Yas Marina Circuit, Motorsport racing track in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The Yas Marina Circuit is a 5.281 km motorsport track on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, designed by Hermann Tilke with sixteen corners and several straights. It runs counter-clockwise past a marina and beneath the W Abu Dhabi hotel, and its pit lane exit passes under the track. The asphalt uses graywacke aggregate shipped from a Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire, England.
The facility opened in 2009 and was designed from the start to host major international motorsport events. The first Grand Prix took place in November of the same year, establishing the emirate as a new venue in the global racing calendar.
The name combines nearby Yas Island with the marina that wraps around part of the facility, allowing spectators to watch from boats during events. The grandstands fill with international visitors during major races, creating a weekend gathering where people wear team colors and share the experience.
The circuit sits on Yas Island, a headland cut off from the mainland by a canal, and can be split into two independent layouts of 3.15 km and 2.36 km for other events. Part of the pit lane exit runs in a tunnel beneath the track, and one run-off area passes under the West Grandstand. The track runs anticlockwise through seven right and nine left corners.
The entire facility features an LED lighting system that allows races to continue after dark, avoiding the desert heat of the day. The lighting is calibrated so that cameras and spectators alike maintain clear visibility of the vehicles throughout.
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