Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: track and statistics

The idea of ​​building a race track in the capital of the United Arab Emirates was formalized in January 2006, when Hermann Tilke was commissioned to develop a modest three kilometer circuit for regional races. The project expanded every month and already in the summer it was decided to complete it on the scale of Formula 1. As a result, the circuit on the artificial island of Yas became one of the most ambitious projects of the Tilke architectural firm at that time. time.

Part of the route will be constructed along the dike. The tide height in Abu Dhabi does not exceed half a meter, there are virtually no waves, so the location is almost at sea level, and wealthy spectators will be able to watch the fight from moored yachts.

The project was initially based on duality: the first half of the circuit has all the characteristics of a stationary high-speed circuit, and the second consists of slow and medium-speed corners, more typical of the urban Grand Prix. In recent years, this duality has also manifested itself in the competition schedule, which starts at daylight and ends after sunset. Qualifying starts at 6:00 PM and the race starts at 5:00 PM local time, with the sun setting at 5:34 PM.

After its debut in 2009, the Abu Dhabi race completed the season for two years, then lost this status and in 2014 the organizers returned it. The right to reach the final stage is a matter of pride. This contributes to good ticket sales, as the race can determine the fate of the championship title – this was the case in 2014, 2016 and 2021.

Characteristics of the trajectory

The Abu Dhabi circuit is often criticized for overtaking issues, and in 2020 this became especially apparent. Due to the pandemic, the entertainment program was canceled, all attention was focused on the race, which turned out to be quite boring due to the lack of competition. Organizers promised to solve the problem through large-scale reconstruction. In 2021, the race was held for the first time with a new configuration, but this did not help with overtaking.

Instead of slow 5-7 turns, a smoother left turn appeared. The combination of turns 11-14 was replaced by one profiled turn with a slight slope angle, during which the cars accelerate up to 250 km/h, and at the exit the racers can use different trajectories.

The circuit requires an average level of downforce. The load on the brakes is quite high. During the race, pilots use a special visor for a comfortable transition from natural to artificial light.

One of the interesting features is the tunnel at the exit of the pit lane, which starts already behind the speed limit. At first, many were skeptical about this decision, because in the event of an accident it would be difficult to evacuate the car, but no serious problems have arisen yet.

Weekend schedule

You can follow the progress of all Formula 1 sessions on our live broadcast page.

Tire kits issued to teams for the weekend

In Abu Dhabi this year, teams will receive the softest tires for the eleventh time: C3, C4 and C5 in hard, medium and soft quality.

One set of Soft tires must be saved for the final qualifying session. After this, those who took part in the final must return this set to Pirelli.

One set of medium and hard tires must be kept for the race. Unless declared wet, drivers are required to use at least one of these sets.

Mario Isola: “After the lights of Las Vegas, the sunset awaits us in Abu Dhabi in a few days, after we have covered a distance of almost 13 thousand km. This race, according to a long tradition, ends the season; Yas Marina Circuit will host the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for the 15th time, having hosted the season finale 11 times.

For 2021, the circuit has been redesigned, resulting in higher speeds and a more organic layout, which also creates additional overtaking opportunities, as we saw in the previous two races in Abu Dhabi.

Despite the vertical loads, especially on the front axle, the tires on Yas Marina operate in a moderate mode. That’s why we choose the softest rubber compounds – this is the same choice as last year, and the same as in Las Vegas.

The test day, which will take place on Tuesday after the Grand Prix, has also become familiar, with each team providing two cars: one to be driven by a young driver and the second to be used for tire testing.

But this time there will be no new compositions in the tests: the FIA ​​​​recently confirmed that the compositions in 2024 will remain the same as this year. The only change is that there will be five instead of six, as the C0 compound has been eliminated (it was never used on race weekends this year).

The upcoming tests will be useful for the teams as they will be able to work with the tyres, find the optimal approach to them and gather information for the next season. The tires allocated to the test teams have already been determined: each will receive 10 sets, including one C1, one C2, two C5 and three C3 and C4.

In addition, two sets of C3 and C5, as well as four sets of C4, will be allocated for the car to be driven by the young driver.”

Performance of active pilots in Abu Dhabi

Esteban Ocon: “Two years ago the track was improved by widening the hairpin at Turn 7 and removing the chicane. The new corner replaced the 90 degree corners at the end of the straight. Overtaking has become a little easier, which is always interesting for drivers and fans. In short, I really enjoy performing here.”

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: all stages