Kimi Raikkonen - 10th: “The car is not bad to drive, but it is simply slow and lacks grip, as in fact has been the case very often this year. It’s not as though there is a specific reason why it’s not going well, but most of all, its down to our choice to stop development of the F60, so our performance level compared to the others is going down race by race, given that so many teams are still working on this year’s cars.

“There are only a few corners where you can make a difference, near the start of the lap. Then there are so many heavy braking points and slow speed corners, where stability on entry and acceleration on exit are the important factors. Going from daylight to artificial light? After two races in Singapore, it doesn’t cause a problem. The pitlane exit? In terms of its layout it’s quite similar to Interlagos, except there’s a wall instead of a guardrail.”

Giancarlo Fisichella - 17th: “This will become a sort of second home Grand Prix for Ferrari, as rising above the back of the circuit, will be the first ever theme park dedicated to the Maranello company. As for the track, I can say the nicest part is the first section with the quick corners. I think there is some chance of overtaking on the long straights, while the pit lane exit is a bit dangerous, but there is nothing that can be done to change it.

“In the second session, when the temperature dropped, the track became less slippery. In the first session, I was struggling a bit to stay on track and I had a lot of graining. We have nothing new on the car and we must try and do our best, working on its set-up.”

Stefano Domenicali: “Our main rivals in the fight for third place in the constructors’ classification are going through a very positive phase, while we are having to make a virtue of necessity, trying to get the most out what we have got to work with. However, this does not mean we will not be fighting right down to the last lap, as we are not the sort to give up that easily. As for the technical aspect of this first day of free practice, on behalf of the entire team I wish to congratulate the organizers of the Grand Prix for the work they have done: Yas Marina will become, partly thanks to the Ferrari World Park Abu Dhabi, the place to be for all racing fans.”

Chris Dyer: “It was a Friday like so many others we have experienced this season. We were able to complete our entire programme with both drivers and picked up a lot of data to analyse this evening and tomorrow, in preparation for qualifying and the race. Our race pace seems pretty good, while we are struggling to get a good time out of the car on the first timed lap, which could go against us in qualifying. As for the tyre performance, it is not yet clear, at least from what we have seen today, which will be the quickest compound to use for qualifying, so we might see some different choices to usual.”

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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This Sunday marks the end of a very unusual season of Formula 1 Grands Prix, characterised by significant technical regulation changes which in turn led to a new order, with the more established teams, including Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, having to make way for new names at the top of the classifications. While both championships were decided a fortnight ago in Brazil, this still promises to be a very interesting weekend, as it takes place at the brand new Yas Marina circuit, a facility which even makes some of the more recent additions to the calendar look slightly dated.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a special weekend for Ferrari, as the Maranello company has several strong links to this event: Mubadala is the investment company of the government of Abu Dhabi, a shareholder in the company and a sponsor of the team. Another team sponsor, Etihad, is also the title sponsor of this race. Additionally, the Yas Marina circuit is located on the same island that is home to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park. It is due to have its official opening next year and this coming Thursday at 10.30, Ferrari S.p.A. vice-president, Piero Ferrari will attend a press conference, when the roof of the park will be unveiled, featuring a large Prancing Horse logo. Interest in Ferrari and the Scuderia is already very high in the Gulf and on Wednesday afternoon, both Kimi Raikkonen and Giancarlo Fisichella will be in neighbouring Dubai, for the official opening of a new Ferrari store, which will be the largest of all the Ferrari stores in the world.

The track itself is interesting and unusual, starting with a couple of fast corners, with very slow turns leading into two very fast straights, followed by a twistier section, which is very reminiscent of the Singapore track. Finding the correct balance for the car will therefore not be a straightforward task. Although this circuit is near the sea, sand on the track surface asphalt - which incidentally is provided by Ferrari partner Shell - could also cause problems, in terms of its affect on grip and on the need to protect components from its abrasive properties, especially on Friday, when cars take to the track for first practice and it will also depend on what the wind is doing at the time. KERS should be very useful here, given the track layout features fast straights following on from slow corners, which is the typical scenario where a power boost can give a significant advantage. Although it does not present a specific technical difficulty, the pit lane is certainly interesting and innovative as it include a tunnel that takes cars from one side of the track to the other, as the entrance is on the right hand side and the exit on the left.

