Five fast facts about the Abu Dhabi GP

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been an ever-present fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since its debut in 2009. That first race was held as the final round of the season: a position the event has held each year since then except three – rounding out every season since 2014. It takes place at the Yas Marina Circuit, built on Yas Island at a reputed cost in excess of a billion dollars and opened just before the inaugural race in 2009. Floodlights were installed as part of the construction, allowing the race to be F1's first day to night encounter, beginning at dusk and running into darkness.

As a regular host of season finales, Abu Dhabi has already seen its fair share of Formula 1 championship deciders. Its first was in 2010 and notable as the only time in history that four drivers have gone into the final race with the chance to be crowned champion. Sebastian Vettel became the youngest ever title winner as Fernando Alonso discovered how difficult overtaking can be when he got stuck behind the Renault of Vitaly Petrov for most of the race. Then of course there was the dramatic final-lap decider in 2021, when another young Red Bull driver – Max Verstappen – claimed his first title, under controversial circumstances.

For the 2021 race, a number of significant modifications to the layout were introduced for the first time, with the aim of offering improved overtaking opportunities. Changes were made in every sector, with the chicane that formed Turns 5 and 6 removed altogether to give drivers the chance to follow closer together onto the back straight. At the end of the second straight, one long banked bend was created in place of the fiddly Turns 11 to 14. And near the end of the lap, several corners were reprofiled to make them faster and more flowing. The result has been more spectacular action: mission accomplished.

It's not just the Formula 1 season that concludes in Abu Dhabi: it will also be the final round of the Formula 2 season – close to three months since the previous event at Monza. Keeping up the suspense during that time has been the fact that the title has yet to be decided, with 25 points separating leader Theo Pourchaire – the Alfa Romeo reserve driver – from his nearest rival, Frederik Vesti (a Mercedes junior driver) with 39 points still up for grabs across two races at Yas Marina. Both of the main championship protagonists will be busy boys in Abu Dhabi, driving for their respective Formula 1 teams in FP1 and the post-season test.

Yas Marina is a popular testing venue, partly because of the excellent facilities, stable weather and possibility for around-the-clock use, and partly because of the Abu Dhabi GP's end-of-season date. A post-season test is often held there and offers the chance for teams to sample developments for the following year, as well as to give young up-and-coming drivers a chance to gain experience. This year, teams will run two cars on Tuesday after the race: one for young ‘rookie' drivers, and the other with a focus on tyre testing, even though the compounds will remain the same in 2024. Many of the young drivers in action will also be taking part in first practice at the start of the weekend: ten in total, across nine of the teams.