The Uralkali Haas F1 team is ready to race again in 2021. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is set to drop the curtain on the 22-lap Formula 1 season.
Abu Dhabi entered the Formula 1 calendar in 2009 on the purpose-built Yas Marina Circuit and became the championship’s first day-night event as the facility is equipped with 5,000 lights. Yas Marina will host the Formula 1 season finale for the eighth time in a row and for the tenth time, with only Australian Adelaide having held the championship curtain on other occasions.
It will be the last race for the cars with the current specification, before a revision of the regulations, while Formula 1 also dispenses with 13-inch tires and 18-inch versions are to come onto the market for 2022.
But there are still some new factors to explore for Schwanengesang 2021. For the first time since its debut in 2009, Yas Marina’s layout has been changed to allow for better racing while providing greater challenge for teams and drivers. The previous Turn 5/6/7 complex has been replaced with a hairpin curve, while the old Turn 11-14 sequence has been replaced with a curved curve.
Some other corners, especially in the last section of the lap around the legendary W Hotel with its honeycomb structure, have been re-profiled and re-paved to create a faster and smoother route. The aim is to shorten lap times by around 10 seconds, with the track now consisting of 16 corners, while a new race distance has been set at 58 laps.
The event also closes the curtain on the first year for Uralkali Haas F1 team racers Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher. It’s a place that has acted as a milestone in both drivers’ careers. Mazepin secured the GP3 series runner-up trophy in 2018, while Schumacher’s first outing on the track took place in 2020 with the Uralkali Haas F1 team at the Yas Marina Circuit. Schumacher drove a lap in the first training session on Friday before taking part in the youth test after the event.
We are in round 22 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the last race of the season. How are you physically and mentally and what are your thoughts when going into the final race of the year?
Guenther Steiner:
“Physically and mentally, I’m fine. Everyone is a bit tired, it’s been a long season, a tough season and I’m very happy that it is over. The good thing is that we’re looking forward to 2022 – there is some excitement there – it’s a completely new car and we should be back where we want to fight for points, that’s our goal. Everyone will do that, but we got through the year we just got through, now we’re going to try to get back on track like we did before the pandemic. I hope the team can recover after a tough season and thank everyone for doing everything they can to get through the year. It was tough, physically tough because of so many races, and it was mentally tough because we weren’t going where we wanted to. Thanks also to FOM for putting the calendar together as it was another tough year due to the pandemic. Getting all of these races and keeping us in business – growing the sport in difficult circumstances, that’s a great result. “
The Yas Marina circuit has seen major changes this season – designed to improve overtaking opportunities and the overall race. Do you think the changes will encourage closer races?
GS: “That’s the goal – the proof is in the pudding. We’ll find out when we run, but the people who did this know what they’re doing and in my opinion it will help, but we’ll see when “we achieve how much it helps. If we get two out of three, I think that’s a success. “
What are your immediate plans when the checkered flag falls on Sunday and after the end-of-season test? Back to the family for the festive season or are you already thinking about the preparations for 2022?
GS: “I’m going back to Italy – I’ll be in Maranello with the team since I haven’t been there for a while and over the holidays I’ll be staying at my home in Italy and then back to the US in early January. In time Between Christmas and New Years I will recharge the batteries and then give full throttle again to prepare myself as well as possible for 2022. “
We are in round 22 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the last race of your rookie season. How are you physically and mentally and what are your thoughts when going into the final race of the year?
Nikita Mazrpin: “I’m looking forward to coming to Abu Dhabi – it’s going to be a new track and I’m curious to see if there will be any changes to the layout. I don’t feel mentally exhausted and I’m ready to continue.” To race, which is a good thing, but the team, the engineers and the mechanics certainly need a rest. “
The Yas Marina circuit has seen major changes this season – designed to improve overtaking opportunities and the overall race. Do you think the changes will encourage closer races? You have driven here before; Do you think the changes will encourage closer races? You have raced here before, do you think the changes will encourage closer races?
NM: “I only drove in F2 and F3 at Yas Marina and the race was on the good side. Overtaking wasn’t easy, but it was still possible. It will be a really good track if it takes a step forward because of it a cool venue and when you see people walking up and down in order it gets exciting for the fans. “
What are your immediate plans when the checkered flag falls on Sunday and after the end-of-season test? Back to the family for the festive season or are you already thinking about the preparations for 2022?
NM: “My next plans are to do the test with the team in the mule wagon after the race weekend and then do a three-day test in the desert with the buggies, final exams before the new year.”
We are in round 22 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the last race of your rookie season. How are you physically and mentally and what are your thoughts when going into the final race of the year?
Mick Schumacher: “The year has passed faster than I expected! It was a lot – I learned a lot about how to approach weekends and races. I’m looking forward to my last race, I think we’re all ready for a break. It was a long year with a lot of uncertainties, but overall we did well. We got more out of the car than expected and I did I’m happy with it. I think we’ve achieved a lot of good things and a lot of things that we know we can improve over the next year. “
The Yas Marina circuit has seen major changes this season – designed to improve overtaking opportunities and the overall race. Do you think the changes will encourage closer races? You have driven here before; Do you think the changes will encourage closer races? You have raced here before, do you think the changes will encourage closer races?
MS: “I think we have to wait until we arrive and do our first free practice. It’s always easy to say on paper that the possibilities will increase, but the fact is that we always arrive at a track and then we do it firmly that it is not. I’m going into the race with an open mind. I hope there are more opportunities to overtake – yes – I think that’s something we clearly want here. Hopefully it will also improve our ability to with driving other cars. “
What are your immediate plans when the checkered flag falls on Sunday and after the end-of-season test? Back to the family for the festive season or are you already thinking about the preparations for 2022?
MS: “First of all, we have the test, which is important to us, where the focus will be 100 percent on it. Then I can relax a little and enjoy the free time and recharge the batteries as much as I can before the year 2022. When I am in this recovery phase, I will definitely think a lot about next year and be in constant contact with the team involved. I want to get involved as much as possible during this time, because next year is of course hopefully an important year for us, in which we can make it where we expect it to. Our thoughts are definitely on the preparation for 2022 – I’m really looking forward to it. “
