The room is the nerve centre of the circuit during practice sessions, qualifying and the race itself. It’s where officials start and end the Grand Prix, enforce rules and oversee every aspect of track operations to ensure safety for drivers, staff, and the thousands of fans in attendance. For 2025, the race control room has undergone a major revamp, making it one of the most cutting edge in global motorsport and bolstering Yas Marina Circuit’s status as one of the most technologically advanced F1 tracks in the world. “As host of the F1 season finale, Yas Marina Circuit is the stage for historic moments, be it a title-deciding race or a driver's farewell. That raises the stakes and motivates us to continuously innovate our infrastructure so the sport can be experienced at its absolute best. This upgraded control room gives officials the technology and environment to make split-second decisions with confidence, so the racing itself can shine,” shared Ali Al Beshr, General Manager of Yas Marina Circuit at Ethara.

At the heart of the upgrade is a suite of smart systems designed to make the race control faster, more flexible and future-proofed. Operators can route any of 55 circuit camera feeds, timing systems, race logs, car trackers, or broadcast feeds to any of workstation monitors instantly via tablet control — no additional equipment, no IT callouts. The speed and adaptability extend to how different championships are able to integrate with the circuit, as international fly-in championships like Formula 1 can make full use of the circuit’s infrastructure without shipping hardware, cutting set-up time, costs and complexity. Beneath the surface, the infrastructure has been overhauled with new underfloor cabling, concealed access panels, and integrated sound systems for a cleaner, more efficient environment. During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, 28 people will be working in the race control room in long shifts, so the human-centric design puts their comfort and focus first. A theatre-style tiered layout gives every workstation clear visibility of the main display screens, while dimmable lighting reduces glare and fatigue. Ergonomic desks feature embedded communication panels, connectivity and wireless charging to minimize clutter. “The Yas Marina Circuit control room has been years in the making, and we’re proud of the result. We didn’t just meet FIA standards — we exceeded them,” said Stuart Latham, Yas Marina Circuit’s Safety & Operations Director. The control room made its debut during the Yas Racing Series (October 31–November 2) and will oversee major championships throughout the 2025/26 season, culminating in the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from December 5–7.