Formula One first visited Abu Dhabi in 2007 in the form of the first Formula One Festival, held on 3 February 2007. Announced in January 2007, the event was free to attend and was the largest gathering of current Formula One cars and drivers outside of a Grand Prix. At the festival it was announced that Abu Dhabi had secured the rights to host a Grand Prix from 2009 until 2016. Later that year, Etihad Airways negotiated a three-year deal to become sponsors of the Grand Prix.
The 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was provisionally announced as the 19th and final race of the 2009 season on 15 November. After the Canadian Grand Prix and French Grand Prix were removed from the provisional schedule, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was moved to 1 November 2009, becoming the 17th and final race. The start time was announced in August 2009 as 17:00 local time, with floodlights illuminating the circuit to ensure a seamless transition from daylight to darkness.
Sebastian Vettel won the inaugural 2009 race for Red Bull Racing.
In 2010, the Drivers' Championship was decided at Abu Dhabi for the first time. Championship leader Fernando Alonso lost out while Sebastian Vettel completed his second consecutive win on the track, sealing the world championship.
The 2011 race was won by Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes, with Fernando Alonso second in a Ferrari and Jenson Button third in a McLaren-Mercedes. Sebastian Vettel had been on pole but retired after a puncture on the first lap at the second corner.
In 2012, Kimi Räikkönen won for the first time after his return to Formula One. Championship leader Sebastian Vettel finished third after starting from the pit lane, having been disqualified from qualifying for insufficient fuel to return to parc fermé. His rival Fernando Alonso finished second.
The 2013 race was won by Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing for their third victory at the track; Vettel led every lap. Having already clinched their fourth consecutive Drivers' and Constructors' Championships at the Indian Grand Prix, the team celebrated in Abu Dhabi with David Coulthard performing doughnuts on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, 210 m above ground.
The 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the season's concluding race, with double points awarded. It was won by Lewis Hamilton, securing his second Drivers' Championship.
Nico Rosberg won the 2015 race, making it three consecutive wins for him at the venue, with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen completing the podium.
In 2016, Lewis Hamilton won the race — four consecutive wins for him at Abu Dhabi — with Nico Rosberg second and Sebastian Vettel third. Rosberg secured his sole Drivers' Championship with his second-place finish.
Valtteri Bottas won the 2017 race, with Lewis Hamilton second and Sebastian Vettel third. Lewis Hamilton won again in 2018, with Sebastian Vettel second and Max Verstappen third.
In 2019, Lewis Hamilton achieved a Grand Slam — qualifying on pole, leading every single lap, and winning the race — for his sixth championship. Max Verstappen finished second and Charles Leclerc third.
The 2020 race was moved from 29 November to 13 December to accommodate the Bahrain Grand Prix, which had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Max Verstappen won, with Valtteri Bottas second and Lewis Hamilton third.
On 12 December 2021, Max Verstappen controversially won his first World Drivers' Championship. Race director Michael Masi used an incorrect procedure for withdrawing the safety car before the final lap's restart, allowing Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the last lap and win. The FIA launched an inquiry, concluding that while the safety car did not stay out for the additional lap "as required by Article 48.12," the result was legitimised because Mercedes did not appeal, leaving no available mechanism to change the classification. Masi was replaced by Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas for 2022. Lewis Hamilton finished second; Carlos Sainz Jr. was third. Mercedes won their eighth consecutive Constructors' Championship. On 9 December 2021, Abu Dhabi signed an extended ten-year agreement with the Formula One Group, retaining the right to host the season finale until 2030.
Max Verstappen won the 2022 race with Charles Leclerc second and Sergio Pérez third.
The 2023 race was won by Verstappen, who had already secured the Drivers' Championship at the Qatar Grand Prix sprint event and the Constructors' Championship in Japan. During the 2023 race, Verstappen became the first driver to lead one thousand laps in a single season and the only driver to complete every racing lap of the 2023 season. Charles Leclerc finished second and George Russell third.
Lando Norris won the 2024 race for the first time, ahead of Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc. McLaren won the Constructors' title for the first time since 1998, beating Ferrari.
At the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris's third-place finish was sufficient to win him the 2025 Drivers' Championship by two points from race winner Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri finished second in the race and third in the championship.
The Yas Marina Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and is located on Yas Island, a 2,550-hectare island on the east coast of Abu Dhabi. The 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the first major event held at the circuit. In June 2021, modifications to the Grand Prix layout were approved and completed in time for the 2021 race: the turns 5–6 chicane and turn 7 hairpin were replaced by a single widened hairpin (turn 5); the triple chicane and 90-degree left-hander at turns 11–14 were replaced by a single sweeping banked curve (turn 9); and the radii of turns 17–19 and the penultimate turn 20 were widened to allow higher speeds through the third sector.
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