Saturday’s qualifying session for the Abu Dhabi GP was dominated once again by current world champion Sebastian Vettel who took the pole position. If he manages to do the same thing in the last race of the season, he will become the driver with the most pole positions in one season, along with Mansell who only had 16 races to do this while Vettel will have had 19.
Hamilton had also a very good weekend, managing to be the fastest in the practice sessions as well as in Q1 and Q2, but Vettel was 0.141 secs faster than the former 2008 world champion. Here are the results of the qualifying session:
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1min 38.481secs
2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1:38.622
3 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:38.631 4 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:38.858 5 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 1:39.058 6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:39.695 7 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:39.773 8 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:40.662 9 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:40.768
10 Paul di Resta (Gbr) Force India No Time
11 Sergio Perez (Mex) Sauber-Ferrari 1:40.874 12 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 1:40.919 13 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:41.009 14 Bruno Senna (Bra) Renault 1:41.079 15 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:41.162 16 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) Sauber-Ferrari 1:41.240 17 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams 1:41.760 18 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Lotus F1 1:42.979 19 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus F1 1:43.884 20 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing 1:44.515 21 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) HRT-F1 1:44.641 22 Jerome d’Ambrosio (Bel) Virgin Racing 1:44.699 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) HRT-F1 1:45.159
24 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams No Time
Here are the results of the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1hr 37mins 11.886secs 2 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 1:37:20.343
3 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:37:37.767
4 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:37:47.670 5 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:38:02.464 6 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:38:04.203 7 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:38:27.850 8 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:38:29.008
9 Paul di Resta (Gbr) Force India 1:38:52.973
10 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) Sauber-Ferrari at 1 Lap 11 Sergio Perez (Mex) Sauber-Ferrari at 1 Lap 12 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams at 1 Lap 13 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault at 1 Lap 14 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams at 1 Lap 15 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso at 1 Lap 16 Bruno Senna (Bra) Renault at 1 Lap 17 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Lotus F1 at 1 Lap 18 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus F1 at 2 Laps 19 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing at 2 Laps
20 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) HRT-F1 at 2 Laps
Not classified:
21 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) HRT-F1 48 Laps completed 22 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 19 Laps completed 23 Jerome d’Ambrosio (Bel) Virgin Racing 18 Laps completed
24 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1 Lap completed
With only one race to go, the battle for the second place this season will be between Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso. Mark Webber has slim chances of grabbing the second place. Here are the drivers’ standings:
| POSITION | DRIVER | TEAM | POINTS |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing |
374 |
| 2 | Jenson Button | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes |
255 |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro |
245 |
| 4 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing |
233 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes |
227 |
| 6 | Felipe Massa | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro |
108 |
| 7 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team |
83 |
| 8 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team |
76 |
| 9 | Vitaly Petrov | Lotus Renault GP |
36 |
| 10 | Adrian Sutil | Force India F1 Team |
34 |
| = | Nick Heidfeld | Lotus Renault GP |
34 |
| 12 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber F1 Team |
28 |
| 13 | Jaime Alguersuari | Scuderia Toro Rosso |
26 |
| 14 | Paul di Resta | Force India F1 Team |
23 |
| 15 | Sebastien Buemi | Scuderia Toro Rosso |
15 |
| 16 | Sergio Perez | Sauber F1 Team |
14 |
| 17 | Rubens Barrichello | AT&T Williams |
4 |
| 18 | Bruno Senna | Lotus Renault GP |
2 |
| 19 | Pastor Maldonado | AT&T Williams |
1 |
| 20 | Jarno Trulli | Team Lotus |
0 |
| = | Heikki Kovalainen | Team Lotus |
0 |
| = | Narain Karthikeyan | Hispania Racing F1 Team |
0 |
| = | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Hispania Racing F1 Team |
0 |
| = | Timo Glock | Marussia Virgin Racing |
0 |
| = | Jerome d’Ambrosio | Marussia Virgin Racing |
0 |
| = | Daniel Ricciardo | Hispania Racing F1 Team |
0 |
| = | Karun Chandhok | Team Lotus |
0 |
In the constructors’ championship, nothing can change in the top 3 as Red Bull is a clear winner this season, followed by McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari:
| POSITION | TEAM | POINTS | |
| 1 | Red Bull Racing |
607 |
|
| 2 | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes |
482 |
|
| 3 | Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro |
353 |
|
| 4 | Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team |
159 |
|
| 5 | Lotus Renault GP |
72 |
|
| 6 | Force India F1 Team |
57 |
|
| 7 | Sauber F1 Team |
42 |
|
| 8 | Scuderia Toro Rosso |
41 |
|
| 9 | AT&T Williams |
5 |
|
| 10 | Team Lotus |
0 |
|
| = | Hispania Racing F1 Team |
0 |
|
| = | Marussia Virgin Racing |
0 |
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, formula one, lewis-hamilton
A huge car pile-up took place last Saturday on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway, killing one person and injuring 61 (9 of which are in a critical condition), along with 127 cars heavily damaged or even totaled.
