Yas Marina Abu Dhabi by Populous

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race organisers have been urged to make changes to the Yas Marina track to improve opportunities for overtaking.

But with several permanent structures in place around the track, re-configuring it could prove difficult.

This exclusive image produced for F1 Fanatic by the architects who designed Silverstone’s ‘Arena’ extension show how a revised Yas Marina track could look.

Obstacles

Populous were approached by Silverstone to revise parts of their circuit in order to allow Moto GP bikes to race at the track.

The revisions went down well with F1 fans after the first Grand Prix on the revised layout, with 80% saying the changes were an improvement.

But whereas the grandstands at Silverstone are temporary constructions, all bar one grandstand at Yas Marina is permanent. This means the footprint of the circuit is very tight, giving them less scope for change without incurring significant costs.

Drew MacDonald, motorsport specialist at Populous, points out the limitations on any future changes to the track:

We’ve tried to ensure that none of the existing stands would need to move so that Yas Marina can continue operations – ticket sales and so on – with minimum disruption.

Unfortunately there is little that can be done with the long back straight – which came under some criticism for being too long – due to a tunnel.

This is a major, six-lane access road to the centre of the circuit and would cost in the regions of millions of US$ to change as well as causing significant disruption to track activities.
Drew MacDonald

Within those limitations Populous have suggested changes to the track in two areas to improve opportunities for overtaking, mainly by cutting out the track’s slow, narrow chicanes.

There have also been rumours that Yas Marina is hoping to attract a Moto GP race of its own, which they have also kept in mind.

Turns three to seven

Adrian Sutil in the turn seven hairpin, 2009

The chicane in front of the hairpin is there for a reason but it also causes problems for drivers trying to overtake:

The run-off at turn seven is insufficient – that’s why there’s a chicane before the hairpin.

Since the grandstand is a permanent structure, which forms viewing for the arena behind, moving it is not an option. The only other option would be to move the hairpin further back, but this would detract from the viewing experience.

We think it’s best to try and leave the track grandstand relationship as it is but change the way the speed is moderated prior to it.
Drew MacDonald

Populous looked for a different way to slow the cars down before the corner without inhibiting overtaking:

We’ve maintained our philosophy that the first hairpin is followed by another overtaking opportunity very soon afterwards. We found that for F1, Moto GP and sportscars, this worked very well with the relationship between ‘Village’ and ‘The Loop’ at Silverstone

We’ve removed the chicane by taking the track slightly further infield. This also creates a new turn four, which is a sweeping left-hander approached at speed.

That leads into a tight, but wide, first hairpin followed by a double-apex tightening left-hander, similar to the Courbe de Caupenne at Nogaro. We used a similar geometry on the Dubai Autodrome and it often catches drivers out on the exit.

This is a challenge which will control speed through the corner down to the next hairpin. The existing hairpin would then be used as a more traditional hairpin which we’re showing widened.

What we learnt at Silverstone is that by bunching the cars at Village they do have a go at the loop and again at Brooklands, which ideally would be a little tighter. The modifications made here are trying to capitalise on what we’ve learnt from Silverstone and the existing hairpins of Yas Marina.
Drew MacDonald

Turns 11 to 15

Kimi Räikkönen in the turn 12 chicane, 2009

The chicane after turn 11 is also removed in the Populous design and again the opportunity is used to introduce some more flowing corners into the layout:

We’ve also proposed removing the chicane after the hairpin which is currently turn 11.

This creates a tighter, more traditional hairpin where a passing move should stick when it is made.

After that we’ve added two sweeping curves similar to the ‘Esses’ in Suzuka.
Drew MacDonald

Populous say they’re happy to put a rendering of the altered track in their simulator for the race organisers to inspect.

Although the race organisers have indicated changes to the circuit are being considered, there’s no word yet on what those changes might be or who would design them.

The track, which was used for the first time last year, was created by Hermann Tilke, the man whose company is behind most of the new circuits on the F1 calendar.

Do you think the Yas Marina circuit needs changing? Do you think these proposed alterations are an improvement? Have your say in the comments.

