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Street circuit spectacular

Formula One has visited some spectacular places in its day, but the Yas Marina circuit at Abu Dhabi may be the most visually impressive of all. With such novelties as a tunnel for the pit exit and a hotel that crosses the track the gimmicks could have over-ridden the facts, but this technically difficult circuit promises much as a season finale.

The second practice session followed the first in as much as McLaren looked very good indeed, and it is perhaps a sign of impending contract negotiations that Heikki Kovalainen took the top spot in the final moments. The Finn’s time of 1:40.307 pipped team mate Lewis Hamilton by two tenths, with third position going to the new World Champion as Jenson Button allowed recent pressures to leave his shoulders and hustled the Brawn around the twisty track to a time just a few hundredths shy of his predecessor.

Sebastian Vettel looked in good form in the Red Bull all session and duly set the fourth fastest time, and his team mate Mark Webber routinely topped the times in the opening sector and finished the session in seventh, less than a tenth down on Vettel.

Fifth went to Kamui Kobayashi, the young Japanese in his second outing for Toyota – deputising for Timo Glock – and again impressing with his raw pace, while Sebastien Buemi put the Toro Rosso in a very respectable sixth spot.

Rubens Barrichello set eighth best time to pip the man with who he is expected to swap drives, Nico Rosberg in the Williams, while the final top ten runner was Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari.

Written: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:41:03