Yas Marina Circuit prepares to host F1 season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Sport360 staff 17:13 22/11/2017

The engines have fallen silent, pit doors are closed, and the grandstands are empty, but Yas Marina Circuit is anything but quiet.

While motorsports fans eagerly await the start of the season-closing 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the task of making sure the Circuit is ready to host the biggest race of the year is well under way.

To make sure everything is perfect before the arrival of the drivers, 60,000 fans, scores of team officials plus dignitaries, celebrities and media from across the world, an army of cleaners, painters, gardeners and technical experts have descended on Yas Marina Circuit.

Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit, said: “The Circuit is a hive of activity leading up to the F1. A huge amount of work goes into preparing for the race weekend to make sure the Circuit looks perfect and the fans in the grandstand and those watching on TV around the world enjoy the best F1 experience.

“Since our first Grand Prix in 2009 we have been finely tuning our operations. It’s a massive logistical task that is the culmination of 12 months’ meticulous planning.”

Thanks to the wider cars competing in the 2017 F1 Championship, the grid markings on the start/finish line have been removed and replaced with markings that are 200mm wider than previous slots to accommodate them.

Teams of motor racing experts and logistics managers direct fleets of transporters carrying everything required for the F2 Series and GP3 Series teams. These competitions, which will provide the F1 champion drivers of tomorrow, will battle it out for podium honours over the weekend. 

As the safety of the drivers, teams and spectators is paramount in F1, experts will go over every inch of the Circuit to make sure vital crash barriers are placed correctly and intact, the track is clean and clear and the Circuit’s medical teams and first responders are positioned to deal with any emergency.

The logistics of organising the race weekend also extends to catering for tens of thousands of spectators in the grandstands, making sure the small army of customer service staff are on hand and prepared to help visitors enjoy the F1 experience to the fullest and ensuring sure the world’s media are positioned to get the best view of the action on the track for the hundreds of millions watching around the world.

For more information on the #AbuDhabiGP, visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com

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