Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The circuit was designed by the famous circuit architect Hermann Tilke and was first introduced to the Formula One calendar in 2009, hosting the season finale that year.

The Yas Marina Circuit is 5.5 km (3.4 mi) long and features 21 turns, including long straights and tight hairpins. The circuit is unique in that it passes through the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi Hotel, creating a stunning visual spectacle as the cars race through the hotel's illuminated façade at night.

The track is known for its modern facilities, including state-of-the-art garages and a pit lane that runs underneath the hotel. The circuit can accommodate up to 60,000 spectators and features multiple grandstands offering panoramic views of the track.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held at Yas Marina Circuit, is the final race of the Formula One season and often decides the championship title. The circuit also hosts other major racing events throughout the year, including the 24 Hours of Dubai and the Abu Dhabi 12 Hour Race.

Abu Dhabi has been the season finale since 2014. The track has seen many famous title battles come down to the line with the first being back in 2010 when 4 different drivers entered the final race with a shot at the title. In the end it was Sebastian Vettel who took home his first ever world title as well as the constructors title for Red Bull.

In 2014 the title fight came to the last race as Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton fought for glory. Lewis Hamilton came out on top that year to claim his second world title and the start of Mercedes dominant era in F1 winning their first constructors championship. Once again it went down to the last race of the season for Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. However things ended differently this time with Nico Rosberg winning his only world title, announcing his retirement from racing just 5 days after the showdown.

Who would have thought the season end how it did in 2021. Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton will go down as one of the biggest rivalries in the history of Formula 1. The two took the title down to the wire in 2021 tied on points going into the season finale at Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton had dominated the whole race even with a tense mid race fight between the two Red Bull drivers with Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez holding up the 7 time world champion costing him valuable seconds. Verstappen managed to close the gap thanks to Perez but once again Hamilton drove off into the distance.

However with 4 laps to go the race was turned on its head in one of the most controversial ways ever in F1 history. A late race safety car was called after Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barrier under the Yas Marina Hotel. The safety car gave Verstappen the chance to pit for fresh softs tyres while Hamilton was forced to stay out on worn hards. Race director Michael Masi made the decision to clear only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen meaning the Dutchman had a clear shot of beating the defending world champ on the last lap of the season.

Verstappen ultimately made the move diving into the lead at the hairpin before the long back straights and then weaving countless times to break the tow. As the dust settled Verstappen was crowned champion leaving fans to stand astounded at what they had just witnessed. A unpredictable season ending in the most unpredictable way.