Abu Dhabi Grand Prix comes of age

The final round of the 2010 Formula 1 Grand Prix Championship, held at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, could have been pulled from the back pages of an airport novel: high stakes; skilled opponents; victory snatched from a scandal-scarred incumbent by a gifted young champion, all set against a backdrop that could have been plucked from the imagination of a science fiction writer. Sebastian Vettel’s flawless race and ultimate victory over Fernando Alonso, after overcoming the Spaniard’s 15-point lead, established Vettel as the youngest champion in F1 history and catapulted the Red Bull team into the limelight. At the same time, as Vettel completed his victory lap and Yas Island’s 100,000 guests let loose during the last of seven nights of festivities, it was clear that their host, Abu Dhabi, had enjoyed a triumph of its own. The Emirate debuted its state-of-the-art racing facilities last year, when it hosted the