2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Fast Facts

The Abu Dhabi weekend brings the curtain down on the longest ever Formula 1 season, during which the sport travelled the world taking in 24 rounds. To date, the Yas Marina circuit has hosted motor racing’s blue riband category 15 times, twelve of them rounding off the year. On four occasions this Grand Prix has decided the outcome of one or both championship titles, in 2021 the two of them and in 2010, 2014 and 2016, just the Drivers’. This Sunday’s race will decide who takes the 2024 Constructors’ crown, McLaren or Ferrari.

As has long been the case at this track, Pirelli has chosen its three softest compounds for the event, with the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft. The red-banded tyres will most probably only feature in qualifying, while the Medium and Hard will be under the spotlight, in every sense of the word, given this is the third consecutive night race.

Thanks to significant changes to the track layout introduced in 2021, the 5.281 kilometre track is much faster and flowing, with several overtaking opportunities. In general, the forces exerted on the tyres are in the medium to low range, because of the lack of high speed corners. The surface offers little grip and its level of abrasiveness is average for the season. Temperatures will play an important role, with two of the three free practice sessions taking place in daylight, while FP2 and the race get underway at sunset with all of qualifying taking place at night. Therefore, track conditions can change quickly as temperatures drop and they will also evolve rapidly as the track rubbers in, especially on the first two days, helped by the fact there are three support categories on the card this weekend – F4 UAE, F1 Academy and F2.

On a track where graining could have a significant impact and where, as previously mentioned, overtaking is possible, a two-stop strategy certainly seems preferable, as indeed was the case last year. Furthermore, the undercut is very effective and, in order for a one-stop to work, it requires a great deal of tyre management to limit performance drop off.

The most successful driver at Abu Dhabi is Lewis Hamilton with five wins to his name. Max Verstappen could equal that number on Sunday as he has already won here four times in a row, from 2020 to 2023. Prior to Sunday’s race, the Dutchman will be presented with the Pirelli Pole Position Award of the Year, for securing the most poles this season. As for the teams, Red Bull leads the way on seven wins here, ahead of Mercedes on 6. Only two other teams have won in Abu Dhabi: Lotus with Kimi Raikkonen in 2013 and McLaren with Hamilton in the inaugural event in 2009.

Sunday night marks the end of racing for 2024 but not the end of track action. All ten teams will stay on at the Yas Marina circuit for a very busy group test on Tuesday 10 December. They will each field two cars: one for a rookie, defined in the FIA sporting regulations as a driver who has taken part in no more than two Grands Prix and the other car for another driver. The two groups will run different tyres: the rookies will have the same 2024 compounds as selected for this Grand Prix, while the regular or official drivers will run the homologated versions of all Pirelli’s 2025 tyres, developed over the year with the teams, with the exception of the C1 which is not suited to this track.

The rookies will have eight sets of tyres each: two C3, four C4 and two C5. The other drivers will have ten sets: one C2, three each of the C3 and C4, two C5 and one C6, the latter being the new ultra-soft compound which thus extends the 2025 range. It is expected that this compound will be used at some street circuits next year. Unlike the in-competition test run at the Mexico City Grand Prix, this time Pirelli will not set out its own run programme for the 2025 tyres. Therefore, each team can work as it sees fit to collect data that will be vital to car development for next year. For this test, the C2 and C6 will feature just the Pirelli logo coloured white and red respectively, while the C3, C4 and C5 will run the usual white, yellow and red bands respectively, alongside the logo.

Lewis Hamilton’s Final Drive For Mercedes

With Lewis Hamilton set to drive for Ferrari in 2025, his current team boss Toto Wolff reflects on their time together with Mercedes…

“After 12 incredible years, we get ready to write the final chapter in our racing story with Lewis this weekend. It has been quite a journey. When we first started working together in 2013, we couldn’t have imagined what was to come. Six Drivers’ World Championships. Eight Constructors’ titles. 84 wins. 78 pole positions. 153 podium finishes. The most successful driver and team partnership in F1 history. Many highs that we have enjoyed. Some crushing lows that we’ve overcome together.
 
“Our relationship has meant so much more than just numbers and statistics, though. It is a legacy that transcends our sport, with a lasting impact beyond the racetrack. One that has strived to increase diversity in our sport. To fight for inclusion. Lewis has been the catalyst for so much of this and we have been honoured and proud to work hand-in-hand with him. That work won’t stop at the end of this year. But it began because of the impetus led by Lewis.
 
