Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2014: 10 Key Facts About Yas Marina Circuit
The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi is hosting the final race of the 2014 Formula One season this weekend. While Mercedes have already locked up the constructors' title, the drivers' championship will be decided in the desert, with Lewis Hamilton having the inside line on Nico Rosberg to claim the title.
This year will mark the sixth running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, all of them at Yas Marina, a track built on a man-made island in the Persian Gulf.
To help you get ready for the race, here are 10 key facts about the Yas Marina Circuit.
The Billion-Dollar Circuit
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Abu Dhabi is flush with oil money and the emirate spared no expense in building its circuit. The estimated construction cost for the Yas Marina Circuit is £800 million (approximately $1.3 billion at the 2009 exchange rate), per Planet F1.
Some of the circuit's unique features include a pit lane exit that crosses under the track and roofs covering all grandstand seats to protect from the hot desert sun.
Reclaimed Land
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The Yas Marina Circuit is built on Yas Island, a man-made island approximately 30 kilometres east of the city of Abu Dhabi.
In addition to the circuit, the island features several hotels, beaches, a links-style golf course and the Ferrari World theme park. The theme park includes the Formula Rossa roller coaster, which, according to the Abu Dhabi tourism website, is the fastest in the world, reaching speeds of 240 kph.
Day-to-Night Races
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The Yas Marina Circuit is equipped with a permanent lighting system—the largest in the world at a sports facility, per the BBC—allowing the track to host F1's first twilight race.
The race starts with the sun still up and ends in darkness, creating a unique atmosphere. As the sun set during the 2013 race, a partial solar eclipse was visible above the circuit.
This also provides an additional challenge for the teams, as the temperature can change dramatically over the course of the race. Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director, spoke about that issue in the tyre supplier's race preview, saying:
"The strategy is normally greatly affected by the unusual track evolution, due to the falling temperatures caused by the late afternoon start. This was the case in Bahrain as well, which turned out to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable races of the season earlier this year. As a result, the free practice sessions will be particularly crucial, as the teams try to gather as much information as possible about how the car will perform on both compounds: not just with different fuel loads, but also with different track temperatures.
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A British Surface
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The track surface at Yas Marina Circuit was made using graywacke aggregate from the Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. According to the BBC, the circuit builders imported 4,000 tonnes of the aggregate, which was also used for the Bahrain International Circuit.
The surface at Yas Marina is quite smooth and the track is used year-round for various events. Pirelli is bringing soft and supersoft tyres for this year's race, which should be particularly effective as the temperature drops with the setting sun.
The Importance of Qualifying
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The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has only been won from pole once, when Sebastian Vettel did it in 2010. In 2009 and 2011, the winner started second on the grid, with the pole-sitter retiring during the race.
In 2012, Kimi Raikkonen won from fourth after both drivers on the front row—Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber—retired (although Raikkonen had already passed Webber during the race).
Last season, Webber qualified on pole but was passed by Vettel in the first corner. The German went on to win by 30 seconds, with Webber finishing second.
Another Counterclockwise Track
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As I mentioned before the Brazilian Grand Prix, counterclockwise circuits used to be rare, but are now something of a fad. The Yas Marina Circuit is the fourth this year with a counterclockwise layout and the third in a row, after Circuit of the Americas and Interlagos.
At least the drivers' necks will be used to all the left-hand turns by now.
Most Successful Drivers
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As there have only been five races in Abu Dhabi and Sebastian Vettel has won the last four world championships, it is no surprise that he has found plenty of success at Yas Marina.
The German has won the race three times, in 2009, 2010 and 2013. In 2011, he qualified on pole but retired on the first lap due to a puncture, leaving Hamilton to snatch the victory. In 2012, Vettel was forced to start from the pit lane after running out of fuel during qualifying. He still recovered to finish third, with Kimi Raikkonen taking the win for Lotus.
All three of those men will be on the grid this Sunday, but it appears only Hamilton will have the opportunity to add to his Abu Dhabi win total.
Most Successful Teams
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Again, Red Bull's dominance over the previous four seasons means they have had the most success at Yas Marina. They have scored three victories (all from Vettel) and six podiums over the first five races in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, McLaren and Lotus have one victory each at Yas Marina.
Championship Decider
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The 2014 drivers' title will be decided in Abu Dhabi, the second time a champion will be crowned at Yas Marina. In 2010, Sebastian Vettel won a dramatic race and clinched his first world championship by four points from Fernando Alonso.
This will be the third time that Yas Marina has hosted the final race of the season, with the 2009 and 2010 races also holding that honour.
Circuit Length and Lap Record
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The Yas Marina Circuit is 5.554 kilometres long, making it the sixth-longest circuit on the 2014 calendar. The lap record was set by Sebastian Vettel during the first race, in 2009, at 1 minute 40.279 seconds.
Fernando Alonso had the fastest lap in 2013 at 1 minute 43.434 seconds. The increased power and reduced aerodynamic downforce on this year's cars, combined with Yas Marina's two long straights and the softer tyre compounds, mean that lap time will be threatened this year.
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