Webber pleased with pole on bogey track

2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Mark Webber said he was happy to take pole position at a track he does not count as one of his favourites.

“I think this weekend so far has gone pretty smoothly for us,” said Webber after beating team mate Sebastian Vettel to pole in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s not the easiest venue because of the temperatures when the sessions are: obviously in the afternoon and then the night sessions, you’ve got to be on top of that as a driver and also from an engineering perspective.

“We did what we could do: not the smoothest start I would say to Q2, also Q1, we were not electric but then getting into the groove we change the car quite a bit with the front wing angle as the session went on and I got more and more comfortable.

“I knew I had to work on certain sections of the track which Sebastian had already being doing a good job there already so I had to try and match him there and keep the areas where I was doing a pretty good job.

“Overall happy with the pole, it’s a good lap obviously on a track which in the past has not been super invigorating for me in terms of layout, let’s say. We certainly enjoyed the quali today and really looking forward to the race tomorrow because I think we’ve got a good car for the race in these conditions.”

2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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10 comments on “Webber pleased with pole on bogey track”

  1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    2nd November 2013, 15:03

    Bad memories from 2010, when he couldn’t beat his new teammate for the championship… had the story been different then, he may have another opinion

    1. don’t start that crap

    2. 4 years late/later …

    3. Chris (@tophercheese21)
      3rd November 2013, 4:09

      Clear BS Omarr.

      He says it’s a terrible track because it’s exactly that: a terrible track.

      Aside from turns 2, 3 & 7, every corner is a med/low speed 90 degree corner.
      It’s an amazing place, but the track layout looks like it was a 5 minute job to design.

      1. Well said mate.

      2. If he had of won the championship he’d remember it as the track where he won a championship…. Yeah for sure it’s a terrible track, but if he had of won, it’s not a stretch to think he might think differently about it.

  2. Last year he had a good qualifying but a poor race. I hope this year he can lead after the first corner, then we will have a battle for the lead on our hands.

    1. I hope that Vettel’s car dies on him before turn 2 so that the race is actually interesting and entertaining for once this season.

      No wish for any harm to come to Vettel or any other driver – that would be unconscionable – but this has been one of the most boring, uninspiring F1 seasons I’ve ever followed. 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seem like a lifetime ago!

      1. Its a great outcome for Mark and will be a tremendous race except that Mark’s clutch played up on the start again…shame about that. Hope the car stays in one piece and he good finish position anyway.

      2. how is watching someone going for a world record boring? I’m desperate for Seb to win because 9 in a row is on by the end of the year

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