Some readers have already suggested changes to the track in the forum.

Yas Marina as used for the 2010 Grand Prix

Yas Island, 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Yas Marina with revisions by Populous

Yas Marina Abu Dhabi by Populous

Read F1 Fanatic’s earlier interview with Populous

• “We need to make Abbey quicker” – how Populous redesigned Silverstone (Part 1)
• Silverstone’s architects on making F1 circuits challenging but safe (Part 2)

Images © Yas Marina/Populous, Force India F1 Team, Ferrari spa

Out of a chicane, into a hairpin... Sutil laps the Yas Island circuit in Abu Dhabi

Adrian Sutil has given a frank assessment of the newest track on the F1 calendar, telling the Times of India the circuit was safe but “boring”:

Abu Dhabi was one of the most perfect circuits I have driven on, and the most boring as well.It was just straight and really, really boring. But I probably cannot say anything bad about it for it’s safe, like what all modern circuits should be.
Adrian Sutil

He added that most drivers wanted more dangerous and challenging circuits:

The majority of the drivers feel this way. Of course there are a few who like the way it is, safe. There will always be different opinions about it but most of them would say there can be some changes in the circuits.

Everyone loves driving because there is thrill in it. If it was not dangerous, maybe so many drivers would not be doing it. Maybe there are certain risks in it but if you don’t take those risks, it would get boring. Circuits are getting too safe and driving is not so nice anymore.

Personally speaking, I’m just not getting that thrill. There is a wall in the corner and you have got to take it easy or you would ram into it. Formula One is dangerously fast and is all about speed. That’s why it’s interesting and we should keep it like that.
Adrian Sutil

Sutil urged the team working on the circuit for the 2011 Indian Grand Prix to listen to the drivers and put in more fast corners.

But F1 car designers, such as Sam Michael and Paddy Lowe, have been arguing for something different: more overtaking opportunities on circuits, which tends to mean long straights bookended by slow hairpins.

The Indian F1 track designed by Hermann Tilke and revealed last November looks consistent with most recent new F1 designs, with lots of slow corners.

I think F1 needs variety – slow, twisty tracks like Monaco and Hungary, high-speeds courses like Monza and Spa, and ‘overtaking optimised’ tracks like Bahrain.

A calendar of identikit tracks each with a prescribed combination of long straights, slow bends and the occasional token fast corner, would not be very exciting.

But I also wonder if some of Sutil’s rivals think F1 is quite dangerous enough with him around, particularly Kimi Räikkönen, Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld who all tangled with him last year.

Read more

• Indian F1 track design revealed
• Track or car design – what’s to blame for F1’s passing problem? (Poll)
• Brazil voted best race of 2009, Turkey named worst of a bad bunch

Image (C) Force India F1 Team

The race will start in sunlight and end at nightfall

The 2009 F1 season comes to a close this weekend with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Get ready for the race of the year with the F1 Fanatic unofficial programme.

Pre-race

Stepping into the unknown at a dazzling new venue (Abu Dhabi GP preview)

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix TV Times (Updated) – When to watch – and join the live blogs – this weekend.

Championship standings after Brazil – Both the titles have been won – now it’s between Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello in the fight for second place.

Renault announce TW Steel deal (pictures) – New logos on the R29s this weekend.

Of course the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is sold out, they’ve only got 50,000 seats

The new circuit

This is F1′s first time in Abu Dhabi so we haven’t got any new races to look back on. Here’s what we’ve seen of the track so far:

Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – circuit information – Track map and circuit data include tyres and fuel use.

New Abu Dhabi F1 track video

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures

Abu Dhabi F1 track revealed in pictures

New pictures of the Abu Dhabi F1 track

Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – spectators’ experiences – Going to the race? Be among the first to share your experiences of the circuit.

F1's newest track has a small capacity of just 50,000

Yesterday the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organisers put out a press release patting themselves on the back for selling out their first Grand Prix. Several other F1 sites obligingly regurgitated it for them.

