Abu Dhabi GP: Williams still has a goal

Built between the seashore and the desert, the magnificent Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, will host the final race of the 2009 Formula One season. The driver and constructor titles are decided, but Williams still needs to defend its sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship against Bmw-Sauber and Renault.

Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima are eager to drive on this new circuit, considered urban by most drivers. During the previous race weekend in Brazil, Nico Rosberg recorded his first retirement of the year. The German driver, whose stock continues to rise with teams, will be keen to finish the season with an excellent performance. His teammate, Nakajima, will contest his last race for Williams, and perhaps even his last race in Formula One. The Japanese driver is the only one who started this season without having scored a single point. Let’s hope for him and his team that this won’t be the case again this weekend.

Nico Rosberg – Racing Driver

I am really looking forward to going to Abu Dhabi. With the amount of time and effort put into the construction, I think it’s going to be a fantastic site with magnificent facilities and a great experience for Formula One. I heard that all the tickets are sold out, so it should be a very exciting race weekend for the teams and fans, and an excellent way to end the year. Abu Dhabi will be a new experience for all of us, so the simulator at Grove has been a real help, and I’m glad to have had it at my disposal this week. There are certain things like bumps and curbs that you can’t fully reproduce, but braking, oversteer, and understeer are very similar. It’s definitely a big advantage to have a simulator like ours, as I’ll be able to drive, once out of the pits on Friday, knowing the track pretty much right away. I’m curious to see the fact that we will start the race in daylight and then move into the night.

Kazuki Nakajima – Racing Driver

It’s really exciting to go on a brand new circuit. It seems that the organizers have put a lot of thought into the development of the track and the facilities. Everything looks really impressive and it’s the perfect place to finish the championship. Since we have never driven on the circuit yet, it’s difficult to give an accurate assessment of the track, but our simulator has provided us with some truly invaluable data. The settings will likely lean towards medium to high downforce, to handle the long straight (which will require good top speed) and the tight corners. A good level of grip and good balance to deal with the sand will also be crucial. One of the most interesting things for me is that we will pass under a hotel. I’m looking forward to experiencing that.