Etihad Airways flagged off the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. Formula 1 lovers simply cannot miss the action!
2017 is drawing to a close. And a spectacular year deserves an action-packed farewell. The Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended the Grand Prix season with an adrenalin-pumping climax on 25th November. The calendar for the Grand Prix is closed but there’s enough and more to talk about the last race of 2017.
Flagging off
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, marked the start of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a low-level fly-past over Yas Marina Circuit.
The flagship A380 aircraft flew over the iconic circuit at approximately 4.50pm. It was accompanied by the Aermacchi MB-339NAT fast jets of the UAE’s air display team, Al Fursan. Captain Ali Al Jabri, an Etihad Airways A380 pilot and Vice President Corporate Safety and Quality, embarked on the flight for the seventh year in a row, and was joined by Captain Sulaiman Yaqoobi, Captain Adel Al Zubaidi and Captain Kian Siew Beh in the flight deck.
The superjumbo – tail number A6-APD – passed over the start line and home straight of the circuit at 800 feet and travelling at 220 knots.
F1 race
speed was on everyone’s mind, but the drivers were occupied with maintaining their calm in the face of tremendous pressure. As the crowds roared and the engines revved, the thrilling adventure of completing the laps began.
The winning trophy was bagged by Valterri Bottas for Mercedes. He outraced last year’s champion and fellow Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari made it to the third and fourth places respectively.
The thrill of the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was replicated at the awards ceremony too, as the crowd cheered on for the winners. A grand season might have come to an end, but 2018 has an impressive line-up of F1 races that will have you hopping across the globe for all the ‘live’ action.
