The North grandstand at the Abu Dhabi F1 Circuit provides incredible views of the spot where Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton to win the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship.
This guide provides examples of the view, seating plans, ticket info and my tips on choosing the best seats in both the North and North Straight grandstands at the Yas Marina Grand Prix circuit.
Contents
Abu Dhabi North Grandstand location
Both the North grandstand and North Straight grandstand are located on the outside of Turn 5 of the Yas Marina Circuit layout.
The North grandstand goes the whole way around the hairpin corner and covers both the entry, apex and exit sections of the turn.
The North Straight grandstand is situated after the exit of Turn 5, on the outside of the circuit, alongside the first part of the long straight that follows the corner.
North Grandstand details
Levels
The North Straight grandstand has just one level.
The North grandstand is split in to three separate levels:
- Level 1: 2 or 3-day standard ticket holders only
- Levels 2 & 3: Yas Suite & Yas Premium Suite ticket holders (hospitality)
Cover
The North Grandstand is covered, but the sections of the stand facing the sun at the end of the day (the sections alongside the entry to Turn 5) are likely to still feel the sun before it sets thanks to the very high roof.
The North Straight grandstand is fully covered with a much lower roof.
TV screens
There are two giant TV screens right on the inside of Turn 5 that are visible from all sections of the Abu Dhabi North grandstand.
There’s another big TV screen on the inside of the circuit that’s visible to the North Straight grandstand.
North Grandstand Abu Dhabi F1 tickets
See Abu Dhabi ticket prices for updated prices on this year’s GP tickets for seats in the North Grandstand.
You can purchase either 2 or 3-day tickets for a reserved seat in the North Grandstand on Level 1 for the Formula 1.
When booking your tickets you can first chose which section of the grandstand you’d like to sit in, then you can chose your specific seat. If you’re booking multiple seats for a group of you make sure you purchase them all in one go to get seats next to each other.
You can also get a Premium 3-day grandstand ticket, which sits you in sections 11 and 12 of Level 1 of the grandstand with a ‘better’ view. They are usually a few hundred AED more but aren’t worth the extra in my opinion for this grandstand (see lower sections for more info).
Prices for the Yas Suites or Yas Premium Suite hospitality tickets in the higher rows in Level 2 or 3 start at 3,150 AED ($860 / £675) per person.
All of these tickets be purchased directly through the official Yas Marina Circuit website.
North Grandstand Abu Dhabi seating plan
Below is the seating plan for the North Grandstand and North Straight Grandstand at Yas Marina Circuit.
As the seating plan shows, the grandstand are split up in to a number of different sections. For the North grandstands these will be referred to as N-06 (North Grandstand section 6) or N-12 (North Grandstand section 12) for example.
Within each of these sections the rows are identified by letters, where Row A is the front row and the rows behind that are B, C, D etc. There is no row I (eye).
The sections in Level 1 of the North Grandstand have rows A to H, so only 8 rows. Levels 2 and 3 have rows A to D, so just 4 rows.
The seat numbers increase from left to right as you stand on the circuit and look up at the stand. They start from 1 again at the beginning of each section.
Abu Dhabi North Grandstand views
The image below shows the sections of Yas Marina Circuit visible from the North grandstand and North Straight grandstand highlighted in pink.
The views from the North Grandstand are amazing, and probably the best at the whole circuit.
If you sit in the middle of the stand (sections 6, 7, 18, 19, 28 or 29) then you have the best view right at the middle of the corner with perfect vision of both the entry and exit.
Pan around the image below, taken from section 18, to get an idea of the view looking across the huge runoff area.
If you sit closer to the exit of the corner then you’ll be closer to the track but won’t be able to see quite as much of the cars approaching.
This image was taken from section 17 (Level 2).
This video was filmed from section 4 row H.
Whereas if you sit on the corner-entry side of the grandstand your view will look like the video below. The view at the end of this TikTok was filmed from N-11 Row F seat 42.
@thepaddedseat Replying to @Yas Marina Circuit Checking out North Grandstand Premium at the #AbuDhabiGP💺🏎️ #formula1 #abudhabi #f1 #yasmarinacircuit #dave #UAE #vip #premium #review ♬ original sound - The Padded Seat
If you’re in the North Straight grandstand at Abu Dhabi then you will be able to see a little bit of the exit of Turn 5, then the cars will fly past you at high speed.
The video below was filmed from the North Straight grandstand, section 11. These are premium seats and for me aren’t as good as the normal seats in the middle of the stand.
Best seats in the North grandstand
For me, the seats in the middle of the North grandstand are the best place to sit. You get a perfect view of all parts of the corner and being in the middle of the stand means the atmosphere is at its best.
I’d try and go for as high a row as possible in sections 5, 6, 7 or 8 if I was picking seats here. Or if you can afford the hospitality, go for section 18, 19, 28 or 29.
The only downside of sitting in the middle is you’re on the other side of the big runoff area so are a little further from the track, but I’d still prefer these over premium seats in sections 11 or 12.
Personally I wouldn’t go for any seats in the North Straight grandstand as the view from there is nowhere near as good.
Is the North grandstand a good place to sit at Yas Marina?
Turn 5 is a good overtaking spot, as we saw at the end of the title-deciding 2021 race.
It’s also the start of one of the Abu Dhabi DRS zones so you often see the drivers try some sneaky moves to avoid giving the following car DRS down the long straight after the corner.
Plus it’s only a 5-minute walk away from Etihad Park where the after-race Abu Dhabi F1 concerts will take place. All in all, the Abu Dhabi North Grandstand is a great place to sit.
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:
