An inevitability has finally come to fruition- the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be held at the Yas Marina circuit till at least 2030. The circuit joined the F1 calendar way back in 2009, and has held a race every year since. It has been the scene for a few championship deciders- namely in 2010, 2014, 2016, and now in 2021 as well.
Changes have been made to the circuit, and some of the slow chicanes have been removed. The wonky 90 degree turns have been replaced by sweeping and banked turns for this year’s iteration, after complaints by drivers and fans alike that the racing was poor due to not being able to follow the other cars in the slow corners. Here’s the old layout and the new layout compared (old layout is the white parts, updated track is in black).
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had this to say:
“We are delighted to confirm that we will be racing in Abu Dhabi until 2030 under this new agreement. We are hugely looking forward to the season finale this weekend when more Formula 1 history will be made.
“The promoter, ADMM, always creates an incredible show for the final race of every F1 season and combined with the changes made to improve the racing on the Yas Marina Circuit we are excited for many years of racing in Abu Dhabi that is ahead of us.”
-Formula 1 CEO and President, Stefano Domenicali
This iteration of the GP will be no different than the others, being a evening-night transition race under the lights. Even though last year’s race was one of the most boring and disliked ones, I feel like this year’s race could provide god racing with the track changes. Let’s wait and see whether that comes to fruition on Sunday!
