for the circus and all its performers. “But I’m up for a battle and hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans to end the year”.
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The British driver raced for the now-defunct Caterham F1 Team at the Yas Marina Circuit in 2014, and then participated in the post-race test at the circuit, and admits he has happy memories of the track as a result.
The Finn has said that whatever happens is “not going to change our world”, but Bottas has admitted that: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Kimi or anyone else, but it would be nice to be ahead of one quicker auto in the championship'”. Renault are poised to complete a take-over of Lotus, whose Abu Dhabi Grand Prix bills were settled by F1 commercial ring-master Bernie Ecclestone. Which Mercedes is the question?
In his latest column for Sky Sports, analyst Mark Hughes pondered whether the subtleties of the Mercedes drivers’ contrasting styles meant the imposition had proved a bigger handicap to Hamilton than Rosberg.
Rosberg will be aiming to continue two sequences of his own, the German chasing his third win in a row and sixth successive pole to go into the winter with at least some bragging rights. Etihad Airways, along with airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Etihad Regional, Jet Airways and NIKI, also participate in Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand that brings together like-minded airlines to offer customers more choice through improved networks and schedules and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.
“It’s important for me to win the race. It’s seldom that something just helps me and not Lewis”.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo said: “I think starting in the sun and ending in the dark is pretty cool”.
A smooth track surface has led to Pirelli nominating its two softest compounds in the range: soft and supersoft. They will be closer, especially on race pace.
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Etihad Airways’ A380 Chief Pilot, Captain Ali Al Jabri, who is coordinating this year’s spectacle and flying the superjumbo over the starting grid at Yas Marina Circuit, insists that it will be an awesome sight for the 60,000-strong crowd and the hundreds of millions of fans watching across the globe on television. In the race, however, his McLaren suffered brake problems, forcing the Briton to retire – and helping Sebastian Vettel to claim what was his fifth career win.
