 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Mark Hughes has worked in professional motorsport for over 20 years having started in the UK with rallying before moving to circuit racing and circuit operations.
Hughes' first senior management position was as operations manager at Brands Hatch, then part of the Octagon Motorsport group which ran Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park and Snetterton as well. Hughes primarily oversaw the operation of the circuit but also the rally and race schools and all corporate products.
In 2002 Mark went back to rallying and worked for the MSA, the UK governing body for motorsport and was the commercial manager for their subsidiary, IMS. IMS events included Wales Rally GB, the British Rally Championship, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and a number of other classic car tours.
Arguably Hughes' biggest break came in 2004 when he relocated to Bahrain to run the new Formula One circuit there. He was appointed as the operations director, reporting to Martin Whitaker, CEO and formerly the head of Ford Motorsport. A Tilke-designed track in the small GCC Kingdom of Bahrain, this was without doubt one of the most spectacular new tracks on the F1 calendar. Constructed in 16 months the track hosted their first Grand Prix in 2004 and won the prestigious FIA Formula One World Championship Race Promoters Trophy. In addition to F1 the track also hosted FIA GTs, the Formula BMW World Final, Australian V8 Supercars and major drag race events. The circuit also developed numerous corporate and retail products such as the Caterham driving experiences, the BMW school and the only Hummer Off Road Academy outside of the US.
Whilst in Bahrain, Hughes was appointed to the Board of Directors of Motorsport Development UK, a UK government body established to support the UK motorsport industry. His appointment was made by the Secretary of State and was for three years.
Hughes left Bahrain in 2009 and was asked to help set up the new Middle East facility in Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit. He was a specialist consultant on the project and contributed significantly in getting the venue ready for the first race in November 2009. The Yas Marina Circuit set new standards for a motorsport venue and was the first circuit to host a day/night race. Yas Marina Circuit also won the prestigious FIA Formula One World Championship Race Promoters Trophy.
The Abu Dhabi consultancy was a stop gap for Hughes who already had plans to go to India to work for the Jaypee Group who were just starting construction of their new F1 facility 50 km (31 mi) outside of Delhi. The Buddh International Circuit would be the first F1 track in India and their inaugural race would be in October 2011. Mark was appointed as vice president – operations to head up JPSI, the sporting division of Jaypee. JPSI not only planned the F1 circuit but an entire sports city including an international cricket stadium, sports complex, residential and commercial developments. His input into the infrastructure and planning for the Grand Prix led to JPSI hosting a successful inaugural Grand Prix. One that also won the FIA Formula One World Championship Race Promoters Trophy.
In late 2010, Hughes was persuaded to go back to Yas Marina Circuit as operations director, heading up the largest team at the track. His responsibilities at YMC include all event planning and delivery, sporting, safety, venue management, security, maintenance, retail and corporate products (drag, karting, race school, community) and food and beverage.
The Bahrain International Circuit is a 5.412 km (3.363 mi) motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series, and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Beginning in 2006, Australian V8 Supercars raced at the BIC, with the event known as the Desert 400. However, the V8 Supercars did not return for the 2011 V8 Supercar season. 24 Hour endurance races are also hosted at BIC. The circuit has a FIA Grade 1 license. The circuit also has multiple layouts.
Istanbul Park, also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially as the Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in the Tuzla district of Istanbul, Turkey. Designed by Hermann Tilke, it opened on 19–21 August 2005. It has been called "the best race track in the world" by former Formula One Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone, who held the managing rights of the circuit between 2007 and 2011. The circuit was then managed by the Turkish company Intercity since October 2012 to March 2024. The operating rights were given to Can Bilim Eğitim Kurumları A.Ş. in April 2024 for 30 years.
