Max Verstappen may be fighting for a fifth Formula One world championship in the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix without his family in the stands, but Yas Marina Circuit was full of parents, children and multi-generational groups marking their own traditions on Family Friday.
Across the family sections of the circuit, including the Fanzone, Fan Village and the Oasis areas, crowds moved at an unhurried pace as they checked out the afternoon practice sessions and the onsite activations, from online racing simulators to an Emirati heritage village.
One of the busiest stops was the Lego F1 pop-up, a new feature at the Fan Village. The toy maker’s first year as an F1 partner has taken it to circuits around the world, and the booth in Abu Dhabi had a steady line throughout the afternoon. Children and adults worked side by side at long tables, picking through trays of bricks and following instruction sheets to build miniature Formula One cars.
Despite the rumbling of the practice sessions taking place on the circuit, the children – some as young as three – leaned in with the same concentration you see from F1 team directors as they assembled their cars. The finished pieces, free to take home, became small souvenirs families tucked into backpacks before heading back into the noise of the circuit.
It was here that Canadian Dimitri Yafshin, a long-time fan, settled in with his five-year-old son, also named Dimitry. “It’s the first time I have brought him to the F1, but I’ve been coming for nearly ten years,” the Dubai resident said. “It feels good to finally share it with him.”
The younger Dimitry already has a shelf of racing toys at home, so the Lego set was an easy addition. “He’s been excited about this since we walked in,” Yafshin said. “You don’t have to be a petrolhead to enjoy the day. There’s good food, places to take a break, and a lot for kids to do.”
A short walk away, the Yas in Schools Experience Centre in the North Oasis offered a different kind of activity. Children lined up for motorsport-themed Stem challenges, each one earning a stamp in a special Yas in Schools Abu Dhabi Grand Prix passport handed out at the entrance.
Parents stood nearby as staff guided children through simple engineering tasks, shifting from foam tracks to lightweight car-building stations.
Throughout the afternoon, the mix of entertainment, food stalls and practice-session noise created the familiar Family Friday blend, somewhere between a casual day out and a cultural festival.
There was plenty happening beyond the circuit gates.
Down the road, the Yas Bay Family Fan Zone opened its doors, giving both ticket holders and non-ticket holders a way to join the weekend atmosphere.
A giant screen inside Etihad Arena carried the full broadcast throughout the weekend, while car-themed films played in the evenings. Food stalls and nearby restaurants offered specials tied to the race, and roaming performers worked their way through families gathered on the waterfront.
