Showing posts with label Abu Dhabi GP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abu Dhabi GP. Show all posts
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Kimi Is Back On Top With Abu Dhabi Win
Kimi Räikkönen claimed the first win of his comeback as he took the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi ahead of Championship protagonists Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
It was a grand prix of defining moments as Lewis Hamilton took the lead from pole position ahead of Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado while Fernando Alonso took fifth off Mark Webber with an attacking move.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel, who started in 23rd place from the pit lane, had early troubles as his front wing was broken in an incident with Bruno Senna on the first lap.
On the ninth lap the Safety Car was deployed for the first time when Nico Rosberg and Narain Karthikeyan crashed as the Merc driver attempted to pass. Instead he misjudeged the closing speed and hit the HRT, launching over it before slamming in the barriers.
Under the Safety Car with the field bunched up, Vettel went off the road and hit a polystyrene block that did further damage to his already broken wing. He pitted on lap 14 for a new front wing and dropped to the back.
Six laps later the race had a new leader as Hamilton, who was 3.4s ahead of Raikkonen, slowed down and retired as his McLaren "lost all power".
Up into first place Raikkonen slowly but surely edged away from Alonso and Jenson Button only to lose his advantage on lap 39 when Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez and Paul di Resta had some argy-bargy that resulted in Grosjean and the innocent Webber retiring. Perez was handed a ten second stop/go penalty for causing the carnage.
With the field bunched up, Raikkonen, Alonso, Button and Vettel pulled away from the chasing pack with Vettel passing Button with three laps remaining. Alonso meanwhile hunted down Raikkonen and, with two laps to go, was with DRS activation. The Ferrari driver, though, was not able to take advantage.
Raikkonen took the chequered flag and his first victory since Spa 2009, putting the Lotus name on the top step of the podium for the first time since Ayrton Senna's win at the 1987 American GP.
Alonso was second ahead of Vettel. The Red Bull racer's podium means he still holds a 10-point advantage in the title race.
Times
01. Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1h45:58.667
02. Alonso Ferrari + 0.852
03. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 4.163
04. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 7.787
05. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 13.007
06. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 20.076
07. Massa Ferrari + 22.896
08. Senna Williams-Renault + 23.542
09. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 24.160
10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 27.400
11. Schumacher Mercedes + 28.000
12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 34.900
13. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 47.700
14. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 56.400
15. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 56.700
16. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1:04.500
17. De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth + 1:11.5
Did Not Finish
Pic Marussia-Cosworth 42
Grosjean Lotus-Renault 38
Webber Red Bull-Renault 38
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 20
Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 8
Rosberg Mercedes 8
Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1
Source: Planet-F1
01. Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1h45:58.667
02. Alonso Ferrari + 0.852
03. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 4.163
04. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 7.787
05. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 13.007
06. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 20.076
07. Massa Ferrari + 22.896
08. Senna Williams-Renault + 23.542
09. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 24.160
10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 27.400
11. Schumacher Mercedes + 28.000
12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 34.900
13. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 47.700
14. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 56.400
15. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 56.700
16. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1:04.500
17. De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth + 1:11.5
Did Not Finish
Pic Marussia-Cosworth 42
Grosjean Lotus-Renault 38
Webber Red Bull-Renault 38
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 20
Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 8
Rosberg Mercedes 8
Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1
Source: Planet-F1
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Vettel disqualified from qualifying
Sebastian Vettel will start Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP from the very back of the grid after being disqualified for a fuel infringement
The Red Bull racer had qualified his RB8 in third place but stopped out on track on his in-lap after reportedly being told by engine supplier Renault to do so.
However, under F1 regulations all drivers have to make it back to the pits after qualifying and they have to do so with one litre of fuel in the tank. And as Vettel had not made it back, this prompted a stewards' investigation.
Article 6.6.2 of the Technical Regulations states: "Competitors must ensure that a one litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time during the Event.
"Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the stewards of the meeting), if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power."
The stewards called Vettel and his team into their offices to explain the stoppage but once it was learnt that the car was also short of fuel he was disqualified.
"The stewards heard from the driver and team representatives and studied telemetry evidence that showed the reason why the car was stopped," said a FIA statement.
"The Stewards accepted the explanation and considered the incident as being a case of force majeure.
"However a report was received from the Technical Delegate that showed during post-qualifying scrutineering an insufficient quantity of fuel for sampling purposes."
