Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The first Abu Dhabi F1 GP was held in 2009 at the Yas Marina Circuit and will continue to be held there until at least 2030.

The final race of the yar starts at dusk and is run under lights and like Monaco, it is possible to view the race from boats moored trackside if your budget will stretch to that. And the paddock? It’s one of the most picturesque and comes alive at night.

General admission tickets are on the high side (5th most expensive on the calendar) but that does little to dampen demand and come the end of the season, many turn up to this race just for the atmosphere and social scene.

The paddock atmosphere post-race is unique given it’s the end of the season. Adversaries forget their differences, drivers are relaxed and one of the strangest sights involves those crewmembers who are leaving teams. They are sometimes tossed into the marina or “tarred and feathered” and delivered to their new teams amidst much laughter and hilarity.

Accommodation-wise there are a number of hotels on the island withing walking distance of the track. These start at €650/night and go north quickly. The place to be seen is the beautifully lit W Hotel which is part of the track. Come race weekend it’s thumping and pumping. Stunning looking women dressed to the nines along with monied men team up for some wild partying. If you’re a light sleeper this is NOT the hotel for you!

Not too far from the W is a collection of 4 star hotels that are popular over the race weekend albeit at prices 5-8 times higher than normal and one of the newest properties is the Hilton Yas Marina; it looks impressive.

If you have a car or are happy to taxi/Uber to the track there is a bevy of top quality hotels towards the city and traffic normally flows freely.

The Abu Dhabi GP is a showcase for the sport and scrubs up well on TV. If you can get here and you have the budget, book an F1 Experiences package for an unforgettable weekend.