“This weekend is a celebration. A celebration of everything that we have accomplished together. Lewis’s association with Mercedes goes back 26 years. Every lap of his career so far has been powered by the three-pointed star. We will honour this unparalleled story in Abu Dhabi and across the following week as we visit Kuala Lumpur, Stuttgart, then finally Brixworth and Brackley. And honour it knowing that, whilst this phase of our relationship is coming to an end, Lewis will always be a part of our family.
 
“For now, though, our full focus is on the race weekend. There is no better way to mark the end of our time together than with a strong performance on the track. The entire team is focused on adding one more highlight to the reel. We also want to end the season on the front foot. That will help us carry momentum into the winter and onwards as we open the next chapter in our story in 2025. With George as the senior driver and Kimi as an exciting rookie talent, our future is bright. But let’s end this present chapter in the right way. Thank you, Lewis: for one final time, let’s do this,” said Wolff.

How to Watch the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Formula 1 fans around the globe can catch all the action from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix through various broadcasters and streaming services.

In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with comprehensive coverage of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself.

For fans in the United States, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be available through ESPN and its associated channels. ESPN offers extensive coverage of F1, including live broadcasts and replays. Cord-cutters can also stream the race live through various over-the-top (OTT) services that carry ESPN channels.

Viewers in Australia can tune in to watch the Grand Prix weekend unfold live on Fox Sports, which offers complete coverage of F1 races. For online streaming, fans can subscribe to Kayo Sports, a streaming platform that includes all Fox Sports content.

Additionally, F1 TV Pro offers live streaming of every track session to viewers in many countries worldwide.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Fast Facts

• Abu Dhabi 2024 will be the 246th and final Grand Prix with Mercedes for Lewis Hamilton, a partnership that has delivered six World Drivers’ titles, eight World Constructors’ titles, 84 wins, 153 podiums, and 78 pole positions.
• It stands to be the 356th and final Grand Prix for Lewis with a Mercedes-Benz powered car in F1, ending a run that started on the seven-time world champion’s debut in the sport in March 2007.
• Abu Dhabi made its F1 debut in 2009 as the sport’s first ever twilight race, with the start taking place at sunset. Around 4,700 light fixtures are used to illuminate the track.
• Several modifications were made to the track layout ahead of the 2021 race, changing the lap length from 5.554 km to 5.281 km.
• These changes including removing the chicane at the start of the second sector and widening the following hairpin. The twisty chicanes at the start of the final sector were also replaced by one long, banked corner.
• Similar to other twilight and night races on the calendar, FP1 and FP3 take place in the daytime. FP2, Qualifying and the Grand Prix itself take place at night or as the sun sets.
• That poses a challenge to the engineers and drivers who must accommodate for the changes in tyre and car behaviour owing to the differing ambient and track temperatures.
• The pitlane at the Yas Marina Circuit is unique in F1, in that it features a tunnel that runs underneath Turn One. Drivers pass under the track at the pit lane exit, re-joining on the left-hand side of Turn 2.
• In 2023, Yas Marina Circuit overtook Adelaide as the track at which the most season-ending F1 races have been held (12).
• The circuit has seen four world champions crowned. Sebastian Vettel in 2010, Lewis Hamilton in 2014, Nico Rosberg in 2016 and Max Verstappen in 2021.
• Oracle Red Bull Racing are the most successful constructor in Yas Marina history with seven race wins and seven poles. Should the team clinch victory, it will be the first venue that they’ve won at on eight occasions. 
• Mercedes has six wins at Yas Marina. Four with Lewis Hamilton (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019), Valtteri Bottas (2017) and Nico Rosberg (2015)
• George Russell sealed his F2 title at the circuit in 2018, before making the step up to F1 the following season.
• A top three finish for the Red Bull Racing team would see Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez reach 100 combined podium finishes as teammates in what will be their 90th race together in Oracle Red Bull Racing colours, making them the longest uninterrupted partnership on the grid.
• Max has now led the Drivers’ Championship from start-to-finish for a second consecutive season having taken the lead in June 2022. It is now guaranteed that Max will remain top of the standings for over 1,000 days.
• Max has won the last four grand prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, the only track in which he has done so. He has also finished the race where he started in each of his last five races in Abu Dhabi.