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Formula One is considered the peak of motorsport for a multitude of reasons including teams building their own cars and the unique tracks that make up the calendar. Almost every track has its own history and all of them have unique characteristics that teams must adapt to. With the highs naturally come the lows and some of these lows have made tracks more infamous than famed. As the last race of the year Abu Dhabi is set in the perfect conditions to create an infamous track. Battle after battle brought to the very end, in every championship fight there has to be someone who loses. Not all of the losses were under the best circumstances, these structural failures have given Abu Dhabi a scandalous legacy that often overshadows the fascinating features of the track itself.
Abu Dhabi had its maiden race in 2009 where Sebastian Vettel managed a victory but wasn’t able to clinch the title from Jensen Button who finished third. The race was a thriller with a Red Bull one two and a title win from third place. The 2010 race differed from the track's maiden voyage with the season's champion taking a much needed win. Going into the weekend Fernando Alonso was in first but the title race was close with Vettel in a near second. This first taste of a title race was huge and a start for what the track would become infamous for.
The circuit took a short break from being the season's final cap but was back in action in 2014 which saw champion Lewis Hamilton crowned winner. While the 2014 season saw the start of a budding friendship turned rivalry it and the excitement around Abu Dhabi hit another peak in 2016 which saw a heated championship battle return. Teammates Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had suffered the season of a lifetime and Abu Dhabi was the make or break moment for Rosberg who had fought tooth and nail. Hamilton went in first in the points but by the time the fireworks flew it was Rosberg who was crowned the champion.
All end-season races lend themselves to the dramatics that come with a close title race but Abu Dhabi seems to have set itself apart. Call it recency bias but the race that is one of if not the most memorable was in 2021. The day everyone in Formula One remembers was a battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Hamilton went in fighting for a record breaking 8th world title against newbie Verstappen. It all came down to Abu Dhabi and more specifically one lap of racing after an FIA decision allowed lapped cars to pass the safety car leaving only Hamilton and Verstappen. This call was completely unprecedented and received heavy scrutiny from Mercedes and fans alike who felt the call was an attempt to skate the rules to make the race more exciting. In the end the ruling stood and Verstappen won his first world title.
The fall out from Abu Dhabi was massive after Mercedes failed to make a competitive car and Red Bull went on to dominate the next two seasons. One end season event marked two teams futures, one succeeded and another failed all based on a decision neither had any power in making. Pretty powerful thing to come out of one race. While the controversy over Abu Dhabi 2021 will certainly never be forgotten the focus on the past has often meant the track that is one of the most interesting on the schedule gets its features passed over for the latest update to what’s quickly becoming an ancient tale.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is held at the Yas Marina circuit which is a permanent circuit just outside of the city. The circuit has 16 turns and two DRS zones keeping the abstract pretty standard as far as modern tracks go. Looking deeper into the track there is a good amount of straights but the chunk of turns that are present, turns 10-16 specifically do their part in putting pressure on car and tire alike. Turns 10-12 are pretty well known for the pressure they put on cars because of the back and forth braking. This section comes right before the final turns into the checkered flag making it a big point of difference in a few races. The infamous 2021 race saw Verstappen on newer tires which gave a lot more grip and could take a lot more wear going into those high impact corners which gave him a needed advantage against an experienced Hamilton. Strategically the section is the make or break but it’s a feature pretty common on modern tracks.
One feature not apparent on almost any other track really highlights how the track is better suited to create the kind of big results that have been so prevalent throughout its history. The tracks built for excitement is heavily evident between the two DRS zones, between the two there's a small sharp corner which gives whichever driver who lost the first pass race a chance to catch up for the next one. Back to Back DRS zones separated by a short braking zone is a recipe for long battles especially at the end of a tight championship race. These long battles can give major advantages to teams with newer tires and greater downforce while drivers with later braking and quicker exit gain an even better advantage.
These two major strategy points combined with a couple of quick turns and another straight create a track that isn’t just unique in layout. In a year where Max Verstappen doesn’t win with eight races left Abu Dhabi creates a tactical paradise for the competing parties. If the championship battle is tight there’s no one feature that can be added to a car that will give a full track advantage, during the race keeping those tires fresh and strong will make or break a team's race. Throughout the track the only thing that truly remains a consistent necessity is the fresh tires. Looking at the straights the back to back DRS and a fighting corner will definitely take a toll and require later braking, which is the name of the game in this section, and is greatly helped by grippier tires. To add to the complexities Abu Dhabi is a hot track which can really impact those crucial tires.
A track's legacy is often only the stories that come out of it and for the Yas Marina many including the most recent tell a story of controversy and failure. What often gets ignored in these stories is the incredible complexity and art behind a track that’s been placed where it belongs. The final race of the season will always be an entertainer and with Abu Dhabi it gets to be so much more. The peak of motorsport combines with the home of champions to create a track that has seen its fair share of low but for every one person's valley another is placed atop a new peak, all thanks to a track that’s legacy is so big it’s beautiful complexities get left behind.
