Things to Know Before You Go

Session times are set per event, printed on your ticket and shown on the event page. Entry is through airport-style security screening, so allow more time than the walk from the drop-off suggests: on a Grand Prix weekend the gates, not the roads, are usually the slowest part of the day.

Outside food and drink are not allowed. There are refreshment points around the circuit and they take cards as well as cash, so there is no need to carry supplies in.

Beyond that, the list of permitted and prohibited items is set by the event organiser and changes from season to season — bag sizes and the rules on flags and banners most of all. Check the official Grand Prix site for the current list before you travel, and do not go by what applied last year.

• A charged power bank — a full day outdoors drains a phone, and your ticket lives on it.
• Ear protection, especially if children are with you.
• Sun cover for the daytime sessions: shade in the grandstands is limited.

Earplugs are not compulsory and the circuit treats them as optional, but a full day trackside adds up and they matter most for children. They cost little, take no space, and are the single thing people most often wish they had brought.

Racing here runs into the evening: the Grand Prix starts in daylight and finishes under floodlights. That means heat and open sun during the afternoon sessions and a noticeably cooler, breezier end to the night — worth a layer, even in Abu Dhabi.

The weekend is built around more than the track: a concert programme runs alongside the racing, and entry to it has been included for race ticket holders. The line-up and what your ticket covers are published by the organiser for each year — check before you plan the evening.