The Lusail International Circuit is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar. The track is 5.419 km (3.367 mi) in length, with a main straight of 1.068 km (0.664 mi). It is surrounded by artificial grass intended to stop the sand encroaching on the track.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a Formula One motor racing event. The first race took place on 1 November 2009, held at the Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The Yas Marina Circuit is the venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, and is situated on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Yas Marina was the second of four Formula One tracks in the Middle East, with the first being in Bahrain and subsequent tracks in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and the GP2 series as a support race for the two. Like the GP2 series, GP3 gave drivers the experience of the Grand Prix environment, and took advantage of the infrastructure, such as marshals and medical facilities, in place for the Formula One events. GP3 Series mainly raced on European circuits, but had appearances on other international race tracks, with rounds in the 2015 season at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain and the Yas Marina Circuit in United Arab Emirates.
The Buddh International Circuit is an Indian motor racing circuit situated at Dankaur, near Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. The track shares its name with Gautama Buddha, as does the district of its location. The track was officially inaugurated on 18 October 2011.
The 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 November 2010 at the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, an island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. It was the nineteenth and final round of the 2010 Formula One season. The 55-lap race was won by Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel after starting from pole position. Lewis Hamilton finished second in a McLaren, and teammate Jenson Button completed the podium, in third place.
The Yas Marina Circuit V8 Supercar Event was a V8 Supercars motor racing event held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event was held from 2010 to 2012.
The 2016–17 Formula 4 UAE Championship was the inaugural season of the Formula 4 UAE Championship, a motor racing series for the United Arab Emirates regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations, and organised and promoted by the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) and AUH Motorsports.
The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 25 November 2018 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was the twenty first and final round of the 2018 Formula One World Championship and marked the tenth running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the tenth time that the race has been run as a World Championship event since the inaugural event in 2009. The race was the last to be officiated by Charlie Whiting as race director as he would die shortly before the next race was held.
The 2017 Yas Marina FIA Formula 2 round was a pair of motor races held on 25 and 26 November 2017 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates as part of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. It was the final round of the 2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship and was run in support of the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 2018 Yas Marina FIA Formula 2 round was a pair of motor races held on 24 and 25 November 2018 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates as part of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. It was the final round of the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship and was run in support of the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars which was the 71st running of the Formula One World Championship. It marked the 70th anniversary of the first Formula One World Drivers' Championship. The championship was recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Drivers and teams competed for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion, respectively.
The 2020 Formula 4 UAE Championship was the fourth season of the Formula 4 UAE Championship, a motor racing series for the United Arab Emirates regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations, and organised and promoted by the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) and AUH Motorsports.
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 12 December 2021 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Contested over a distance of 58 laps, the race was the twenty-second and final round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. The race decided both the Drivers' and Constructors' championships; Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both had 369.5 points coming into the race.
The 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 December 2020 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was the seventeenth and final race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the race and led every lap from pole position, followed by Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton who completed the podium. Red Bull Racing got their first victory at Yas Marina in seven years. McLaren secured third place in the Constructors' Championship which saw them score their highest finish in the Constructors' Championship since 2012. This also meant that for the first time since 2015, a team other than Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull finished in the top three in the Constructors' Championship.
The 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that was sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was the fifty-fifth season of Formula 2 racing and the fifth season run under the FIA Formula 2 Championship moniker. It was an open-wheel racing category that served as the second tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The category was run in support of selected rounds of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship. As the championship was a spec series, all teams and drivers competing in the championship ran the same car, the Dallara F2 2018. The championship was contested over twenty-four races at eight circuits. It began in March 2021 with a round in support of the Bahrain Grand Prix, and ended in December where it supported the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Michael Masi is an Australian motorsports official. Masi served as Formula One race director from 2019 to 2021. In this role, Masi oversaw the logistics of a Formula One racing weekend, ensuring all cars, tracks, and drivers conform to FIA regulations before, during, and after a race. Masi was removed from his position following an FIA analysis into his failure to correctly follow the safety car restart procedure at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 2022 Yas Island FIA Formula 2 round was a motor racing event held between 18 and 20 November 2022 at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was the final race of the 2022 Formula 2 Championship and was held in support of the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
