Yas Marina Circuit is a Formula 1 racetrack on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, that opened in October 2009. Designed by circuit architect Hermann Tilke, it has hosted the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix nearly every year since its debut and has served as the F1 season finale in most of those years, with the exception of 2011 through 2013, when the Brazilian Grand Prix closed out the championship instead. Its striking waterfront setting made it an instant fixture among the sport’s most recognizable venues.
The circuit is best known for two things: racing beneath the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island hotel, whose bridge structure spans the track near the marina, and being the first purpose-built Formula 1 venue designed for a day-to-night race. The inaugural 2009 Grand Prix started in late-afternoon sunlight and finished under floodlights from what was, at the time, the largest permanent sports lighting installation in the world.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Opened: October 2009
- Capacity: About 60,000 spectators
- Track Length: 5.281 km (3.28 mi)
- Turns: 16
- Designer: Hermann Tilke
- Notable Fact: First Formula 1 circuit built for a day-to-night race
Race Weekend at Yas Marina
As host of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit has closed out most Formula 1 seasons since 2009, though Interlagos in Brazil took over as the season-ending race from 2011 to 2013 before Abu Dhabi resumed that role. The layout mixes long straights with tight, technical corners around the marina, and the pit lane exit runs through a tunnel beneath the track itself. Five grandstand zones give fans different vantage points, from the marina straight to the corner beneath the hotel bridge.
The circuit’s signature feature is the section where the track passes directly under the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island hotel, a structure designed by architects Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture that has become one of the most photographed backdrops in modern F1.
Built for the Lights
Yas Marina was constructed with a permanent floodlighting system so races could transition from daylight to darkness without a pause in action, a first for Formula 1 when the venue opened in 2009. The track surface uses graywacke aggregate imported from Shropshire, England, chosen for its grip, and the overall complex covers roughly 400 acres (161.9 hectares) on the man-made Yas Island.
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Yas Marina Circuit FAQs
When did Yas Marina Circuit open?
Yas Marina Circuit opened in October 2009 and hosted its first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 1, 2009.
Has Yas Marina Circuit always closed the F1 season?
Not every year. It hosted the season finale from 2009-2010 and again from 2014 onward, but Brazil’s Interlagos circuit was the season-closing race from 2011 through 2013.
How long is the Yas Marina Circuit track?
The Grand Prix layout is 5.281 km (about 3.28 miles) long with 16 turns.
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Photo: Anthony Alessio Tralongo / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.