She said Yas! - Man proposes in pitlane at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Pawel Szczepka, left, proposes to his girlfriend Magdalena Zbucka who are visiting from Warsaw, Poland while taking in the pit lane walk ahead of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Yas Marina Circuit Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // There was something in the air other than petrol fumes at Yas Marina Circuit this afternoon.

Pawel Szczepka, from Warsaw, Poland, showed his romantic side and proposed to his girlfriend Magdalena Zbucka during the pit-walk ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mr Szczepka popped the question amid a swell of F1 fans all eager to catch a glimpse of the 11 racing teams setting up their garages ahead of tomorrow’s opening day of on-track action.

Officials at the UAE race circuit were quick to capitalise on the memorable moment, tweeting a photo of the happy couple and the words “She said YAS”.