Abu Dhabi GP 2025: Schedule, concerts and how to watch in UAE


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The stage is set for a nail-biting finale to the 2025 Formula One season in Abu Dhabi this weekend with Yas Marina Circuit set to witness a three-way title fight.

Max Verstappen took full advantage of a McLaren blunder to win the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, paving the way for a thrilling battle for the F1 crown with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen's win lifted him Red Bull's four-time world champion into second place in the title race with 396 points, 12 behind championship leader Norris, who finished fourth.

Pole-sitter Piastri slipped to third in the standings but reduced his deficit to Norris to 16 points. All roads now lead to the season finale in Abu Dhabi where Verstappen has won four times in the past five years. The Dutch driver is now within reach of what seemed an improbable fifth consecutive drivers' world championship.

2025 Abu Dhabi GP race weekend schedule

Thursday, December 4

Media day (times TBC)

Entertainment

7pm: Benson Boone at Etihad Park

Friday, December 5

9am: Formula 4 UAE practice session

11:05am: Formula 2 practice session

12.30pm: Formula 1 hot laps

1.30pm: Formula 1 first practice session

3pm: Formula 2 qualifying session

3.30pm: Formula 1 press conference

4pm: Formula 4 UAE qualifying session

4.30pm: Formula 2 press conference

5pm: Formula 1 second practice session

Entertainment

7pm: Post Malone and Elyanna at Etihad Park

9pm: Keinemusik at Yas Gateway Park; Idris Elba at Garden on Yas

Saturday, December 6

11.25am: Formula 4 UAE first race

1.35pm: Formula 1 hot laps

2.30pm: Formula 1 third practice session

4.15pm: Formula 2 sprint race

5.25pm: Formula 2 press conference

6pm: Formula 1 qualifying session

7pm: Formula 1 press conference

Entertainment

7pm: Metallica at Etihad Park; Calvin Harris at Garden on Yas

Sunday, December 7

11.20am: Formula 4 UAE second race

12.05pm: Formula 1 hot laps

1.15pm: Formula 2 feature race

3pm: Formula 1 drivers' parade

4.44pm: National Anthem

5pm: Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Entertainment

7pm: Katy Perry at Etihad Park

Championship battle

Defending champion Verstappen seemed out of the title race only a few races ago, having fallen 104 points off the lead at the end of August following the Dutch Grand Prix, won by Piastri. Since then, Verstappen has clawed his way back with a run of podium finishes, including five wins.

After two weekends of self-inflicted damage to their drivers' championship ambitions, McLaren are desperate to get their act together having already clinched the constructors' title with months to spare.

While their “papaya rules” ensures equal opportunities for both Norris and Piastri, there is no room for error this weekend.

After losing all their points from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a double disqualification, McLaren threw away a bunch more by botching a strategy call in Qatar.

On Sunday, Norris would have clinched his first F1 title with a win with Piastri starting from pole position.

But after an early safety car, McLaren's decision to keep both drivers out backfired badly as Verstappen effectively benefited from a free tyre change in a mandatory two-stop race.

Norris finished fourth, with Piastri placing second.

Another dramatic finale

The F1 drivers' championship has been decided in Abu Dhabi four times in all, the 2021 race being the most famous one of them all.

Widely considered the greatest F1 finale of all time, Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were level on points heading into the race.

Hamilton led for most of the race but a late crash by Nicholas Latifi brought on the safety car. Then came the most controversial moment in modern F1 history. Race director Michael Masi decided to allow only some lapped cars through, setting up a one-lap shoot-out between Verstappen and Hamilton. The Red Bull driver won the race, championship and the constructors' title.

The race resulted in major changes to Formula One rules.

Bigger and better

Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, chief executive of Ethara (organisers of the Abu Dhabi GP), said this year's season finale will be the "biggest and best one yet".

“This is our 17th edition and year on year we refine, improve and enhance. 2025 is going to be the biggest and best Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in history,” Al Noaimi told The National.

“Last year we had 192,000 attendees over the grand prix, 70 per cent from overseas and 50 per cent of those first-time visitors to Abu Dhabi. This year we expect to surpass that based on demand and ticket sales.”

Tickets

There are a limited number of tickets still available. For more information, visit www.abudhabigp.com.

How to watch in UAE

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be shown live on beIN Sports across the Middle East and North Africa.

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

BRAZIL SQUAD

Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).

RESULTS

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Samau Xmnsor, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Ottoman, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Sharkh, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Yaraa, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Maaly Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Jinjal, Fabrice Veron, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17

At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253

'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'

Director:Michael Lehmann

Stars:Kristen Bell

Rating: 1/5

Dubai Women's Tour teams

Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport 
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club 
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team

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MATCH INFO

Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)

Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14

Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)

Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31

Bangla Tigers win by six wickets

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

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Updated: December 03, 2025, 5:33 AM