Man proposes to gf at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Staff Report
YAS MARINA CIRCUIT, ABU DHABI - As hundreds of racegoers watched, British man Matthew Laurent went down on one knee as he proposed to his unsuspecting girlfriend live on stage at the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday.
Hundreds of F1 fans gathered in front of the stage in the Main Oasis area to watch as Laurent, 35, brought his girlfriend, Danielle Cooke, 33, on stage and asked her to marry him. Luckily for Laurent, she said yes and the crowd cheered their congratulations.
Laurent revealed he had secretly approached Yas Marina Circuit weeks ago and the events team from Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management agreed to help him plan the surprise in advance.
Speaking backstage after the proposal, Cooke confessed she was totally in the dark as to his plans and said: “I was really shocked and had no idea at all this would be happening.” Once she had got over the initial shock, however, she said that she was a “very, very happy woman indeed.”
Laurent revealed that his fiancée had no idea he was planning on taking her to the 2014 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, let alone making such a public marriage proposal. “She only knew we were attending the race when the taxi pulled up at the gates to the circuit this morning. I was really nervous just before getting up on stage, but now I am obviously really thrilled that she said yes."
