The Yas Marina Circuit V8 Supercar Event was a V8 Supercars motor racing event held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event was held from 2010 to 2012.
| |
| Race Information | |
| Venue | Yas Marina Circuit |
| Number of times held | 3 |
| First held | 2010 |
| Last held | 2012 |
| Race Format | |
| Race 1 | |
| Laps | 12 |
| Distance | 70 km |
| Race 2 | |
| Laps | 12 |
| Distance | 70 km |
| Race 3 | |
| Laps | 12 |
| Distance | 70 km |
| Last Event (2012) | |
| Overall Winner | |
 Jamie Whincup |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
| Race Winners | |
| Jamie Whincup |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
| Jamie Whincup |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
| Jamie Whincup |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
History
editThe inaugural Yas V8 400 in 2010 was the opening event of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series, becoming the first, and so far only, event outside Australia to open a championship season. The 2010 event was held as the first part of a double-header in the Middle East to start the season, which included the Desert 400 at the Bahrain International Circuit one week later.[1][2]
The first event at Yas Marina Circuit was won by Jamie Whincup, who dominated the weekend, winning both of the races. Whincup also was the overall winner of the second event in 2011, taking one race win with James Courtney taking the other following a fortuitous safety car. Whincup again dominated in the final year of the event in 2012, winning all three races.
Layout
editFor 2010 and 2011, the race used a shorter version of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track used for Formula One, with a "corkscrew" section between Turn 3 and halfway down the back straight. This shortened the track to 4.7 km, with lap times of approximately 2 minutes. The 2012 race moved to the full 5.5 km Grand Prix circuit, as the V8 Supercars event was part of the support bill to the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
Format
editIn 2010 and 2011, the event featured two 200 km races across the weekend. For 2012, the race format was shortened to three 66 km sprint races. These featured lunchtime starts to allow primetime Australian television broadcasts, and not to clash with the Formula One schedule.
Demise
editThe event was initially scheduled to continue into 2013, once again supporting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, with the Grand Prix support bill expanding to include rounds of the GP2 Series and GP3 Series championships,[3][4] there was no longer space for the V8 Supercars, and the round was removed from the 2013 calendar.[5]
Winners
editMultiple winners
editBy driver
edit| Wins | Driver | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Jamie Whincup | 2010, 2011, 2012 |
By team
edit| Wins | Team |
|---|---|
| 3 | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
By manufacturer
edit| Wins | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 3 | Holden |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Motorsport: Middle Eastern double-header for V8 Supercars". nzherald.co.nz. 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
- ^ "Abu Dhabi start confirmed". v8supercars.com.au. 2009-10-29. Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
- ^ "GP2 Series 2013 season calendar unveiled". GP2 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "2013 GP3 Series calendar revealed". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 19 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "V8 Supercars confirms Abu Dhabi cancellation". Speedcafe.com. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.