Although it’s nice to hear the phrases “F1 race” and “sold out” together for once, I think a little more attention should have been paid to how low the bar was set with just 50,000 tickets available.

If that number of fans turned up for Manchester United’s next football match more than one-third of Old Trafford’s seats would still be empty.

A typical F1 race day crowd is well in six figures – 50,000 is exceptionally modest for an international Grand Prix track.

The British Grand Prix boasted 120,000 fans on race day this year. The total three-day crowd was 310,000, yet Bernie Ecclestone calls this a race F1 can do without.

Singapore managed 100,000 for its first Grand Prix last year, though it has the advantage of holding its race in a city.

I’m not against Abu Dhabi having a Grand Prix and I don’t expect them to match the kind of demand for tickets you see in Britain, at least not right away.

But I do think the pinnacle of international motor sport should be aiming for a bigger audience at one of its 17 races this year than you get at a domestic football match.

This is a dispiriting trend among most of F1′s newest venues. Istanbul had 32,000 fans on race day this year, Sepang had 30,000 – and they only got to see half a race.

High ticket prices are to blame for falling attendance at many circuits. But the root cause of the problem is the huge sums Ecclestone charges race promoters to run Grands Prix.

FOTA president Luca di Montezemolo has drawn attention to the problem before, but the FIA under Max Mosley never bothered to get involved. Will that change under Jean Todt?

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi F1 track – first video lap
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit video lap
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009

A lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track, which will host the final race of the F1 season this year, is shown for the first time in this on-board video.

The footage posted by James Allen shows Bruno Senna lapping the circuit in a two-seater racing car.

A couple of things strike you from watching the video:

First, the underground pit lane exit is narrow, but it looks like there’s enough room for one car to get past another if it becomes stuck.

But they’re going to spend along time on the pit lane speed limiter there, which will discourage drivers from strategies that involve lots of pit stops.

The opening sequence of bends (which were originally dubed a ‘reverse Eau Rouge’) don’t look anything like as quick and as challenging as we first thought.

At around 1’24 we get a good view of what the run-off area beneath the stadium looks like. This is an interesting innovation which will hopefully allow spectators to sit closer to the track without compromising safety.

It raises the question of what would happen if a car were airborne at the point where it goes off the track – presumably that risk has been assessed and deemed acceptable.

The entry to the left-right-left chicane at around 1’43 has a very flat kerb on the right which blends with an additional piece of track. We could see drivers getting into trouble for using too much of the entry kerb.

There’s not a lot of run-off area in the latter part of the lap, but that series of similar, sharp, short-radius corners is not very inspiring.

What do you think of the track and the video? Have your say in the comments.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi F1 track revealed in pictures
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit video lap
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009

Yas Island Marina Circuit - click to enlarge

The Yas Island F1 circuit in Abu Dhabi winds beneath a hotel

The FIA has given its official seal of approval to the Yas Island circuit which will host the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – the final F1 race of the year.

These first pictures of the completed circuit show some of its unusual details – including the hotel which bridges across the track at one point.

When the F1 circus arrives there in three weeks’ time expect the usual uniform chorus of approval for F1′s latest megabucks venue. And the facilities indeed look impressive.

But is the track any good? Has it got real character – or is it another template from the Hermann Tilke cookie cutter? Have your say in the comments.

Update: Some new footage of the track in this video:

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit video lap
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009

Images (C) Yas Island circuit

Here’s a new video preview of the Yas Island circuit which will host this year’s F1 season finale.

Big thanks to Guio Oblepias who sent the link in and writes:

I found it on a forum for CG artists and apparently it was leaked by someone working for a firm commissioned by the GP organizers. As such, it’s professionally done and much better-looking than the video of the rFactor sim you posted last month as well as game on the circuit’s official website. It shows cars racing around the circuit along with the unique features of the track like the runoff area under the grandstands and the underground pit exit. It gives you a great feel of what the racing might be like come November.

See here for an earlier video lap of Abu Dhabi F1 circuit.

