Jay Kay
In town to play the third of the evening gigs, Jamiroquai’s front man most likely would have made the journey anyway. Beneath those trademark hats is hidden a whopping great petrol head, the kind that lavishes money on high speed four-wheeled vehicles. He reputedly owns four Ferraris, including an Enzo, so you may well bump into him in Ferrari World next time you’re there.
Boris becker
There was a point last year when it felt like the former tennis superstar had moved into Abu Dhabi, so often was he here. Our first glimpse, however, came at Yas Marina circuit, when the gentle giant started waving at our Time Out reporter as though he was our old acquaintance. Our reporter waved back enthusiastically, at which point Becker decided he must be mistaken and ducked behind a door. Yes, the day we were mistaken for someone else by Boris Becker haunts us constantly. We really must do something about our freaky waving, though…
Naomi campbell
A special guest of Bernie Ecclestone, the moment the television cameras picked out the gorgeous super model in the pit lane area was almost as exciting as the race itself (for the male members of the TOAD staff, at least). Celeb royalty had arrived in the capital once and for all.
James Corden
We bumped into England’s favourite chubby man on two separate occasions, both equally as surreal. After chatting with season winner Jenson Button, we found the large comedian scoffing handfuls of jelly babies in the living room of Button’s team villa. 12 hours later, we saw him boogying at Étoiles with none other than Richard Branson for a dance partner. Hands down, the strangest thing we’ve ever seen.
Jeremy irons
Almost as surreal as the James Corden incidents was the repeated sighting of the British thespian in what can only be described as jodhpurs and a dressing gown, like he’d just arrived on the back of a horse, prepared for a nightcap and bed. Eccentric barely covers it
