Abu Dhabi GP Preview with Tonio Liuzzi
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, from 30 October – 1 November, will be the finale of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. A new venue on the calendar, it’s one of the most talked about events of recent years on account of the sheer scale of the work involved in constructing the state-of-the-art Yas Marina circuit.
Over the course of just a few years, organisers have built a 25km sq man-made island known as Yas Island with 17km sq of luxury apartments, hotels, retail parks, theme parks and, of course, the circuit: a Tilke-designed, high-speed run through the island’s marina district. The track itself is a feat of engineering, with unique facilities including a pass through a hotel lobby, underground pit lane exit and a straight running parallel to an airplane landing strip.
With a straight of almost 1km and three successive quick corners from turns two to four, average speeds are expected to be similar to Valencia, thus demanding a medium to low downforce configuration. As the Force India F1 Team has been competitive in these conditions before, the team is expecting is good showing in Abu Dhabi to end the season on a high.
Q: The last race in Brazil was your best finish for the team since your Monza debut. How was the weekend?
VL: “The result was not too bad but obviously the race was compromised when we had to start from the back after the accident in qualifying. We had a good pace in the rain and I think we could have started from the front row as Adrian showed. Starting that far behind in the dry of Sunday was always going to be tough but I pushed hard and could again fight with the Ferrari and Toro Rosso. We were hoping for some rain in the middle of the race but it didn’t come, so we had to accept that it would be difficult to make up any more places. All this considered, the result was OK although we didn’t score any points, which is always the aim.”
Q: Tonio, you’re now approaching the end of the season. You made your Force India race debut in Italy and have four races under your belt now. What are your thoughts on the season so far?
VL: “Getting back into the car in race trim had always been my aim for 2010 and it came earlier than expected! Of course it wasn’t the best way to go racing again, but at least we know Felipe is OK now. It’s been a big challenge to get back into the rhythm of driving, particularly at circuits I don’t know, such as Singapore. I’ve also had a bit of bad luck, such as qualifying in Suzuka [where gearbox problems limited running] and Brazil with the accident in Q2, but I’ve always pushed as hard as I could. What we have shown is that when the car is performing well, as it was in Monza, we can be very quick. I’ll keep pushing until the end and am still optimistic of scoring my first points for Force India in Abu Dhabi.”
Q: Based on this, what will be your strategy going into the final race of the year?
VL: “We really want points – it’s important for the team and for myself. We’ll be giving 100% until the end, in practice, qualifying and the race. We have done some laps of Yas Marina in the simulator and it looks like a great facility. The track seems very interesting and could suit the VJM02 very well as there are a few long straights and a tricky middle section. It’s also good to visit new venues so I’m looking forward to this race. “