Article:
ISSUE No. 11 July - August 2008

Formula-1 Preview Abu Dhabi
Horsepower Spectacle under the Palms

Beginning in 2009, the Formula-1 circus will make a yearly guest appearance in Abu Dhabi for at least seven years. The annual “Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula-1 Grand-Prix” will take place on Yas Island. Preparations for this “Horsepower Spectacle” are already in high gear. DiscoverME gives an insight on the track and island lay-out for this huge motor sport event.

The Circuit: Demanding and Versatile
The new Formula-1 track on Yas Island, only ten minutes by car from Abu Dhabi’s city center, will be a total of 5.4 kilometers long. The asphalt road winds around palm trees, dunes, yachts and villas. The route can be divided into three sectors: First the high-speed portion which is made up of green parkland and palm trees, which has two long/straight stretches that allow for top speeds of over 300km/h. Then there is a section with many tight curves that runs through the newly built city and is only open for regular traffic on non-race weekends. The middle part of the track takes Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and others right past the spectacular yacht harbor. This should create an atmosphere similar to the legendary Monaco Grand-Prix. Manmade hills assure slight altitude deviations for the Formula-1 bolides. The driver’s camp and the grandstand as well as diverse service areas are located north of the track. It is not known as of yet, whether the drivers will race clockwise or counter-clockwise on this track with a total of twenty curves. One thing is for certain though; Abu Dhabi is constructing the most demanding and versatile track in the Formula-1 calendar. The working title of this venue is “Yas-Island-Circuit”, but it is not known if this name will be the official name of this track which will be completed this year.

The Architect: Hermann Tilke
The organizers of this new course have secured the best racetrack architect in the world: Hermann Tilke. The 54-year old from the Westphalia town of Olpe has already created Formula-1 courses in Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Turkey and is responsible for the track remodeling in Italy, Austria, and Japan and in his homeland Germany (Hockenheim and Nürburg-Ring). Tilke was once a racecar driver himself and today configures the most attractive track lay-outs that promise breathtaking races with lots of passing maneuvers. The demands made on the driving skills of today’s Formula-1 pilots are high on any of the tracks designed by Tilke, since his goal is not only attractive courses, but also demanding ones. Tilke comments on the Abu Dhabi project: “Part of the route runs along the yacht harbor. An exclusive view of the track is available from the boats.” It is obvious that this man plans everything up to the minutest detail.

Island Planning: Adventure-World Yas Island
The Formula-1 track will be only one of many attractions on Yas Island. More than forty billion dirhams have been invested to turn this 2,500 hectare island into a well planned leisure-time paradise and tourism project. Besides luxury hotels, convention centers, premium restaurants and a 300,000 square meter, three-storey shopping center, the main focus is directed at sports and amusement facilities. Planned tourist attractions are three golf courses, four polo fields, several fitness studios, a “for women only” wellness spa, an equestrian sports center, a bowling alley, a go-cart track, a Warner Brothers theme park, as well as water fun parks with wave pools, slides, water-ski show-jumping course and diving lessons. A ten-lane highway is planned from the airport directly to the island to secure easy access.

The Red Legend: Ferrari Theme Park
The red sport car with the rearing horse in the crest is a true legend. The history and emotions around the brand can soon be experienced first hand on Yas Island. The Italian horsepower-manufacturer is building a Ferrari Theme Park directly adjacent to the Formula-1 racetrack. The display area will be 80,000 square meters and will house old Ferrari models and Formula-1 bolides in their own museum together with presentations and shows. Italian culture will be introduced in the integrated theater. Of special interest is the Ferrari Driving School for children and adults that allows people to race along the official track, or race with dune-buggies over dunes. The Ferrari Theme Park will have a total of twenty-four attractions which will surely contribute to the already rising numbers of the elegant racers being sold in the United Arab Emirates.