Source: Planet-F1
Source: Planet-F1
Solid qualifying gives Kimi a chance
Poor qualifying has consistently been Lotus' Achilles heel this season, but a fifth place start for Kimi Räikkönen in Abu Dhabi gives him a shot at a podium finish
Kimi Räikkönen will start from fifth place for tomorrow's 2012 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, and does so with every expectation of being able to gain at least one place early in the race to put him into position to compete for a podium place.
"Qualifying was good," said Raikkonen. "The car hasn't felt fantastic all weekend but we decided we weren't going to change the car's set-up from where it was for the last race.
"It was the right choice because in the end the circuit came to us in qualifying where the car was the best it has been so far here," he continued. "We'll give tomorrow our best shot; Let's see if we can make a good start to get right behind the Red Bulls, and then we'll see what happens after that."
Alan Permane, the team's trackside operations director, felt that "we could have possibly managed even more with both drivers," especially with Romain Grosjean ending up in tenth place after making it through to Q3.
"Fifth on the grid is very good for Kimi and means we should be well placed for tomorrow," he continued. "Romain was looking set for a strong lap too, matching Kimi for the first two sectors, but he lost half a second on the final sector; we'll be looking at what went wrong there."
"It wasn't a great qualifying lap for me today, and P10 is not where we want to be on the grid," Grosjean admitted. "In the last run in Q3 I had no grip so wasn't able to find more pace. The car had felt fine before that and we looked good through the other qualifying sessions.
"It just means I have some more work to do in the race and I think there's more to come from me and the car," he added.
Permane was equally bullish about the team's chances in race trim on Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit. "As has been the trend this season, we're confident in terms of where our race pace should be relative to our opposition," he said.
"We completed a promising long run on Friday afternoon; we have no problems or issues with tyre wear, warm-up, or anything like that so there are no reasons why we should not have a good evening tomorrow," he added.
"Overtaking is slightly easier here; however, Romain will have his work cut out," Permane admitted. "That said, he completed some nice overtaking moves last time out, so let's hope for the same here."
Grosjean also had a moment in the pit lane with Fernando Alonso after what Ferrari felt was an unsafe release by Lotus right in front of the world championship contender, but even if that is looked into by the race stewards it's thought unlikely to result in anything more than a financial penalty levied on Lotus.
Source: Crash.net
"Qualifying was good," said Raikkonen. "The car hasn't felt fantastic all weekend but we decided we weren't going to change the car's set-up from where it was for the last race.
"It was the right choice because in the end the circuit came to us in qualifying where the car was the best it has been so far here," he continued. "We'll give tomorrow our best shot; Let's see if we can make a good start to get right behind the Red Bulls, and then we'll see what happens after that."
Alan Permane, the team's trackside operations director, felt that "we could have possibly managed even more with both drivers," especially with Romain Grosjean ending up in tenth place after making it through to Q3.
"Fifth on the grid is very good for Kimi and means we should be well placed for tomorrow," he continued. "Romain was looking set for a strong lap too, matching Kimi for the first two sectors, but he lost half a second on the final sector; we'll be looking at what went wrong there."
"It wasn't a great qualifying lap for me today, and P10 is not where we want to be on the grid," Grosjean admitted. "In the last run in Q3 I had no grip so wasn't able to find more pace. The car had felt fine before that and we looked good through the other qualifying sessions.
"It just means I have some more work to do in the race and I think there's more to come from me and the car," he added.
Permane was equally bullish about the team's chances in race trim on Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit. "As has been the trend this season, we're confident in terms of where our race pace should be relative to our opposition," he said.
"We completed a promising long run on Friday afternoon; we have no problems or issues with tyre wear, warm-up, or anything like that so there are no reasons why we should not have a good evening tomorrow," he added.
"Overtaking is slightly easier here; however, Romain will have his work cut out," Permane admitted. "That said, he completed some nice overtaking moves last time out, so let's hope for the same here."
Grosjean also had a moment in the pit lane with Fernando Alonso after what Ferrari felt was an unsafe release by Lotus right in front of the world championship contender, but even if that is looked into by the race stewards it's thought unlikely to result in anything more than a financial penalty levied on Lotus.
