TO ABU DHABI - Tempoplanet

F1 FAN ZONEEXTRAVAGANZATots dance to Beyonce’sTune (24th October)Favourite Beyonce tracks blaredfrom speakers as children performedonstage ‘wow-ing’ theaudience with their slick new dancemoves as a tribute to the Queenof Groove -Beyonce. F1 Fan Zoneresident DJs from Radio 1 played aselect list of the diva’s songs whilethe judges cooed over the youngcontestants. After much lamentthey chose a deserving winner whoreceived a dream-come-true prizeof tickets to the Beyonce concert onYas Island this October!Art of Jiu Jitsu(23rd October)The UAE Jiu Jitsu team gave demonstrationsto excited visitors tothe Corniche attending the F1 FanZone. 20 professional athletes led bythe Head Coach of the Emirates-BrazilianJiu-Jitsu team, Carlos Santosdemonstrated their skill, agilityand complete mastery of complexmoves. It gave fans a taste of whatto expect this April at the The worldprofessional Jiu Jitsu Cup.Experience the Thrill of F1The very first official F1 Fan ZoneAbu Dhabi, brought to us byMubadala, enthralled visitors withan array of techno gadgets andgizmos like the Podium Photo Finishwhich allowed fans to experiencethe real thrill of speed racing justlike an F1 racer. Autograph sessionsdrove race fanatics over the edgeand straight to their favouritecelebrities to learn their race secretsand have a closer interaction withtheir idols. Some even tried out theScalextric track built to drive likea multi-lane Grand Prix circuit viaGP Racing Pods and F1 simulators.However the Ferrari F1 Pitt StopChallenge took the cake (or shallwe say trophy?) when it came toexhilarating fans as it put theirco-ordination skills to the test byallowing them to change a tyre on areal Formula One 2007 Ferrari car, ina race against the clock.Cinema Lounge (22nd,23rd and 24th October)Crowds gathered in on the openingnight of Yasalam’s ‘Cinema by theSea’ at Abu Dhabi Corniche. Chillingout on the beanbags, listening tothe relaxing sounds of the oceanand snacking on refreshments theyenjoyed some all time favouritemovies! Days of Thunder, HerbieFully Loaded, Cars, Talladega Nights,Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and TheItalian Job (1969) were the movieshand-picked for the familyevent. The giant outdoor cinemaresembled its indoor counterpartmostly due to the ample supply ofpopcorn and candyfloss.Culture Galore (29thOctober - 1st November)The residents of Abu Dhabi andtourists alike are treated to fascinatingtraditional and cultural displaysincluding falconry, folk dancing &singing and henna application sessionsin the Arab Culture Weekend.It gives everyone a distinct taste ofthe true spirit of Abu Dhabi whilealso displaying the country’s heritageand historical importance.Abu Dhabi Galleria (16thOctober – 1st November)Tracing the history of Abu Dhabiand Formula 1, this gallery runningalong the Corniche shorelinepresents a stunning combination ofart, history and racing against thebackdrop of beautifully breathtakingAbu Dhabi sunsets.UpDRIVER'SSEATDRIVER'SFROM THE DRIVER'SA test event was conducted on 24th October in the Yas Marina Circuit, the venue for theinaugural Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Twenty three GP2 Asia Driverszoomed about the track to get feel of it and here are their comments:A test event was conducted on 24th October in the Yas Marina Circuit, the venue for theinaugural Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Twenty three GP2 Asia Driv-“Very exciting to race here asit is an incredible venue. It willbe challenging, a driver’s track,there are some nice corners,very wide so we should be ableto pass each other. Everything isamazing, everything is new – inthese difficult times it is great tobe in a place that is so positive.”- Edoardo Piscopo (ITALY)DAMS“The track has fast corners, slowcorners like a street circuit, longstraights, and hard brakes. Myfirst impression was very good.You can feel the elevationchanges – going uphill and youcan’t see anything and thendownhill you see a great view– albeit like a flash.”- Luiz Razia, (BRA) Barwa AddaxF1 GUIDE“Very fun to drive, cornerswere tricky, for sure it will beeasy for the public to enjoy.It will be very easy to losethe traction on the corners,making it difficult for driversand very good for thepublic.”- Roldan Rodriguez(Spanish) Scuderia Coloni“Combination of the layout, and some very fast corners, very slow corners,a mixture between long straights – it looks very promising in terms of aracing show. It’s my first time in Abu Dhabi, it’s nice and sunny. I have asmile on my face, and when you see this very nice track you will understandwhy.”- Christian Vietoris (GER) (DAMS) – Vice Champion F3 Euro Series 2009