Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix confirmed for Dec 13 with no spectators

The Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place in the emirate on Sunday, December 13, bringing the curtain down on the 2020 season.

The 12th instalment of the event, set to take place at the Yas Marina Circuit, will be held without spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was announced on Tuesday.

An ‘F1 biosphere’ will be created at Yas Island to create a safe zone with access restricted to essential F1 staff, drivers and teams.

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas are expected to take part, with Hamilton aiming for a third consecutive Abu Dhabi win, and sixth in total.

“With significant stakeholder collaboration and planning across UAE government entities and in alignment with F1 management, the precautionary health measures in place during the F1 weekend on Yas Island prioritise the wellbeing of the F1 community while maintaining the competitive integrity of the final race of the season,” the statement said.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will conclude a season that began in Austria at the start of July, a race in which Bottas finished first. Further events have followed, with Hamilton emerging victorious in Styria, Hungary, Britain and, most recently, Spain.

Chase Carey, CEO of the Formula One Group said: “While this season has been challenging for everyone, we can think of no better place to bring the 2020 season to an end and look forward to completing our seventeen-race calendar.”

The event will be the second global sporting event to be hosted on Yas Island during the Covid-19 pandemic – last month, UFC held its two-week Fight Island in the venue.

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