Drivers flash thumbs up to new i1 series

Like its F1 debut in 2009 when the Yas Marina Circuit hosted the final race of the season the inaugural i1 Supercar Series will also be staging their final event here in the UAE capital next year. The Yas Circuit came alive once again yesterday, when the i1 Series held its pre-season test of the Radical SR3 car by some ex-F1 drivers, current F1 drivers and a band of budding youngsters from India. Three-time Formula One race winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen topped the timing, followed by Giancarlo Fisichella and India's Karun Chandhok, as the series unveiled the cars and the driver-line-up for the first city-based motorsport racing league. Complete success The FIA-certified Radical SR3 cars that will be used for the series got the thumbs up from co-ordinator Robin Webb, as well as the drivers. "The shakedown and pre-season test was a complete success and the cars performed to the level we expected them to. Today was more about the drivers familiarising themselves with the cars and adapting to them. I am happy to say that we had a trouble-free day and now we will work hard to get the cars ready for the first race in Malaysia," Webb said. The inaugural i1 Supercar Series will see teams fight for a prize fund of $2 million (Dh7.34 million), with the inaugural event scheduled in Sepang, Malaysia, on January 21 and 22, followed by races in Bahrain, Qatar, India and the UAE. Frentzen said: "The lap times were so close today so it means we are in for a really close championship. The car feels good, grip levels were really high and it was easy to adapt to the car." Great balance Former Ferrari driver Jean Alessi said: "The car balance felt great and I was very happy with the grip and it was very easy to adapt my driving style to it. All in all the whole package is great and I am looking forward to the start of the championship. The lap times are so close so I am sure we will have an excellent season ahead of us." Fisichella added: "I was quite impressed with how easy it was to acclimatise to the car. This was the first time for all of us so I'm sure we are all learning more about the car. The series looks very promising and it feels great to be a part of it." The i1 Supercar Series includes a women's team made up of Indycar driver Pippa Mann and Cyndie Allemann.