After Singapore, this will be the second race to be run under floodlights. The local start time of 5pm means that approximately the first forty minutes should take place in daylight, however any risk of the drivers being dazzled by the setting sun will be counteracted by the artificial lighting. This three hour delay compared to a normal Grand Prix start also means that the intense heat, with temperatures in the mid-thirties and a high level of humidity in the middle of the day, should also be less of a problem, while for the mechanics, working conditions will be helped by the fact that the garages are air-conditioned.

As has been the case throughout this fascinating season, tyres will play a key role and in Abu Dhabi, teams will have a choice of Bridgestone’s soft and medium rubber, marking a return to the use of two adjacent compounds. While it is fair to say that the F60 is no longer an obvious candidate to produce a race win, those who like to bet based on happenstance might wish to consider that this tyre combination is the same as that available in Spa and Monza, where Ferrari took a win and a third place respectively. However, this should not be seen as any sort of guarantee of success!

The Bahrain Grand Prix has featured on the calendar for six years now and this additional Middle East race means that interest in Formula 1 and motor sport in general is growing in this part of the world, as proven by the fact that all tickets are already sold out. This will also be a special end of season for both our drivers, as Kimi Raikkonen is leaving the team after three years and Giancarlo Fisichella will take on the role of official test and reserve driver for the Scuderia after this weekend. The Italian experienced the Yas Marina circuit on the simulator last week and his avowed aim will be to end his short stint as a Ferrari race driver in the points, because although the titles are decided, the team is still determined to end the year third in the Constructors’ classification, in which it currently stands fourth, one point behind McLaren.

The first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is also the last GP in red for Kimi Raikkonen, who will leave the Scuderia after three successful years. Before the race Chairman Montezemolo wanted to thank the Finnish driver for his contribution during his stay at the team. “Kimi entered the history of the Scuderia, winning one World Title in his first year with Ferrari and he contributed decisively to conquer two World Titles in the Constructors’ Championship in 2007 and 2008,” Montezemolo said. “He has always been an honest boy, transparent and loyal and we will always remember him with joy. I’m glad that I can be here with him and the team on the occasion of his last GP in this particularly difficult year. Let’s hope we can gain a good result.”

The Emirate will host the last race of the 2009 Championship on the Yas Marina circuit, not far from the future Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the theme park from the Prancing Horse. The structure extends on over 200,000 square metres and will host more than 20 attractions, such as the fastest rollercoaster in the world. Passengers will experience almost the same forces as in a F1 single-seater with speed of over 200 km/h and G-forces of a maximum of 4.9G. The theme park is built under license from Ferrari by Aldar Properties PJSC an will offer fans and families an incredible insight in the Ferrari experience and in the world of Italian style. The roof has been presented with a press conference by Ferrari Vice Chairman Piero Ferrari and is shaped like the bodywork of a road-going Ferrari with the biggest Ferrari logo in the world on its roof (65×48.5 of surface).

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The race in Abu Dhabi will be my last Grand Prix with Ferrari and as usual I will give it everything to gain the best possible result. We’ll try to conclude this difficult year with a good result, hoping that it will be enough to gain the third place in the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren took over in Brazil. It will be difficult, because the competition is very strong. Furthermore in Brazil the two Titles have been assigned, so maybe there are certain drivers, who will risk a little bit more, as everything has been decided already. Our direct competitors are still improving their car, while we have been using the same car since the race in Hungary at the end of July.

There are many expectations as far as the Yas Marina circuit is concerned, but it’s difficult making any predictions, because we’re racing there for the first time. As far as we can see the organisers have done some great work and the circuit seems to me very interesting and challenging. Furthermore there will be a very special challenge, given the fact that we’ll start the race in sunlight, while it will end with artificial lights: this will definitely add some suspense.

As I wrote before, it’s time for me to say good-bye to the guys at Ferrari after three years together. I’m proud of the things we achieved, especially the Drivers’ Title in 2007 and the Constructors’ title in the same year and in 2008.

This season the car wasn’t as competitive as we wanted, but at least we managed to win one race and we gained a certain amount of points. Let’s hope we can conclude the season with something nice to be remembered!

