On Track

Team experiences new-look Abu Dhabi GP circuit in practice

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team completed its full practice programme in preparation for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Completing a combined total of 105 laps of the Yas Marina Circuit, Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel gathered crucial data ahead of Sunday's season finale.

Throughout FP1, Lance and Sebastian ran solely on the Soft tyres and established a baseline for the AMR21 in the opening stages of the one-hour session.

Exploring the revised configuration of the Yas Marina Circuit, Sebastian laid down an initial 1.29.926 lap time and refined his performance as the day progressed.

Race Preview by Cognizant

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may have become Formula One's traditional season-ending race – but the deck has been shuffled for 2021 following an extensive track redesign. Teams will be working hard to familiarise themselves with the new layout, and the stage is well and truly set for a thrilling conclusion.

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The German's 1.26.352 run marked the end of his opening stint while Lance was only a handful of tenths down on his team-mate, producing a 1.26.608 lap worthy of 10th.

After switching to performance running on new Softs at the midway point, Lance quickly placed his focus on long-distance mileage until the end of the session.

When examining his one-lap pace, Sebastian posted a personal best 1.26.007 lap to slot into the top five before evaluating long-run performance of the Soft tyre.

Completing a combined total of 52 laps, Sebastian ended FP1 in 10th place while Lance's baseline performance placed the Canadian in 15th.

Taking place at sunset, FP2 was representative of the twilight conditions of qualifying and the race, with the team focusing on one-lap performance and long-run data collection.

Both drivers evaluated the Medium tyre at the start of the session, and, while Lance established a baseline on the mid-range compound, Sebastian continued with preparations for qualifying.

Lance produced a best time of a 1.26.492 on the Mediums while Sebastian was a handful of tenths ahead of his team-mate with a 1.25.909 lap.

With two thirds of the session remaining, the duo continued to examine one-lap pace on new Softs, with Sebastian delivering a 1.25.195 run and Lance a 1.25.385 lap time.

In the second half of FP2, the pair focused on race simulations by alternating from used Medium tyres to used Softs.

Adding an additional 53 laps onto Friday's total, Sebastian concluded the day in 14th with Lance in 15th, turning a combined 105 laps during the day.

Sebastian: "It is a good challenge to have the new circuit layout and it is faster and more exciting to drive.

"I think some of the weaker turns have been replaced with stronger corners – the highlight being the new banked Turn Nine. We are still learning the circuit, but it is a positive first impression. 

"The goal now is to extract more from the car and finish qualifying for the year on a high tomorrow."

Lance: "It was good to experience the new Yas Marina Circuit layout today. It is definitely faster and has more flow to it, which makes it cool and fun to drive. We were able to complete our programme today and put in some good laps.

"We have learned a lot across the two sessions, so now it is about reviewing the data and trying to extract some more performance ahead of qualifying tomorrow."