2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Preview

The final round of the 2025 F1 season takes place at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

• Toto talks Abu Dhabi
• Fact File: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• Stat Sheet: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Toto Talks Abu Dhabi

One race to go. After a challenging weekend in Qatar, second place in the Constructors’ is still in our hands. It’s a solid position, but far from guaranteed, so we need to deliver a strong performance to finish the job. The fight for the Drivers’ Championship will take centre stage, but that’s not our concern. Our full focus is on securing P2 and ending the season on a positive note.

Abu Dhabi doesn’t just mark the final race of the year; it closes an important chapter in F1’s history. We say goodbye to the current generation of Power Units that have defined the sport since 2014. It’s been an era of remarkable success for Mercedes, with the three-pointed star powering 10 of the last 12 Constructors’ titles, eight of those with our works team. As we prepare for the next era, we want to add to the 140 Mercedes-powered wins and 385 podiums achieved so far. The aim is clear: finish strong and carry momentum into 2026.

Fact File: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

• Abu Dhabi made its F1 debut in 2009 as the sport’s first ever twilight race, with the start taking place at sunset. Around 4,700 light fixtures are used to illuminate the track.
• Several modifications were made to the track layout ahead of the 2021 race, changing the lap length from 5.554 km to 5.281 km.
• These changes including removing the chicane at the start of the second sector and widening the following hairpin. The twisty chicanes at the start of the final sector were also replaced by one long, banked corner.
• Like other twilight and night races on the calendar, FP1 and FP3 take place in the daytime. FP2, Qualifying and the Grand Prix itself take place at night or as the sun sets.
• That poses a challenge to the engineers and drivers who must accommodate for the changes in tyre and car behaviour owing to the differing ambient and track temperatures.
• The pitlane at the Yas Marina Circuit is unique in F1, in that it features a tunnel that runs underneath Turn One. Drivers pass under the track at the pit lane exit, re-joining on the left-hand side of Turn 2.
• Yas Marina has hosted more season-ending F1 races than any other, with 13.
• The circuit has seen four world champions crowned. Sebastian Vettel in 2010, Lewis Hamilton in 2014, Nico Rosberg in 2016 and Max Verstappen in 2021.
• Mercedes has six wins at Yas Marina. Four with Lewis Hamilton (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019), Valtteri Bottas (2017) and Nico Rosberg (2015)
• In 2023, George Russell’s third place finish helped clinch P2 in the Constructors’ standings.
• George also sealed his F2 title at the circuit in 2018, before making the step up to F1 the following season.
• Kimi won two races at the circuit while competing in the Formula 4 UAE series in 2022.
• Test and Reserve Driver Fred Vesti claimed a win and a P2 at Yas Marina in 2023, as he secured P2 in the Formula 2 standings that season.
• In 2024, the team celebrated the end of its history-making partnership with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Stat Sheet: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix