Abu Dhabi GP set for October date

Work is progressing on the new track on Yas Island, and renowned F1 fixer Philippe Gurdjian has been drafted in to ensure that the venue is finished in time.

Gurdjian famously helped oversee the redevelopment of Paul Ricard into a leading testing facility, and also played a key role in ensuring Bahrain was ready in time for its inaugural race in 2004.

A decision has already been taken to make the track completely permanent, with the original plan to have some of the circuit on the city streets in front of a marina having been abandoned.

The Abu Dhabi track is being designed by Hermann Tilke, with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone confident it will be one of the best on the calendar.

"The Tilke group has learnt its lessons from the tracks it built in the past and put all those lessons in to this track," Ecclestone said at the official launch of the event last year. "We consider it will offer the best F1 racing in the world."