McLaren travels to Abu Dhabi to defend third place
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 Team is preparing for the final race of the 2009 Championship season. The team will travel to Abu Dhabi, a new venue on the F1 calendar, where they will try to defend the third place in the Constructors' Championship.
Lewis Hamilton: “We’ve had a fantastic second half of the season, and it would be perfect to end the year with a win – it would send us into the winter fully motivated and pumped up for the 2010 season. All the signs point to Abu Dhabi being another strong track for us – there are plenty of slow corners leading onto long straights, where KERS will be very advantageous.
“Seeing as it’s likely to be the last race for KERS, it would be fantastic to send it off with a perfect result – that would be a very fitting farewell for all the engineers who have worked so hard to make the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes system the best in the business.”
Heikki Kovalainen: “I had a very strong race in Brazil and I’m determined to rack up a points finish in Abu Dhabi to make sure we hold on to third position in the constructors’ championship. From what I’ve seen of the track, it looks pretty good – it’s got a couple of fast corners at the start of the lap, but then there’s a real low-speed, technical section towards the end.
“It still looks like it will be a tough track for overtaking, but the facilities look amazing – totally world-class – and I think the idea of a dusk race is very good for our sport. Singapore has set the standard very high with its night race, but Abu Dhabi looks like it will set new standards in Formula 1. I can’t wait to get out there.”
Martin Whitmarsh, Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: “We may have just overhauled Ferrari in Brazil to move into third place in the constructors’ championship, but, being just one point ahead with just one race remaining, means that we go into the Abu Dhabi weekend fully focused on scoring the maximum possible points to consolidate that position.
“As usual, there has been no let-up from the team in its preparations. We head to Abu Dhabi not only extremely encouraged by the improved pace we showed in Brazil but also very optimistic that the final race of the season offers us another opportunity to challenge for victory.
“Everything I’ve seen and heard about the Abu Dhabi circuit speaks of the race organisers’ total passion and commitment to perfection. The track already looks to have eclipsed the facilities we have anywhere else in the world and I’m very optimistic that, like Singapore before it, this weekend’s race will set a new benchmark for Formula 1 and open up new opportunities for the sport in the Middle East and the rest of the world.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “This exciting season is coming to its end with the very first race at the new track in Abu Dhabi. This circuit defines the new state-of-the-art Formula 1 racetracks, and I’m sure it will be a truly exciting and hard-fought race.
“After both world championships have been decided, every team that is in a position to do so will try to use the chance to win this prestigious final race of the season. Since Lewis’ first victory in Hungary in late July, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has shown a clear upwards trend.
“Both Lewis and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have achieved two wins and five podium finishes, resulting in more points than any team and any other driver in the last seven races.
“We try to continue in that direction and hopefully with a similar result to the last street race in Singapore, which Lewis won.”
