The Yas Marina is the brainchild of a German engineer, racing driver, and circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Yas Island is an artificial island, and the circuit is a major attraction.
Managed and maintained by Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, the Yas Marina Circuit first broke ground in May 2007. Two years later, in 2009, people would get the first glimpse of the magnificent battle arena.
The seven-time world champion finds Yas to be one of his favorite circuits and has always found it thrilling to step onto the pitch here. In 2009 Lewis Hamilton stated, “It’s like entering Wembley.”
Since the course is on an island, far away from the central city, it is not much of a street circuit. Most of the island will eventually turn into resorts and entertainment zones. Further, it will leave very little room for any grave public traffic situation.
Key Points to note about Yas Marina
However, rather than strictly being a proper road circuit, it has built-in elements of the street throughout the track. It is a ‘hybrid’ of sorts. The design and construction cost USD 1.3 billion. It has a capacity of 60,000 the Yas Marina is also among the top ten longest circuits, stretching almost 5.5 kilometers.
Street circuits today are compact, and walls are lining up the racetrack at very close proximity. This feature makes it challenging to bend around the corners, and the math becomes very crucial.
Yas Marina has plenty of room for overtaking, yet parts of the track are designed for high precision cornering, a balanced outcome.
Races at the Yas have always been nail-biting, and the soothing island environment makes it a party you cannot miss. A street like features of the track is not very close to actual street circuits when it comes to the surface’s quality.
Usually, in a street circuit, the public roads used for the track are for the daily traffic. Hence, the compromised quality of construction leads to fast degradation of the track. Subsequently, making it a bumpier ride for the driver.
Visibility is a critical issue in street circuits, and the Yas, being a hybrid, offers a mixed palette. It is easier to find a rhythm, and there are proper braking zones. Altogether, the Yas Marina provides an irresistible edge of the seat viewing experience along with a photogenic panorama. It has never let down its audience for once since its inception in the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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