The Abu Dhabi circuit will not be modified
The modifications to the Abu Dhabi circuit layout have been postponed to a later date.
Greatly criticized for the lack of spectacle offered last season, the Yas Marina circuit, which will host the penultimate Grand Prix of the season, will not be modified this year.
The race officials and organizers had considered a possible modification of the circuit to encourage overtaking. In 2010, Fernando Alonso was stuck behind Vitaly Petrov’s slower Renault, unable to overtake him to defend his championship chances against Sebastian Vettel.
Richard Cregan, who is in charge of the Yas Marina track, justifies his choice by the numerous modifications that have appeared this season on the cars. «With all the changes implemented by the FIA, the races this year have been full of overtaking and excitement. So we decided, rather than spending a lot of money on these changes, that we would wait and see how this year’s race will unfold.»
The organizers are therefore relying on DRS and KERS to liven up the race. It remains to be seen if Fernando Alonso agrees with them. The recent race in Valencia proves that mechanical gadgets cannot entirely save a track lacking character.
