What is the Yas Marina racetrack? By whom and when was it built? What parameters does the presented track have? We offer you to find answers to these and other questions by reading our publication.
Historical reference
The design of the race track Yas Marina was developed by the famous German architect German Tilke. To translate the idea into reality, an artificial island was poured near the city of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). Initially, the track was conceived as an analogue of the circuit in Monaco. However, later significant changes were made to the project.
Work started in 2009. Within a few months, more than five and a half kilometers of asphalt pavements were laid. The Yas Marina Circuit track opened at the end of that year.
In developing the project of the race track in Abu Dhabi, the architect German Tilke decided to implement a one-of-a-kind pit lane exit. After passing through the last, the pilots find themselves in a tunnel that bends under the track. Unlike numerous racetracks for conducting Formula 1 racing competitions, here athletes turn right and check out to the left of the main car race. Many designers opposed the implementation of such an idea, arguing that such a project would cause traffic jams on the track. However, the holding of the first Grand Prix did not confirm such concerns.
Track Features
The track Yas Marina was developed with the aim of holding the most spectacular competitions. For this, many high-speed sections were implemented at the racetrack. In particular, one of the longest lines in the world was created here, the passage of which makes it possible to overtake rivals. Also on the highway there are enough “slow” twisting sectors. There is a site that exactly repeats the streets on a track in Monaco. The sector is often called urban.
A specific feature of the track is the movement of racing cars against the clockwise direction. The solution not only adds special originality to the track, but also creates additional difficulties for pilots who are not used to such conditions.
In general, Yas Marina is considered an extremely competently arranged track. It harmoniously combines the most diverse elements, which allowed the racetrack to become extremely colorful, original and attractive.
Specifications
The Yas Marina route covers an area of more than 160 hectares. The circuit is designed to receive visitors in the amount of 50,000 people. With an optimal trajectory of the car, the distance from start to finish is 5,491 meters. The longest straight on the track has a length of 1173 meters. In most sectors, the width of the route is 12 meters, but in some areas it changes to 16 meters. According to the data obtained, the maximum speed that the car is capable of developing during movement along the track is 317 km / h. This becomes possible before the cars enter the eighth turn. To accommodate teams there are 40 comfortable boxes in which powerful air conditioning systems are installed.
Passing the track
In the course of competitive practice, teams experience certain difficulties with the selection of suitable settings for fireballs. The track requires a choice of downforce of cars at a medium-high level. To achieve success in the race on the Yas Marina, a compromise is needed between good grip in short sections and the development of the maximum allowable speed when passing straight lines.
Overtaking opponents on the track is quite difficult. Therefore, most pilots try to successfully qualify and take a leading position at the start. To some extent, the success of the competition is made possible by the presence of several DRS zones, during the passage of which it is allowed to open the wing of the car.
Another determining factor is the change in the quality of asphalt. Qualification runs on the track start in the daytime, when the surface is well heated by the sun. Accordingly, at this time, the level of adhesion of tires to the track increases. The race ends at dusk, when the track is illuminated by searchlights, and the temperature of the surrounding space is significantly reduced.
Surrounding infrastructure
As noted above, the race track was created on the artificial island of Yas in Abu Dhabi. The latter is part of the Persian Gulf. Not far from the track for the competitions of the Formula 1 series there is a theme park called Ferrari. It constantly hosts a large number of visitors who are offered fascinating excursions that introduce the history of the famous team.
On the territory of the track is a respectable hotel Yas Marina Hotel. The complex is adjacent to the pier, where numerous yachts are located. The hotel itself has twelve floors. Separate buildings are connected by a covered isthmus in the form of a glazed gallery. The latter offers a beautiful view not only of the bay, but also of the race itself.
The attraction of the structure is the external frame in the form of a translucent metal cape. According to the architects' idea, the cellular covering acts as a symbol of oriental culture, in which men's and women's robes are all kinds of bedspreads. Surprisingly, the external frame of the building does not connect to its walls, but is mounted on separate supports.
During the period when Formula 1 is taking place in Abu Dhabi, the building of the luxury hotel is illuminated by a unique system that paints surfaces in a wide variety of colors. Just before the finish on one of the walls, the corresponding flag lights up, which adds originality to the competition.
Tribunes
One of the main advantages of the track is the fact that there is a protective frame above all places for spectators. The latter protects visitors from the scorching sun and a few rains. During the observation of the competition, spectators are offered service right in the stands. Creating enhanced amenities for visitors to the track is the real motto of the Grand Prix Yas Marina.
Service staff
In the period when the Grand Prix of the Formula 1 series of competitions is not held, about 180 people are engaged in daily maintenance of the track. With the start of official events, the number of staff increases significantly. Thanks to the hiring of temporary workers and the involvement of voluntary volunteers, the number of workers on the track increases to 380 or more.
Interesting Facts
There are some fascinating information about the racetrack:
- Initially, the construction of a street racing track of small sizes was planned on the man-made island of Yas. However, over time, the project was changed, significantly expanded and adapted to the organization of the Formula 1 competition.
- The first race on the Yas Marina track was held on November 1, 2009, almost immediately after the facility was commissioned. The first pilot who drove along the highway behind the wheel of a car was the Brazilian race car driver Bruno Senna.
- Carrying out racing competitions on the highway in Abu Dhabi is made possible thanks to the annual major financial injections from Etihad Airways. She is the honorary title sponsor of the track.
- Over the entire construction period, over 14,000 workers worked on it. About 225,000 m 3 of concrete were used during the events. 35 million man-hours were spent on the project.
- Track operation is possible in several configurations. During the races of the Formula 1 series, they resort to the longest using the full length of the track. When organizing the so-called street competitions, the track is divided into several independent sections 2.36 km and 3.15 km long.
- The cost of the project, according to some reports, is more than 400 million dollars.
- The Yas Marina track is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management is responsible for maintaining the track in a suitable condition for the competition.
- The investment in the government organization Mubadala, without which the facility would most likely not have existed in its previous form, was of decisive importance in the construction and development of the route.
- In 2010, the reconstruction of the circuit was planned, the purpose of which was to complicate the competition. However, at the beginning of next season, thanks to the installation of new Pirelli racing tires on the cars and the introduction of the DRS system, the number of overtaking on the track increased markedly. Therefore, they decided to abandon the idea of reconstruction.
Finally
As you can see, the Yas Marina highway is a unique race track of its kind. The track includes unique short and long high-speed sections. There are numerous turns that are ideal for overtaking, as well as the longest straight line in Formula 1. All this not only allows you to create a constant voltage effect for pilots of racing cars, but also does not let the audience relax for a second.