Formula 1 News: 2024 Abu Dhabi GP Preview
The Abu Dhabi GP weekend brings the curtain down on the longest ever Formula 1 season, during which the sport travelled the world taking in 24 rounds.
To date, the Yas Marina circuit has hosted motor racing’s blue riband category 15 times, twelve of them rounding off the year. On four occasions, this Grand Prix has decided the outcome of one or both championship titles, in 2021 the two of them and in 2010, 2014 and 2016, just the Drivers’. This Sunday’s race will decide who takes the 2024 Constructors’ crown, McLaren or Ferrari.
The season finale is always a special occasion. It doesn’t need to be a high-stakes race: a championship decider, a make-it-or-break-it moment when answers are given, verdicts handed out (even though this one is, as far as our team is concerned), for it to have a special significance. A season finale is special just because it is what it is, the final page in the book that was a long 24-race 2024 season.
The season finale is a moment of elation, the end of a long journey spent side by side, shoulder to shoulder with teammates, rivals, colleagues. It’s also a moment of reflection, to look back at what one has done over the last twelve months, to review, to revisit, to learn: and this, this one has been a long season, born long ago in chilly February with team launches, then onwards in warmer climates with testing and the first race in Bahrain. It’s been a season of highs and lows, a season of steps forward and lessons learned, a season of hard work, fun moments, long hours and sweat, smiles and tears.
The season finale is always a poignant moment: it’s the last day of school, it’s when you look forward to the holidays but with a tinge of melancholy for what has been, and what has gone. It’s a moment to take stock, and a moment to say goodbye to partners and workmates whose path takes a different direction from yours: it is a moment to reflect on the people who shared this journey with you, and went from colleagues, to friends, to family.
About Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi joined Formula 1’s calendar in 2009 at the Yas Marina Circuit, crafted on the no-expenses-spared Yas Island, around 30 minutes’ drive from downtown.
Next To the Circuit is a huge Theme Park Which Hosts Five Rollercoasters. The Nearby Masdar City, located around 10km from The Circuit, aims to be a Zero-Carbon City.
Abu Dhabi is the largest city of The United Arab Emirates and covers 87 Percent of the total area of the country.
Yas Marina has been the traditional location for Formula 1’s curtain closer, holding finales in 2009/10, and then every season since 2014. It has been the venue for several championship deciders, most famously in 2021, when Max Verstappen was crowned World Champion following a last-lap pass on Lewis Hamilton.
There has been some resurfacing at several corners, but otherwise the track remains unchanged following some major reprofiling a couple of years ago.
The 16-turn 5.2km circuit features two lengthy straights and several medium-speed turns, with the track’s showpiece now the long-radius turn 9, which was introduced in 2021 following a renovation to the layout. The final sector, which includes the track passing beneath the latticed W Hotel, was also opened up, leading to lap
times approximately 13 seconds faster than the pre-2021 layout, making it easier to overtake.
What to watch for
Overtaking: The re-profiled corners have changed the dynamic of how a race can play out here in terms of overtaking, and these ground-effect cars are set to take that a step further again this year. Eighty percent of all passes take place at the end of the two long DRS zones – the runs down to Turns Six and Nine.
Strategy: Pirelli brings the softest three compounds to the finale. Despite the softness of the tires and the characteristics of the circuit, tire wear has traditionally not been particularly high here. However, wear has increased in 2022, and easier overtaking may promote additional pit-stops in the race. One- and two-stop strategies and common at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The pit loss, at 22 seconds, is slightly higher than the season average.
1st Place in Constructors Points: after the Qatar GP, only 21 points separate McLaren in first and Ferrari in 2nd. No other team can win the 2024 Constructors’ championship – Red Bull was eliminated after Qatar.
A word from Alpine rookie Jack Doohan
“It is great to be making my Formula One debut with the team in Abu Dhabi this weekend. This track holds a lot of special memories for me. I have raced at the Yas Marina Circuit at various points throughout my career and it is also where I won my final Formula 2 race in 2023, so I am excited to get back on track there but this time in Formula One.
