The Yas Marina circuit is a purpose-built Formula 1 circuit that has hosted the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since the event's inception in 2009. It's fair to say that the track is not a fan-favourite, however it is a challenge to race around for the drivers thanks to its tight and twisty corners.
The nail-biting climax to both the 2010 and 2016 world championships, as well as the thrilling 2012 race are all undoubtedly modern classics. The layout of Yas Marina has remained unchanged over the past decade, despite concerns about the pit-lane exit and the miles of tarmacked run-off around the circuit.
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Unsurprisingly given its location, none of the races have been affected by rain, nor have any qualifying and practice sessions. However, rain can occur here in F1 2019, and here's the setup you need to sail around the Yas Marina island.
Aerodynamics
Straight line speed is very important around Abu Dhabi, thanks to the two long back-to-back straights in the second sector. However, the real time is made through the twisty corners in sectors one and three, so you'll require relatively high wing angles.
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5 on the front and rear are the lowest values you can get away with through the corners while having the most straight line speed possible. These wing angles also provide plenty of rear-stability, something you'll need through complexes like Turns 2-4.
Transmission
The aim of the game around Abu Dhabi is to be smooth on the rear tyres through all of its traction zones. A more locked differential will give you more grip, but it also makes the re-application of the throttle more dangerous.
50% on-throttle differential and 70% for off-throttle diff are the best values to allow you to have the least amount of tail-happy moments.
Suspension Geometry
Tyre wear is not usually an issue in Yas Marina, so you can afford to be adventurous with the camber and toe angles. A 1-stop in the dry is easily achievable, while you could drag the full wets around for the whole grand prix.
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Somewhere just below the lowest values of -2.6 degrees on the front and -1.1 degrees on the rear for the camber angles with toe angles of 0.06 on the front and 0.23 on the rear are the lowest you can get away with.
Suspension
The kerbs in Yas Marina are harsh in places, particularly the Turn 8 and 9 chicane. You'll need very soft suspension springs to avoid spinning out, especially in the wet. 1 on the front and 2 on the rear for the suspension springs are best here.
The anti-roll bar has to be on the soft side here, thanks to only one real high-speed direction change on the track (Turns 3 and 4). 3 on the front and 4 on the rear are the lowest you can get away with while getting through the first sector.
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The ride height is the usual 4 on the front and 4 on the rear. This doesn’t change in the wet, because although you need more ground clearance, the car is lifted up by the bigger tyres.
Brakes
There are some big stopping zones around Yas Marina, so the brake pressure has to be higher than at most circuits.
Locking up is more common in the rain (thanks to the lower levels of grip) so around 86% pressure is ideal. The brake bias should be a little more to the rear than regular, 53% to the front is spot on in Abu Dhabi.
Tyres
Tyre pressures can be higher in the wet thanks to the lower track temperatures. They have to be pumped up more as well, as higher pressures maintain the internal temps better down the long straights into the braking zones.
23.4 psi on the fronts and 21.9 psi on the rears is the highest we could get away with without my rubber wearing out too fast.
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