Abu Dhabi – Race: Hamilton, game, set and match!

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starts at 2:10 PM European time and has the peculiarity of beginning at sunset. With the 2019 season coming to an end, one might have thought that the drivers had already gone on vacation given how weak the spectacle was.

Initially, without any issues, Hamilton manages to retain the lead of the race and will not relinquish it until the 55th lap. The Mercedes driver, already a world champion, remains the driver with the most victories on the Yas Marina circuit.

Starting 2nd with Valtteri Bottas’s penalty, it’s the Dutch driver Max Verstappen who climbs to the second step of the podium. He was able to battle through a few corners with Charles Leclerc, who attempted the undercut on the Red Bull. With better tires, the Red Bull driver managed to regain his 2nd position.

Charles Leclerc secures another podium here in Abu Dhabi, but this result is not yet official as it is under FIA investigation. Indeed, Ferrari did not report the correct weights and is therefore under threat of a penalty or even disqualification of the Monegasque driver’s car.

Starting last after a penalty for changing the engine block, Bottas finishes just off the podium and a few hundredths behind Leclerc’s Ferrari.

Vettel finishes 5th ahead of Alex Albon in the Red Bull. The Ferrari driver experienced a complicated first tire change. The Ferrari had to remain stationary for more than 6 seconds. Ferrari attempted to bring in Leclerc and Vettel in the same lap, but the second stop, Vettel’s, was disrupted by the reliability of the wheel guns which did not work on the left side.

Sergio Perez is the best of the rest. He finishes 7th and yet is more than a lap behind Lewis Hamilton… He leads Lando Norris in the McLaren and Kvyat. Carlos Sainz is the last driver to score a point this season; overtaking Ricciardo in the final laps for Renault. The French team therefore doesn’t score any points in this last race but manages to hold on to 5th place in the championship behind McLaren and ahead of Toro Rosso.

12th at the finish, Hülkenberg concludes the last race of his career. He finishes ahead of Räikkönen and the two Haas cars. Gasly is only 18th after having a contact with Stroll, he was never able to reenter the ranking. The only retirement is Stroll’s.

Hamilton champion 2019 ahead of Bottas and Verstappen

At the world championship, Lewis Hamilton finishes with 87 points more than his teammate, equivalent to over 3 wins apart. In 3rd place, Verstappen is 135 points behind. On the constructors’ side, Mercedes finishes ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull. McLaren is the 4th team this season, marking its best ranking since 2009. It is ahead of Renault, Toro Rosso, and Racing Point. Alfa Romeo, Haas, and Williams close the standings.

Results of the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: