With Dubai now “ready and open to welcome all visitors”, CREVENTIC and management at the Dubai Autodrome are working together closely to ensure the 2021 Hankook 24H DUBAI goes ahead safely as planned.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, all 24H SERIES races have been held ‘behind closed doors’ with no crowds in attendance and with priority being paid to the health and safety of all competitors and on-site personnel like never before. Now, as certain restrictions in Dubai have begun to lift, and with international travel a reality once again albeit under pre-determined protocols, CREVENTIC and management at the Dubai Autodrome are confident that the 16th annual Hankook 24H DUBAI will go ahead on 14-15-16 January as planned.

In an update on the Emirate’s official Visit Dubai website, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and even beaches are now being re-opened to the public, all with updated health and safety measures. Hotels will be conducting temperature checks (as will all restaurants) and contactless check-ins on arrival, and even more rigorous housekeeping with regular sanitization has been implemented.   

Thermal scanning is now in place at the Dubai International Airport, and worldwide travelers are permitted to enter Dubai but must take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test four days / 96 hours prior to arrival, and are able to supply a negative PCR COVID-19 certificate printed in English or Arabic.

Social distancing will be in effect in all public areas, and masks are mandatory.

Significantly, having resumed activities in June, the Dubai Autodrome has also updated health and safety protocols in accordance with Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO) and Dubai Sports Council (DSC) guidelines. Alongside customer flow-paths to ensure correct social distancing, the Autodrome has upped its hand sanitizer and temperature check stations, and, twinned with its on-site medical centre, a new facility for speedier turnaround of Covid-19 test results. At the race school, all helmets are sterilized using medical-grade equipment as used in UAE hospitals and race suits are continuously laundered.

“We’ve every confidence that the Hankook 24H DUBAI will go ahead as planned on 14-15-16 January,” explains CREVENTIC’s technical coordinator Gerrie Willems. “The Dubai Autodrome has been one of our most significant supporters since 2006, and we’ve every confidence in the management team there that every effort is being made to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on the ground at our biggest race of the year. We’re also very impressed with the government’s stringent health and safety measures, and the work that has gone into welcoming travelers back to one of the most exciting cities in the world. The Hankook 24H DUBAI will set the standard for motorsport to follow in 2021.” 

Thus far, more than 60 entries have already been registered for the 16th annual Hankook 24H DUBAI on 14015-16 January, with interest continuing to grow on a weekly basis for both the 2021 24H SERIES season opener and the non-championship Hankook 6H ABU DHABI on 22-23 January.