F1 campaign takes to Shanghai

Interest in the Yas Marina Circuit will shift up another gear when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix bandwagon rolls into China.

A model of Yas Island Formula 1 track.

ABU DHABI // Interest in the Yas Marina Circuit shifts up another gear tomorrow when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix bandwagon rolls into China. A mobile exhibition in Shanghai promoting next year's race is being staged to coincide with the potentially title-deciding China Grand Prix. A model of the circuit, detailing its most extravagant features, will be on view at the Shanghai International Circuit from tomorrow.

It is a smaller version of the giant exhibit which was unveiled to the world this week at the Emirates Palace hotel. Philippe Gurdjian, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management, the race organisers, together with race officials from the capital, will be in Shanghai for the launch, which is kick-starting a year of aggressive international marketing. Mohammed ben Sulayem, regional representative of the Fédération Internationale d'Automobile (FIA), the world motorsports governing body, said it was important Abu Dhabi was marketed globally to attract visitors to next year's race.

"China in particular is a big market and a lot of media and fans are going to be there for this weekend's race," he said. "But we are not just promoting the circuit. It is about promoting Abu Dhabi. It is the right way of doing it. "The circuit design is there for everybody to see, so now it is about attracting people to Abu Dhabi itself. Yas Marina has everything - the airport is close, Abu Dhabi is very close. I am really looking forward to it."

Despite mistakes in the Japanese Grand Prix, the 23-year-old British driver Lewis Hamilton has a five-point lead as he enters this weekend's China Grand Prix and could clinch the championship in his McLaren Mercedes if he scores six points more than his rival, Ferrari's Felipe Massa. Last week, the FIA announced to general surprise that Montreal would lose its Grand Prix from next year. Although Abu Dhabi's Grand Prix is scheduled for a different time of year, it is still being seen, albeit inaccurately, as a replacement for Montreal.

Jacques Boutin, an IT manager, originally from Montreal and now living in Abu Dhabi, said: "The economic aspect of losing a Grand Prix goes without saying, because of all the income that a race generates, directly and indirectly. "But the loss is more emotional than anything else. All the celebration surrounding a Grand Prix brings a type of pride to everyone," Mr Boutin said. "We used to watch it as a family at my parents' place, with friends and everyone together. I am not sure they are going to be talking to me again!

"Personally, I will be going to the Abu Dhabi race. I am one of the privileged ones but it still doesn't improve my national pride that has been hurt." [e-mail]