Abu Dhabi // It is not only the Yas Marina Circuit that Formula One fans will be making a pit stop at this weekend.
When they are done enjoying the action at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, many will pull in nearby to buy a racing souvenir.
About 500 metres from the action on the track is the largest Ferrari store in the world, in the heart of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
Here, fans can get their hands on an F1 engine taken from Michael Schumacher’s 2002 racing car – a snip at Dh295,000 – or a toy camel wearing a branded T-shirt.
This weekend has a special atmosphere, the store’s merchandise director said.
“In terms of visitor numbers it is not the busiest but in terms of Formula One fever, it’s by far the most exciting,” said Mikael Schonberg.
“What we are finding is that we have fans of all of the Formula One teams.
“It’s much more focused on hard-core race fans this weekend, as opposed to the rest of the year when we are very much a family-orientated tourist destination – one of the must-sees of Abu Dhabi and Yas Island.”
Items that usually fly off the shelves on GP weekend include flags, caps, T-shirts and earplugs, all carrying the legendary Ferrari logo.
“You get yourself all dressed up and you wander across to the track and you really feel part of the whole ambience,” Mr Schonberg said.
“That’s probably what makes the Formula One weekend special, that it’s almost like a carnival atmosphere – people dress up and they go ‘yeah here we go’, irrespective of which team you support.
“That’s really the excitement of the year for us: to feel the fever.”
At 1,450 sq metres, the Yas Island shop eclipses the other 50 or so Ferrari merchandise stores around the world, he said.
It is split into two main sections, one for Ferrari World Abu Dhabi merchandise and one for Ferrari items.
A fan range of items has products displaying the Ferrari shield, a lifestyle line has items branded with the prancing horse logo and there is also a “luxury” line of goods.
There is something for fans of all ages, including baby suits, bibs and little boots for the youngest of fans.Sunglasses, leather wallets, cuff links, phone cases, fragrances, clothing and key rings are also available, as well as eye-catching items such as a diamond-studded prancing horse necklace.
For those after something more car-related, original Ferrari memorabilia includes a glass table mounted on a 12-cylinder engine block from a Fiorano 599 GTB, along with four original seats from the car, for Dh130,000 in total.
Just a short walk away is another store – Ferrari Past and Present.
It offers radio-controlled vehicles, model cars and a slot-racing track in the shape of the Yas Marina circuit.
The past section of the store is modelled on an original garage Enzo Ferrari owned in the 1930s, and is where prints and posters depicting old Ferrari racing cars can be found.
It is a place where fans fresh from watching the latest action on the track can savour some of the history of the sport and the famous Ferrari brand.
ecleland@thenational.ae
