| Yas Marina Circuit | |
 | |
| Race information | |
|---|---|
| Number of times held | 16 |
| First held | 2009 |
| Most wins (drivers) |  Lewis Hamilton (5) |
| Most wins (constructors) |  Red Bull Racing (7) |
| Circuit length | 5.281 km (3.281 miles) |
| Race length | 306.183 km (190.253 miles) |
| Laps | 58 |
| Last race (2024) | |
| Pole position | |
| |
| Podium | |
| |
| Fastest lap | |
| |
TheAbu Dhabi Grand Prix (Arabic:سباق جائزة أبوظبي الكبرى) is aFormula One motor racing event. The first race took place on 1 November 2009, held at theHermann Tilke-designedYas Marina Circuit onYas Island, nearAbu Dhabi, the capital of theUnited Arab Emirates.[1]
TheW Abu Dhabi - Yas Island is over the short straight between turn 13 and 14. It was announced in early 2007 at the Abu Dhabi F1 Festival. On 25 June 2008, theFIA announced the provisional2009 Formula One calendar including the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the 19th and final race of the season on 15 November. On 5 November 2008, however, it was announced that the race would be held as the season finale on 1 November, two weeks before the initially planned date, as the 17th and final race.[2] The event has been held every year since, and is due to take place at the Yas Marina Circuit until at least 2030.[3]
The inaugural race wasFormula One's first day–night race, starting at 17:00local time. Floodlights used to illuminate the circuit were switched on from the start of the event to ensure a seamless transition from daylight to darkness.[4] Subsequent Abu Dhabi Grands Prix have also been day–night races.
Formula 1 first came to Abu Dhabi in 2007 in the form of the first Formula One Festival.[5] Announced in January 2007,[6] the event which took place on 3 February 2007 was free, and the largest gathering of current Formula One cars and drivers outside of a Grand Prix.[7] At the festival it was announced that Abu Dhabi had won the rights to host a Grand Prix from 2009 until 2016.[8][9] Later that year,Etihad Airways negotiated a three-year deal for them to become sponsors of the Grand Prix.[10]
For the2009 season, the2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was added to the schedule. It was provisionally announced as being held on 15 November 2009, as the 19th and final Grand Prix of the season.[11] Both the Canadian Grand Prix and French Grand Prix were later removed from the provisional schedule,[12][13] and as a result the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was moved to 1 November 2009 where it would become the last of 17 meetings.[14] In August 2009, it was announced that the start time would be 17:00 local time (13:00 UTC), and that the race would be floodlit.[15] The race was won bySebastian Vettel forRed Bull Racing.[16]
For the2010 Formula One season, the2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on the Yas Marina Circuit, from 12 until 14 November 2010. The Drivers' Championship was decided in Abu Dhabi for the first time. With championship leaderFernando Alonso losing out andSebastian Vettel completing his second consecutive win on this track, the young German driver subsequently sealed the world championship.[17]
The2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the 18th and penultimate race of the2011 FIA Formula One World Championship, and took place on 11 until 13 November. The race was won byLewis Hamilton in aMcLaren-Mercedes. Second wasFernando Alonso in aFerrari, withJenson Button coming third in aMcLaren-Mercedes.Sebastian Vettel, in aRed Bull-Renault, had been on pole position, but retired after a puncture on the first lap whilst going round the second corner.[18]
In2012, championship leaderSebastian Vettel finished the race in 3rd position after starting from the pitlane, due to his disqualification from qualifying due to not having enough fuel to return toparc fermé. His main championship rivalFernando Alonso finished 2nd behind the Finnish driverKimi Räikkönen, who won for the first time after his return to Formula One earlier in 2012.[19]
The2013 edition was won bySebastian Vettel andRed Bull Racing for the third time, leading every lap. Having clinched their fourth consecutive Drivers' and Constructors' Championships respectively at theIndian Grand Prix, the team celebrated their achievements inAbu Dhabi withDavid Coulthard performing some doughnuts on the helipad of theBurj Al Arab luxury hotel in Dubai, 210 m (690 ft) above ground level.[20]
The2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place on 23 November[21] and was the concluding race of the2014 FIA Formula One World Championship. Double points were awarded for the race, which was won byLewis Hamilton, securing his second Drivers' Championship.[22]
The2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 29 November 2015. The race was won byNico Rosberg making it three wins in a row withLewis Hamilton andKimi Räikkönen completing the podium.[23]