Source: Crash.net
Qualifying: Hamilton secures 25th career pole
For the third successive season Lewis Hamilton will start the Abu Dhabi GP from the front row, although this time it will be from pole position
The McLaren driver had been the man to beat in Saturday's final practice but feared that his MP4-27 would not have the pace needed to beat the Red Bulls in qualifying.
That, though, didn't prove to be the case.
Hamilton put in a flying 1:40.630 to edge Mark Webber by 0.348s as the Aussie booted his team-mate and Championship leader Sebastian Vettel off the front row.
Vettel's woes, though, did not stop there as he failed to make it back into the pits after qualifying, stopping his RB8 on the side of the track.
Pastor Maldonado was fourth for Williams ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button while Chamionship hopeful Fernando Alonso could only manage seventh, 0.952s down.
Times
01 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:40.630
02 Mark Webber Red Bull 1:40.978 0.348
03 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:41.073 0.443
04 Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:41.226 0.596
05 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1:41.260 0.630
06 Jenson Button McLaren 1:41.290 0.660
07 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:41.582 0.952
08 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:41.603 0.973
09 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:41.723 1.093
10 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:41.778 1.148
11 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:42.019
12 Sergio Perez Sauber 1:42.084
13 Paul di Resta Force India 1:42.218
14 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:42.289
15 Bruno Senna Williams 1:42.330
16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1:42.606
17 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:42.765
18 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:44.058
19 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1:44.956
20 Charles Pic Marussia 1:45.089
21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham 1:45.151
22 Timo Glock Marussia 1:45.426
23 Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1:45.766
24 Narain Karthikeyan HRT 1:46.382
Source: Planet-F1
02 Mark Webber Red Bull 1:40.978 0.348
03 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:41.073 0.443
04 Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:41.226 0.596
05 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1:41.260 0.630
06 Jenson Button McLaren 1:41.290 0.660
07 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:41.582 0.952
08 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:41.603 0.973
09 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:41.723 1.093
10 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:41.778 1.148
11 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:42.019
12 Sergio Perez Sauber 1:42.084
13 Paul di Resta Force India 1:42.218
14 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:42.289
15 Bruno Senna Williams 1:42.330
16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1:42.606
17 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:42.765
18 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:44.058
19 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1:44.956
20 Charles Pic Marussia 1:45.089
21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham 1:45.151
22 Timo Glock Marussia 1:45.426
23 Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1:45.766
24 Narain Karthikeyan HRT 1:46.382
Source: Planet-F1
Friday, November 2, 2012
Practice One: Hamilton dominates in Abu Dhabi
There was no stopping Lewis Hamilton in Friday's first practice in Abu Dhabi as the McLaren driver not only posted the fastest time but also had an answer every time his rivals attacked
Practice One got underway on a sweltering hot track with several changes to the usual line-up as Max Chilton replaced Charles Pic, Giedo van der Garde was in for Vitaly Petrov, Jules Bianchi at Force India, Valtteri Bottas at Williams while Ma Qing Hua climbed into Narain Karthikeyan's HRT.
Chilton posted the first time of the session but it was a slow 2:27.380 as the Brit carried out out aero testing that included constant-speed runs down the long straights.
Jean-Eric Vergne was the first to post a competitive time, a 1:48.885, which put him at the top at the 30 minute mark. That point, though, also signalled the arrival of others out on track as the action finally heated up.
15 minutes later, 14 more drivers had posted times and it was Bottas, who is chasing a 2013 Williams race-seat, leading only to lose out to Michael Schumacher. The Mercedes driver, contesting his third last F1 grand prix weekend, posted a 1:45.309.
Fernando Alonso, driving an upgraded Ferrari that his mechanics broke curfew to update this morning, was the next to lead the way, 0.2s up on Schumacher, while his title rival Sebastian Vettel climbed to fifth.
The contenders, though, were no match for Lewis Hamilton's pace as the McLaren driver leapt to the top of the timesheets by a full second as he became the first to break into the 1:44s.
The Brit was leading the way as the session entered its final 30 minutes ahead of team-mate Jenson Button with Vettel third and Alonso fourth.
The final third kicked off with quicker times from Button, Vettel and Mark Webber but they were undone by Hamilton putting in yet another spate of purple sector times to lower the benchmark to a 1:43.285 thereby extending his advantage to 0.749.