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Kimi Raikkonen (6th): “What happened on the first lap ruined my race. First I was hit at the first corner, then when trying to pass Webber, I was hit and lost the front wing. At the pit stop, I ended up with some drops of petrol in my eye, from the fuel line stuck on Kovalainen’s car and then I was engulfed in flames and blinded: I was going to stop, but luckily the flames soon went out. Even now, my eyes are still burning, but I’m alright. After the restart, I could only try and use the strategy to move up the order and at least I brought home a few points. I am disappointed because today I’m sure we could have made it to the podium. There is one race to go: let’s see what we can do in Abu Dhabi to get back that third place.”

Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari team principal: “First and foremost, on behalf of the entire team, I want to congratulate Jenson Button and Brawn GP for winning both world championships today. I am particularly pleased for an old friend like Ross. As for us, obviously we are very disappointed, because today we had the chance to extend our advantage in the constructors’ classification, but we have ended up one point down. What happened on the opening lap penalized Kimi heavily, as he had to restart from the back of the pack. It’s a shame, because today, our driver could match the pace of the best and could certainly have been fighting for a place on the podium: once again he delivered a great drive. After yesterday’s qualifying, Giancarlo started from the back row and faced a difficult race: he tried his best, but he could not get into the points. Now, we look forward to the final Grand Prix of the season at the new Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. There, we will have to do all we can to bring home a third place finish in the championship, which we are very keen to do and I am sure that all of us, drivers and team, will do all in our power to try and reach this target.”

Chris Dyer, Ferrari chief engineer: “A very disappointing race for us. Yesterday already, Kimi had done a fantastic job, obtaining a good grid position and today, he did it again, climbing up from the back of the pack, all the way up to sixth place after the accident with Webber, which meant he had to pit to change the front wing. At this moment, his race was compromised, which is a real shame. With Kimi, we chose to use the soft tyre first and given how things went, it was the right decision, but then we had to use the hards, as the first part of the race would be very long. Giancarlo was stuck in traffic in the first stint and then, when he had a clear track, his lap times were reasonable. At the start of his second stint, when he was on the soft tyres, his pace was better, but then towards the end, he suffered with graining. Now we will do all we can in Abu Dhabi, to recover the third place that slipped from our grasp today.”

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Maranello, 12 October 2009

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Giancarlo Fisichella - 12th: “I had a better feel for the car this weekend and I think the effect from that could be seen, although maybe not in terms of the results. Today, I could run at a good pace, especially in the middle part of the race. It’s a shame I lost a place in my battle with Kovalainen. We managed to get ahead of him in the pit stop, but then he swerved across to the inside at the only point where I left the door slightly open and he leaned on me, managing to get by.

“Towards the end, I had to fight off Sutil who was very quick and was on the soft tyre, while I was on the hard: at this point the KERS came in handy. Now I am looking forward to Interlagos in a more confident mood: it will be important to get a slightly better start position to try and finally make it into the points.”

Kimi Raikkonen - 4th: “Today the car wasn’t bad, but it was not quick enough to fight for the podium. This fourth place is useful in terms of keeping the team in third place in the Constructors’ Championship, but it will be hard to hang onto it over the final two races. I will definitely do everything I can though.

“I was unable to make up places at the start, especially as the first corner is not that far from the start line and so I was unable to make the most of the KERS. In the first stint, when I was on hard tyres, the situation was a bit difficult, but then, once on the softs, things improved considerably. I managed to close on Heidfeld and pass him at the pit stop, even though, coming away from my stop, I found myself in traffic behind Button. Then there was not much to fight for to the end of the race.”

Stefano Domenicali: “All things considered, this is a positive result: I don’t think we could have done any more than this fourth place. We got the most out of the F60 as it stands today and, thanks to yet another great drive from Kimi, we also managed to stay third in the Constructors’ classification. Giancarlo also drove a good race, driving competitively in terms of pace and performance, as can be seen from the fact he set the eighth best lap time. In the middle stint, on the soft tyre, both our drivers were very quick, their lap times matching those of the best. The team worked well and we must continue to do so for the final two races left to run in this strange season, fighting tooth and nail to reach the target we set ourselves from the mid-season onwards.”

