Abu Dhabi: German architect Herman Tilke, the man who has designed the Abu Dhabi Formula One circuit has termed it as "new generation and a unique" race track.
Abu Dhabi took the racing world by surprise when it formally announced the Formula One Grand Prix to be staged on Yas Island in 2009.
Giving details of the circuit on Saturday, Tilke said the 5.5km track will be unique as it will be distinctly divided into two parts.
"One will be a prominent stretch of 3kms which will be used by everyday traffic while the second part covering 2.5kms will be exclusively used during Formula One racing," said the German, who has designed most of the F1 circuits in the world.
Tilke said the common complaint of 'overtaking' was taken care of here. "In fact you can call this a new generation track as we have incorporated a high speed section, a street section as well as a marina section like in Monaco. We have a total of 20 corners and overtaking will be easily possible," Tilke declared.
The total number of laps has been estimated at 56 with each lap time estimated at 1 min 38 secs.
While the estimated top speed at the track is expected to be around 320kmph, the average estimated speed is 200 kmph.
"More than 80 per cent of the race can be watched from yachts or boats berthed in the marina," he said.
The track is being constructed by Aldar Property Development Company. The circuit itself, when completed in 2008, will be integrated into an urban environment.
The 2,550 hectare natural leisure island, located to the east of capital, is being converted into a holistic destination with over 15,000 bedrooms in signature hotels, lagoon hotels, apartments and villas being planned for visitors.
Apart from the race track, golf courses, polo fields, equestrian arenas and business centres are all part of the project.
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority's Chairman Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan said the main task begins now.
Tourist destination
"We have about two years to market the event as well as Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination. We are confident that we can gather famous partners here in the UAE who are compatible with our plans to market Abu Dhabi," he said.
After the overwhelming success of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the emirates now looks ready for another event which is bound to raise the profile of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
