Changes planned for Abu Dhabi track

UPDATE (GMM) An official of Abu Dhabi's F1 circuit has confirmed that changes will be made to the Yas Marina layout ahead of the 2011 edition.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh said after last year's processional season finale that the track was "flawed" in its design to promote overtaking.

"Bahrain and Abu Dhabi were the two most boring races (of 2010)," agreed Team Lotus' technical boss Mike Gascoyne.

"It's pretty disappointing that you've got two massively boring races on circuits where you had literally carte blanche to do anything you liked," he added.

Reports last week suggested officials have decided to react by altering the layout at Abu Dhabi, including a wider chicane and the installation of a banked corner at turn 9.

Also rumored is that turns 13 and 14 will be combined.

"(We will) make some changes to the track layout this summer in order to accommodate the particular requirements of motorcycle racing, which we hope to introduce in the future," a spokesperson told Arabian Business on Tuesday.

"Those changes are not yet finalized but full details will be announced in due course."

04/25/11 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organizers plan to widen the entry to the main hairpin and radically alter the cambering on another corner as part of changes to improve overtaking at its Yas Marina circuit, AUTOSPORT reports.

The rumored changes include:

* the Turn 5/6 chicane and entry to the bottom Turn 7 hairpin will be made much wider, so as to allow more opportunity for drivers to take a different line into and through the corner.

* the negative camber on the exit of the Turn 9 chicane will be reprofiled to make it a banked corner – therefore giving drivers the chance to take a wide line and run around the outside of a rival.

* the slow left handers at Turns 13/14 will be made into one sweeping corner to try and improve the flow of the circuit near the end of the lap.