Formula Rossa is the hydraulic-launch roller coaster at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi that made history in November 2010 by catapulting riders to 149.1 mph (240 km/h) in under five seconds, instantly becoming the fastest roller coaster on the planet. More than a decade later it’s still the signature ride of the world’s first Ferrari-branded theme park, and one of only a handful of coasters on Earth built around a hydraulic catapult instead of a chain lift or magnetic launch.
It’s also a ride with a complicated recent history: repeated extended maintenance shutdowns, a top-speed title finally lost to a newer coaster, and a new record earned in a different category. If you’re trying to figure out whether Formula Rossa is actually running before you plan a trip around it, here’s what’s verified true right now, straight from Ferrari World’s own ride-status page.
Quick Answer
Formula Rossa is currently closed for maintenance. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s official ride-availability page lists it as unavailable, with no reopening date announced as of this writing. The ride has been down since it closed again on May 12, 2026, following an earlier scheduled closure from mid-October to mid-November 2025. It’s no longer the world’s fastest roller coaster overall — Falcon’s Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya City took that title on December 31, 2025, reaching 155.3 mph (250 km/h) — but Formula Rossa still holds a separate Guinness World Records title, verified April 30, 2026, for the highest speed ever achieved by a roller coaster launch.
Is Formula Rossa Open Right Now?
As of this writing, Formula Rossa is listed as closed for maintenance on Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s official rides-information page, checked directly for this article. The park doesn’t publish an exact reopening date in advance, and it has a track record of leaving the listing at simply “closed” for months at a stretch.
This isn’t the ride’s first extended shutdown. Formula Rossa closed unexpectedly in January 2024 and stayed down for nearly a year before Ferrari World confirmed its reopening on December 23, 2024, once a hydraulic-system refurbishment was actually finished. A shorter, scheduled maintenance closure also took the ride offline from October 13 to November 16, 2025. The current closure began May 12, 2026 — only a couple of weeks after the ride picked up a new Guinness World Record — and has already run well past five months with nothing more specific than “closed for maintenance” from the park.
Because the listing can change at any time, the only reliable way to confirm Formula Rossa has reopened is to check Ferrari World’s own ride-availability page directly before building a visit around this one attraction — not older articles, forum threads, or trip reports that may be out of date.
When Will Formula Rossa Reopen?
Ferrari World has never published a fixed reopening date for Formula Rossa’s current closure, and its history suggests it rarely commits to one in advance. During the 2024 shutdown, the park said only that the ride was closed “until further notice” for nearly eleven months, then confirmed the reopening the same week it actually happened rather than giving fans advance notice.
That pattern makes it hard to predict an exact return date this time. The closure that began in October 2025 was a planned, weeks-long maintenance window with an announced end date, which shows Ferrari World is willing to give a timeline when the work is routine. The absence of any date for the closure that started in May 2026 is a signal the current work may be more substantial, closer in scale to the 2024 refurbishment than to a routine inspection. Until the park says otherwise, the safest assumption is that Formula Rossa stays closed indefinitely, and the fastest way to know the moment that changes is to watch the official ride page rather than wait for news coverage to catch up.
Formula Rossa Stats at a Glance
Park: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Manufacturer: Intamin (Accelerator Coaster). Opened: November 4, 2010. Height: about 170.6 ft (52 m). Top speed: 149.1 mph (240 km/h), reached in 4.9 seconds from a standing start. Length: about 6,804 ft (2,074 m). Inversions: 0. G-force: up to 4.8 g. Ride duration: roughly 90 seconds. Minimum rider height: 4’7″ (140 cm), with an upper height limit around 6’5″ (195 cm) per the park’s official restrictions.
At 170.6 feet, Formula Rossa isn’t tall by big-drop standards — plenty of hypercoasters clear it by well over 100 feet. Its height exists to serve the launch, not a first drop: the layout is essentially a runway for the hydraulic catapult, topped by a single camelback hill that delivers a burst of airtime once the train crests it, followed by sweeping high-speed turns rather than any inversions.
The Ride Experience
Formula Rossa’s defining moment happens in the first five seconds: a hydraulic launch system fires the Ferrari-styled cars down the launch track, building forces up to 4.8 g as the train accelerates faster than a Formula One car off the grid. Because the sensation of wind at nearly 150 mph is intense, and Abu Dhabi’s climate brings occasional blowing sand, every rider is required to wear protective goggles supplied by the park before boarding — loose items like hats, glasses, and phones aren’t allowed in the launch cars either.