The leaders headed back into the pits before returning to the track for their final run of the session. However, there were more errors than improvements as several headed out on heavy fuel loads and had to establish how hard they could push.
Practice One ended with Hamilton at the top of the timesheets with a 1:43.285, 0.333s ahead of Button while Vettel was a further 0.43s adrift.
Times
01 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:43.285 21 laps
02 Jenson Button McLaren 1:43.618 0.333 19 laps
03 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:44.050 0.765 23 laps
04 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:44.366 1.081 21 laps
05 Mark Webber Red Bull 1:44.542 1.257 22 laps
06 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:44.694 1.409 23 laps
07 Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:45.115 1.830 26 laps
08 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:45.194 1.909 19 laps
09 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:45.347 2.062 25 laps
10 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1:45.422 2.137 15 laps
11 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:45.567 2.282 24 laps
12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:45.587 2.302 20 laps
13 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1:45.722 2.437 20 laps
14 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:45.743 2.458 20 laps
15 Jules Bianchi Force India 1:45.769 2.484 22 laps
16 Sergio Perez Sauber 1:45.811 2.526 22 laps
17 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:46.649 3.364 24 laps
18 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:46.708 3.423 26 laps
19 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1:47.418 4.133 23 laps
20 Timo Glock Marussia 1:47.891 4.606 21 laps
21 Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1:48.354 5.069 22 laps
22 Max Chilton Marussia 1:48.887 5.602 22 laps
23 Ma Qing Hua HRT 1:50.487 7.202 20 laps
Giedo van der Garde Caterham 3 laps
Source: Planet-F1
01 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:43.285 21 laps
02 Jenson Button McLaren 1:43.618 0.333 19 laps
03 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:44.050 0.765 23 laps
04 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:44.366 1.081 21 laps
05 Mark Webber Red Bull 1:44.542 1.257 22 laps
06 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:44.694 1.409 23 laps
07 Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:45.115 1.830 26 laps
08 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:45.194 1.909 19 laps
09 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:45.347 2.062 25 laps
10 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1:45.422 2.137 15 laps
11 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:45.567 2.282 24 laps
12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:45.587 2.302 20 laps
13 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1:45.722 2.437 20 laps
14 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:45.743 2.458 20 laps
15 Jules Bianchi Force India 1:45.769 2.484 22 laps
16 Sergio Perez Sauber 1:45.811 2.526 22 laps
17 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:46.649 3.364 24 laps
18 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:46.708 3.423 26 laps
19 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1:47.418 4.133 23 laps
20 Timo Glock Marussia 1:47.891 4.606 21 laps
21 Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1:48.354 5.069 22 laps
22 Max Chilton Marussia 1:48.887 5.602 22 laps
23 Ma Qing Hua HRT 1:50.487 7.202 20 laps
Giedo van der Garde Caterham 3 laps
Source: Planet-F1
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Qualifying: Vettel claims 10th pole of 2010
Sebastian Vettel put himself in pole position to win Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP, taking the coveted grid slot in an intense qualifying session
The Red Bull racer, who would do his chances of winning the World title the world of good by winnning the showdown come Sunday afternoon, crossed the line with a 1:39.394.
And although Lewis Hamilton came close to pipping Vettel, he ultimately fell 0.031s short.
Fernando Alonso will line up in third place, 0.398s off the pace, and has the advantage of having Jenson Button as a buffer between himself and his main rival for the title, Mark Webber.
A scruffy qualifying in which Red Bull left it rather late saw Webber finish down in fifth place.
Meanwhile, Robert Kubica lost his record of being the only non-Red Bull driver to make it through to the final qualifying segment in all this season's races. He dropped out in Q2, putting his car into 11th place.
Times:
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m39.394
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.425
03. Alonso Ferrari 1m39.792
04. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.823
05. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m39.925
06. Massa Ferrari 1m40.202
07. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m40.203
08. Schumacher Mercedes 1m40.516
09. Rosberg Mercedes 1m40.589
10. Petrov Renault 1m40.901
11. Kubica Renault 1m40.780
12. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.783
13. Sutil Force India-Ferrari 1m40.914
14. Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m41.113
15. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m41.418
16. Liuzzi Force India-Ferrari 1m41.642
17. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.738
18. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.824
19. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m43.516
20. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m43.712
21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.095
22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.510
23. Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m45.085
24. Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m45.296
Source: Planet-F1
The Red Bull racer, who would do his chances of winning the World title the world of good by winnning the showdown come Sunday afternoon, crossed the line with a 1:39.394.
