ABU DHABI: The end of the 2025 Formula 1 season is two races away and fans, intriguingly, at the moment have no certainty as to who will be celebrating the drivers’ championship title.
While previous dominance of the likes of Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and others in clearly vastly superior cars often rendered the end of the F1 season a procession, this is far from the case this year.
Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit could, in theory, host what would be a remarkable three-way showdown for the championship, depending on the results of the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend.
“Well, it’s a very exciting season, no doubt, especially after what happened in Las Vegas,” said Ali Al-Beshr, YMC general manager, referring to McLaren’s double disqualification in the US which leaves their two drivers — and season-long frontrunners Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — on 390 and 366 points respectively in the standings. Ominously, relentless reigning champion Verstappen, for so long seemingly out of the picture, has clawed his way back to 366 points as well.
“Now there is a big chance for Yas Marina Circuit and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be part of another historical moment where the championship will be decided here in Abu Dhabi,” Al Beshr added. “That’s what we are hoping for again. We as a team, we are all ready for such a moment.”
In 2021, Yas Marina Circuit witnessed arguably the most dramatic season conclusion in F1 history when Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap to clinch his first title. Al-Beshr is clear, however, that the success of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix does not hinge on any last-day drama.
“It's not to say that this is something that will change much in our point of view. As Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and (race organizers) Ethara, we believe that we are now more than just about racing. It’s the whole experience that we provide to our guests, of Abu Dhabi.
“That’s what’s actually making us in a very solid position,” Al-Beshr said. “Now if the championship will be decided here as a season finale, of course, that’s a historic sporting moment for us and we all want to be part of it.”
Increasingly in recent years, Yas Marina Circuit has “flipped the whole experience” for guests, according to the general manager. Come for the race, stay for the entertainment seems to be the weekend’s motto.
“It’s not just for motorsports that fans come to watch the F1 race,” he said. “It’s now for them to taste Abu Dhabi experiences. Each F1 ticket holder now has access to a lot of museums, parks, they have access to also experience our culture areas, such as Louvre access, Qasr Al-Watan, and so on.
“This was something that we’ve been working on with our partners, to reflect and replicate the taste of Abu Dhabi experiences. Where we are in our F1 events, we are promoting Abu Dhabi experiences across the whole journey. From landing at the airport all the way to the venue, and then where they are accommodating and where they’re going as well, through access from their F1 tickets.
“We have a lot of F1 after-race parties and we have a lot of concerts as well that are happening.”
Eight artists will perform at Yas this year, including Benson Boone, Post Malone, Elyanna, Metallica and Katy Perry. Official after-parties will feature performances by Calvin Harris, Idris Elba and Keinemusik.
Al-Beshr highlightedthat last year the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had about 192,000 people visit the track over four days, with 70 percent of those international fans. Of those, more than 50 percent were visiting the UAE capital for the first time.
“They are our guests and the way we welcome them is that we want them to be part of Abu Dhabi experiences and taste Abu Dhabi hospitality. That’s something we are very proud to be part of.”
Apart from the museums, parks and concerts, fans will get access to Yas Marina Circuit zones more than ever before.
“This year, for the first time we will have two pit lane walks available for ticket holders,” Al-Beshr said. “We will have one (on Thursday) morning, which was our classical pit lane walk. In addition to that we will have one which is in the evening, and that gets access to the garages as well as the track. At this evening pit lane walk, we will be also offering for the first time … (direct) access to the concerts. So that’s also something new that we’re doing in 2025.”
With a grandstand finish to the season a distinct possibility, the popular tradition of “podium invasion” at the end of the race will be accessible to ticket holders from across the circuit.
“Historically, it was only for selected grandstands, now we are opening this up to a crossover.”
Al-Beshr said it is not just racing fans and concertgoers who value the experiences that Yas Island and Abu Dhabi provide.
“Most of the feedback across the drivers, or even the teams overall, is that Abu Dhabi was a benchmark for them. And on many occasions you will hear it across their channels or direct feedbacks that they wish (other) F1 racetracks were similar to Abu Dhabi. In my view we set the benchmark.
“You will see the majority of the drivers actually do spend some of their quality time in UAE as a whole … whether in Abu Dhabi or Dubai or elsewhere. I think that indicates that the UAE hospitality and what UAE can provide as a whole is something that’s attractive to all the F1 drivers or the teams.”
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend will also host several race series alongside Formula 1, including the coveted Formula 2. Crucially for development of racing in the UAE and the region, the Yas Heat initiative will again be pivotal.
“We are very committed to it,” Al-Beshr said. “It’s one of the programs that I think we are all very proud of. Yas Heat is the center of what we do here in Yas Marina Circuit. Yas Heat is a program that we have created to develop the next talent. It was established back in 2022. We started with very small numbers. Then, we had three Emiratis. Rashid Al Dhaheri, Hamda and Amna Al-Qubaisi.
“We also have domestic drivers, like Keanu Al-Azhari and a couple of others who have been through that journey,” Al-Beshr said. “We’ve been very proud to basically support them, coach them, guide them.”
He highlighted that the program’s aim is to provide a clear and efficient pathway for UAE-based talent in their racing careers.
“Now we are witnessing what Rashid Al-Dhaheri, for example, is achieving, he is now in the Formula Regional European Championship,” Al-Beshr said of the 17-year-old who joined the Mercedes-AMG team roster in 2025. “And inshallah, in the next season, he will be also in Formula Regional Middle East and he will continue through that motorsport journey.
“It’s similar with Hamda and Amna,” he said. “To see where they are now currently in motorsport, that’s also a very proud moment for us. Now our mission is to generate the next generation of Emirati drivers.”
Those plans are under way at Yas Heat Racing Academy with the establishment of “Al Sabaq” initiative, overseeing the development of three Emiratis between the ages of 5 and 6, and two other 12-year-old karting talents.
“Then in Formula 4, we also have a new Emirati driver that we have discovered … Zakaria Doleh,” Al-Beshr added. “He will also be participating on the grand prix weekend as a supporter of F1. So that’s something that we are very, very proud to be a part of.”
Looking at the bigger picture, Al-Beshr said that the long-term vision is to develop a holistic approach to the racing industry in the UAE, on and off the track.
“We at Yas Marina Circuit and Ethara are committed not only to developing the talent,” he said. “We also have a lot of other programs that we contribute to. One is a STEM program that we have (established) to create future engineers. This is now across the nation and across a majority of government schools and private schools.”
This program is supported by (our partner) Adnoc,” Al-Beshr said. “This is where we are looking to create the future engineers, future team principals. You know very well, motorsport is not just racing, right? There is a lot of innovation.
“We are more than just developing drivers. We are actually looking at the whole ecosystem.”