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Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, car accident
If there’s one place we’d like to visit at the end of this year, it’s Abu Dhabi. No, we don’t want to burn our eyes with questionably tuned cars or anything like that. Instead, we want to visit the upcoming Ferrari World theme park.
After seeing some of its roller coaster rides, like the Fiorano GT challenge, which pits together two F430 trains against one another, or the Formula Rossa roller coaster, all of the other attractions have been unveiled.
Thrill seekers will be most pleased of the G-Force one, which is basically a tower ride designed to emulate the G forces one would feel in a Ferrari Enzo hypercar. The seats are even styled after the actual ones in the expensive performance model.
A log-flume ride will allow visitors to check out the internals of a Ferrari V12 engine, while kids will race against one another in customizer Ferrari karts.
Still, hardcore fans should definitely visit the Galleria Ferrari, where the history of the Italian carmaker is showcased through a plethora of classic models. According to the company, this is the largest collection of cars outside of Maranello.
The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park is set to open its doors at the end of the year, so you’d better start making reservations as soon as possible.
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Ferrari, ferrari world, roller coaster, theme-park
The Ferrari California didn’t really make supercar purists that excited when it was first revealed.
Slowly but surely though, the sports grand tourer, with its folding hardtop and optional dual-clutch transmission earned a lot of fans among those not really interested in owning a Ferrari just for its sheer power (although it can develop 450 HP).
Now, in order to really showcase the sporty side of the California, Ferrari has released a fresh video of one of its test drivers, Marc Gené, tearing up the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit, in Abu Dhabi.
The footage is extremely nice, so you’d better hit the jump and check it out for yourselves.
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Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Ferrari, ferrari california, racing, Video, yas marina
The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park is already shaping up to be the perfect holiday destination for any car fan.
From a Ferrari F430-shaped roller coaster to a big number of other attractions, this is the recipe of supercar-themed fun for the whole family.
But for the more hardcore fans, the Italian supercar manufacturer revealed the Formula Rossa roller coaster. Set to have its trains designed like the Formula 1 cars the company has in the motorsport competition, the ride will provide thrills worthy of the famous racing championship and will be the world’s fastest roller coaster.
How so? It will be powered by a 20,800 HP winch system, capable of propelling the ride from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2 seconds flat and up to 149 mph (240 km/h)! The roller coaster trains will take 16 passengers for a 1.3-mile ride, subjecting them to 1.7 Gs of acceleration and even offering them protective eye wear, to prevent the wind from hurting anyone.
We don’t know about you, but October 28, the opening date for the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi park can’t come quick enough. Until then, check out a video of the Ferrari Formula Rossa roller coaster at the official FerrariTV website (it can’t be embedded, sadly).
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Ferrari, ferrari world abu dhabi, roller coaster, Video
After scaring a lot of criminals with the introduction of a Nissan GT-R in its fleet of squad cars, the Abu Dhabi police force, more specifically its Al Ain branch, has employed an even more “frightening” model: the Fiat 500.
As you can imagine, the news struck fear into the hearts of criminals and crime rates have dropped below 0. In all seriousness though, the 500 will mainly be used at police events, in order to portray a friendlier image of the law enforcers into the local community.
“The Fiat 500 makes the police car more approachable, appealing to the public; in addition to being small enough to maneuver around cities’ congested areas. So far we have received great feedback on the Fiat 500 for city patrolling simply because the super mini is a friendly and funky looking vehicle. The car appeals to the youngsters and adults alike, which is exactly why it’s rightly suitable for the Department of Traffic and Patrols,” said Nassim Mourani, General Manager of Al Ain operations
It definitely seems like the Abu Dhabi police fleet is getting more exotic by the minute. What do you think should be the next additions? A Tata Nano or a Pagani Zonda perhaps? Share your thoughts below.
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Fiat, fiat-500, police, police cars
We’ve already talked about the massive Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park set to be opened late this year on the Yas Marina island in the United Arab Emirates. The massive construction, the first of its kind, will dwarf all other constructions on the island, including the Formula 1 circuit.