And although Lewis Hamilton came close to pipping Vettel, he ultimately fell 0.031s short.
Fernando Alonso will line up in third place, 0.398s off the pace, and has the advantage of having Jenson Button as a buffer between himself and his main rival for the title, Mark Webber.
A scruffy qualifying in which Red Bull left it rather late saw Webber finish down in fifth place.
Meanwhile, Robert Kubica lost his record of being the only non-Red Bull driver to make it through to the final qualifying segment in all this season's races. He dropped out in Q2, putting his car into 11th place.
Times:
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m39.394
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.425
03. Alonso Ferrari 1m39.792
04. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.823
05. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m39.925
06. Massa Ferrari 1m40.202
07. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m40.203
08. Schumacher Mercedes 1m40.516
09. Rosberg Mercedes 1m40.589
10. Petrov Renault 1m40.901
11. Kubica Renault 1m40.780
12. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.783
13. Sutil Force India-Ferrari 1m40.914
14. Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m41.113
15. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m41.418
16. Liuzzi Force India-Ferrari 1m41.642
17. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.738
18. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.824
19. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m43.516
20. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m43.712
21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.095
22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.510
23. Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m45.085
24. Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m45.296
Source: Planet-F1
Friday, November 12, 2010
Alonso expects 'tight qualifying'
Fernando Alonso is optimistic that his Ferrari team can get closer to Red Bull during Saturday's all important qualifying session than it has managed before this season after he finished third fastest in Friday free practice.
"This weekend has got off on the right foot for us, as we gathered a lot of data which is now being evaluated by our engineers," said Alonso. "We are reasonably pleased with the car's level of competitiveness and the fact it feels easy to drive, but we know there is still more potential that can be extracted to go even quicker.
"I expect tomorrow's qualifying to be very tight: let's hope we can get closer to the Red Bulls than we have been in the past. There is no point in speculating over the possible scenarios that could unfold in the race: we have to concentrate on ourselves and on how to make the car go faster."
Team-mate Felipe Massa also confessed himself happy with his opening salvo of the weekend despite stopping on the circuit late in the second session.
"Overall, it was a good debut for me at this track, where I was unable to race last year," said Massa. "My times came down progressively, both because of the changing track conditions and also, as lap after lap, I managed to learn where I could push harder. It was a shame I had a little problem towards the end of the second session which prevented me from doing my last series of laps with a heavy fuel load.
"I hope to be able to continue to make progress so as to be in the fight for the top places. The car seems to handle well: now we must analyse the data we have gathered to try and make the right choices in terms of set-up and aerodynamic configuration. I am sure that there is room to improve our performance level."
Source: ESPNF1
Practice Two: Hamilton tops title rivals
Lewis Hamilton set the pace in Abu Dhabi on Friday night as the four title rivals dominated the timesheets
The McLaren driver, who needs a miracle to win this weekend in order to win his second Drivers' title, clocked a 1:40.888 to take the P1 slot in Friday's second practice.
However, the Brit was by no means heads and shoulders above his rivals.
Sebastian Vettel finished in second place, 0.257s off the pace, while Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber were next in line, also within half a second of Hamilton's P1 time.
Robert Kubica was the best of the rest, with Felipe Massa, Vitaly Petrov and Jenson Button lining up behind him.
Report: Dusk was setting in as Friday's second practice got underway on a bone-dry Yas Marina circuit. Nick Heidfeld, Lucas di Grassi and Christian Klien led out the pack for the standard installation laps, all three staying out to post their first times with Heidfeld quickest with a 1:45.314.
Completely opposite to today's earlier session, the drivers were quick to get down to work with Lewis Hamilton the next in the P1 slot. His team-mate Jenson Button was second in an early McLaren 1-2. Button went on to overhaul Hamilton before both McLaren's lost out to Fernando Alonso with a 1:42.474. Michael Schumacher went fourth quickest.
Hamilton returned to the front, eight-tenths up on Alonso while the Red Bull duo, the other two drivers in the title race, remained in their garages. Alonso retook the P1 slot with Felipe Massa sliding into third in all Ferrari/McLaren top four. Mark Webber went fifth and Sebastian Vettel sixth. Webber improved to third before losing out to Robert Kubica.
