Both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel gave Abu Dhabi’s glittering new F1 circuit the thumbs-up after taking to the harbourside circuit for the first time today.
"The track's pretty good – it's not Spa, but it's also not Bahrain! It's not bad,” said Webber, who slotted into seventh at the end of the second session, which, like the race to come, began with the sun heading for the horizon and finished under the bright glare of floodlights. “There was a difference in clarity between driving in the afternoon for P1 and in the early evening during P2 – it’s a different atmosphere when the lights are on, but we're used to that from Singapore,” the Australian added.
'Overall, it's quite a thrill to drive, with some good corners' – Sebastian Vettel
Webber was forced to change engines between the early and late afternoon sessions but still reckoned much ground had been covered over his 59 laps. “It was a productive first day," he said. “We had an engine change between P1 and P2 – the guys did a brilliant job to get the car turned around in time. Other than that, we got on with the normal tyre comparisons and other tests we do on a Friday – so, although a new track, it was a normal Friday.”
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Vettel also hailed the new track as something wildly different from other circuits.
“It’s all pretty new here – including starting in the daylight and finishing the session at night, which is quite exciting. It’s also pretty special to go under a hotel! Obviously, the circuit was very green and slippery to begin with, but overall it's quite a thrill to drive, with some good corners.”
Vettel, who posted the day’s fourth-fastest time, added: “Performance wise, we’re looking quite good. We didn't know what to expect around here, but it seems as though we’re quite competitive, although we will have to wait to see just how much.”
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