Final F1 race of 2020 will be held without spectators, in line with strict FIA Covid-19 protocols that will see more than 12,000 tests conducted during race week – or one every 4 minutes
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE 7 December, 2020: With the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2020 just around the corner, Yas Marina Circuit is buzzing with activity as the iconic track prepares to host the F1® season finale.
Making sure everything is ready and set to go ahead of the big race is a team of dedicated medical staff, maintenance teams and skilled technical experts who will be hard at work across the Circuit making sure the event runs as safely and seamlessly as possible.
More than 3,000 people will be working within the biosphere at the track, including 7 hotels on Yas Island and 1,100 hotel staff supporting efforts to deliver this year’s event. SEHA has dedicated 62 SEHA personnel supporting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with teams working both inside and outside the safe zone biosphere.
With 15 Covid-19 testing venues set up around Yas Marina Circuit, with an average of 420 tests per day carried out in the build up before the teams and support crews arrived on site. The next seven days will see a total of 12,000-plus tests conducted – an average of one Covid test every 4 minutes.
To help people keep safe, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix title Sponsor, Etihad Airways will also be providing 1,200 wellness kits during the weekend, which will include hand sanitizer, face mask, gloves and a snood.
This year’s Yas Marina Circuit staff uniforms have been made from more than 72,000 recycled PET bottles collected during 2019’s race weekend from 190 recycling bins set up around the Circuit. This is in addition to recycling all plastics, tyres and batteries in a sustainable way as per Tadweer compliance, with the Circuit undergoing regular certification.
As one of the world’s well known motorsports venue, it’s vital that Yas Marina Circuit looks its very best for the many millions watching live on TV around the globe. Squads of painters will work around the clock to apply a fresh coat of paint to the 5.5-km track, especially the world-famous ‘Yas blue’ paint (pantone 321).
Away from track and the grandstands, Yas Marina Circuit’s 275,500 square metres of landscaped areas are also given special attention with teams of gardeners pruning and planting 92,500 seasonal flowers and petunias to bring a splash of natural colour to Yas Marina Circuit.
While the maintenance operation is going on ahead of F1® weekend, behind the scenes the huge logistical task of organising this epic motorsport event is already well under way.
In addition to the Covid-19 preparations and precautions in place, squads of highly skilled technicians and safety experts will inspect every inch of the Circuit as part of intensive procedures to ensure the safety of the drivers and teams as the F1® action unfolds.
Everything from the placement and condition of vital crash barriers, making sure the track is clean and clear and the essential medical teams and first responders are fully equipped and in place to deal with any emergency with be thoroughly examined and rigorously checked.
With the huge to-do list slowly being completed job by job, the time has arrived for the 10 teams to land in Abu Dhabi. Travelling within the biosphere system fresh from the season’s penultimate race in Bahrain, the teams and the hundreds of personnel that travel with them will sweep into the UAE’s capital city in a fleet of planes, ships and lorries, all loaded with the essentials that keep F1® on the road and racing.
It will take more than 400 people using 70 forklift trucks to offload the vast amounts of the equipment once it reaches Yas Marina Circuit while 600 trucks will move the gear to and from the Circuit.
As well as taking up 18 villas and 43 garages the teams will go through 30,000 litres of drinks during race weekend, while more than 200 cylinders of gas and 4 tonnes of dry ice will be delivered.
After 16 rounds racing the 2020 F1® season is guaranteed a thrilling grand finale in Abu Dhabi – and Yas Marina Circuit is ready to go!
For more information on the #AbuDhabiGP, please visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Be the first to comment