Explained: Game-Changing Changes to Yas Marina Circuit Ahead of 2021 F1 Showdown at Abu Dhabi GP

The 2021 season has been a breathtaking expedition for the entire racing fraternity, thanks to the two highly competitive F1 drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. 0 points separate the duo, as we head down to what will certainly be one of the greatest showdowns in the sport’s history – the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

While Verstappen and Hamilton will fuel a massive level of excitement into the fans, the Yas Marina Circuit itself could prove to be an icing on the cake. How you might ask?

Well, Yas Marina hasn’t necessarily been the kind of circuit an F1 fan would usually look forward to. Apart from the long straight between turn 7 and turn 8, there aren’t many overtaking opportunities for the drivers.

And the fact that the track consisted of one too many high-speed corners, following another car closely looked almost like an impossible task.

But, worry no more! Abu Dhabi is all set to entertain the fans with an incredible-looking track design that promises some insane amount of wheel-to-wheel racing.

Changes to the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the F1 event

The organizers affirmed the incoming changes earlier in the 2021 season, and the circuit had been busy under construction until September. Here’s how Abu Dhabi will produce a much better racing experience.

One major change in the layout is the removal of the section of corners 5, 6, and 7. Instead, there will be one medium speed left-handed turn; turn 5. Then comes the massive DRS straight followed by turn 6 and turn 7. And yet again, what follows is the second and final DRS zone.

Here’s where the next change arrives. Instead of turns 11, 12, 13, and 14, we’ve now got one right-handed banked corner which will now be called turn 9. Then arrives the twitchy part of the circuit, with a lot of sharp corners. Three of them will witness a significant reduction in the sharpness to increase the flow of cars.

Overall, the exit out of turn 5 and the entry into turn 9 are the two things to look forward to. The circuit does look quite interesting and on top of that, the newly laid tarmac could also add a bit of uncertainty to the race weekend.

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