Formula-1 news

The first day of Abu Dhabi practice saw the four title contenders to the fore, as everybody worked on setting their cars up and getting the best out of Bridgestone’s medium and super-soft tyres for the last time. Hamilton was quickest in what he felt was a much improved McLaren, but Vettel insisted there is more to come from Red Bull. We take a team-by-team look at Friday at Yas Marina

Team principals: Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari), Christian Horner (Red Bull), Adam Parr (Williams), Martin Whitmarsh (McLaren).

Q: First question to you all. We have had a fantastic World Championship this year with four drivers in contention at the end of the series. What do you think has been a major contribution to the excitement of the championship? Is it the rules, new circuits? Adam, what do you think it is?
Adam Parr: I am very honoured to be here with the championship contenders…

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation is pleased to announce the continued relationship with Qantas as the naming right partner for the 2011 Formula 1™ Qantas Australian Grand Prix.

The sponsorship again aligns Qantas, one of Australia’s strongest and most recognised brands with one of Australia’s premier international sporting events…

As many of their rivals suspected they would, Red Bull found a little bit more pace in Saturday afternoon’s final practice session in Abu Dhabi, and Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber set the fastest times of the weekend. The German lapped in 1m 40.696s, and the Australian was just 0.133s adrift with 1m 40.829s.

Lewis Hamilton was unable to match yesterday’s 1m 40.888s but was third fastest for McLaren on 1m 41.280s…

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix just where he wants, on pole position. But there was a major disappointment for team mate Mark Webber who managed only fifth place and will be separated from Vettel by Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Hamilton already held second place, but trimmed his time down to demonstrate to Vettel that he may yet have a race on his hands on Sunday…

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa faced stiff competition when he took on UAE students from Team Impulse on the F1 in Schools track at the Mubadala Experience. F1 in Schools, a global educational initiative which operates in 34 countries, is being showcased in a number of different locations in Abu Dhabi as part of the build-up to this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mubadala, partners of the programme in the UAE, has an F1 in Schools track and display at the F1 Fanzone, located on the Corniche. Abu Dhabi International Airport is also hosting a track, which allows overseas visitors arriving for the Grand Prix to try their hand at racing the scale model F1 cars designed and built by UAE students. And there is also a 20-metre track at the Yas Marina Circuit itself.

Drivers: 1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1m 39.394s; 2. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 1m3 9.425s; 3. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), 1m 39.792s

Q: Sebastian, a crucial pole at a crucial time. You have a great chance now of becoming the youngest ever World Champion.
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, we start from pole, couldn’t be better. I think it was a tough qualifying session. We knew that the conditions would be tricky. At night the temperatures drop a little bit. Yesterday in the afternoon, or the late evening, in the practice we didn’t look too good and we were not 100 per cent happy but I think we made a big step today which allowed us to fight for the pole. I think it was very close with Lewis especially. In the end I think if we would have done two runs it would probably have been the better choice. I was surprised how much the circuit ramped up for us

Four men could become world champion in Abu Dhabi this weekend. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has only an outside chance, but Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are all real contenders

Even if Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel doesn’t take the drivers’ title this weekend, one thing that will be remembered for years to come will be his qualifying successes during the 2010 season. And after clinching his tenth pole position in 19 races at Abu Dhabi, Vettel is certainly happy with his car around the Yas Marina circuit

For the four remaining title contenders, qualifying for this weekend’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a fraught affair. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was the quickest when it counted, taking pole position for the tenth time this season, but his team mate Mark Webber seemed to crumble under the pressure, managing just fifth on the grid. In between were the Red Bull duo’s remaining championship rivals McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, as well as 2009 title holder Jenson Button in the second MP4-25. The scene is thus set for a storming race. We take a team-by-team look at qualifying