Courtney: Yas Marina has zero character

Defending V8 Supercars Champion James Courtney says that the Yas Marina Circuit lacks in character compared to other circuits that the V8 Supercars Championship competes on.

The #1 Toll Holden Racing Team driver, currently in Abu Dhabi conducting a number of V8 Supercars media engagements, says that while the Yas Marina facility is stunning, it lacks traits of rival tracks.

“To be honest, the track is very boring to drive … in that it has zero character,” Courtney told AAP’s Ed Jackson.

“All the good circuits are the ones that are old and beaten up with walls where they shouldn’t be and that sort of stuff.

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“The new circuits that they’re building for Formula One such as Yas have 1000km of run-off, they’re dead-flat, there’s no bumps, there’s no character to the place.

“Although it’s an amazing facility, it does lack that (character).

“Like Clipsal, you look at that on paper and think ‘geez, I can’t believe we race there’ but it’s bouncing all over the place.

“Everyone complains about New Zealand but it’s got some great racing. It’s bumpy, a little bit hairy, sorts the men out from the boys and makes the cars look spectacular.

“Although the facilities are great and it’s good to go back and enjoy the facilities … but then you come back to reality when you come back to Australia.”

The Yas V8 400 gets underway on Thursday (Friday AM AEDT) with four sessions of practice before qualifying and 200km race each on Friday (Saturday AM AEDT) and Saturday (Sunday AM AEDT).

See below for the first Video News Release from Abu Dhabi …