Video: Abu Dhabi F1 track gets new banked corner

24th June 2021

Seán Ward

The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi has played host for the final race of every F1 season since 2014, and while there have been moments of drama it has rarely produced exciting races. That is why the circuit management have given Yas Marina a makeover, overhauling three areas of the track in the hope of lower lap times and more overtaking.

Firstly, turns five and six, the excruciating chicane before the first hairpin at turn seven, have been deleted, and seven reprofiled into a wider and more open hairpin, with more space for a lunge having flown down a short straight from turn four.

Then, what were the off camber 11, 12, 13 and 14 complex, at the end of the second DRS Zone and the start of sector three, will become one single banked corner. Yes, you read that correctly: banked.

The final area of change is to be found under the glowing lights of the W Hotel, where the radius of turns 17, 18, 19 and 20 have all been opened up so that cars may carry more speed.

Will the racing be any better when F1 arrives in December? We’ll have to wait and see.