The2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 27 November 2016. The race was won byLewis Hamilton making it four wins in a row withNico Rosberg andSebastian Vettel completing the podium and Rosberg securing his one and only Drivers' Championship.[24]
The2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 26 November 2017. The race was won byValtteri Bottas, withLewis Hamilton in second andSebastian Vettel completing the podium.[25]
The2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 25 November 2018. The race was won byLewis Hamilton, withSebastian Vettel in second andMax Verstappen completing the podium.[26]
The2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 1 December 2019. The race was won by six-time championLewis Hamilton, withMax Verstappen in second andCharles Leclerc in third. In this edition, Hamilton successfully achieved a "Grand Slam," by qualifying on pole, led every single lap and winning the race.[27]
The2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was scheduled for 29 November but the race was moved to 13 December to allow theBahrain Grand Prix to run after their race was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The race was won byMax Verstappen, withValtteri Bottas andLewis Hamilton finishing second and third respectively.[28]
On 9 December 2021, an extended 10-year agreement was signed between Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and theFormula One Group, where Abu Dhabi retains the contractual right to hold final race of the F1 season until 2030.[29][30] Therace was held on 12 December 2021.Max Verstappen controversially won his first World Drivers' Championship when he crossed the finishing line first, followed byLewis Hamilton in second, andCarlos Sainz Jr. in third. Mercedes won their 8th consecutive Constructors' Championship, followed closely by Red Bull Racing in second. Verstappen's race and championship win was mired in controversy as the race directorMichael Masi used the incorrect procedure for withdrawing the safety car prior to resuming racing on the final lap of the race.[31] The FIA launched an inquiry into the events of the race, concluding that whilst the safety car did not stay out for the additional lap, "as required by Article 48.12", the result was legitimised because, as Mercedes AMG did not appeal, there was "no available mechanism to change the classification".[32][33] In addition, Masi was replaced byNiels Wittich andEduardo Freitas for 2022 onward.[34]
The2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 20 November 2022. The race was won byMax Verstappen withCharles Leclerc in second, andSergio Pérez in third.[35]
The2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 26 November 2023 and was won by Verstappen ahead of Leclerc andGeorge Russell. By this point, Verstappen had secured the Drivers' Championship at theQatar Grand Prix sprint event, and the Constructors' Championship inJapan. Winning the Grand Prix, Verstappen became the first driver to lead one thousand laps in a single season, and the only driver to have completed every racing lap in the 2023 season.[36][37][38]
The Yas Marina Circuit was designed byHermann Tilke and is located onYas Island – a 2,550 hectares (25.5 km2) island on the east coast ofAbu Dhabi. The2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the first major event to take place on the circuit.[39]
In June 2021, Saif Al Noaimi, acting CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, announced that modifications to the track's Grand Prix layout had been approved, with the modifications being completed in time for the2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.[40] The turn 5–6 chicane and turn 7 hairpin were replaced by a single, widened hairpin, now turn 5; the triple chicane and 90 degree left hander at turns 11–14 were replaced by a single, sweeping banked curve, now turn 9; and the radiuses of turns 17–19 (now 12–14), and the penultimate turn 20 (now 15), were widened to allow cars to carry more speed through the third sector.[41][42]
Driversin bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.
| Wins | Driver | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | 2011,2014,2016,2018,2019 |
| 4 |  Max Verstappen | 2020,2021,2022,2023 |
| 3 |  Sebastian Vettel | 2009,2010,2013 |
| Source:[43] | ||
Teamsin bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.
| Wins | Constructor | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Red Bull Racing | 2009,2010,2013,2020,2021,2022,2023 |
| 6 | Mercedes | 2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019 |
| 2 | McLaren | 2011,2024 |
| Source:[43] | ||
Manufacturersin bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.
| Wins | Manufacturer | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Mercedes | 2011,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2024 |
| 4 |  Renault | 2009,2010,2012,2013 |
| 2 |  Honda | 2020,2021 |
| Source:[43] | ||
