Abu Dhabi: Last year’s Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix carried extra spice as it was not only the final race of the season, but also a thrilling title decider between eventual world champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg. This year’s race, which takes place on November 29, is unlikely to feature the same intrigue and excitement given that the imperious Hamilton holds a 66-point lead over his rival. So how is Al Tareq Al Ameri, Chief Executive Officer of Yas Marina Circuit, the venue for the event, feeling ahead of the extravaganza?
Gulf News spoke to Al Ameri, who replaced Richard Cregan as CEO in March 2014, this week to find out.
Excerpts:
So it’s nearly time for your second Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as CEO. How are you feeling? Any different to last year?
This is the seventh Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be hosted. It’s my second as CEO, but I was involved in the commercial department. I will say that our preparation levels are high and we literally start looking at an event like this a year in advance. We have a strong team of professionals in place, who have a learning mentality year on year and are looking at continuous improvement, in addition to our strength in delivering events to our Abu Dhabi stakeholders. I will say that we feel confident, however I will treat this like my first event and I will look closely at every single detail. Our confidence level may be high, but our guard will never be down.
Last year, the grand prix also staged the F1 world title decider. As that is highly unlikely to be the case this year due to Lewis Hamilton’s commanding lead, does that diminish the appeal of the race somewhat?
I don’t think so. We have been in situations like this before with the championship already decided. It did not take anything from the event itself. We always say that it’s more than a race. We always tell our fans that this goes beyond the race itself. We have got a lot of things to improve their engagement and experience.
How is it more than a race?
Of course, the race is the main element. But there’s a whole list of activities starting with our grandstand oasis entertainment and, of course, our after-race concerts that we put on every year.
The grand prix will remain the last event of the season. Do you think this is important?
To an extent, yes, it’s good to be the finale of the whole season. But more important is the timing of it. It suits our needs and suits the place we are in.
What improvements, if any, will you be making to this year’s race? Would you say it will be bigger and better?
I will say definitely. People should be excited about what’s coming up this year. For the past two years, 2013 and 2014, our focus was on expanding the capacity year on year. This year, our main focus is on enhancing the experience of the customers. The team have worked really hard on composing packages, tailoring those experiences to the areas people engage with. We are hoping to give more to our fans. At the moment, we are not looking to expand our capacity, as it would require massive construction and investment. We are focused on giving better experiences for the clientele. The whole thing will look fresh and new and people will hopefully have a better experience over the weekend.
What is the latest news on ticket sales?
We actually have sold out in certain categories. We expected this as the demand is always high. We are urging fans who have not yet purchased tickets to go to our website and book their tickets to avoid missing out on a great event.
How do you assess the Emirati motorsport scene, given that the circuit not only hosts the grand prix, but also a variety of other initiatives such as the TRD 86 Cup?
I think our community is growing very positively in a natural way. It needs time to mature over the next couple of years. The number of people who are coming to participate in events or as spectators is increasing year on year. I think we are in good shape and moving in a good direction, and hopefully over the years we will see even more initiatives for people to engage with.
Finally, can we expect the grand prix to continue for many years?
Last year, the announcement was not to tie it into a set number of years. But it’s been decided that Abu Dhabi will be a permanent partner in the F1 calendar. We feel very good about that announcement and we feel excited to be part of this for the long run.
