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Formula One: Mercedes ahead in Abu Dhabi Friday practice
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted November 26, 2015 | In Formula1, MotoGP, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted November 26, 2015 | In Formula1, MotoGP, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship, Sports Marketing
Formula One: Mercedes ahead in Abu Dhabi Friday practice
Mercedes led the final two Friday practice sessions of the 2015 Formula One world championship at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg both topped one session each, with Ferrari, Red Bull and Force India all managing to get drivers within a second in both sessions.
Hamilton held the top spot by just 1 tenth over team-mate Rosberg in the first practice session that was held during the heat of the day in Abu Dhabi. The heat and the time of day made the session largely unrepresentative considering that qualifying and the race will take place during late evening into night. This meant that many teams, such as Red Bull, opted to complete aero testing.
Kimi Raikkonen was the closest challenger to the Mercedes drivers; perhaps owing the speed to the temperature of the circuit at the time. He was 7 tenths off of Hamilton and 2 tenths ahead of 4th placed Daniil Kvyat, the second Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and 6th placed Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India.
Daniel Ricciardo was 7th fastest ahead of Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado, with Felipe Massa completing the top 10; 1.6 seconds down on Hamilton. Lotus had a shaky start to the weekend after having a late freight arrival that cost them running time in FP1. Both cars eventually managed to make it out on track, with Jolyon Palmer only getting 8 laps in after suffering a water leak. He ended the session 18th in Romain Grosjean’s car.
Abu Dhabi practice 1 results:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’43.754 | 27 |
| 2 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1’43.895 | 31 |
| 3 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’44.500 | 27 |
| 4 | Daniil Kvyat | Red Bull | 1’44.702 | 23 |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’44.742 | 23 |
| 6 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India | 1’44.751 | 22 |
| 7 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1’44.893 | 25 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Force India | 1’44.934 | 27 |
| 9 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus | 1’45.314 | 28 |
| 10 | Felipe Massa | Williams | 1’45.433 | 19 |
| 11 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | 1’45.603 | 22 |
| 12 | Max Verstappen | Toro Rosso | 1’45.718 | 32 |
| 13 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 1’45.773 | 15 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 1’45.865 | 20 |
| 15 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber | 1’46.115 | 20 |
| 16 | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso | 1’46.220 | 21 |
| 17 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 1’46.407 | 28 |
| 18 | Jolyon Palmer | Lotus | 1’46.501 | 8 |
| 19 | Will Stevens | Manor | 1’48.836 | 19 |
| 20 | Roberto Merhi | Manor | 1’49.888 | 20 |
Mercedes maintained their positions at the top of the time-sheets in the much more representative 2nd practice session, but this time it was Nico Rosberg who led Lewis Hamilton by 1 tenth. The pair look set to continue their fight for supremacy as they end the season this weekend.
Sergio Perez was in an impressive 3rd place at the end of the session despite the team having to stop the car after a brake-by-wire fault on his Force India; a problem that also affected the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz. He was just 6 tenths off of Rosberg and under a tenth faster than 4th placed Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull.
Sebastian Vettel and Daniil Kvyat were 5th and 6th fastest ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Hulkenberg. Fernando Alonso was in the dazzlingly high position of 9th in the McLaren Honda after recovering from yet more engine issues in the first session. He was the last driver within a second of Rosberg in P1. Pastor Maldonado completed the top 10.
Abu Dhabi practice 2 results:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1’41.983 | 38 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’42.121 | 31 |
| 3 | Sergio Perez | Force India | 1’42.610 | 23 |
| 4 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | 1’42.647 | 36 |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’42.717 | 35 |
| 6 | Daniil Kvyat | Red Bull | 1’42.798 | 34 |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’42.849 | 36 |
| 8 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India | 1’42.928 | 35 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | 1’42.955 | 31 |
| 10 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus | 1’43.431 | 37 |
| 11 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | 1’43.441 | 32 |
| 12 | Felipe Massa | Williams | 1’43.506 | 32 |
| 13 | Max Verstappen | Toro Rosso | 1’43.662 | 39 |
| 14 | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso | 1’43.854 | 20 |
| 15 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus | 1’43.929 | 27 |
| 16 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 1’44.050 | 31 |
| 17 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber | 1’44.116 | 36 |
| 18 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 1’45.245 | 28 |
| 19 | Will Stevens | Manor | 1’46.450 | 35 |
| 20 | Roberto Merhi | Manor | 1’47.022 | 27 |
Emanuele Venturoli
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
Save time and money
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
The right information, the right choice
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the beating heart
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Objective measurements for a certain return
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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