“This weekend, as well as the post-season test, present an opportunity for myself and the team to have additional track time together as we gear up for the 2025 season and the aim for myself will be to support the team’s ambition to finish in sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. I am looking forward to working together with them to achieve this goal and to close out the season on a positive note.”
A word from last year’s race winner – Max Verstappen
“Qatar was an exciting race, and it felt good to win there again. The car felt a lot better to drive and it was a great performance all round from the Team. We are on to the final race of the season and Abu Dhabi always brings back good memories.
“It has been a long season and we are ready for a bit of time off and to spend quality time at home with family and friends. The Team have worked incredibly hard this season and everyone deserves a break to relax once the season has wrapped. It would be great to finish the season on a high and try and bring home the win here.”
Fact File: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Abu Dhabi 2024 will be the 246th and final Grand Prix with Mercedes for Lewis Hamilton, a partnership that has delivered six World Drivers’ titles, eight World Constructors’ titles, 84 wins, 153 podiums, and 78 pole positions.
- It stands to be the 356th and final Grand Prix for Lewis with a Mercedes-Benz powered car in F1, ending a run that started on the seven-time world champion’s debut in the sport in March 2007.
- Abu Dhabi made its F1 debut in 2009 as the sport’s first ever twilight race, with the start taking place at sunset. Around 4,700 light fixtures are used to illuminate the track.
- Several modifications were made to the track layout ahead of the 2021 race, changing the lap length from 5.554 km to 5.281 km.
- These changes including removing the chicane at the start of the second sector and widening the following hairpin. The twisty chicanes at the start of the final sector were also replaced by one long, banked corner.
- Similar to other twilight and night races on the calendar, FP1 and FP3 take place in the daytime. FP2, Qualifying and the Grand Prix itself take place at night or as the sun sets.
- That poses a challenge to the engineers and drivers who must accommodate for the changes in tire and car behavior owing to the differing ambient and track temperatures.
- The pitlane at the Yas Marina Circuit is unique in F1, in that it features a tunnel that runs underneath Turn One. Drivers pass under the track at the pit lane exit, re-joining on the left-hand side of Turn 2.
- In 2023, Yas Marina Circuit overtook Adelaide as the track at which the most season-ending F1 races have been held (12).
- The circuit has seen four world champions crowned. Sebastian Vettel in 2010, Lewis Hamilton in 2014, Nico Rosberg in 2016 and Max Verstappen in 2021.
- Yas Marina Circuit is the only track on which Max Verstappen has won for the past four years in succession from pole each time.
Unlocking the Lap
The 5.281 km track in the United Arab Emirates has hosted the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as a regular fixture since 2009. The record winner at this event is Lewis Hamilton, who has triumphed on no fewer than five occasions in the UAE.
The track record at the Yas Marina Circuit, which was overhauled and reconfigured in 2021, is 1:22.109 minutes (set by Max Verstappen in 2022), the fastest race lap is 1:26.103 minutes (set by Verstappen in 2022).
The short run to Turn One leads drivers through a medium-speed corner where any understeer will see them missing the apex, compromising the run through the following left-hander and the long right-hander. This is a fast first sector that culminates in a rapid run to the Turn Five hairpin.
The exit from Turn Five is crucial as it sends drivers down the first long straight, which also features a DRS zone. It’s easy for drivers to out brake themselves into the chicane at the end of this straight. Drivers need another strong exit from the chicane as another long straight and DRS zone follows.
The straight and the second sector ends with the wide Turn Nine left-hander. Drivers then accelerate into a tricky complex of right-hand bends that are followed by a hard-braking 90-degree corner in Turn 12, which takes drivers under the hotel in the middle of the circuit. Turns 13 and 14 are simple bends that almost make up one long left-hand hairpin.