There were a couple of drivers running a bit wide at the final corner as the lighting system took over from the natural daylight and the temperature began to cool a few degrees. Lap after lap, the drivers got down to business, perfecting their cars in preparation for qualifying and Sunday's grand prix.
Webber improved to second, 0.086s behind Alonso, while Hamilton had a flying lap ruined by the pitting Senna. The stewards are set to look into the after the session. Vettel was the next to challenge Alonso but fell 0.070s short before Hamilton finally pulled it off, a 1:41.213 for the McLaren driver.
Bad news for Jaime Alguersuari - he lost control of his Toro Rosso at Turn 19, spun and stalled. Game over for the Spaniard. Felipe Massa joined Alguersuari on the sidelines when his Ferrari came to a halt on the side of the track. It was later revealed that his Ferrari ran out of fuel.
The final ten minutes saw a flurry of activity as the entire field ventured out for their final run of the day. However, none of the top ten were able to improve their times.
Times
01. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.888s
02. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m41.145s + 0.257
03. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m41.314s + 0.426
04. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m41.315s + 0.427
05. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.576s + 0.688
06. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m41.583s + 0.695
07. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m42.096s + 1.208
08. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.132s + 1.244
09. Tonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m42.203s + 1.315
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m42.222s + 1.334
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m42.246s + 1.358
12. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m42.449s + 1.561
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m42.535s + 1.647
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.768s + 1.880
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m42.914s + 2.026
16. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.950s + 2.062
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.128s + 2.240
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.584s + 2.696
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m45.180s + 4.292
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.259s + 4.371
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m45.612s + 4.724
22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m46.053s + 5.165
23. Christian Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m47.210s + 6.322
24. Bruno Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m47.434s + 6.546
Source: Planet-F1
The McLaren driver, who needs a miracle to win this weekend in order to win his second Drivers' title, clocked a 1:40.888 to take the P1 slot in Friday's second practice.However, the Brit was by no means heads and shoulders above his rivals.
Sebastian Vettel finished in second place, 0.257s off the pace, while Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber were next in line, also within half a second of Hamilton's P1 time.
Robert Kubica was the best of the rest, with Felipe Massa, Vitaly Petrov and Jenson Button lining up behind him.
Report: Dusk was setting in as Friday's second practice got underway on a bone-dry Yas Marina circuit. Nick Heidfeld, Lucas di Grassi and Christian Klien led out the pack for the standard installation laps, all three staying out to post their first times with Heidfeld quickest with a 1:45.314.
Completely opposite to today's earlier session, the drivers were quick to get down to work with Lewis Hamilton the next in the P1 slot. His team-mate Jenson Button was second in an early McLaren 1-2. Button went on to overhaul Hamilton before both McLaren's lost out to Fernando Alonso with a 1:42.474. Michael Schumacher went fourth quickest.
Hamilton returned to the front, eight-tenths up on Alonso while the Red Bull duo, the other two drivers in the title race, remained in their garages. Alonso retook the P1 slot with Felipe Massa sliding into third in all Ferrari/McLaren top four. Mark Webber went fifth and Sebastian Vettel sixth. Webber improved to third before losing out to Robert Kubica.
There were a couple of drivers running a bit wide at the final corner as the lighting system took over from the natural daylight and the temperature began to cool a few degrees. Lap after lap, the drivers got down to business, perfecting their cars in preparation for qualifying and Sunday's grand prix.
Webber improved to second, 0.086s behind Alonso, while Hamilton had a flying lap ruined by the pitting Senna. The stewards are set to look into the after the session. Vettel was the next to challenge Alonso but fell 0.070s short before Hamilton finally pulled it off, a 1:41.213 for the McLaren driver.
Bad news for Jaime Alguersuari - he lost control of his Toro Rosso at Turn 19, spun and stalled. Game over for the Spaniard. Felipe Massa joined Alguersuari on the sidelines when his Ferrari came to a halt on the side of the track. It was later revealed that his Ferrari ran out of fuel.
The final ten minutes saw a flurry of activity as the entire field ventured out for their final run of the day. However, none of the top ten were able to improve their times.