Chris Dyer: “After the disappointment of Singapore, it’s nice to see Kimi again finish a race in a good position. With hindsight, there’s some disappointment with a result that could have been even better: we opted to start on the hard tyres on Kimi’s car, because we weren’t entirely sure about how the soft ones would work over a distance. In fact, their performance stayed consistent, as we saw in the second part of the race, when both our drivers were very competitive. On top of that, we failed to make up places at the start, which is what we usually manage.

“We played about a bit with the stops to try and pass Heidfeld and we managed it. In the final stint, it seemed at one point that Hamilton had a problem and then the Safety Car closed everyone up. Kimi tried to see if there was room to attack him at the re-start but there was not. Giancarlo drove a good race and it was important for him and for the team to see him fighting with Kovalainen and Alonso for a place just outside the points. It’s a shame that, coming out of pit lane after his second stop, he lost a place in his battle with the McLaren driver.”

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Kimi Raikkonen - 11th: “The conditions were very difficult today: let’s hope the situation changes for tomorrow and that we will be able to run in the dry. This morning, the track was changing continually, so it was difficult to understand where we were compared to the others.

“I concentrated mainly on the car, trying to understand its handling and I think the situation is reasonably good. We will have to try everything to defend our third place in the constructors’ classification: it will be difficult because the McLarens are very strong and in Singapore they got a great result, although they have not yet got ahead of us. How was the track after three years away? It’s impossible to compare: the tyres and cars are too different to those from 2006.”

Giancarlo Fisichella - 15th: “The day was all about the rain that however should not be a factor on Sunday, which makes everything more complicated. I am pleased with the way the session went this morning, because I quickly had quite a good feeling for the car in the wet and managed to improve with every passing lap, running at the same pace as the best. We hope to improve compared to Singapore, but we know that will be difficult.”

Chris Dyer: “This morning we managed to do a good job in the wet, first on the extremes and then on the intermediates. Both drivers were reasonably happy with the handling of the car in these conditions: if it was to rain for the race, we have a good basis from which to work. In the afternoon the rain was very heavy for almost the whole session and the track conditions were very difficult, to such an extent that it wasn’t really worth going out and risking damaging the car.

“Giancarlo felt particularly comfortable in these conditions, which confirms his skill level. Now, we have to take into account that the number of sets of rain tyres available to us for the whole weekend is very limited and we have to manage them carefully, to avoid finding ourselves in trouble at the crucial moment. We only did a handful of laps at the end on used tyres and we took the opportunity to do a practice start on the grid.”

Kimi Raikkonen - 10th: “I couldn’t do any better. The car was sliding everywhere and I had no grip. In the final part, with the softer tyres, the situation improved a bit, but by then it was too late. I closed up to Nakajima and, a few times, I tried to risk a passing move, but here it’s really difficult to overtake unless the guy in front makes a mistake. I don’t expect the situation to be much different next week in Suzuka: it is a very demanding track for the car, from an aerodynamic point of view and we are lacking in this area. Having said that, I will be trying my hardest.”

Giancarlo Fisichella - 13th: “It was a very tough race, both physically and mentally. The pace was not up to Ferrari’s standard and we have to take that on board. I was struggling to keep the car on track because of a lack of grip. At the end, on the softer tyre, the car’s handling improved and I managed to do some good lap times. We brought my first pit stop forward to try and get me out of traffic, given that I was stuck behind Sutil, but then with the safety car the move didn’t give the result we’d hoped for. Here, KERS was less of a factor than at Monza: at the start I managed to pass a car and then it was mainly useful to defend my position. Now we go to Suzuka, a real track: given how things have gone this year, with cars being strong in one race and weak the next, it’s difficult to make any predictions.”

Stefano Domenicali: “Honestly, I don’t think we could have done much better. When you start this far back on a track like this, it’s difficult to climb up the order. Kimi and Giancarlo did their best, trying to exploit what their cars had to offer. We have to accept the fact that many other teams have made yet another step forward in terms of performance, which makes our technical situation even more difficult, given that development on the F60 stopped a while ago now. When we took that decision, we knew we would pay for it more and more as the end of the season approached, but let’s be clear on one thing, we are not giving up: there are still three races to go and we will tackle them with maximum effort because we want to do all we can to finish third in the Constructors’ classification. In a strange season like this one, anything can happen. Again today, for example, we saw teams that used to be a long way back, now at the front end, while others did the opposite.”

