Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit was an opulent addition to the Formula 1 World Championship when it opened in 2009. Another Hermann Tilke designed facility, it is built around the marina on Yas Island and passes underneath a futuristic hotel. It was the first Grand Prix to be held at dusk so that the event ends in darkness with fireworks and spectacular lighting on the hotel. The pitlane is unique in that its exit passes underneath the track. Although many drivers welcomed the circuit’s challenges, the layout made it difficult to overtake. That was amply illustrated when Vitaly Petrov was able to hold off the faster Ferrari of Fernando Alonso in 2010. That was enough to hand a first World Championship to Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton also clinched the title here in 2014. It was modified in 2021 to improve passing opportunites with turn 5/6 chicane bypassed and a banked corner replacing turns 11-14. The revised circuit was venue for the controversial final GP of 2021 when Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton on the last lap to clinch his first title.