Times
01. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.888s
02. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m41.145s + 0.257
03. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m41.314s + 0.426
04. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m41.315s + 0.427
05. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.576s + 0.688
06. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m41.583s + 0.695
07. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m42.096s + 1.208
08. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.132s + 1.244
09. Tonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m42.203s + 1.315
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m42.222s + 1.334
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m42.246s + 1.358
12. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m42.449s + 1.561
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m42.535s + 1.647
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.768s + 1.880
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m42.914s + 2.026
16. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.950s + 2.062
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.128s + 2.240
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.584s + 2.696
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m45.180s + 4.292
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.259s + 4.371
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m45.612s + 4.724
22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m46.053s + 5.165
23. Christian Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m47.210s + 6.322
24. Bruno Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m47.434s + 6.546
Source: Planet-F1
Practice One: First blood to Vettel
Sebastian Vettel threw down the gauntlet in Friday's opening practice for the title showdown in Abu Dhabi, setting the fastest time ahead of his title rivals
All eyes were on the leading four in the Drivers' standings as proceedings got underway at the Yas Marina circuit.
However, a wet track kept everyone, not just the four, in their garages for more than half the session as they waited for the asphalt to dry out.
As to be expected, once underway the Red Bulls came to the fore with Vettel topping Practice One with a 1:42.760.
And although it initially appeared as if it would be a Red Bull 1-2, a late charge from McLaren put Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button up into second and third places. Hamilton, though, was 0.609s slower than Vettel.
Webber finished fourth quickest, ahead of Robert Kubica and Championship leader Fernando Alonso.
Report: Due to showers earlier in the morning, Practice One got underway on a damp Yas Marina track. However, with the temperature sitting at 28'C it won't be long before it dries out completely. Christian Klien was the first out of the pits, following by the pack with some having a moment or two on the damper parts of the track.
The first half of the session was spent waiting for the track to dry out with the occasional single lap run before the drivers headed back into the pits rather than risk going off on the damp patches. Nico Hulkenberg was the first of the brave souls, crossing the line with a 1:51.207 while Vitaly Petrov also made his mark on the timesheets. The duo's adventures, which saw both keep all four wheels on the circuit, prompted others to venture out.
Mark Webber was the first of the title-four to clock a time, a 1:49.320 for the Aussie, putting him sixth. Fernando Alonso was eighth on his first lap, a massive 11s off the pace. A run of purple sector times saw Petrov lower the benchmark time to a 1:46.028 with Felipe Massa, despite a "small telemetry problem" taking second before he was dropped by Alonso and Webber, who claimed second and third places.
Alonso was the next to lead the way, a 1:45.807 for the Ferrari driver. His reign was short-lived as Webber went quickest, 0.630s up. Sebastian Vettel ventured out taking fifth place while Michael Schumacher went P7. Vettel lept to the front with a 1:44.274 as Robert Kubica slotted in between the Red Bull drivers.
25 minutes remaining and there were still no sign of Lewis Hamilton. Webber went quickest, Schumacher went off, Jenson Button claimed sixth, Nick Heidfeld jumped to fourth, dropped to fifth as Adrian Sutil went fourth and then dropped even further as Button went fourth and then Schumacher went fourth. Nico Rosberg went third, Kubica went third and then Button went third.
Hamilton finally came out of the pits but could only manage a 1:50.780, almost seven seconds off the pace. However, he went second quickest two laps later, 0.022s behind Webber.
Vettel took over from his team-mate at the front with a 1:43.477. Hamilton slotted into second place, Button took third dropping Webber to fourth, Vettel extended his lead and Alonso took sixth. And that's how the session ended.
Times
01. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m42.760s 18 laps
02. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.369s + 0.609s 16 laps
03. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.785s + 1.025s 19 laps
04. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m43.840s + 1.080s 19 laps
05. Robert Kubica Renault 1m44.080s + 1.320s 19 laps
06. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m44.121s + 1.361s 17 laps
07. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m44.199s + 1.439s 19 laps
08. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.604s + 1.844s 18 laps
09. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.718s + 1.958s 19 laps
10. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.737s + 1.977s 19 laps
11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m45.160s + 2.400s 18 laps
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m45.445s + 2.685s 21 laps
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m45.474s + 2.714s 15 laps
14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m45.552s + 2.792s 20 laps
15. Tonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m45.585s + 2.825s 14 laps
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m46.003s + 3.243s 20 laps
17. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m46.644s + 3.884s 19 laps
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m47.105s + 4.345s 22 laps
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m48.450s + 5.690s 19 laps
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m48.472s + 5.712s 17 laps
21. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m49.375s + 6.615s 13 laps
22. Bruno Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m49.590s + 6.830s 18 laps
23. Christian Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m50.274s + 7.514s 17 laps
24. Fairuz Fauzy Lotus-Cosworth 1m51.705s + 8.945s 18 laps
Source: Planet-F1
All eyes were on the leading four in the Drivers' standings as proceedings got underway at the Yas Marina circuit.However, a wet track kept everyone, not just the four, in their garages for more than half the session as they waited for the asphalt to dry out.
