Image credit Mark Klaver
The Main Grandstand at the Abu Dhabi F1 circuit gives views of the start and finish lines, the pit lane and pit garages, the first and last corners and also the podium.
But your view changes a lot depending on where you sit in the stand.
I’ve written this guide to the Main grandstand at Yas Marina Circuit to provide some tips on where to sit to get different views. It includes a seating plans, examples of the view from different sections of the stand and my suggestions on getting the best seats.
Contents
Abu Dhabi Main Grandstand location
The Main grandstand is located on the left-hand side of the start / finish straight on the Yas Marina Circuit layout.
It sits directly opposite the pit lane and pit garage building, and is in line with both the start and finish lines. Remember these are two separate points for F1 – the finish line is at the very start of the grandstand and the start line is a little further along.
Main Grandstand details
Levels
The main grandstand has three separate levels:
- Level 1: Normal, Premium & Premium plus seats
- Levels 2 & 3: Main Yas Suite, Main Yas Premium Suite & Turn 1 Suite hospitality
Cover
The Main grandstand at the Abu Dhabi Formula One circuit has a roof over the top. As the grandstand’s so tall, the roof is very high above the Level 1 seating.
The grandstand is south facing, so if you’re in Level 1 you should expect to have the sun on your face throughout the day and wear appropriate sun screen / glasses / hats etc.
By the time the Grand Prix begins on the Sunday the sun will be starting to set just off to your right.
TV screens
There are three TV screens visible from the Main grandstand. These are built in to the Pit building directly opposite and are spaced along its length.
There’s one screen opposite section 3, one opposite section 6 and one opposite section 8.
These aren’t the easiest to see if you’re viewing them from an angle, so I’d always recommend trying to get a seat directly opposite one in any of those three sections.
The podium back drop does not get used as a screen during the F1 sessions (which is a missed opportunity by the organisers).
Main Grandstand Abu Dhabi F1 tickets
There are a few different tickets available in the Main grandstand for the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 weekend.
See Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket prices for the updated costs of tickets for the Main Grandstand at this year’s GP.
When booking any of these options on the official Yas Marina Circuit website you can select your section then choose your specific seat.
Standard Main grandstand 2 or 3-day tickets
These are the most basic tickets and get you seats in sections 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 (Level 1).
Premium Main grandstand 2 or 3-day tickets
The Premium Main grandstand tickets give you all the same perks, but offer a choice of seats in sections 1, 3 or 4 of Level 1. These are directly in line with the start or finish lines, meaning they’re also right in front of where the drivers, team members and celebs will be walking around during the pre-race grid walk.
As they offer better views, they command a premium price tag usually a few hundred AED more than the basic seats cost.
Premium Plus Main grandstand 2 or 3-day tickets
The Premium Plus tickets for the Main grandstand at Yas Marina are for seats in section 2 (Level 1) of the grandstand only. This section is directly opposite the podium and between the start and finish lines, so offers the best views of any seats in Level 1.
Main Yas Suites / Main Yas Premium Suites / Turn 1 Suites
As well as the ‘standard’ seat tickets listed above, there’s a number of VIP / hospitality options in the Main grandstand too. These are the Yas Suites, Yas Premium Suites and Turn 1 Suites.
The Yas and Yas Premium suites are on Levels 2 and 3. They include indoor seating and dining areas plus outdoor seating. Tickets for these cost the best part of 5,000 AED ($1360 / £1100) per person.
The Turn 1 Suites are in sections 22 and 23 of Level 3 only, as close to the first corner as you can get. Tickets for this cost over 13,000 AED each ($3500 / £2800).
Main Grandstand Abu Dhabi seating plan
Below is the Abu Dhabi Main grandstand seating plan.
As the Main grandstand seating plan shows, the stand is split up in to a number of different sections and levels:
- Level 1: Sections 1 – 9
- Level 2: Sections 10 – 16
- Level 3: Sections 17 – 23
Each section has rows named with letters. Row A is the front row lowest down, the next row back is Row B, then Row C etc.
Level 1 has rows which go from A to H (8 rows total). Levels 2 and 3 have rows which go from A to D (4 rows total).
The seat numbers go up from left to right (as you stand on the track and look up at the grandstand). They start for 1 again at the beginning of each section.
Section 1 seats 1 to 14 are directly in front of the finish line. All of section 2 is in line with the podium. Section 3 seats 60 to 68 are directly in front of the start line (and one of the TV screens).
Abu Dhabi Main Grandstand views
The map below shows how much of the circuit can be seen from the Main grandstand at the Abu Dhabi GP.
As the map shows, the view is pretty much only of the start / finish straight. If you’re at one extreme end of the stand or the other, you will also be able to see a little more of Turn 16 or Turn 1 (depending which end).
The video below was filmed from section 1, Row A, seat 35 of the Main grandstand. This is the front row and pretty much as close to Turn 16 as you can get, and you can see the cars coming around that corner pretty well from this spot.
Being in the front row, you’re closer to the action but are lower down so it’s a little harder to see over the pit wall in to the pit lane and garages.
This next video shows the view from section 2 Row C, opposite the podium.
This next video shows the view from section 3 Row C, almost directly in line with the start line.
This next video was filmed from section 4 Row H, the back row of Level 1.
Avoid seats 30 – 40 in rows A – E in this section as the bridge is directly in front of them and will block views of the pit lane and screens.
This next video was filmed from section 5 Row G.
The next video was filmed from section 6 row H, the back row of Level 1.
This video was filmed from section 7 Row A, the front row.
And this video was filmed from section 9 Row A, the closest part of the grandstand to Turn 1.
Best seats in the Main grandstand
Choosing the best seats in the Main grandstand for the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi depends on what you want to see most.
If you want to be close to the start / finish line action and the pre-race grid walk you need Premium seats in sections 1, 3 or 4. For the best view of the podium and the Grand Prix winner lifting the Abu Dhabi GP trophy then pay the extra for the Premium Plus seats in section 2.
Sitting at the far end of the grandstand in section 9 is quite underrated and gives a great view of Turn 1, especially if you can get one of the very end seats. That’s where you’re most likely to see some proper racing and overtaking, if that’s what you’re after.
If you want to see as much of the pitlane and pit garage action it doesn’t matter too much which section you go for, just get a seat as high up as possible.
So what would I go for? I’d go for the Premium Main grandstand seats in section 3, ideally in seat numbers 60 to 68. That’s right in line with the start line, still has a good view of the podium and is directly opposite a TV. I’d try and get seats in row H, as high as possible.
Is the Main grandstand a good place to sit at Yas Marina Circuit?
Of all the grandstands at the Yas Marina Circuit, the Main grandstand actually gives you the most limited view of the on-track option. All the other grandstands have better coverage of more sections of track, and are likely to let you witness some overtaking.
But the Main grandstand is one of the biggest stands at the circuit, so it’s always got a great atmosphere. And if being as close as possible to the pitlane to see if you can spot Gunther Steiner swearing or Toto throwing his headset on the floor, then this is the place for you.
The Main Oasis and biggest F1 fanzone at the circuit is located right next to this stand, so it’s a great place for food, drinks and other types of entertainment during the race weekend.
If you’re planning on going to the Abu Dhabi after-race concerts, they’re based in Etihad Park right next to the North Grandstand. You can walk from the Main grandstand to there in about 30 minutes.
Other Abu Dhabi F1 grandstands / General Admission
Check out my guides to each of the other grandstands and the General Admission area at the Abu Dhabi F1 below:
