Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi provides an iconic backdrop to the end of the Formula 1 season. It’s here that champions have been crowned after titanic year-long battles, and there’s nothing better than seeing this dramatic spectacle in-person.
Max Verstappen may be dominating the 2023 title race, but there are still plenty of reasons why it is well worth going to this year's event. Here are just a few…
1. Hamilton V Alonso
Lewis Hamilton had one of the greatest debut seasons of all time in 2007 when he was paired at McLaren with Fernando Alonso. Alonso was already a two-time world champion by this point, but Hamilton showed him a clean pair of heels on too many occasions for their relationship to be an amicable one.
The infighting that this caused ultimately cost both drivers that year's championship, and while the pair’s relationship has improved since, there are still simmering tensions beneath the surface as their collision at the last year's Belgian Grand Prix proved.
2023 is one of the few times in subsequent years where the old rivals have had cars with a comparable level of performance and where the battle will be a close one. It’s likely that this fight will be decided at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and you can bet that both drivers will be absolutely determined to beat the other in the end of season standings.
2. Hamilton V Russell
As history repeats itself, it’s now the experienced Lewis Hamilton who finds himself with a young team-mate who is keen to establish himself as the superior driver. In their first season together in 2022, Russell emerged victorious by claiming more points and being the only one of the Mercedes drivers to claim a victory in a lackluster year for the German outfit.
Hamilton has been resurgent so far in 2023, with the 7-times world champion doing his utmost to reassert his authority in the team. This is another epic squabble that is likely to be decided at the last race of the F1 season, and you can watch it all unfold from the best seats in the house.
3. Aston Martin Vs. Mercedes Vs. Ferrari
The rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso is perhaps also a reflection of the tensions between the squabbling teams, who are in a battle to finish ‘best of the rest’ behind Red Bull in the teams’ championship. This ultimately decides the all-important prize money and impacts on the car development potential each team will have in the race to catch up with Red Bull in 2024.
What makes this fight even more intense is the fact that the Aston Martin team is a Mercedes engine customer. You can be sure that the Mercedes squad will not want to be beaten in the constructors’ championship by a team using the very same V6 hybrid power units!
And, what about Ferrari? The historic Italian outfit has had a difficult start to the 2023 season but has often proven that it has the second-fastest car. The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will likely decide whether or not the prancing horse can capitalise on this, and beat both Aston Martin and Mercedes to the ‘best of the rest’ title.
4. Can Red Bull Win Every Race of the F1 Season?
No team has ever won every single race in an F1 season. The closest that a team has ever come to doing so was McLaren in 1988, when the team won 15 out of 16 races with the legendary pairing of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
So far, Red Bull is very much on course to be the first team to achieve this unbelievable feat. The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may well prove to be the deciding event!
5. Perez in P2?
While Max Verstappen has appeared serene up front, his team-mate, Sergio Perez, has had a far more tumultuous season.
Red Bull still very much had the best car in 2022, yet the Mexican was just pipped to 2nd in the drivers’ championship by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, in the final race of that season. Whether or not Perez can go one better in 2023 is another battle that is likely to be decided at the Yas Marina circuit.
The Best Seats in the House
While the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is unlikely to decide the ultimate drivers’ champion, there are still plenty of reasons why it could prove to be a dramatic conclusion!
You can see all of the above battles decided from the best seats in the house when you book an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix holiday package with Spectate. With seats in the turn 5 Grandstand, you’ll be able to watch all of the action unfold at the notorious corner where Max Verstappen controversially overtook Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the 2021 season to seal his first title.
A pre-race brunch with the former HAAS team principle and 'Drive to Survive' icon himself, Guenther Steiner will ensure that you go into the event full of knowledge, while the post-race concerts will allow you to party alongside the drivers who will be keen to let their hair down after a long season!
