Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Yas Marina Circuit parking and chauffeur
The 2026 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix runs from 4 to 6 December at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, the last round of the season. From Downtown Dubai the circuit is about 114 km, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic. Assure drives race-goers from Dubai hotels to the circuit and back. Send your dates on WhatsApp.
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Dates and venue
Next edition
- Usually held
- Late November or early December, as the season finale
- Source
- formula1.com, checked
The 2026 race weekend at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 to 6 December 2026 (Friday to Sunday) |
| Round | 23 of 23, the season finale |
| Venue | Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi |
| Tickets | Digital only, in the Abu Dhabi GP app |
| Session times | Per session on the Formula 1 calendar |
| Official sites | formula1.com and yasmarinacircuit.com |
| Last checked | 17 October 2026 |
Session times are on the Formula 1 calendar. Set your daily pickups from the 2026 times, not from last year’s timetable.
The drive from Dubai to the circuit
Yas Island sits on the Dubai side of Abu Dhabi city, about 19 km from Zayed International. The run from Dubai does not go through the city centre.
| From | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina | about 94 km | about 1 hour |
| Palm Jumeirah | about 100 km | about 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Downtown Dubai | about 114 km | about 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Dubai International (DXB) | about 130 km | about 1 hour 35 minutes |
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | about 93 km | about 1 hour 10 minutes |
| Zayed International (AUH) | about 19 km | about 25 minutes |
| Central Abu Dhabi | about 31 km | about 25 minutes |
| Yas Plaza hotels, Yas Island | about 2 km | about 5 minutes |
OSRM worked out these figures on OpenStreetMap roads on 17 October 2026, averaging the trip out and back with no traffic. Race days are slower. The organiser’s 2024 transport guide warned of congestion as fans leave after each day’s action.
Tolls on the way
Since 4 May 2026, Abu Dhabi Mobility runs a Darb toll gate at Ghantoot, on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street. It charges every crossing, 24 hours a day.
The other Darb gates charge from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. They are free on Sundays and public holidays (Abu Dhabi Mobility). Race Sunday, 6 December, is free at those peak-hour gates.
Metro and road closures
Abu Dhabi has no Metro line to Yas Island. The circuit’s FAQ lists car, taxi and bus 190 instead. No road closures for the 2026 race weekend had been announced on the official sites when we checked on 17 October 2026.
Parking at Yas Marina Circuit
The circuit’s FAQ tells drivers to pin the location into a maps app and drive over. It gives no race-weekend parking plan. None for 2026 was published on the official sites when we checked on 17 October 2026.
Check the Abu Dhabi GP app before you drive. With a chauffeur there is no parking to book and no shuttle ride from a car park. The car drops you near your gate and collects you at the point you agree.
Which gate, and where cars drop off
Your entrance is on your ticket and in the official app, as the organiser’s 2024 guide explained. Tickets for 2026 are digital only, in the Abu Dhabi GP app.
In 2024, taxis and carshares could drop fans very close to the entrance gates. After the sessions, collection points were near Ferrari World and Yas Mall.
Send your chauffeur the gate on your ticket. They confirm the drop-off and the return collection point with you on WhatsApp before race day.
Shuttles and buses
- Inside the circuit. In 2024, the Circuit Circular Shuttle ran every 15 minutes, from 9am to 1am Thursday to Saturday and 10.30am to 1am on Sunday. It stopped at the South, Marina, West and North grandstands.
- Yas Express. The free island shuttle runs daily from 9am to 9pm, so check it against your session times.
- Public bus. Route 190 runs to Yas Island from Abu Dhabi Bus Station, next to Al Wahda Mall. From Dubai, the circuit suggests a bus from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station to Abu Dhabi Bus Station first, then the 190.
If you are weighing the road against other options, see our guide to Darb tolls in Abu Dhabi and the typical Dubai to Abu Dhabi taxi fare. Fans making a weekend of it may like our Yas Island theme parks compared.
