Can you overtake at Abu Dhabi?
Yes, and more so since the 2021 redesign. Yas Marina was reprofiled in 2021 to improve the racing, adding faster corners and longer flat-out runs. The best overtaking chances are into the heavy braking at Turn 5 at the end of the long straight and into Turns 6 and 9, all helped by DRS. It is still not the easiest circuit to pass on, but the changes made a real difference.
The short answer
Yes, especially after the 2021 changes. Yas Marina was reprofiled in 2021 with faster corners and longer straights specifically to improve overtaking, and it worked.[1] The heavy braking into Turn 5 at the end of the long straight is now the prime passing spot, with further chances at Turns 6 and 9 under DRS; it is still not a classic overtaking track, but far better than before.[2]
Where to overtake at Abu Dhabi
- Turn 5. The end of the long straight after Turn 4, the main DRS zone and the prime overtaking spot.[1]
- Turns 6 and 7. A quick chicane where a good exit from Turn 5 can set up a move.
- Turn 9. Another braking zone under DRS later in the lap.
Why the 2021 redesign mattered
Related reading
- [1]Yas Marina Circuit (Wikipedia) (wikipedia-en). Accessed 2026-08-27.
- [2]Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Wikipedia) (wikipedia-en). Accessed 2026-08-27.