The final corners of the circuit, Turns 15 and 16, are perhaps its most challenging: drivers blaze through the first right-hander then brake hard and aim to hit the apex of the final corner to set up for a strong exit down the start-finish straight.
Weather Forecast
Unsurprisingly Abu Dhabi basks in 12 months of glorious sunshine, but it’s when the sun starts to set beyond the horizon that we’re interested in.
Friday, December 6: FP1 & FP2
Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 84 degrees F during FP1, which starts at 1:30pm local time. Meanwhile, there is just a 5 percent chance of rain during the session.
Wind gusts, however, are expected to get up to 22mph, and there will be 4 percent humidity.
For FP2 at 5pm, the temperature will drop, but the humidity will rise. The chances of rain remain low, though.
Saturday, December 7: FP3 & Qualifying
The weather will be similar to Friday for FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, with temperatures remaining at around 84 degrees F for the final practice session.
There will also be a low chance of rain and wind speeds of 25mph, with temperatures dropping once again as the evening progresses.
It will be 75 degrees F for qualifying with humidity rising to 76 percent by the end of the session.
Once again, there is a very small chance of rain currently forecast at 5 percent.
Sunday, December 8: Race
Yet again, weather conditions are likely to be dry with little to no chance of rain, but temperatures will be slightly warmer than Friday and Saturday.
When the lights go out at 5pm local time at the Yas Marina Circuit, temperatures will be as high as 86 degrees Celsius, with wind speeds of 20mph.
Pirelli Tires
As has long been the case at this track, Pirelli has chosen its three softest compounds for the event, with the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft. The red-banded tires will most probably only feature in qualifying, while the Medium and Hard will be under the spotlight, in every sense of the word, given this is the third consecutive night race.
Thanks to significant changes to the track layout introduced in 2021, the 5.281 kilometer track is much faster and flowing, with several overtaking opportunities. In general, the forces exerted on the tires are in the medium to low range, because of the lack of high-speed corners. The surface offers little grip and its level of abrasiveness is average for the season. Temperatures will play an important role, with two of the three free practice sessions taking place in daylight, while FP2 and the race get underway at sunset, with all qualifying taking place at night. Therefore, track conditions can change quickly as temperatures drop, and they will also evolve rapidly as the track rubbers in, especially on the first two days, helped by the fact there are three support categories on the card this weekend – F4 UAE, F1 Academy and F2.
On a track where graining could have a significant impact and where, as previously mentioned, overtaking is possible, a two-stop strategy certainly seems preferable, as indeed was the case last year. Furthermore, the undercut is very effective and, in order for a one-stop to work, it requires a great deal of tire management to limit performance drop off.
Sunday night marks the end of racing for 2024, but not the end of track action. All ten teams will stay on at the Yas Marina circuit for a very busy group test on Tuesday 10 December. They will each field two cars: one for a rookie, defined in the FIA sporting regulations as a driver who has taken part in no more than two Grands Prix and the other car for another driver. The two groups will run different tires: the rookies will have the same 2024 compounds as selected for this Grand Prix, while the regular or official drivers will run the homologated versions of all Pirelli’s 2025 tires, developed over the year with the teams, with the exception of the C1 which is not suited to this track.
The rookies will have eight sets of tires each: two C3, four C4 and two C5. The other drivers will have ten sets: one C2, three each of the C3 and C4, two C5 and one C6, the latter being the new ultra-soft compound which thus extends the 2025 range. It is expected that this compound will be used at some street circuits next year. Unlike the in-competition test run at the Mexico City Grand Prix, this time Pirelli will not set out its own run program for the 2025 tires. Therefore, each team can work as it sees fit to collect data that will be vital to car development for next year. For this test, the C2 and C6 will feature just the Pirelli logo colored white and red respectively, while the C3, C4 and C5 will run the usual white, yellow and red bands respectively, alongside the logo.
THE TIRES ON TRACK