As to be expected, once underway the Red Bulls came to the fore with Vettel topping Practice One with a 1:42.760.
And although it initially appeared as if it would be a Red Bull 1-2, a late charge from McLaren put Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button up into second and third places. Hamilton, though, was 0.609s slower than Vettel.
Webber finished fourth quickest, ahead of Robert Kubica and Championship leader Fernando Alonso.
Report: Due to showers earlier in the morning, Practice One got underway on a damp Yas Marina track. However, with the temperature sitting at 28'C it won't be long before it dries out completely. Christian Klien was the first out of the pits, following by the pack with some having a moment or two on the damper parts of the track.
The first half of the session was spent waiting for the track to dry out with the occasional single lap run before the drivers headed back into the pits rather than risk going off on the damp patches. Nico Hulkenberg was the first of the brave souls, crossing the line with a 1:51.207 while Vitaly Petrov also made his mark on the timesheets. The duo's adventures, which saw both keep all four wheels on the circuit, prompted others to venture out.
Mark Webber was the first of the title-four to clock a time, a 1:49.320 for the Aussie, putting him sixth. Fernando Alonso was eighth on his first lap, a massive 11s off the pace. A run of purple sector times saw Petrov lower the benchmark time to a 1:46.028 with Felipe Massa, despite a "small telemetry problem" taking second before he was dropped by Alonso and Webber, who claimed second and third places.
Alonso was the next to lead the way, a 1:45.807 for the Ferrari driver. His reign was short-lived as Webber went quickest, 0.630s up. Sebastian Vettel ventured out taking fifth place while Michael Schumacher went P7. Vettel lept to the front with a 1:44.274 as Robert Kubica slotted in between the Red Bull drivers.
25 minutes remaining and there were still no sign of Lewis Hamilton. Webber went quickest, Schumacher went off, Jenson Button claimed sixth, Nick Heidfeld jumped to fourth, dropped to fifth as Adrian Sutil went fourth and then dropped even further as Button went fourth and then Schumacher went fourth. Nico Rosberg went third, Kubica went third and then Button went third.
Hamilton finally came out of the pits but could only manage a 1:50.780, almost seven seconds off the pace. However, he went second quickest two laps later, 0.022s behind Webber.
Vettel took over from his team-mate at the front with a 1:43.477. Hamilton slotted into second place, Button took third dropping Webber to fourth, Vettel extended his lead and Alonso took sixth. And that's how the session ended.
Times
01. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m42.760s 18 laps
02. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.369s + 0.609s 16 laps
03. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.785s + 1.025s 19 laps
04. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m43.840s + 1.080s 19 laps
05. Robert Kubica Renault 1m44.080s + 1.320s 19 laps
06. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m44.121s + 1.361s 17 laps
07. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m44.199s + 1.439s 19 laps
08. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.604s + 1.844s 18 laps
09. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.718s + 1.958s 19 laps
10. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.737s + 1.977s 19 laps
11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m45.160s + 2.400s 18 laps
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m45.445s + 2.685s 21 laps
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m45.474s + 2.714s 15 laps
14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m45.552s + 2.792s 20 laps
15. Tonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m45.585s + 2.825s 14 laps
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m46.003s + 3.243s 20 laps
17. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m46.644s + 3.884s 19 laps
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m47.105s + 4.345s 22 laps
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m48.450s + 5.690s 19 laps
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m48.472s + 5.712s 17 laps
21. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m49.375s + 6.615s 13 laps
22. Bruno Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m49.590s + 6.830s 18 laps
23. Christian Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m50.274s + 7.514s 17 laps
24. Fairuz Fauzy Lotus-Cosworth 1m51.705s + 8.945s 18 laps
Source: Planet-F1
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