Abu Dhabi Grand Prix round-up: Kimi Raikkonen concedes season was ‘pretty average’

Rosberg denies car set-up explains form

Nico Rosberg heads into Sunday’s Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix bidding to win three races in succession for the first time in his career: the Mercedes-GP driver triumphed in Mexico and Brazil. He denied on Thursday that there had been a change to the car set-up that suddenly made the W06 suit him more than Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg’s championship-winning teammate. Hamilton complained in Brazil that a change to the car coincided with Rosberg starting to out-perform him, particularly in qualifying, but the German said: “I’m not really sure what he’s referring to. There’s no change in the feel of the car or anything. For me, it was always very close before and now it’s just swung the other way. It’s very close but I’m ahead now and I’ve been quicker lately. That’s it.”

POLL: Who will win the 2015 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

Graham Caygill: Why Hamilton likes racing in Abu Dhabi

Jonathan Raymond: Button confident McLaren will improve in 2016

By the numbers: The 2015 Formula One season

Hulkenberg says Williams will be tested

Nico Hulkenberg says Force India can step up and challenge Williams next season for third place in the constructors’ standings. Since updating their car in mid-season, the team have moved forward and have had one of their cars in the top eight in the past eight races. They are fifth in the constructors’ championship on 120 points, but Hulkenberg wants them to target Williams, who like them use a Mercedes engine but are third in the standings, 133 points ahead of Force India. “I think there is a still a good margin to the cars very much in front but first we need to look at people like Williams and try and close the gap to them and hopefully make their lives a little harder next year,” the German said.

Stevens wants to stay in F1

Will Stevens is hopeful he will remain on the grid with Manor Marussia next season. The Briton, who joined the British team at the start of the season has competed in every race this season, with his best result being 13th in the British Grand Prix. “I would love to be here next year,” he said. “The reason we wanted to start with this team is it has a very exciting future ahead of them and as far as I am concerned we are in a good position and I would like to think I have done enough for the team to give me the seat for next season.”

Raikkonen frank about his performance

Kimi Raikkonen did not hold back in describing his season on Thursday. The Ferrari driver is fifth in the drivers’ standings, but has scored 131 fewer points than teammate Sebastian Vettel, who has also won three races. “Pretty average, I must say,” the Finn, who won the 2012 race at Yas Marina Circuit, said of a year when he has made the podium only twice, with second in Bahrain his best result. “Better than last year but still far away from what it should be. But that’s life and next year we’ll try again.”

Hamilton wants F1 to learn from Nascar

World champion Lewis Hamilton was a visitor to the Nascar season finale at Homestead last weekend and he was impressed with what he saw. The Mercedes-GP driver says there are lessons F1 can pick up from the premier racing series in the US, in terms of the entertainment side of proceedings. “There were for sure things that we could learn from them,” he said. “It was a great show, a great spectacle, particularly for the fans. The fans get very, very close to the garages in the background and to the drivers.”

sports@thenational.ae

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE