Subscribe to RSS

Whitmarsh: Changes need for ‘flawed’ Abu Dhabi layout

The actual track layout of the impressive Yas Marina venue in Abu Dhabi is “flawed”, according to Martin Whitmarsh.

“It is a great facility and everything else, but as we saw in GP2 and as we saw in F1 it is almost impossible to overtake here,” the McLaren and FOTA boss is quoted by The Guardian.

1992 world champion Nigel Mansell agrees, arguing that the lack of overtaking last Sunday meant an anti-climactic finale to the otherwise thrilling 2010 title.

“The two protagonists, Alonso and Mark (Webber) just didn’t pass anybody,” he told the Daily Mail. “It was a very boring race.

“Alonso is known for his charging, and to have a car which seems to be quicker than the car in front and not being able to overtake doesn’t make sense,” added Mansell.

Whitmarsh said he thinks the Yas Marina layout should therefore be changed.

“I personally would like to see it changed. I think it is a fantastic facility that we come to, but the end of the straight they need a wide challenging corner, not a chicane that has got one line through it,” he argued.

“You could see that when we first saw the plans. There is a massive commitment here to making this a great venue, so in the scheme of things priority should be given to looking at the circuit,” said Whitmarsh.

Circuit boss Richard Cregan did not rule out layout changes for the future.

“We have already extended the exit of turn eight and we are now studying the other various elements that we can improve,” he is quoted as saying by Auto Hebdo in French.

0 comments

Other articlesgo to homepage

Force India wants to keep di Resta in 2013

Force India wants to keep di Resta in 2013(0)

Vijay Mallya on Thursday admitted he would like to keep the same driver lineup for his Force India team in 2013. There has been speculation that Paul di Resta has caught the eye of top teams including Ferrari and Mercedes. “Paul is a huge asset and a very valuable asset to us,” insisted the team’s

McLaren set to offer Hamilton $150m

McLaren set to offer Hamilton $150m(0)

McLaren is offering Lewis Hamilton a lucrative new contract for 2013 and beyond, British newspapers are reporting from Monaco. The stories – in all the major dailies including the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, Express, the Star, the Sun, the Mirror and the Times – consistently contradicted an earlier rumour that Hamilton might need

Ferrari signs new aero boss Bigois

Ferrari signs new aero boss Bigois(0)

Ferrari has signed a well-known F1 aerodynamicist to run its Maranello wind tunnel. That is the claim of the authoritative Italian publication Autosprint, who first reported the move as a rumour a month ago. Autosprint’s correspondent Alberto Antonini said Loic Bigois, a 52-year-old Frenchman, will now “definitely” move from Mercedes in mid-September, although an official

Lotus says no to Raikkonen’s rally request

Lotus says no to Raikkonen’s rally request(0)

Lotus has refused Kimi Raikkonen permission to contest this year’s Rally Finland. The Finn, who returned to formula one in 2012 after two years in world rallying, admitted this week he wanted to do the Finnish rally in August but “you’ll have to ask the team if it fits in my contract”. “Contractually he cannot

Force India no winner in 2012 roulette

Force India no winner in 2012 roulette(0)

As the roulette wheel spins in 2012, Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he finds himself without a chip on the board. McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams have already won so far this season, whilst Lotus and Sauber have shown genuinely winning pace. The three backmarkers aside, that leaves just Force India and Toro Rosso

read more

Get This Plugin

Contacts and information

Social networks

Most popular categories

T-CREA
© 2011 Fantasy Racings F1 All rights reserved.