Interest in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been high since last year’s announcement that it would appear on the 2009 calendar. Watch this video for an idea of what to expect:
It will be the final race of the year this season, taking over from party-central, the Brazilian GP, which will now be the penultimate event.
To give you a flavour of the circuit, the GP’s official site has developed a new game that lets you drive a car around the track.
Only, it’s the worst ‘driving’ game we’ve played online for a long time. We’re not even sure that you’re controlling the car in any way, and it takes about two and a half thousand years to load.
But as the track’s not built yet, this is the closest we’ll get to see how the circuit flows for now, and even on here, the run through the hotel looks pretty impressive.
Don’t get too excited, though – it won’t take the F1 drivers through the foyer.
Now that would be good.
I prefer classic tracks like nurburgring or spa, but this looks really fancy…
The video is a bit random but that main straight looks huge! I tried the game and it loaded quickly but then nothing happened after that so I got bored and left it. At least in Abu Dhabi there will be motorsport fans unlike the poor turn out that was reported for Turkey. Will the commentary team be visiting Ferrari world?
i have been waiting so long for a curcuit like this i like it soooo much!
Ye the game’s rubbish, and the track doesn’t look much better really, why not just keep the classics? What’s wrong with Monza and Spa?
The game is soooo sssllllooowwww…
And then awful.
But the circuits alright. Not even close to the mighty Interlagos.
The game is soooo sssllllooowwww…
And then awful.
But the circuits alright. Not even close to the mighty Interlagos, though.
I don’t like it F.1 going to exotic places.
I don’t give a f*** whether there is water and lights and children around, a great circuit has to feature some stuff like the Hunaudieres, the Eau Rouge, the Curva Parabolica and the Motodrom and has to take place at 2 PM. A1 Ring and Jerez have been sacked but were way way greater tracks than Singapore or Abu Dhabi.
Keep in mind that F1 fans are all around the world, and there is no harm in trying new places. Open your mind and eyes and wait til after the race to give your judgment
I’m interested in Singapore this year, mainly to see how much the cars with the trick diffusers bottom out and spark over the bumps. Last year’s race was like an extra bonfire night
Want to show off F1 to more international audience? Come to Sebring, Infineon, Indy or Languna Seca. American circuits aren’t exotic and upper crust like Dubai but you know… tracks like Sebring actually have the ability to pack in large amounts of fans and the tracks themselves have history.
Personally I think Singapore at twilight is the coolest track during the F1 season with the F1 cars spitting fire in the dark.
But I’m serious and bit pissed off. Why doesn’t F1 go to France, US or Canada? They used to…
Playing the game I was looking for possible ways to overtake and, frankly, there is very little opportunity to do so. Maybe at the finish straight into turn 1 and possibly at one of the back straights. Shouldn’t this have been a top priority when designing this track? So now it looks to be just like most of these new circuits, that they are more concerned with having first class restaurants and press boxes then actually staging a good show. Like Valencia which is worse than Monaco for staging a parade and doesn’t have the history to excuse it. Then there is Singapore, which is a disastrous track by the way.
Last season, although a bit more atmospheric at night than Qatar is in MotoGP, it showed us a poorly designed circuit. A few crashes it took marshals ages to get to a driver because no one thought of installing openings close together in the fence so track marshals can get at drivers and wrecks. The pit lane entrance and exits was ridiculous (even though I’m told they’re fixing it) and not to mention the bumpiness of the track and the genius of building a portion of the circuit over an active train tunnel that shorted out the electronics on the Red Bulls last season when they passed at the same moment the train did. It was a poorly planned out track and clearly obvious that most, if not all, thought was dedicated to the lighting of the circuit.
F1 should have no more then two “street races” a season and bring back old favorites. These sterile bland tracks like China, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are killing part of the spectacle of this sport. Tilke’s best track was Malaysia’s. He peaked there and should pack up his pencils and design parking lots for Wal-Mart and leave F1 track design with someone with an imagination and understanding of overtaking.
Tilke needs to go… so does Bernie… Max better leave too like he said he would too.
Looks like a pretty exotic looking track.
Just hope it doesn’t turn out like the Valencia street circuit. That was such a let down. The most boring track ever!!
I get what Bernie is trying to do by introducing more new exotic tracks to make F1 look cooler and impress more people.
But this is killing real racing. What F1 needs is some proper tracks like Spa.
And i really think F1 should go back to indianapolis. Those heavy banked american tracks make for pretty cool racing!
Too much corners. That difficlut to copy a Monza?
Bernie seriously thinks this kind of tracks will ever get the heart and soul of an Imola or Montreal or Silverstone??
abu dhabi is going to be like valencia. if bernie wants more overtaking he should eithier sack tilke or bring back tracks like imola, indianapolis, montrol and maney cour and keep silverstone
If bernie wants overtaking he needs to ditch Hermann Tilke
What are you lot on about, you think that all tracks should be closer to Europe to make it easier for you to take a trip? I went to Singapore in 08 and it was awesome, best race of the year by a mile and Abu-Dhabi is just up the road from where i live so i’m happy. There is a biogger world out there you know, F1 is not just yours, it belongs to the world and should be spread across it. Kudos Bernie.
