13/11/2010
NEWS STORY
In the qualifying session for tomorrow's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit, Virgin Racing's drivers, Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, were classified 21st and 22nd.
The session was held in bright sunshine, just before darkness began to fall and the artificial light took over. Timo was unlucky to be blocked on his second flying lap on his first set of tyres, and Lucas likewise reported issues with traffic. Both drivers did well to improve on their second runs, but ultimately the team was not quite able to match the pace of the Lotus pair.
However, tomorrow's Grand Prix is held over 55 laps of the Yas Marina circuit and tyre management will be a key feature of the race. The engineers will work to develop an optimum strategy in order to maximise the chances of finishing ahead of the other new teams.
Timo Glock: "It was a reasonable qualifying in the sense that we got the most from the car, so I am pleased with my performance, although it is disappointing that we were unable to beat Lotus. It's hard to believe but it's the last race of our debut season tomorrow so we obviously hope we can do something in the race and maybe get ahead of the Lotus cars one last time."
Lucas di Grassi: "All things considered, my lap time in qualifying was reasonably good, although traffic and track position played a big role in my qualifying times. Now we have to focus on tomorrow's race - the last of the season - in which we will try to do the best job possible and finish the year with a good result."
John Booth, Team Principal: "Both drivers suffered a little with traffic out there today. There was a problem with Lucas' brake drum which adversely affected his braking, nevertheless we simply weren't quite quick enough to beat our closest competitors. Tyre choice and management for tomorrow will be interesting and we look forward to an exciting season finale."
To check out our Abu Dhabi qualifying gallery, click here