F1 fever causes top tickets to sell out
Roland Hughes

Last Updated: March 31. 2009 12:29AM UAE / The National

ABU DHABI // Two grandstands, seating about 20,000 fans, were sold out yesterday within hours of tickets for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix going on sale.

Tickets for the Formula One race on Nov 1 went on sale across the country at 10am, and queues immediately formed in malls in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The feelings of the would-be ticket holders were summed up by Steve Zehenny, 32, an oil industry manager originally from Lebanon, who bought four tickets for himself and three friends. “I am the biggest F1 fan,” he said. “I have been wanting to live this experience my whole life and I would not miss this for anything. It is the biggest event that has happened here.”

Customers looking to buy the most expensive seats in the main grandstand, along the start-finish straight, were told they were no longer available within the first hour of going on sale. A three-day pass costs Dh2,000 (US$544).

Other fans hoping to buy sought-after tickets in the west grandstand, which offers views of the longest straight section, found there were none left just before noon. Sections of each of the other three grandstands were selling out as the day went on.

A number of people were looking to buy tickets for friends or relatives travelling to the UAE just for the race. Makram el Zyr, 33, a Lebanese national working in hotel development, wanted 15 tickets in the west grandstand for himself and friends, four of whom will be travelling from Lebanon or Saudi Arabia.

Instead, he was told the limit was 10 tickets per person, and had to settle for seats in the U-shaped north stand.

What the buyers got yesterday were official receipts: the tickets themselves are expected to be distributed to them in the two or three months before the race weekend.

Because many tickets were being bought for visiting friends, Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management, the race organisers, admit the purchases made in the UAE will not truly reflect how many people from the UAE itself will be at the race. ADMM did not release figures for sales made within the country.

A number of people spoke of a variety of problems attempting to buy tickets online or over the phone.

Miguel Rocha, 49, a pilot from the Philippines, bought five tickets from the stand at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi.

“I was online at 10am when the tickets went on sale because I wanted tickets for the main grandstand, but I couldn’t get on the website,” he said.

By the time Mr Rocha reached Marina Mall, seats in his preferred main grandstand had sold out. He instead bought tickets for the south grandstand.

Away from the sales fever, rumours of delays to the Yas Island circuit were dismissed.

Christian Tortora, a reporter with the French-language sports radio network RDS in Canada, is reported to have said during the Australian GP in Melbourne on Sunday that the Abu Dhabi circuit’s construction was facing delays and Montreal could host a race instead.

A spokesman for ADMM yesterday said: “Progress on the construction of Yas Marina Circuit is on track and there are no concerns regarding delivery deadlines.”

Aldar, the site developers, previously said the circuit would be ready by Aug 31.


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