FIA announces tentative date for F1 Abu Dhabi GP

New Delhi:

At Thursday's World Motor Sport Council Meeting in Paris, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced the provisional date of November 15, 2009, for the 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

This provisional date will be confirmed once the final 2009 F1 World Championship race calendar is released in the coming months.

In response to the announcement, His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Motor Sport Management (ADMM) and Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority (EAA) said: "This is another important milestone for the 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. There has been a great deal of speculation about the timing of our race and we are delighted with the provisional date of November 15, 2009, as this is the last race of the season and potentially the Championship decider."

"This timing also ensures that visitors to the Emirate will be able to enjoy some of the best weather Abu Dhabi has to offer," he added.

Also commenting on the announcement, Philippe Gurdjian, CEO of Abu Dhabi Motor Sport Management (ADMM) said: "It is great to have a provisional date set for the race but in reality our work has progressed so well that we will be ready in time for any occurrence. Construction of Yas Marina Circuit has advanced substantially and we are confident that when the final result is unveiled in November 2009, Abu Dhabi will set a unique standard in the world of motorsport."