motor sports

Formula 1's second event in the Middle East. The Yas Marina Circuit features a number of innovative features, including a five star hotel that straddles the track. On the ground, its 5.55 kilometres - run anti-clockwise - incorporating long straights leading into tight corners plus a series of fast sweeps that will contribute to average lap speeds approaching 200kph. Contemporary protocol dictates that two-stop strategies will almost certainly be the preferred tactic. The track is good, but sectors two and three are a tad too slow for it to be mentioned in the same breath as greats like Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka. Overtaking is also difficult, as proven by Fernando Alonso in 2010 when he spent 40 laps stuck behind Vitaly Petrov. The extreme desert temperatures would normally pose a problem for the mechanics, but not at Yas Marina circuit. All 40 pit garages are air conditioned. Making its debut in 2009, the circuit certainly impressed F1 with its striking infrastructure. The seven-star Yas Hotel creates a colourful backdrop, particularly when the sun has set on this, the only twilight race on the calendar. Add a few pop concerts and other freebies into the mix and you start to appreciate that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is much more than just a race.