Formula One is Bernie Ecclestone. The two are inseparable. What F1’s chief commercial rights holder wants, he usually gets – and Bernie isn’t a 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 (it is currently being redeveloped). Silverstone wasn’t the only thing to fall under the hammer. Over the past five years, other established circuits such as Indianapolis and Canada have gone, being replaced by Bahrain, Shanghai, Turkey and – more recently – Singapore, Valencia 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 rings a little hollow given that this is the second race in 2009 to be held in the Middle East (the other one was held in Bahrain), with none in North America.
So, while the Grand Prix offers Abu Dhabi the world stage it craves, what – beyond the obvious financial might – does the capital offer F1? The answer is twofold: the full attention the F1 has been craving, and a bit of old-fashioned glamour. Enter the new Yas Marina Circuit.
Standing under the seven-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 why. Should 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 Marina 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 will get. F1 is a sport that thrives on glamour and excess; by bringing it to places like Abu Dhabi, it will find not just a no-expense-spared facility, but the enthusiasm that comes with something new. ‘People who never bothered to watch Formula One will be involved now,’ Ecclestone believes. In turn, Abu Dhabi gains not just the prestige and publicity of a genuine world sport, but a facility that will continue to bring in tourists and visitors year-round. This is surely a winning formula for everyone.
