Did you go to the F1 race in Abu Dhabi?

The event certainly did not lack media coverage; with the likes of Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel racing on a brand new track, the event was tailor-made for publicity. And the list of VIP’s attending the event was long-Hillary Clinton, Boris Becker, Michael Schumacher, Andrew Flintoff and King Juan Carlos of Spain being a few.

But according to our poll, it seems like the stadium was packed more by VIPs, media and international visitors than local residents; only 28 percent of our respondents said that they attended the event. The majority of the respondents-66 percent, did not attend the grand prix.

And the numbers are not surprising considering the ticket prices; people had to shell out between AED1,600 and AED2,500 to attend the three day event.

And although only F1 ticket holders got a chance to watch performances by Beyonce, Aerosmith and Jamiroquai, those without tickets could watch music bands perform on the corniche in Abu Dhabi-for free. Yasalam’s ‘Beats on the Beach’ included performances by American producer Timbaland, Lebanese singers Myriam Fares and May Hariri, Dubai-based band Beat Antenna and British group Soul II Soul, among others. Around 6 percent of our respondents said that they only attended the cultural events.