Is Scuderia Ferrari really in the mix in Abu Dhabi?

What if the Ferrari team also played a trick on one of the Mercedes drivers this weekend? After drawing attention to Red Bull and particularly Christian Horner’s remarks, few people were talking about Scuderia, especially in a positive light. It must be said that the season is already considered catastrophic in Maranello, with zero victories and a lost second place in the constructors’ championship.

Whatever the case, the focus now is on finishing the 2016 season as best as possible.

Sebastian Vettel -> FP1: 5th (1:44.005: 27 laps) / FP2: 3rd (1:41.130: 31 laps)

The four-time world champion is on the right track after practicing well this Friday around the Yas Marina circuit. After running exclusively on soft tires during the not very representative FP1, it was time to get serious in FP2. The performance test on ultra-soft tires proved successful, with this third fastest time, behind the Mercedes (two-tenths off Hamilton) but ahead of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. Enough to bring a smile back to the German driver’s face?

« I’m quite happy with this day. Overall, it was a very good Friday. The first session was tricky, we struggled on the hot track. But on the occasion of the second session, it was pretty good, I’m happy about it! »

Of course, his gearbox issue encountered 10 minutes before the end of FP2 was something to avoid. In hindsight, followers might have feared the worst for Vettel’s Ferrari. However, the former Red Bull driver appeared confident in front of the journalists. The problem already seems to be behind him.

« Obviously, it’s not ideal to have a gearbox problem on Friday, but I’m not worried; it won’t have any impact on the weekend. »

The focus is therefore on Vettel’s chances in the upcoming events. Fast in the flying lap exercise, what about tire management?

« On the long stints, I struggled a bit with the rear, maybe I was a bit too aggressive. Nevertheless, the car behaved well overall. To be honest, I think we had a good pace. »

I hope we will have a similar feeling tomorrow in Qualifications. It has been a tough year for us; I don’t need to go into details. But we are here to fight and finish strong.

In conclusion, Vettel was invited to comment on the ongoing battle for the drivers’ title. It was interesting to read his personal reaction, especially if his position transforms into that of a luxury arbiter:

« I don’t want to affect the outcome but I just want to have a solid race. If it means breaking them apart or driving ahead of them, then it will be good news for us. But they are the absolute favorites, my outlook hasn’t changed. »

Kimi Räikkönen -> FP1: 7th (1:44.556; 27 laps) / FP2: 6th (1:41.464; 34 laps)

On his side, the Finnish driver was a bit less competitive. Beaten by Pérez in FP1, he couldn’t get ahead of the Red Bulls at the end of FP2. But fans of “Iceman” can rest assured, the gap with Daniel Ricciardo was minimal, less than a tenth!

« We experienced a very normal practice Friday, trying different things. The car reacted well overall: it’s just that I couldn’t accomplish a decent lap, but in general, it was a classic day. »

The former Lotus driver, however, noted a difficulty in the tire management.

We had some graining on our tires, but that’s something normal on the first day, it’s not a big problem. We will change that for the race. Now, we need to work, and we should be okay.

»

Finally, let’s note that the two drivers of the Prancing Horse joined the Q&A session with former driver David Coulthard, as part of an event broadcast live on the Formula 1 Facebook page. It was a very pleasant moment, also featuring Jenson Button and Felipe Massa. A chance to hear the usually very talkative Kimi Räikkönen…