More about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – two questions
• Abu Dhabi Grand Pix 2009
• F1 may get first HD show at Abu Dhabi

Here is a new video lap of the track which will host the 2009 F1 season finale. It was created using the latest rFactor simulation of the Yas Island Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi – check the link below to download the track and play it yourself.

Although the simulation looks rather flat (which may or may not be realistic) it gives a good impression of the general configuration of the venue.

And you have to say it’s rather standard Hermann Tilke fare with not an awful lot to distinguish it from the likes of Bahrain or Shanghai.

It’s a pity the early plans for a radical ‘hybrid’ track – part road and part street course – were abandoned. However some unusual features remain – like the hotel complex which straddles the track, and the pit lane exit which passes underneath the first corner.

If you have rFactor you can drive the track for yourself – download the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track here.

If you haven’t got rFactor, and you like racing games, check it out, it’s definitely one of the best out there and you can pick it up for pennies now. It’s still the best F1 racing game you can get your hands on, at least until Codemaster’s new games start to arrive later this year.

Yas Island circuit map - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (click to enlarge)

More about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009
• Yas Island Marina – circuit information
• Drivers object to late race starts but Abu Dhabi wants special start time for finale
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures
• 2009 F1 tracks compared

F1 Fanatic earns a commission on products sold via the links to our affiliate partners above, however you are not charged any extra.

The first F1 race at Abu Dhabi may also be the first broadcast in HD

F1 may finally be broadcast in true HD for the first time ever later this year.

Discussions are under way about broadcasting the 2009 F1 season finale – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – in high definition.

This could be a useful boost for F1′s high-profile end-of-season event at the ambitious new Yas Marina venue. Jenson Button’s increasing lead in the championship makes it less likely the season will culminate in a down-to-the-wire contest as it has for the last three years.

Formula 1′s uptake of high definition has been painfully slow. Rival championships like A1 Grand Prix have had the technology for some time and NASCAR has been broadcasting in HD since 2005. Last year NASCAR was even available in HD in Britain where it is very much a minority sport.

BBC F1 reporter Lee Mckenzie mentioned on Twitter revealed this year that the hold-up on HD is at FOM’s end: broadcasters like BBC are ready to roll with HD coverage, but FOM aren’t supplying a high definition feed. “I think maybe 2010 [they will] though” she added.

As someone who bought a high definition TV a few months ago in the belief that F1 could not possibly go much longer without catching up with the rest of the broadcasting world, this is good (if long overdue) news!

Read more

• BBC: No HD F1 in 2009
• HD channel to show F1 in Australia
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures

Via Vee8

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organisers want a special start time for their race

The F1 drivers have collectively voiced their unhappiness about late race start times. A GPDA representative confirmed to Autosport the Malaysian Grand Prix might have been re-started had it not been started so late:

It wasn’t the rain that was the problem in Malaysia, because it can rain just as heavily at 2pm as it did at 6pm. But there was no chance to restart the race when it started so late because it got too dark – and that was the problem.

Bernie Ecclestone wants the late start to remain because they mean larger television audiences in Europe. Meanwhile the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organisers are hoping its first race later this year will get an unusual start time of its own.

Circuit manager Philippe Gurdjian said:

We have a certain idea of what we would like to do, but I cannot tell you today what it is! We have a very specific idea, and I hope we will be able to do it – and it will be as unique as the track.

So what kind of time do they have in mind? At present the race is scheduled for a 3pm start (11am in Britain).

There has been no indication that they are planning to fully illuminate the Yas Island circuit to run a night race. In November Abu Dhabi sees sunlight between 6am and 6pm, limiting then to that time frame.

If they start the race much earlier the broadcast time would be inconvenient for Ecclestone. and if they start it any later they run the risk of the sun setting before the race finishes. So what could they be planning?

Whatever it is, they better tread carefully. They’ve been handed the privilege of hosting the final race of the year, which could in all likelihood turn out to be the championship decider, and F1 must not have another repeat of the Sepang debacle.

More on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Yas Island circuit pictures
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009
• 2009 F1 calendar will end in Abu Dhabi