F1 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021: preview and weekend times

We have reached the last GP of the year, one of the best seasons of recent years. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were the protagonists of an exciting world championship: rivalry, contacts on the track and now the Yas Marina circuit will decide who will be the new world champion. Regardless of who wins, good luck to these two great drivers!

Friday 10 / 12

-Free Practice 1, 10pm – 30pm
-Free Practice 2, 14pm – 00pm

Saturday 11 / 12

-Free Practice 3, 11pm – 00pm
-Qualifying, 14pm – 00pm (also live on TV15)

Sunday 12 / 12 

-Race, 14pm (also live on TV00)

*Schedule on TV8 to be confirmed

We remind you that you can also follow the entire motorsport weekend on our website, F1GrandPrix, with live coverage and real-time updates!

Circuit

Name: Yas Marina Tour

Place: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Construction: the track was built in 2009, to host the first edition of the GP of formula 1. Built by the same company that made the Ferrari World and all the theme parks in the area, the circuit is located on Yas Island, among ultra-luxury hotels and golf courses, and is located about 30 minutes by car from the metropolis of Abu Dhabi. All the grandstands on the track are equipped with covers to protect spectators from the scorching sun. The track is a very particular mix of long straights and guided, almost city-like parts. Particular is the exit from the pits with the tunnel to return to the track, an idea by Hermann Tilke, designer of the track layout. In 2009 it was the first circuit to host a race at sunset, with daylight track lighting, progressively switched on during the race.

Distance per lap: 5,554 km

Number of curves: 21, twelve on the left and nine on the right

Direction of travel: counterclockwise

Technical data:

Special features of the route: the two long straights that characterize this track greatly reward the most efficient power units; the use of the movable wing can guarantee an advantage of over 15 km/h when open, given the high-load setup that pilots usually use on this track. There are approximately 75 gear changes per lap, and over the entire race they become approximately 4.125. The hourly average on this track is approximately 193 km/h.

Brakes:

DRS zone: on the straight between turns 7 and turn 8 with detection point before turn 7; on the straight between turns 10 and turn 11, with detection point after turn 9.

Rubber:

Also for this year, Pirelli has chosen the softest set of compounds, namely: C3, C4, C5. Changes have been made to the track to increase overtaking. For this reason, speed and loads will increase in some corners but the asphalt remaining smooth will place a medium level of stress on the tires in terms of wear and degradation.

RECORD

Test lap: 1:34.779 – L Hamilton – Mercedes – 2019
Race lap: 1:39.283 – L Hamilon – Mercedes – 2019
Distance: 1h34:03.414 – S Vettel – Red Bull Renault – 2009
Driver victories: 5 – L Hamilton
Team victories: 6 – Mercedes
Driver pole: 5 – L Hamilton
Pole team: 6 – Mercedes
Best driver laps: 4 – S Vettel
Best team laps: 4 – Red Bull
Driver podiums: 9 – L Hamilton
Team podiums: 12 – Mercedes

Hall of Fame

1. 2009 S Vettel – Red Bull Renault
2. 2010 S Vettel – Red Bull Renault
3. 2011 L Hamilton – McLaren Mercedes
4. 2012 K Raikkonen – Lotus Renault
5. 2013 S Vettel – Red Bull Renault
6. 2014 L Hamilton – Mercedes
7. 2015 N Rosberg – Mercedes
8. 2016 L Hamilton – Mercedes
9. 2017 V Bottas – Mercedes
10. 2018 L Hamilton – Mercedes
11. 2019 L Hamilton – Mercedes
12. 2020 M Verstappen – Red Bull Honda