'Oh, My God, I Can't Believe...' Fans Bowled Over By Star Power Of Abu Dhabi GP

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Barely an hour before the start of the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, drivers made their way to the pitlane, looking unperturbed by the outside noise and the selfie-hunting fans.

The F1 gladiators were not the only stars that brought out cheers as scores of celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment walked randomly, leaving many fans in a state of disbelief.

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Michael Haddad, a 13-year-old Jordanian student from Abu Dhabi, could not believe his eyes when he saw Brazil's 2002 World Cup hero Ronaldinho among the crowd of people.

Michael ran towards the former Barcelona star and pleaded for a selfie.

Ronaldinho smiled and stopped for a brief moment to pose even as a handful of fans mobbed him.

“Oh, my God, I can't believe he just shook my hand,” a female fan in a McLaren shirt screamed.

Amid the pandemonium, Michael wore a smile of pure joy.

“I just got a selfie with Ronaldinho. I feel happy, I feel high. I am a big supporter of FC Barcelona. So meeting him, and taking a picture, it's just amazing,” the Abu Dhabi International School student told the Khaleej Times.

Feels like a dream

Khushi Dossa arrived from Mumbai with her father, Nishant, just to attend the Abu Dhabi GP.

The young Indian fan was bowled over by the star power of this Grand Prix at Yas Marina.

“I am a big Ferrari fan, and this is my first F1 race as a spectator. I saw so many film stars and celebrities - these people I have only seen on TV. And I saw so many of them that I can't really count. It feels like a dream,” said Khushi who was lucky enough to get selfies with Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who went on to win the driver's world title three hours later.

Exhilarating experience

Sophie flew from Beirut to Dubai for the Abu Dhabi GP and arrived at Yas Marina on Sunday with her best friend, Stephanie, a Dubai resident.

The two Lebanese friends were giggling and narrating their fan moments to this reporter when Jannik Sinner, the red-hot Italian tennis star who has already won four Grand Slam titles, walked past a group of fans.

“It is so exciting to be here, Stephanie was star-struck. I was also running and trying to take pictures with them. It's really cool, it's exhilarating,” Sophie said.

Stephanie said the Abu Dhabi GP is truly an amazing spectacle.

“It's really nice to see everyone come together to celebrate the drivers and celebrate F1,” she said.

“And all these celebs, you only see them on TV, so it's really cool to see them in person, and their personality.”

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