Abu Dhabi gets 2010 F1 season finale
It'll be another sunset finale for F1 in Abu Dhabi in 2010
Abu Dhabi will host the F1 season finale for the second year in a row in 2010 after swapping its place on the calendar with the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The final 2010 F1 calendar revealed today by the FIA sees the last two races switched around and confirms F1 will have 19 races next year.
The Japanese and Korean Grands Prix – rounds 16 and 17 – each move back a week, meaning the Singapore and Japanese rounds are no longer back-to-back.
However the season will still end on the 14th of November, with the Brazilian and Abu Dhabi races on consecutive weekends despite the distance between the two.
Here’s the calendar in full:
| Round | Dates | Race | Circuit |
| 1 | March 12-14th | Bahrain Grand Prix | Bahrain International Circuit |
| 2 | March 26-28th | Australian Grand Prix | Albert Park, Melbourne |
| 3 | April 2nd-4th | Malaysian Grand Prix | Sepang International Circuit |
| 4 | April 16-18th | Chinese Grand Prix | Shanghai International Circuit |
| 5 | May 7-9th | Spanish Grand Prix | Circuit de Catalunya |
| 6 | May 13-16th | Monaco Grand Prix | Monte-Carlo |
| 7 | May 28-30th | Turkish Grand Prix | Istanbul Park |
| 8 | June 11-13th | Canadian Grand Prix | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal |
| 9 | June 25-27th | European Grand Prix | Valencia Street Circuit |
| 10 | July 9-11th | British Grand Prix | Silverstone |
| 11 | July 23-25th | German Grand Prix | Hockenheimring |
| 12 | July 30th-August 1st | Hungarian Grand Prix | Hungaroring |
| 13 | August 27-29th | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps |
| 14 | September 10-12th | Italian Grand Prix | Monza |
| 15 | September 24-26th | Singapore Grand Prix | Singapore |
| 16 | October 8-10th | Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka |
| 17 | October 22-24th | Korean Grand Prix | Jeonnam |
| 18 | November 5-7th | Brazilian Grand Prix | Interlagos |
| 19 | November 12-14th | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Island |
What do you think: would you rather see the F1 season finish on the brilliant Interlagos track in front of Brazil’s feverish F1 fans, or at ultra-modern Abu Dhabi with its futuristic Yas Island circuit?
Read more: 2010 F1 calendar
Image (C) Red Bull/Getty Images
Chris P said on 11th December 2009, 15:45
When will the Google Calendar get these updates please Keith?
Thanks
thestig84 said on 11th December 2009, 16:00
Wow it bad news day today!
Just have to hope it gets decided in Brazil like this year. Another winter trying to forget about the hideous hotel with an f1 race going on in the background :-(
Jim said on 11th December 2009, 16:07
Bad, bad, bad. What bunch of monkeys plumped for Abu Dhabi as season-ender? Interlagos has heritage, is proven to be a great track, has passionate fans, a party atmosphere, amphitheatre-like layout… the list goes on. Ideal for a finale, really. *head in hands*…
Steph90 said on 11th December 2009, 16:13
I like Abu Dhabi and I don’t really mind Bahrain has the season opener as it always produces good races. Abu Dhabi hasn’t had much of a chance either and history means little to me as I just care about action when watching a race.
However, there are probably going to be 4 Brazilian drivers in f1, the place has huge soul and corwds and Interlagos is incredible so I am hugely disappointed.
three4three said on 11th December 2009, 16:15
Shame about the finale swap, I guess Abu Dhabi had first dibs as they were the last race on the original calender.
Also, I see that the three races Singapore to Korea a evenly spaced out fortnightly, does this mean the teams will spend a whole month out in the region or just send cars and equipment with the teams returning to Europe? Surely an exhausting time for them and their families.
Steph90 said on 11th December 2009, 16:20
Oh and also with them being back-to-back now won’t this be a pain for the teams? I don’t really see the logic in that unless it’s a championship showdown and so more exciting to have one after the other :S
Noelinho said on 12th December 2009, 0:06
Maybe they’re doing that in anticipation…
mail123456 said on 11th December 2009, 16:21
1 week only between Brazil and Abu Dhabi … weird …
DomPrez said on 11th December 2009, 19:58
most F1 teams have investments in teleportation industries now…they only need about 15 min to get from 1 side of the globe to the other…
Zazeems said on 11th December 2009, 16:23
Bloody hell!
The season starting and ending at Tilkedromes. :(
Ads21 said on 12th December 2009, 12:52
Exactly what i noticed, its a disgrace. The season should start in Aus and end in Brazil, two tracks where you’re nearly guarrenteed a good race. Worst location for a final race of the season since Las Vegas.
China should also be at the back end of the season, its usually a dull race, having it toward the end at least gives it some suspense and tension due to a title fight.
Also the British GP is on the same days as the world cup final, surely it was in their comercial interests to avoid that clash.
Ratboy said on 13th December 2009, 14:05
The British GP/World Cup Final clash was probably done on purpose by Bernie!!!
Not happy at a dull first and last race, Brazil fans care about the racing, where as abu dhabi are just showing off there money!
