‘Unprecedented’ interest in Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Ethara CEO

ABU DHABI: Saif Al-Noaimi smiled as he surveyed arguably the most famous spot in the modern history of motorsports.

The CEO of Ethara — organizers of the Etihad Airways Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — was standing on Yas Marina Circuit’s Turn 5, the exact spot where Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on Dec. 12, 2021, to win his first Formula 1 World Championship in dramatic circumstances.

Al-Noaimi understands more than most the significance of that iconic piece of real estate at the North Grandstand hairpin. It had been one of the segments that had been altered earlier that year to allow for more overtaking opportunities and exciting racing.

It delivered on those promises.

He said: “This is the turn that was changed completely in 2021. We saw Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen arriving at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with exactly the same number of points and this was the corner in which Max Verstappen overtook Lewis to claim the championship on the last lap at Yas Marina Circuit.”

Verstappen may have wrapped up this year’s title weeks ago, but the popularity of the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — that concludes on Nov. 26 — remains as high as ever.

“The sales have been unprecedented. We didn’t expect this level of demand for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so we launched our tickets earlier than we’ve ever launched in previous years. And we sold out within weeks of certain products, including grandstands,” Al-Noaimi added as he drove around the course.

The tickets also provide entry into the post-race concerts which this year include Ava Max, Tiesto, Chris Brown, Shania Twain, and Foo Fighters.

“There’s been extremely high interest in demand in all categories, grandstands, general admission, but also high-end