Brazilian racing star Bruno Senna this week became the first international driver to complete a lap at the spectacular new Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Senna, runner-up in 2008’s GP2 series and currently competing in the Le Mans Series for Oreca Racing, was visiting the circuit this week as Abu Dhabi announced its programme of support events to the eagerly anticipated Grand Prix in November.
Speaking after his three laps of the stunning new track, Senna said: "Every driver from every class is really excited about the new Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. It seems that the state-of-the-art facilities, together with a demanding track layout, will be a new and tough challenge to drivers and teams!”
"I would say the lay out is quite selective. It is not exactly the same as Bahrain, where you can find at least four overtaking points, but you can earn position in one place or another. The 1.2 km long straight will ease that, for sure. Some corners are crazy as the cars will pass very close to the wall, like in the Indycar series. This mix of characteristics is cool”, he added.
General facilities for teams, drivers and public are also impressive, according to Senna. "The garages are huge and, like the VIP areas and Media Centre for 600 journalists, have two floors and terrace. The owners want to use the local as a multi-use arena. There is one grandstand that can host music shows, as it features a very good acoustics.”
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix support programme will include the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, GP2 Asia Series and Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Challenge, a world class line up which organizers believe will be the ideal opportunity to trial the track’s operating systems before the Grand Prix gets underway.
The Porsche Supercup series has supported Formula One events since 1993 and ADMM have signed a deal to host races until 2011. The Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Challenge, meanwhile, is a touring car series and offers action-packed racing in readily recognisable versions of the popular GM Lumina sedan.
Senna said: "The support races add to the spectacle for racing fans and makes the ‘ladder’ of motor racing much easier to understand - and it is a perfect opportunity to see the up and coming talent that will feature in F1 in the future.”
On his own predicted future in F1, Bruno has remained tight lipped. He did however hint that next season could see the name Senna return to Formula One. "I am currently in the middle of some very positive discussions with a handful of teams regarding an F1 seat next season. Talks are of course at an early stage but I’m certainly hoping for some good news as things progress” said Senna.
