McLaren Mercedes: an excellent balance in Abu Dhabi

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
Free Practice 1: 20 laps | 1m45.123s (tenth)
Free Practice 2: 35 laps | 1m41.307s (first)

"The whole day was particularly good. We had already done some great work in Woking in preparation for this circuit, so we had a good balance right from the start this morning. However, I had a brake problem during the FP1 which we were unable to resolve during the session. In the afternoon, we succeeded and I was able to improve considerably, with both tire compounds. The circuit is nice, very smooth with lots of grip and the curbs are pleasant. Turns 2 and three are not easy but with a well balanced car they are fun. On the straight, the KERS gives us an extra advantage. We can use it for maximum performance and it gives us three-four tenths. The light is not 'a problem with our tear-off visors, which we can remove when the sun goes down."

LEWIS HAMILTON
Free Practice 1: 18 laps | 1m43.939s (first)
Free Practice 2: 34 laps | 1m41.504s (second)

"It looks like we'll be quite competitive here, our long runs look good, the car looks fantastic as does the track, it's quite interesting to go from day to night, you don't notice the difference at sunset. They've done a fantastic job here. And "It's a really nice circuit, there are a lot of technical corners, where braking stability is important. It's a fantastic track and I really enjoy it. The only thing I don't like is the tunnel but it's a challenge!
We'll see what happens tomorrow because the track conditions are constantly changing but I'm quite optimistic about our pace. Our car seems to perform well on the curbs, we found a pretty good balance today. Our car is probably better than all year, it is improving all the time. In a certain sense it was an excellent year: it's a bit like a race in which you start from the bottom and come back to fight at the top. And I am extremely proud of the whole team, we have done a fantastic job all year and I would like to finish it in the best possible way for all of them."