Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, and teammate Mark Webber hung on for second to give the team a one-two finish in the final Formula One race of the season.
Brawn GP driver Jenson Button was third after pushing Webber to the line, finishing ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello and BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld at the new Yas Marina circuit. USA Today
It was the Red Bull team’s fourth one-two this season, matching the record of the newly-crowned constructors’ champions Brawn GP, whose new champion driver Briton Jenson Button finished third after a tense tussle with Webber over the final laps.
The result confirmed that Vettel finished the season as runner-up in the drivers’ championship behind Button while Red Bull proved they are more than worthy of finishing second to Brawn in the teams’ championship. AFP
Vettel’s win owed much to Lewis Hamilton’s misfortune.
Hamilton set the pace on the opening laps, but Vettel began to reduce his advantage and stayed out later before his first pitstop, setting the race’s fastest lap and allowing him to jump the McLaren and take the lead. Things got worse for Hamilton when he was told over the radio his car was suffering from a right-rear brake problem - and he was then forced to retire after just 21 laps. guardian.co.uk
Formula 1: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Race Results
“(Hamilton) had to retire and up to then it was a great race,” Vettel said. “After that I had a cushion to Mark and Jenson behind and was able to pace myself. The car was fantastic.
“It’s a perfect day, to finish the season on a high.” USA Today
“I was struggling to stop the car,” said outgoing world champion Hamilton.
“The right rear brake wasn’t working and it was too dangerous to continue,” said Hamilton. AFP
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