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About the location
In 2023, F1 already has four races in the Middle East, but the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has lasted a little longer than the recently added rounds in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The first race in the capital of the United Arab Emirates took place back in 2009. No expense was spared: the Yas Marina Circuit was built on an artificial island. This year, Abu Dhabi is in its fifteenth Grand Prix, and – to the frustration of some purists – it is the location for the final race for the tenth season in a row. All this time it has also been an outsider in its own way. It is still the only race of the season that starts in daylight and ends in the dark, which produces nice sunset images every year.
The passage under the hotel in sector three.
The Yas Marina Circuit has changed somewhat compared to the first races. The circuit underwent a metamorphosis in 2021, with two slow sections with chicanes being exchanged for two long hairpin bends. This has made overtaking a bit easier: look out for the first hairpin bend in turn five, the long straight and the chicane that follow, and the straight that comes immediately after.
What is still at stake?
Max Verstappen and Red Bull have of course been assured of the world titles for a long time and since last weekend we also know that Sergio Pérez and Lewis Hamilton will finish second and third in the World Championship. However, there are still a number of interesting things to follow in both championships.
The weather forecast
In recent years, it actually rained in Abu Dhabi during the three-day Formula 1 weekend – in 2018 there were even a few small drops during the race! – but that won’t happen this weekend. It will be a sunny three days without clouds, with temperatures that will be just below 30 degrees during the race.
The program
Friday November 24th
10.30 am: first free practice
2 p.m.: second free practice
Our forecast
Our Formula 1 watcher Gert Vermersch and reporter Sam Varewyck give their expected top three for each race, just like last year. This year they will be joined in their predictions by one or two voices from the PlaySports podcast The Paddock: Dennis Xhaët and racing driver Sam Dejonghe will also take a chance.
That’s how it went last year
A typical end of season race. Max Verstappen took pole, never got into trouble and won the race. That was his fifteenth victory of the year, a new record that Verstappen has already broken and can set even further this Sunday (it would be his nineteenth victory this year). Charles Leclerc finished second last year and was thus crowned vice world champion, Sergio Pérez finished third in both the race and the World Cup.
Nice to know
The Yas Marina Circuit will be hosting the season finale for the twelfth time this weekend. That is a new record: it currently shares it with the Adelaide Street Circuit in Australia, which served as the final race of the season eleven times in a row from 1985 to 1995.