Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
The Yas Marina Circuit race control room has undergone a multi-million-dirham upgrade ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bringing advanced technology to deliver optimal performance and safety standards for Formula 1 season finale.
This control room is the nerve centre of the circuit during practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and the race itself. It is where officials start and end the Grand Prix, enforce rules, and oversee every aspect of track operations to ensure safety for drivers, staff, and the thousands of fans in attendance.
With this major revamp, the race control room becomes one of the smartest in global motorsport, bolstering Yas Marina Circuit's status as one of the most technologically advanced F1 tracks in the world.
"As host of the F1 season finale, Yas Marina Circuit is the stage for historic moments, be it a title-deciding race or a driver's farewell. That raises the stakes and motivates us to continuously innovate our infrastructure so the sport can be experienced at its absolute best," said Ali Al Beshr, General Manager of Yas Marina Circuit at Ethara.
This upgraded control room provides officials with the technology and the ideal environment to make split-second decisions with confidence, Al Beshr noted.
"We adapt to every new advancement in F1 race control. Our goal is to always be one step ahead wired for precision, speed, and smart decision-making. We have developed the circuit and the room into a smart venue used year-round, for health and fitness, training, driver education, and even community activities," he added.
This long-term vision reflects the venue's evolution into what he called "one of the smartest racing environments globally".
Speaking to Aletihad, Stuart Latham, Director of Safety and Operations at Yas Marina Circuit, said the race control room in Abu Dhabi is "one of the best, if not the best race control rooms in the world".
The enhancements involved a rebuild from the ground up, he noted. "We had a race control that worked functionally, but it had its flaws. The priority was to fix those issues, but also to add extra functionality that would make it more efficient and support better decision-making."
Latham pointed out that everything needed for any championship is built into the infrastructure itself, allowing teams to simply plug in and operate seamlessly. It is faster, more efficient, and far more sustainable.
"We have learned a lot over the past 15 years since the race control room was first built in 2009. Back then, the layout posed challenges, especially for visiting championships that had to bring in and set up their own technical equipment. The new room has been completely redesigned to solve that," he said
International fly-in championships, including Formula 1, can make full use of the circuit's infrastructure without shipping hardware which cuts set-up time, costs, and complexity.
Latham highlighted the growing role of AI in motorsport decision-making. While still emerging, AI-assisted monitoring and advanced telemetry are beginning to show promise.
"It is still relatively new in motorsport," he explained.
"One application I see in the future is monitoring track limits, where drivers go off the track. Currently, that requires a human eye or a camera image, but AI could feed back that decision much quicker than a marshal on the radio."
According to Ethara, operators can now instantly route any of the 55 circuit camera feeds, timing systems, race logs, car trackers, or broadcast feeds to any of workstation monitors via tablet control. No additional equipment, no IT callouts.
The race control room also has new underfloor cabling, concealed access panels, and integrated sound systems, creating a cleaner, more efficient environment that allows easy rigging and de-rigging between events.
The theatre-style tiered layout gives every workstation unobstructed view of the main display screens. A darker room palette and dimmable LED strip lighting reduces glare and eye strain, creating an immersive atmosphere where officials can maintain focus during extended shifts.
Ergonomic desks include embedded comms panels, connectivity and wireless charging, eliminating visual clutter and preserving clear sightlines. When officials are overseeing racing at 300 kmph, precision and clarity make all the difference.
A Smarter, Greener F1 Experience
Sustainability is also at the heart of the circuit's future, according to Al Beshr, the venue has installed state-of-the-art LED lighting across the circuit, reducing power consumption by up to 35%.
Moreover, car park roofs now hold solar panels, while large event screens reduce the need for traditional printed branding. "The more fans we bring in, the more we have to offset our environmental footprint. We are not just hosting a race, we are building a smarter, greener experience," he said.
"We are committed to being the smartest venue, not just in the region, but globally. Where technology, community, and performance intersect," Al Beshr added.
The new control room made its operational debut during the first round of the Yas Racing Series on October 31-November 2.
