Abu Dhabi should alter its course

« Races like Abu Dhabi in 2010, where you can’t overtake, are unacceptable! » had stated a few weeks ago, Jean Todt in the columns of the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

However, the comments from the FIA president only brought back to light criticisms already made after the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Alonso remained stuck in the slipstream of Vitaly Petrov for 39 laps even though he seemed faster, which partially cost the Spaniard his title hopes. Alonso was not the only one in this situation, as Massa and Webber had experienced the same misfortune.

At the forefront of the criticisms against the Abu Dhabi circuit is the long straight punctuated by a chicane, which prompted Martin Whitmarsh to express his opinion in the columns of the Guardian: « Personally, I would like it to change. I think these are exceptional facilities but at the end of the straight, we need a selective turn, not a chicane that only allows one trajectory. […] There is a huge investment here to make it a prime destination, so priority should be given to the circuit. »

Martin Whitmarsh and Jean Todt seem to have been heard since Richard Cregan, the executive chief of the Yas Marina circuit, reveals that changes are under consideration: « We are studying different modifications to the track that we need to make to host MotoGP.”»

« We think that if we adapt the circuit for motorcycles, we might as well ask ourselves what we can do to improve the spectacle for car races at the same time. »

The exact nature of these potential route modifications has not been specified, but they could, in all likelihood, focus on the use of the long straight line, both at the entrance and exit, while the section between turns 11 and 14 could be reshaped.

« We are always looking for ways to improve our facilities and the show. » explains Cregan in the columns of the magazine Autosport. « Changes are planned and they will be completed before the Grand Prix. This shows that we are serious about our commitment. »

Regarding the criticism, this former Toyota Formula One team manager seems to understand them according to an interview published in *The National*, an Emirati newspaper: « Drivers are always looking for reasons to explain why they couldn’t win or overtake, and unfortunately, in our case, it was the track. […] But what we saw in Melbourne is that Fernando [Alonso] had the same problem in different conditions and on a different track, and it was rather interesting to see » he remarks ironically.

For the Irishman, it’s not so much the track layout that should be questioned but rather the design of the cars: « In terms of overtaking, it’s a situation inherent to the current car design. You can see, around the world there are tracks just as good as Yas Marina, many of them with long histories where processions occur. You can see during our races, whether in GP2, V8 Supercars, or GT1, that there were overtakes, incredible races taking place there. »

But Cregan remains confident in F1’s ability to offer a show: « Formula One has introduced a number of initiatives this year to encourage overtaking, such as the adjustable rear wing and KERS, and it will be interesting to see if it improves things. »

But according to him, the driver remains the keystone of the spectacle during the race, and there’s an example that immediately comes to mind: Kamui Kobayashi established himself in Formula One as someone who will seize his chances and go inside or outside at the slightest overtaking opportunity. It depends a lot on the driver and what is at stake, assures the chief executive of the Yas Marina circuit, omitting the fact that, despite the stakes of the world title and his reputation as a fierce attacker, Fernando Alonso could do nothing during the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on a circuit that will indeed need the announced modifications to rise to the standards it aspires to.