In 2009, Sebastian Vettel thrilled the region’s racing fans by becoming the first winner at the magnificent Yas Marina Circuit.
Last year, Vettel came here on the brink of his first-ever world championship win and then overshadowed the chasing pack to win his second successive race in the UAE and be crowned the youngest-ever Formula One world champion.
Now the Red Bull driver returns to the bastion, this time having already retained the championship, and he will be aiming to to complete a hat-trick of wins in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“The track in Abu Dhabi is special - this will be our third Grand Prix there. The race starts at dusk and finishes at night, which means we have to drive with special helmet visors because of the different light conditions,” said Vettel, who won the Indian Grand Prix less than a fortnight ago - his 11th victory of a dominant season.
“The other factor is that we drive anti-clockwise. The track’s a bit like Singapore from the speed, but the asphalt is smoother,” added Vettel, who has so far tallied 374 points. gulfnews.com
Vettel is eyeing a third win to move him closer to Schumacher’s record of 13 race wins in a season.
At the other end of the chequered flag spectrum, his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber is yet to win a race this season and is 6/1 to break his duck this weekend.
With Vettel so far ahead of the competition, the race for second is one of the most intriguing battles left in a season that is nearly over.
Jenson Button currently occupies that spot with 240 points, with Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso 13 points behind on 227 and Webber fourth (221). SkySports
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