The omen Ferrari hopes to continue by ending its Abu Dhabi jinx

Spectacular and distinctive aerial images are always a key part of Formula 1 TV coverage; one such eye-catching view in Abu Dhabi features the huge red roof of Ferrari World, a theme park adjacent to the Yas Marina Circuit. Inspired by the double curve of Ferrari’s GT cars, one section of the roof carries the famous Prancing Horse logo which overlooks the hairpin of the circuit at Turn 5; the handsome animal had a good view of Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap in 2021 to wrap up his first world title.

That roof didn’t exist when the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place in 2009 but there wasn’t much for Ferrari fans to get excited about: both cars failed to make the top 10 in qualifying and remained pointless in the race. Kimi Raikkonen finished 12th, and Giancarlo Fisichella finished 16th in what was one of only five outings for the team and his last-ever grand prix.

One year later, as the huge amusement park opened for business, Ferrari had a real chance of celebration. Fernando Alonso was the team’s key player and, after a brilliant second half to the season, he was leading the title battle by eight points over Mark Webber and 15 points to Sebastian Vettel, both driving for Red Bull. Qualifying third behind Vettel and Lewis Hamilton gave Alonso the opportunity to hold his position, or even lose one place, and he would still have taken his third world championship and Ferrari’s seventh drivers’ title in 11 years.

But strategy calls, as we have seen this year, haven’t always been a strength for Ferrari. Desperate to cover whatever closest rival Webber was doing, Ferrari brought Alonso in for fresh tyres to respond to an early stop by Webber. That meant the Spaniard dropped from fourth to 12th and, even more significantly, he found himself behind one of the fastest cars in a straight line. The Renault of Vitaly Petrov proved impossible to pass and ultimately Alonso finished in a lowly seventh place. Out front, Vettel breezed to victory from pole and, as he took the points lead for the first time in his career, he also won his first title.

Despite another 11 attempts since then, Ferrari has been unable to match the glory of that vast red roof with even a single victory in Abu Dhabi. One of the closest opportunities was again thanks to Alonso, who was cast into another title battle with Vettel in 2012, yet it was the driver whose Ferrari seat Alonso had taken nearly three years earlier who defeated him. Raikkonen delivered a resolute victory, dismissing all advice from his Lotus race engineers, and, despite Alonso closing to within a second of his rival, there was no way to overtake. 

Vettel finished second for Ferrari at the twilight race in 2018 but Hamilton had full control and, while Charles Leclerc had an enticing battle with Verstappen in 2019, again it was never going to be for the win unless Hamilton’s Mercedes broke down.

It seems unfortunate that a venue with such explicit connections to the Ferrari brand (Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund was a shareholder when the track was built, hence the construction of the theme park) hasn’t been a happy hunting ground. Since 2009, Ferrari has managed to win at 18 different circuits but Yas Marina hasn’t been one of them.

Ferrari has still yet to win a race in Abu Dhabi, and suffered the agony of losing the 2010 title with Alonso stuck behind Petrov's stubborn Renault

Photo by: Motorsport Images

A victory this year for the Italian team would be key in so many ways; after an enticing yet frustrating year, next season could and should be a big one. There has been no doubt about the pace of the car, even if it hasn’t developed quite as efficiently as the Red Bull in the latter part of the season. Engine power has been strong, downforce and slow-corner speeds have been advantageous and, while speed in a straight line has been a deficit to Red Bull, there is plenty to build on.

If the team can grab a win in Abu Dhabi it can have a huge influence going into the winter break, building confidence and determination after a year which at times has sapped its spirit. It would also be a historically empowering boost; so far, every time a constructor has won at the Yas Marina track at the last race of the season, that same team has gone on to deliver the drivers’ title the following year.

As soon as the F1 season came back to finishing in Abu Dhabi, the sequence reoccurred with Hamilton and then Nico Rosberg, who won the race in 2015 and the championship a year later

Red Bull began the sequence by winning in 2009 with Vettel and stealing the title from Alonso a year later; he repeated that progression from 2010 into winning his second title in 2011. In 2011-2013, the final race was in Brazil, and the pattern did not exist, but as soon as it came back to finishing in Abu Dhabi, the sequence reoccurred with Hamilton and then Nico Rosberg, who won the race in 2015 and the championship a year later.

Valtteri Bottas was the only driver who failed to convert his 2017 Abu Dhabi victory into a title the next year, but Mercedes maintained the link with Hamilton earning his fifth crown. The sequence nearly ended in 2021 when Red Bull’s Verstappen, who had won in Abu Dhabi the previous year, looked like he was about to lose the title to Hamilton. Then came the safety car debacle, Verstappen won both the title and the race, and now a subsequent title.

Winning the last race of the season at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi really is a big thing. Can Ferrari finally crack it?

Leclerc will hope to end a mixed 2022 campaign on a high by scoring a first win since Austria and ending Ferrari's long-standing Abu Dhabi hex

Photo by: Ferrari