No prob with new and far away races. Just a prob with killing off the races that made F1 what it is. Sure you have to keep up but F1 should not forget it´s heritage, just take a look at the numbers of crowd that turn up at Silverstone and compare it to Turkey where nobody cares about F1. It will be the same in Korea. Agree that Singapore 08 was great! Those were the days that F1 cars still looked superb and there was overtaking! Hope first change for 2010 is to bring back this damn wings in proportion.
The 09 cars are clown cars and look ridiculous.
The big problem with all of the modern circuits is that they are mostly made up of long wide straights, and slow tight corners. The exact opposite of why almost all drivers and fans love Silverstone, Spa, Monza, and Hungary. it’s not exciting to see an F1 car do 200mph, and brake into a 60mph corner, whilst defending against the car behind. But, it is very exciting to watch a car through Becketts, or up the hill at Spa (Hamilton / Alonso 2008 ) on the edge of grip at a ridiculous speed.
Tilke designs the new circuits and it’s time for a change. STOP THE OBSESSION WITH OVERTAKES INTO SLOW CORNERS YOU DICK!
How about F1 at Leguna Seca, when the U.S returns.
Oh, and sorry to mention Hamilton, it’s the only example i could think of, except Hill and Schumacher at Spa in 95. Maybe i should have used that instead. Or Villeneuve around the outside of Schumacher, touching wheels at Portugal in 97. New tracks are mostly crap. The only exception is Singapore.
Put the Portimão circuit in Formula 1!
TOP GEAR TEST TRACK FOR F1!!!!
Totally agree with Franz, Portimao is an amazing track.
Herman Tilke has lost his touch, lets go back to america please
“STOP THE OBSESSION WITH OVERTAKES INTO SLOW CORNERS YOU DICK!”
Exactly!
is just me or does the harbour sort ta like the one at monte carlo
hi
i smell
I’d like them to go to Leguna Seca but i’m not sure they could get round Corkscrew
the tickets are too pricy ………… 2000 to 3000
dhirams (Abudhabi currency).
Everyone questions the track design but since I live in Abu Dhabi and know the location of the track, I wander if sand and dust will be the major issue. We obviously have dust storms and even driving from Abu Dhabi to Dubai can be interesting in these conditions.
The track is located next to Abu Dhabi Airport pretty much in the desert and on some days visibility is dramatically reduced with blowing sand swirling across the roads.
Obviously the race is in our winter months but even then if the Shamal winds blow Abu Dhabi is covered in dust, this will surely affect safety and the performance of the cars.
The other thing is knowing the region I am sure the Hotel prices will certainly increas during the F1 race period, its not only a question of the cost for entrance tickets.
F1 is so dull.
Too many rule changes each year therefore manufacturers never get chance to consolidate r&d.
roll on it’s demise – rock on indy/le mans etc.
Get all the divers to comment on their favourite parts of their favourite circuits, glue them all together and make a new track out of it. And put it in a EUROPEAN country, that has actual motor sport fans. As in NOT Turkey. or some miidle east oil rich millionaires play park.
Bring back Adelaide, Imola, Paul Ricard, the old Hockenheim with it’s long straights (which idiot ever decided to shorten that track), Mexico and off course Montreal. Bernie should stop asking for this enormous amounts to host a race. They are killing the gold egg chicken.
i wish F1 came back to the US or Canada because i have always wanted to see them race in person. but they keep going to new grand prixs and cut the ones closet to me out.
I can’t be bothered to try this game, but I live in Abu Dhabi and have seen a massive model of the complex. It looks sort of OK, not as bad as some would say, but not brilliant. I’ve was told that tickets are pretty much sold out (as of April) and that only crappy seats remain. The only way to get them is to buy them off someone, and as the worst tickets cost over $200, you will be ripped off. I won’t be going, and it will be full of the worst kind of cock, the ones who dont care about F1, and it looks like the season will be wrapped up by October anyway.
2009 = Crap Cars & Boring Races & Crap Tilke Tracks
Thanks FIA
Give us back the V10s
Give us back the cool cars
Give us back the tracks with heritage
Skip KERS
Skip the ugly clown wings
Skip Q3 with a fuel load
re post 31 – here’s the start
http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo rt1/hi/motorsport/formula _one/8137626.stm
The future of the Japanese Grand Prix has been thrown into doubt by Fuji Speedway’s decision not to host the race in 2010.
F1 continues it’s slow death
“TOP GEAR TEST TRACK FOR F1!!!!”
LOL I want to see that! It’ll be like a demolition derby.
the game took abot 4.1 billion years to load. then it was crap.
i like the tracks setting but i want to see overtaking and yas wont provide that