Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Betting

Abu Dhabi is the capital and second largest city of the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation known as the United Arab Emirates. Facing the Persian Gulf east of Qatar, the ancient port was named in Arabic “Father of Deer” in reference to gazelle that inhabited the area. In 2009, Abu Dhabi joined the Formula One tour with the opening of the purpose-built Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. The €800 million course covers a distance of 5.55-kilometres and has gained the distinction of being the richest F1 track in the world.

Renowned circuit architect Hermann Tilke was contracted to design the Yas Marina facility. His mission was nothing less than to revolutionise F1 circuits of the future and take full advantage of a scenic setting that rivals the likes of Valencia and Monaco. His creation is one of the very few venues on the F1 calendar to run in an anti-clockwise direction, featuring nine right turns and 11 left turns as it wraps around the island’s glamorous marina past mooring spaces for a plethora of yachts.

Among the landmark aspects of this course are the five-star, 499-room Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi hotel that straddles the track and the 60-metre solar powered Sun Tower, which provides invited guests with unrivalled views of the racing action. The pit area is uniquely equipped with 40 air-conditioned garages, state-of-the-art technology and a pit lane exit that has cars exit through tunnel under the track. Also of note, the grandstands at Yas Marina Circuit are covered to protect up to 41,093 spectators from the desert sun. They include a massive hairpin seating area for superb views of close and competitive racing.

In addition to tight corners for overtaking, the track has high-speed sections, including the longest straight on the F1 calendar, which allows vehicles to reach top speeds of 320 km/h. One sector offers a twisty street challenge, too, and all of these diverse elements come together to produce close and competitive racing at average lap speeds of 195 km/h.

The inaugural Grand Prix race here on 1 November 2009 was the finale of that year’s season. During the practice sessions leading up to the main event, many drivers commented on how stimulating the course was. Germany’s Nico Rosberg said every corner was “unique,” while double World Champion Fernando Alonso of Spain said it was enjoyable because there was always something to do.

That first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was also the first F1 twilight event ever held, conducted under powerful lighting arrays that ensured a seamless transition from day to night. It was won by Germany’s Sebastian Vettel in a RBR-Renault with a time of 1:34:03.414. Vettel’s fastest of the race’s 55 laps was 1:40.279—a record that still stands today.

In 2010, Vettel defended his title as Abu Dhabi’s champion with a time of 1:39:36.837, but his attempt at the hat trick in 2011 was spoilt by Britain’s Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes in 1:37:11.886. The 2012 edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Finland’s Kimi Räikkönen cross the finish line first in a Lotus-Renault with a winning time of 1:45:58.667.

The most recent installment of this sun-drenched November race belonged once again to Sebastian Vettel. He guided his Red Bull Racing-Renault to his third victory here in a time of 1:38:06.106. Going into the 2014 season, Abu Dhabi has been tentatively scheduled to host the Grand Prix in October for the first time ever, opening a provisional spot in November for Mexico City. Practice on the Yas Marina Circuit will start on 24 October and the race will take place two days later, on the 26th.

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