Pickups that start in Abu Dhabi
Trips that start in Dubai run under Assure’s RTA licence. Pickups from Yas Island hotels, Zayed International or elsewhere in Abu Dhabi need a vehicle licensed in Abu Dhabi. They are on request: ask us to confirm for your route.
Zayed International is about 19 km from the circuit, roughly 25 minutes without traffic. For other trips in the capital, see our chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi.
Ways to book for race weekend
- Daily return transfers between Dubai and the circuit, on the same road as our Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfers.
- Whole-weekend car. One chauffeur and car for all three days, on standby while you are inside.
- Groups. On the long run from Dubai, a group can ride in one vehicle: up to 6 in an Assure Mercedes-Benz V-Class, or 13 or 19 in an Assure Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A full coach is available through our partner network, subject to availability.
- VIP cars. From the Assure fleet, a Cadillac Escalade takes 6 passengers and a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series takes 3. Partner-network Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars can be added, subject to availability. See our limousine service and limousines in Abu Dhabi.
- The days around the race. Add a day at the Yas Island theme parks with a driver.
Our Abu Dhabi Grand Prix visitor guide covers tickets, concerts and where to stay. We plan ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi the same way.
When to book for race weekend, and what sets the price
Book once you have your tickets. Group vehicles and partner-network cars are subject to availability, so groups and VIP cars need the most notice.
The price moves with these.
- one race day or all three
- return transfers or a car on standby
- the pickup emirate: Dubai, or Abu Dhabi on request
- which car, and how many seats you fill
- toll crossings on the route
- a night drive back to Dubai once the track action ends
WhatsApp us your race days and hotel at any hour for a quote.
More trips from Yas Island
Questions and answers
How do I get to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Dubai?
By car, Yas Marina Circuit is about 94 km from Dubai Marina and 114 km from Downtown Dubai, roughly 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic. The circuit also lists a bus route: Al Ghubaiba to Abu Dhabi Bus Station, then bus 190 to Yas Island. A chauffeur drives you door to door and back each day.
Which gate should you be dropped at?
The gate on your ticket. Tickets for 2026 are digital only, in the Abu Dhabi GP app, so send the gate to your chauffeur before race day. In 2024, the organiser said taxis and carshares could drop fans very close to the entrance gates, with collection points near Ferrari World and Yas Mall after the sessions.
Is there parking at Yas Marina Circuit?
The 2026 race-weekend parking plan had not been published on the official sites when we checked on 17 October 2026. The circuit FAQ only tells drivers to pin the location into a maps app and drive over. Check the Abu Dhabi GP app before you set off, or book a chauffeur and leave parking out of your day.
How long is the drive from Dubai on race day?
Without traffic, about 1 hour from Dubai Marina, 1 hour 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai and 1 hour 35 minutes from DXB, based on OSRM road data. Race days take longer. The organiser's 2024 guide warned of congestion as fans leave after each day's action, so plan the return with time to spare.
Is there a toll on the road from Dubai to Yas Island?
Since 4 May 2026, a Darb toll gate on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ghantoot charges every crossing, 24 hours a day. Abu Dhabi's other Darb gates charge only at peak hours, Monday to Saturday, and are free on Sundays and public holidays. Tolls on your route are one of the factors in your quote.
Is there a shuttle bus at Yas Marina Circuit?
In 2024, the Circuit Circular Shuttle ran every 15 minutes between the South, Marina, West and North grandstands, until 1am. Yas Express, the free island shuttle, runs daily from 9am to 9pm. Public bus 190 links Abu Dhabi Bus Station with Yas Island. Check the 2026 shuttle plan in the Abu Dhabi GP app.
Can you pick up from Yas Island hotels or Zayed International?
Trips that start in Dubai run under Assure's RTA licence. Pickups that start in Abu Dhabi, including Yas Island hotels and Zayed International, need a vehicle licensed in Abu Dhabi, so they are on request. Ask us to confirm for your route. Zayed International is about 19 km from the circuit by road.