The championships may be decided but there are still three races left of the season to complete - the next to be held at the Yas Marina circuit, next to the flashing lights of the hotel. As an almost-night event, the race starts in daylight and finishes under floodlights, making conditions challenging, even if the track isn't!

Event schedule

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing wrapped up both the titles at the last week, and pending any unforeseen circumstances, they will pick up their fourth consecutive championships in December. Meanwhile, there are still battles to watch - Sauber and Force India are going at it in a fight to the finish, whilst Mercedes and Ferrari have it all to play for as they squabble for second place.

Support racing for this event includes GP2, GP3 and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The weather

We had three days of clear weather in India, but you wouldn't have known it for the smog. In Abu Dhabi, there are three more hot and sunny days scheduled, and this time we might be able to see into the distance... until the night falls, that is!

Circuit map

The DRS zones haven't changed since last year, with the first being detected just before the enormously long back straight, and then activated a little way down it. After a drag race to the next corner, the second DRS zone begins with activation on the sweeping barely-a-turn ten.

Last year Mr C proclaimed that the FIA had got the DRS zones perfect, which explains why they haven't changed them. Hopefully this year can live up to the same promise!

The circuit

With acres of run off area at each corner, mistakes aren’t punished, and although scrupulously clean and shiny looking, the action rarely delivers exactly what we would hope. There are five long stretches that allow drivers to get up to high speeds, and the corners that follow them aren’t that punishing either, meaning overtaking spots are few and far between.

Turn one is a ninety degree left, quicker than most initial corners. Further on, turn seven leads onto the massively long back straight - 1.2 kilometres of breathing space. Two more corners lead onto another stretch of track that’s not quite straight but might as well be. The final sector is slowed right down, with another ninety degree turns that dip under the hotel and round back onto the home straight. The pit lane exit is a controversial one, as it goes through a tunnel onto the track to feed back out into the action. So far there hasn’t been a problem with it, but you never know.

Tyre compounds

Pirelli are bringing the medium and soft compounds to Abu Dhabi, just as they did last week in India. The compounds shouldn't have quite the difference that they had at the Buddh Circuit, as although the temperatures start high, the late afternoon/evening timings can be less wearing on the rubber.

Tyre wear and degradation isn’t especially high here: last year, when we also nominated the medium and soft, most drivers just stopped once. As the compounds are generally softer this year we’d expect two stops this time, although it’s quite possible that some teams might try just one.

- Paul Hembery

Press conference schedule

Official press conferences are organised by the FIA and happen four times during the weekend. The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews.

Race stewards

The FIA stewarding process was changed recently to include a former F1 driver to offer added insight. These are the stewards overseeing this weekend's action.