From Marina and JBR to the Grand Prix.
Dubai Marina and JBR sit at the Abu Dhabi end of Dubai, so they have the shortest run to Yas of the main hotel areas. Short is still more than an hour, and the sessions run into the evening.
Why Marina and JBR have the shorter run
Dubai Marina and JBR are the nearest of the big hotel zones to Abu Dhabi, so the E11 starts for you almost straight away. A routing engine, set to free-flow with no traffic, gives about 94 km from the Marina and about 93 km from The Walk at JBR, and about 58 to 59 minutes. For comparison, it gives about 114 km and 74 minutes from Downtown.
We plan with a range, because the estimate has no traffic in it: approximately 60 to 75 minutes. Event days are longer, and no source publishes a figure for them. The E11 also carries the Darb toll gate at Ghantoot, working 24 hours a day since 4 May 2026, with a toll per crossing. The written quote lists the tolls on your route, so there is no surprise at the end.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteThe session times, in UAE time and at home
Formula 1 publishes its timetable in UTC. UAE time is UTC plus 4, with no clock change. The two columns below are the published time and the local time.
| Day | Session | UTC | UAE time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 4 Dec | Practice 1 | 09:30 to 10:30 | 13:30 to 14:30 |
| Fri 4 Dec | Practice 2 | 13:00 to 14:00 | 17:00 to 18:00 |
| Sat 5 Dec | Practice 3 | 10:30 to 11:30 | 14:30 to 15:30 |
| Sat 5 Dec | Qualifying | 14:00 to 15:00 | 18:00 to 19:00 |
| Sun 6 Dec | Race, 58 laps | 13:00 | 17:00 |
The race at 17:00 in Abu Dhabi is 13:00 in London, 14:00 in Paris and Berlin, 08:00 in New York, 05:00 in Los Angeles and 22:00 in Tokyo. In Sydney and Melbourne it is midnight, the start of Monday 7 December. Qualifying on Saturday is 14:00 in London, 09:00 in New York and 23:00 in Tokyo. Check the “track time” setting on the Formula 1 page before you print anything.
Formula 2 and Formula 4 UAE are on the weekend’s programme, according to the organisers, but we could not find their session times. Check the organisers’ current notice.
Race day from the Marina
Work back from the time you want to be inside, not from 17:00. Gate times for 2026 were not on the official pages when we read them. They will be on your ticket and in the Abu Dhabi GP app.
An illustration, not an organiser rule. A group wants to be at the drop-off point by 14:00. With approximately 75 minutes as the planning figure, the vehicle leaves the Marina by 12:45, and a cautious group leaves at 12:15 or earlier. If you plan to eat and rest first, the clock moves again.
The way back is the part nobody can time. The exit procedure and any road closures for 2026 were not published when we read the sources. After the race there is a concert, so a late return is normal. Agree a pick-up spot and a fallback time with the driver, and do not book a tight dinner or an early flight for Monday morning.
Friday and Saturday
Friday has two sessions, at 13:30 and at 17:00 local time, and an evening concert at Etihad Live. A midday departure from the Marina reaches both. A group that wants only the second session can leave early afternoon.
Saturday has Practice 3 at 14:30 and qualifying at 18:00, with the concert again after. The organisers also list an official after-party at Yas Gateway Park on Friday, a separate ticket, for guests aged 21 and over. If your group is going, plan for a very late return that night.
Thursday 3 December is the circuit’s opening day, with the fanzone, the West Oasis and a concert, and no track session. If you have tickets for it, a late-afternoon departure from the Marina suits an evening on the island.
One day, three days or the whole weekend can go on a single quote. Our Abu Dhabi Grand Prix guide has the wider picture for groups staying in Dubai, and the Dubai 7s weekend itinerary shows how we lay out a multi-day plan.
Group sizes in the Marina and JBR
Marina and JBR hotels are close together, so one vehicle can collect from two or three of them on the way out. Each extra stop adds time, so give us every address when you ask for a quote, and agree a single meeting point if the group is spread across towers.
- Couples and families up to 7: the Mercedes V-Class.
- Up to 13, with cases: the 13-seater van.
- Up to 16: the Mercedes Sprinter.
- 22 to 30: the 30-seater mini coach.
- Up to about 50: the 50-seater coach.
Ask your hotel which forecourt takes a coach, and tell us. A big vehicle that cannot reach the door adds a walk, and an hour is long enough already. For the longer view of the road, see Dubai to Yas Island, and the peak season guide for how busy December gets.
What we need, and what we do not do
Send the dates, the hotels, the headcount, the number of bags and the days you are attending. We do not sell tickets or hospitality, and we are not an official or appointed transport provider for the event. We provide the vehicle and the driver, and the answer is a fixed written quote. The Abu Dhabi and intercity transfers page lists the routes we run.
Keep reading
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026 from Dubai: Getting a group from Dubai to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in December 2026: the dates, the drive, the exit problem and a plan with a private vehicle.
- Downtown and Business Bay hotels to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Downtown Dubai or Business Bay to the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Etihad Rail compared with a private vehicle, with the facts each side rests on and who each one suits.
- Dubai to Yas Marina Circuit by coach: The road from Dubai to Yas Marina Circuit for the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: approximate distances and times, the Ghantoot gate on the E11, and when to leave each day.
- DXB airport to Yas Marina Circuit: Landing at DXB or Al Maktoum International for the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: the road to Yas, what to do with your bags, hotel first or circuit first, and the trip back.
- Abu Dhabi GP by train or private vehicle: Etihad Rail or a private vehicle from Dubai to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: the 64-minute train, the Yas Express link announced on 21 October, the last mile and group size.
- Abu Dhabi GP race day return to Dubai: The drive from Yas Marina Circuit back to Dubai on race night: what is published for the exit, last year’s precedent, approximate times and a meeting plan for a group.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
How long is the drive from Dubai Marina to Yas Marina Circuit?
Approximately 60 to 75 minutes in normal traffic, about 93 to 94 km by a routing estimate. Event days are longer, and no figure is published.
What time is the race in my country?
It starts at 17:00 UAE time, which is 13:00 in London, 08:00 in New York, 05:00 in Los Angeles, 22:00 in Tokyo and midnight at the start of Monday in Sydney.
When is qualifying?
On Saturday 5 December at 18:00 UAE time, which is 14:00 UTC.
Is there a track session on Thursday?
No. Thursday 3 December is the circuit’s opening day with the fanzone, the West Oasis and a concert.
Can one vehicle collect from several hotels?
Yes. Marina and JBR hotels are close together, but every stop adds time, so give us all the addresses.
Where does the vehicle drop us?
At a spot agreed with you and checked against the organisers’ current notice. Coach drop-off and waiting areas for 2026 were not published when we read the sources.
Do you sell tickets or hospitality?
No. We provide the vehicle and the driver. Tickets and hospitality are sold by the organisers and authorised sellers.
How do I get a price?
Ask for a fixed written quote through our booking page, with the dates, hotels and headcount.
Ready when you are.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.