The Gran Turismo World Series appears set to break new ground once again in 2024, with the World Final seemingly scheduled for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
For the majority of the official release announcement for the 2024 competition, the location of the World Final is kept under wraps, or listed as TBA. But, as is often the case with so many moving parts around the world, not everyone got the memo.
Two different regional versions of the announcement, on the Italian and Spanish language sites, directly name Abu Dhabi as the venue for the World Final. This was subsequently removed from both versions of the site, although no date was listed in either case:
Abu Dhabi would represent the first visit of the GT World Series to the Middle East, although it won’t be the first major Gran Turismo event to take place in the region — or even the city. The 2015 GT Academy Europe finals, in its final year of running, was also hosted in Abu Dhabi with Frenchman Roman Sarazin the overall winner.
Such has been the growth in the region that the population has increased some 50% in the past ten years and even the largely decorative “Bridge to Nowhere” used to stage some of the events is now a public road to a quiet tourist destination on Hudayriat Island.
Of course it’s also a famous location for film, with one showpiece stunt in the seventh Fast and Furious film, Furious 7, taking place at three of the five Etihad Towers buildings. Ryan Reynolds vehicle 6 Underground also filmed extensively in Abu Dhabi.
That means there’s no shortage of venues and hotels to host an event like the GT World Series, and guessing where it may take place is something of a challenge. Fans may point to the Yas Marina Circuit, and considering that the track runs right through the W Abu Dhabi hotel and is just three miles from the airport it’s not a bad shout — and may ignite some track update content speculation.
For now though, nothing is confirmed regarding the World Finals and we’ll expect an update in due course.
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