As the chequered flag waved in Jeddah, putting Lewis Hamilton on level pegging with Max Verstappen in their battle to become the next F1 world champion, all eyes turned to Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
What promises to be a nail-biting climax to the 2021 Formula 1 season in the UAE capital next weekend, drivers and teams will be facing unknown elements at Yas Marina Circuit, with a new track layout after 13 years.
The track has been shortened by 273 metres to 5.28km – offering new challenges to even the most experienced F1 veterans, a statement said.
Following an extensive reconfiguration programme during the summer across three key corners in North Hairpin, Marsa Corner and around the W Hotel section, the shorter, faster lap will allow cars to run closer together, the statement added.
Pre-race simulations by a number of teams have shown that lap times may drop by as much as 13 seconds in total – a significant decrease which will lead to new lap times of around 1 minute and 23 seconds.
Teams will be working hard to harvest as much data as possible during the three practice sessions, ahead of Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s big race.
The new hotel section has new corners that should reduce tyre slide to keep drivers on the track, helping to maintain a more tightly packed field. While overtaking is unlikely through this section, the revised layout tees up overtaking opportunities elsewhere around the lap.
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