Security at F1 track reviewed

ABU DHABI // The organising committee for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been finalising security arrangements this week for the first race at the new Yas Island Formula One circuit on Nov 1, 2009. At a meeting at Abu Dhabi Police headquarters, the committee reviewed security and safety arrangements in the light of its findings upon visiting Singapore earlier this year to study security arrangements at the 2008 Formula One championship held on a new track there.

The committee also met members of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, which will provide facilities for the Yas Marine Circuit, and visited Yas Island to meet staff of Aldar, the firm in charge of building the race track and the roads and hotels around it. Luca di Montezemolo, the president of Ferrari, praised the progress of the circuit, saying he expected it to be "absolutely extraordinary" and "very different" after visiting Abu Dhabi and Yas Island last week to review work on the construction.

Mr di Montezemolo, who is also the new chairman of the Formula One Teams Association, said Abu Dhabi should be the best of the new wave of Formula One circuits. He had previously criticised the Singapore and Valencia tracks that made their debuts this year. hhassan@thenational.ae rhughes@thenational.ae