Despite the extreme speed, the layout has zero inversions, relying on that single camelback hill and a series of banked turns across the roughly 6,800-foot circuit to deliver airtime and lateral g-forces instead of loops. The entire experience, launch included, lasts under two minutes, which is part of why Formula Rossa reads more as a raw speed showcase than a traditional, multi-element coaster ride.
A Record-Setting Legacy
When Formula Rossa opened in November 2010, it dethroned Kingda Ka to become the world’s fastest roller coaster, a title it held for roughly 15 years. That reign ended on December 31, 2025, when Falcon’s Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia opened, reaching 155.3 mph (250 km/h) with a linear synchronous motor launch instead of hydraulics.
Formula Rossa didn’t leave the record books, though. On April 30, 2026, Guinness World Records verified the ride for a separate, newer title — the highest speed ever achieved by a roller coaster launch — for accelerating from a standstill to 149.1 mph (240 km/h) in just 4.9 seconds. That’s a different category from outright top speed: Falcon’s Flight now goes faster overall, but no other coaster launch system on record has pushed riders to a higher speed than Formula Rossa’s hydraulic catapult, which is why the ride still turns up in “world’s fastest” headlines even after losing its original crown.
Height Requirements, Reservations & Who Can Ride
Formula Rossa has an official minimum height of 4’7″ (140 cm), and riders of any age must clear that bar — there’s no upper age limit, and the ride welcomes everyone from first-time teenagers to a group of adults visiting without any kids at all. Ferrari World also runs Formula Rossa Junior, a scaled-down version of the same track that tops out around 28 mph (45 km/h) instead of 240 km/h; it has a 90 cm (2’11”) minimum height, and children between 90 and 110 cm must ride with an accompanying adult.
Riding the full-speed Formula Rossa requires a free, same-day ride reservation booked inside the park rather than in advance, assigned on a first-come, first-served basis — so it’s worth heading there early if it’s a must-ride for your group. Whether you’re a family with older kids or simply a group of adults planning the day around this one ride, build in time to grab that reservation before exploring the rest of Ferrari World.
Planning Your Visit
Formula Rossa is the headline ride at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, an indoor theme park on Yas Island built around Ferrari’s road and racing heritage, alongside attractions like a drop tower, go-karting, and racing simulators. Access to Formula Rossa is included with general park admission rather than sold as a separate ticket, and like most major theme parks, Ferrari World typically prices single-day general admission, multi-day, and annual-pass tiers differently, with discounts common for children, UAE residents, and advance online bookings.
Opening hours and ticket prices change by season and are only reliable straight from the source. Check the official Ferrari World Abu Dhabi website for current hours, ticket tiers, and — most importantly if Formula Rossa is the reason you’re going — the live ride-availability listing before you book travel.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Formula Rossa reopening status FAQs
Is Formula Rossa open right now?
No. As of this writing, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s official ride-availability page lists Formula Rossa as closed for maintenance, with no reopening date announced.
When will Formula Rossa reopen?
Ferrari World hasn’t given a reopening date for the closure that began May 12, 2026. The park has historically announced reopenings only once work is finished rather than publishing timelines in advance, so the official ride page is the only reliable source for a confirmed date.
Is Formula Rossa open in 2026?
It has run for only part of 2026 so far. The ride was operating at the start of the year and even picked up a new Guinness World Record on April 30, 2026, but it closed again on May 12, 2026, and remained closed as of this writing.
Why does Formula Rossa keep closing?
Ferrari World rarely explains the reason in detail. Past shutdowns, including an 11-month closure from January to December 2024, are widely believed to involve work on the ride’s hydraulic launch system, which takes far more mechanical stress than a standard chain-lift coaster.
Is Formula Rossa still the fastest roller coaster in the world?
No. Falcon’s Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia took that title on December 31, 2025, reaching 155.3 mph (250 km/h). Formula Rossa still holds a separate Guinness World Records title for the fastest roller coaster launch, verified April 30, 2026.
What is the height requirement to ride Formula Rossa?
Riders must be at least 4’7″ (140 cm) tall for the full-speed Formula Rossa. A slower Formula Rossa Junior version has a 90 cm minimum height, with riders between 90 and 110 cm needing an accompanying adult.
Can a group of adults ride Formula Rossa without children?
Yes — there’s no upper age limit and no requirement to be riding with kids. Any rider who clears the 140 cm height minimum can ride, including a group of adults visiting on their own; you’ll just need a same-day ride reservation inside the park like everyone else.
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