But besides the many offers it will have, the Ferrari World park will also boast the cheapest ride in a Ferrari you’ll ever experience. No, it won’t offer actual cars for test drives, but it will be dressing up its roller coaster cars as Ferrari F430 models, so you can experience the excessive speeds behind the wheel of the Italian model.
Besides the aforementioned GT Racing Coaster, the theme park will also feature 20 other rides, from the vertical shooting one to another roller coaster, designed to offer Formula 1 thrills to the riders.
Hit the jump to check out a special video made by AMEinfo about the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park, which is still under construction at the moment.
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Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Ferrari, ferrari world, ferrari-f430, Video
After seeing some stunning performance cars in the United Arab Emirates, especially around Abu Dhabi, such a news piece was bound to appear.
It seems that in order to keep all of the Ferrari or other sports car owners in place, the Abu Dhabi police force has just received a brand new car. As you would imagine, it isn’t a Ford Crown Victoria or anything like that, as the police officers can now use a stunning Nissan GT-R in order to catch the bad guys.
The stunning four-seat supercar will be employed by the police on the many highways around Abu Dhabi and will definitely deter anyone from thinking they can escape the police (hint: GT-R 0 to 100 km/h / 62 mph is just 3.5 seconds).
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Nissan, nissan-gt-r, police, united-arab-emirates
Just after releasing the details about its first theme park, Ferrari has now revealed a video presentation of the massive center dedicated to its brand, which will be built on the Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
For those of you who don’t know, the theme park, set to open in 2010, will be the biggest enclosed park in the world, and boasts over 20 rides for the whole family. Built in the vicinity of the Yas Island Formula 1 circuit, it will definitely attract many customers. Hit the jump to see the video presenting the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park.
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Ferrari, ferrari world, united-arab-emirates, Video
Not a lot of companies can expect to make a profit by constructing a huge theme park dedicated to themselves, Disney being the one who started it all. But it seems that Italian supercar maker Ferrari hopes that its first theme park dedicated to its brand will break the mold when it will be opened next year, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
We’ve seen just how many enthusiasts are in the Arab country, and given the fact that it will be adjacent to the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 circuit situated on Yas Island, it will surely attract many fans under its giant red roof, sporting the biggest Ferrari logo ever made.
The theme park will occupy over 200,000 square meters (that’s around two million square feet), all indoor, making it the largest park in the world. It will include over 20 rides, including the world’s fastest roller coaster, racing simulators, karting and flume rides through a giant Ferrari engine and, the most interesting, a g-force drop tower, which extends over 200 feet in the air, breaching the 150-foot-high roof.
As well as these rides for the young children and for those young at heart, there will be plenty of other attractions for the whole family, at least according to Ferrari. The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi park will open next year.
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Ferrari, ferrari world, theme-park, united-arab-emirates
Major change of strategy for Daimler. After last year, on June 17, it announced plans of buying back 6 billion Euros of its own stock, now Bloomberg reports that Daimler AG, the world’s second largest luxury car maker (after BMW) will sell a 9.1% stake to Aabar Investments PJSC, an investment group from Abu Dhabi. The Middle Eastern group will buy 96.4 million shares for 20.27 Euros each ($27.44), the whole transaction is worth around 1.95 billion Euros (around $2.7 billion). Daimler decided to sell this stake after the financial crisis caused the car and truck demand to take a deep plunge. According to last year’s financial statements, the German company lost 1.53 billion Euros ($2.07 billion) only in the quarter, especially due to slow sales and expenses with former US arm Chrysler.
“We are delighted to welcome Aabar as a new major shareholder that is supportive of our corporate strategy [..] We look forward to working together to pursue joint strategic initiatives” said Dieter Zetsche, Daimler’s CEO.
“Daimler is an iconic brand and a financially strong company,” said Aabar Chairman Khadem al-Qubaisi. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to make this investment and are excited by the commercial potential of our partnership.”
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, daimler, Mercedes-Benz, shares, stock
It’s not every day you get the chance to ride on the highway next to a Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang, so you’d better take out the camera and film it. Especially that is car is just superb. Oh, and one more thing, you have one try to guess where this video was taken. If you’ve answered UAE (United Arab Emirates), you have a beer from us. Enjoy the video!
Post tags: Tags: abu-dhabi, Bugatti, bugatti-veyron, bugatti-veyron-pur-sang, limited-edition, pur-sang, special-edition, united-arab-emirates, Video