Chaz said on 11th December 2009, 16:29
Oh dear! This is yet another classic example showing the power of money over common sense. Australia should be first and Brazil should be last. It’s always worked just fine that way as they are both popular and excellent circuits to start and end on respectively. Now we start and end the season with dull and duller or duller and dull depending on your yawn factor…
Chaz said on 11th December 2009, 16:46
Oh and how do I get to put my name into the hat for a FIA F1 Ambassador. I really think a few posts should be open to the public. This sounds like a great job…
Harvs said on 12th December 2009, 10:52
its bloody bernie, wanting to fill his pockets!
even though he doesnt have enough years left to spend all his billions!
new points….
….now this!
Bernie has gone NUTS!!!
F1 is not a sport its bernie’s pet.
the biggest improvement that can ever be made to F1 is getting rid of that idea!
Wesley said on 11th December 2009, 16:34
BOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Booooooooooo!!!
Just like this year,I refuse to watch next year’s F1 race in that awful place.
DomPrez said on 11th December 2009, 18:12
is there a reason to ur madness?
thestig84 said on 11th December 2009, 18:51
While I would stop short of no watching the race I can see where Wesley is coming from.
I really didnt enjoy the tourism video that was last years race. Constant wide shots of hotels, boats ferrari world etc then panning to a long shot of an F1 car not to mention masses of helicopter long range shots showing off the place.
How many times have you seen Silverstone starting the camera shot on their hotel then picking up a f1 car for the end of the shot…never because there isnt a awful hotel there, meaning totally focused camera action on the F1 race ( the reason why we are watching!!)
Rikadyn said on 11th December 2009, 19:53
Would help if there was more than 3 races worth of action in F1 across the whole of the 19 race schedule…
Wesley said on 11th December 2009, 23:44
“is there a reason to ur madness?”
LOL!
thestig84 covered some of that for me,thank you stig.
For one thing it is all glamour and the super rich,no one in that area could care less about F1 racing or any other kind of racing.It sickens me.Bernie is nothing but a pimp.As long as he gets his money he doesn’t care that he is destroying the roots of this fantastic sport.
But,there are many reasons that I can not state on this website because I refuse to get Keith in hot water.
wasiF1 said on 11th December 2009, 16:38
Brazil was perfect for the finale,anyways looking forward for April 2nd-4th for the Malaysian GP.
LC Coelho said on 11th December 2009, 16:53
bad news.
i hope the title will be decided in Brazil, hopefully for Massa!
ajokay said on 11th December 2009, 16:59
I’m still just glad to see Canada back on the list.
Steph90 said on 11th December 2009, 17:01
yeah I’m really thankful for that. We seem to have very good tracks on the calendar for next year which should keep plenty happy. Shame it won’t end at Brazil but I am just happy we have great tracks.
ajokay said on 11th December 2009, 17:19
Well, it ended at Brazil this year, even if it didn’t actually end at Brazil this year, but I though Aboo Dabby was alright. It wasn’t as awful as a few other races/tracks this year, or as some people thought it was. The track was decent enough, very pretty, and there was a semi-decent amount of racing going on in spits and spots.
Plus there’s the whole metaphor of ‘the sun setting on the season’.
Maybe the Bahrain race should start at 4am, with the sun rising half way through?
Steph90 said on 11th December 2009, 17:57
I actually like that idea about Bahrain :P We have twilight races and night races so may as well
PJA said on 11th December 2009, 17:30
Personally I would prefer if the season opener was in Australia and the finale in Brazil.
The Autosport article claims
Interlagos moving back to November 7 to avoid a date clash with Brazil’s presidential elections.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80533
Juicy Bob said on 11th December 2009, 20:41
At least that is a legitimate reason to swap finales that I can accept. They’re swapping the opener with Melbourne and Bahrain for another stupid argument over start-times! I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who found getting up at Stupid-o’clock in the morning to watch the new season begin part of the fun?
Ratboy said on 13th December 2009, 14:10
Yeah I did as well, although i quite often got up for the Quali then fell asleep half way through,
I have always wondered why not start at one side of the world and work across, It would save starting in Bahrain then going round the world only to end up back in abu dhabi?
Daniel said on 14th December 2009, 0:49
In fact, October 31st will be Brazil’s second round of presidential, legislative and state governments elections… but certainly Abu Dhabi got the finale for financial reasons…
Otherwise, it would be much better to have the Brazilian Grand Prix on November 14th (a national holiday’s eve, since November 15th is the date when, in 1889, Brazil became a republic, which would make the tickets sell out even faster than they usually do) and Abu Dhabi on October 31st…
It is curious to here so many of you saying Brazil “always worked” as a season ender, since it was a season opener, at least, from 1984 to 1989 and from 1994 to 1995, and usually was among the first three races…
The Brazilian Grand Prix only started to figure among the last races from 2004 onwards… (sorry for the spelling)
Australia, otherwise, was a season ender from 1985 to 1995, when the Grand Prix was held in Adelaide…
Anyway, I prefer Interlagos as the last race, because it doesn’t rain as much (but still more than enough to provide thrilling races) in October than it rains in March…
DomPrez said on 11th December 2009, 18:11
Abu Dhabi is not a bad scene at all by the looks of it, and some of its luster was taken by the fact that Button had wrapped things up in Brazil, so it turned into an exhibition race of sorts. The spectacle though seems great and i can see it more of a season opener than a finale.