Chris Dyer: “It was a very difficult race, for both Kimi and Giancarlo. Contrary to what has happened in recent races, we were unable to make the most of the start, which has been one of our strong points this year. We were already a long way back on the grid and so our situation was immediately more complicated, especially as overtaking is virtually impossible here. Today, several cars failed to finish, or were struggling with brake problems, but we were not able to exploit that to make it at least into the points. As for the tyre performance, the softer compound, in the final part of the race proved to be better than expected in terms of consistency, but it was not clear enough to decide to use it as from the second stint, which was the longest one. It’s easy to say things after the event, but I do really think we made the right choice.”

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Lewis Hamilton was unstoppable as he won the Singapore GP as his nearest challengers fall foul of penalties. Nico Roberg crossed the white line when exiting the pitlane after his first stop and Vettel was also given a drive through for speeding in the pitlane The Red Bull driver did a brilliant job to recover to fourth place even with a damaged car.

Glock drove a brilliant race to finish second with Kimi Raikkonen missing out on any points thanks to more misjudged tactics by his team and a missed opportunity with his pitstop during the safety car period. The Ferrari driver finished back in tenth.

Results
01 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:56:06.337
02 T. Glock Toyota + 9.634
03 F. Alonso Renault + 16.624
04 S. Vettel Red Bull + 20.261
05 J. Button Brawn GP + 30.015
06 R. Barrichello Brawn GP + 31.858
07 H. Kovalainen McLaren + 36.157
08 R. Kubica BMW + 55.054
09 K. Nakajima Williams + 56.054
10 K. Räikkönen Ferrari + 58.892
11 N. Rosberg Williams + 59.777
12 J. Trulli Toyota + 1:13.009
13 G. Fisichella Ferrari + 1:19.890
14 V. Liuzzi Force India F1 + 1:33.502
Did not finish
15 J. Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso + 14 lap(s)
16 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso + 14 lap(s)
17 M. Webber Red Bull + 16 lap(s)
18 A. Sutil Force India F1 + 38 lap(s)
19 N. Heidfeld BMW + 42 lap(s)
20 R. Grosjean Renault + 58 lap(s)

Image (c) Bridgestone Corporation

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Giancarlo Fisichella - 18th: “Obviously, I am disappointed with this result. I really wanted to do well, but I still haven’t managed to find the right level of confidence in this car: it’s almost as if it is driving me rather than the other way round. Especially on such a difficult track, I don’t have the confidence to go right to the limit. Naturally starting from eighteenth place means I can expect a very difficult race. I will try and make up some places at the start and then make the most of the race pace. Getting into the points would be the maximum, but even that will be a very tough target to reach.”

Kimi Raikkonen - 13th: “Unfortunately, today we were just not quick enough to get into Q3 and there was not much we could do about it. It’s logical that, as other cars improve, race after race, we pay a higher price for our decision to stop developing the F60. Tomorrow, we can expect a tough race as it is very difficult to overtake here, so getting into the points will be very difficult. It’s true that anything can happen on a track like this and we will have to do our best to make the most of every opportunity, maybe getting some help through a good start as we have usually managed in the last few races. As for the tyres, I think that tomorrow, there could be a problem with wear on the softer tyre, even if the situation could improve during the race.”

Stefano Domenicali: “Our target today was to get at least one car through to Q3 and the other to Q2, but we did not succeed and we have to accept that our package just wasn’t quick enough in this qualifying session. Furthermore, if so many of our competitors continue to develop their cars, while we stopped doing so with ours several weeks ago, then the more time goes by, the more we will find ourselves in an ever more difficult situation. However, what really matters is the race result, where reliability is always the key factor, especially in a race that looks like being very tough and where all sorts of things could happen. Clearly, we will be trying to fight our way towards the front, which means it will be difficult to reach our minimum target of finishing in the top eight.”

Chris Dyer: “A really difficult qualifying for us, even more so than we expected. We knew it would be tough, but we felt we could have made it through to the final part of the session. But honestly, today we did not have the performance to do that. Kimi did two good laps in Q2, but it was not enough. Tomorrow’s race will be very long, so let’s hope we can make up some places at the start and then try and get into the points.”

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