Formula One is Bernie Ecclestone. The two are inseparable. What Formula One’s chief commercial rights holder wants, he gets – and Bernie is no sentimentalist.
When Silverstone, the grand-old dame of British motor racing, was looking a bit scruffy, it was cut from the racing calendar like some tired greyhound with a gammy knee. Silverstone wasn’t the only thing to fall under the hammer. Over the past six years, other established circuits such as Indianapolis have gone, being replaced by Bahrain, Shanghai, Turkey and – more recently – Singapore, Valencia, Korea and Abu Dhabi.
Of course, Bernie wouldn’t use such drastic terms as ‘rejuvenation’. When previously asked about the locations of the new venues, he replied with brusque efficiency: ‘That’s where I want to put them, because we’re a World Championship.’ However, this rang a little hollow given that Yas Marina Circuit was the second race to be held in the Middle East (the other one was held in Bahrain), with none in the USA.
So, while the Grand Prix offered Abu Dhabi the world stage it craved, what – beyond the obvious financial might – did the capital offer Formula One? The answer was twofold: the full attention the race had been craving, and a bit of old-fashioned glamour. Yas Circuit had the latter in spades.
Standing under the five-star ceiling of Emirates Palace, the unveiling of the model of Yas Marina Circuit back in late 2008 felt like something special. Like a calling card for the city, the glistening 50,000-seater stadium is one of the first things visitors see as they land at Abu Dhabi airport (should they sit on the left-hand side of the plane, that is).
If Silverstone got the boot because of its antiquated facilities, Yas Island shows us why. If you need a berth for your 100m-long super-yacht, the marina has you covered; a 60m-high VIP suite known as Sun Tower ensures an unobstructed view for the ‘very important people’, and The Yas Hotel has the privilege of being the only hotel in the world with a Formula One track running through it.
But there is also life beyond the race itself – you’ve only to look at the music and racing events surrounding the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to get an inkling of the attention this event got last year, with Beyoncé and Aerosmith in attendance, and Prince and Nelly Furtado lining up this year. Formula One is a sport that thrives on glamour and excess; by bringing it to Abu Dhabi, it found not just a no-expense-spared facility, but an in-built bling factor that is starting to rival Monaco.
In turn, Abu Dhabi gained not just the prestige and publicity of a genuine world sport, but a facility that has continued to bring in tourists and visitors year-round. This has surely been a winning formula for everyone.
Your guide to the Yas Marina Circuit
• It has the first hotel to actually straddle the track – the five-star Yas Hotel.
• The track was designed by renowned circuit architect Hermann Tilke.
• It has a total of 20 corners with nine right turns and 11 left turns.
• It is 55.5km long.
• The 60m solar-powered Sun Tower will offer unrivalled views for VIPs.
• The track is 12-16m wide.
• All the grandstands are covered to keep spectators cool.
• You can view a virtual lap of the course on YouTube – type in Yas Marina Circuit virtual lap.
• The arena can seat 50,000 spectators.
• The race will last for 55 laps.
