Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Track guide

The Abu Dhabi circuit is one that had such potential, yet ultimately produces disappointing racing the majority of the time. The track starts with a fast sequence of turns, with elevation changes making the first sector one of the best on the calendar.

Sadly, after sector one, things aren’t so interesting. Following Turn 7, we find a massively long straight. The 1.2 kilometre back straight is the joint longest on the F1 calendar, and this part of the track is where we see the bulk of the overtaking, due to this being the first DRS zone. 

Another long straight comes immediately after, acting as the second DRS zone. This is also a popular overtaking spot, and with a twisty, technical final sector, it's the last real chance to pass.

Race history

When F1 first arrived in Abu Dhabi in 2009, Jenson Button and Brawn GP had already won the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles.

2010 was much more open however, with Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton all having a chance of taking the title. Famously, pit stop timing errors from both Alonso and Webber saw them stuck behind the Renault of Vitaly Petrov, and in the era before DRS, they were unable to pass and Vettel won the race to take his first world title.

We witnessed a spectacular crash in 2012, when Nico Rosberg smashed into the slow moving HRT of Narain Karthikeyan, pitching his car into the air and into the barriers at Turn 17. This Grand Prix also saw one of the most popular victories of recent times, as Kimi Raikkonen took the win for Lotus, his first since his return to F1.

In 2014 we had the strange situation of double points being awarded for the winner. In a move to put more emphasis on the final race, it was decided that double points in the final race was a good idea. Fortunately, it had no impact on the title race with Lewis Hamilton winning comfortably, and it didn’t return.

The end of the 2016 race was one of the most tense in recent times. Rosberg, going for the title, was in a winning position but under pressure from the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel. Rosberg managed to hold on to win the championship and retired a few days later.

2016 is the last time we saw a title decided in Abu Dhabi, but maybe we’ll get one later this year? We can only hope…

Last year at the Yas Marina Circuit

The final race of 2020's strange season was won by Max Verstappen, taking advantage of the dead rubber race to secure his tenth victory in F1. Returning from his positive COVID-19 result, Hamilton was not on top form and could only manage third, with Valtteri Bottas second. 

The race also saw McLaren edge out Racing Point to take third in the constructors' standings, with Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz finishing fifth and sixth.