
The Final Sector: Will Imola replace Abu Dhabi? Antonelli’s meteoric rise
Insight directly from the F1 paddock courtesy of the all-new PlanetF1.com podcast with Thomas Maher and Mat Coch.
Round 23 · 4–6 Dec 2026Upcoming
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Three practice sessions, Qualifying and the Grand Prix. Session times, live stream, weather, results and circuit guide.
Next session
Practice 1
71d 04:31:57Weather in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Photo: Willo2173 · CC BY 2.0
Yas Marina Circuit hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Designed by Hermann Tilke and opened in 2009, it runs alongside the marina and passes beneath the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island hotel, whose lit-up facade spans the track. The race regularly closes the Formula 1 season, starting in daylight and finishing under floodlights.
Changes made for 2021 reprofiled several sections and added a banked Turn 9, shortening the lap to 5.281 km with 16 turns. Standout features include a straight of more than a kilometre between Turns 5 and 6 and a pit exit that dips through a tunnel beneath the track. The surface uses the same English aggregate as Bahrain's circuit.
What to watch for: Most overtaking happens at the end of the long straight into Turn 6, while cooling track temperatures as the sun sets can shift the tyre and strategy picture.

Insight directly from the F1 paddock courtesy of the all-new PlanetF1.com podcast with Thomas Maher and Mat Coch.

Given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, for several months now it’s been assumed that the cancellation of the season-closing Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix is not just likely, but inevitable. The commercial rights holder…