Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: The Highlights

2010: a final with four contenders

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2010 has entered Formula 1 history as one of the most memorable. The final round of an intense season, it saw Sebastian Vettel win not only the race but also his first world championship title, becoming the youngest champion in F1 history at just 23 years and 134 days old.

Four drivers were still in contention for the title before this race, in this order in the championship:

Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren).

Fernando Alonso, for his first year at Ferrari, replacing Kimi Räikkönen, arrived as the favorite, because all he needed to do was finish second to be crowned champion, regardless of the position of his opponents.

The first part was played during the qualifications. Sebastian Vettel clinched pole position, confirming Red Bull's dominance on the Yas Marina circuit. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso took second and third places respectively, while Mark Webber only qualified fifth, already compromising his chances.

On Sunday, Vettel held onto the lead from the start, while Alonso was cautious to avoid any incidents. Behind him, Webber lost time in traffic. A collision involving Michael Schumacher and Vitantonio Liuzzi led to the safety car coming out on the first lap. This incident changed the strategy of several teams.

At the time of the first pit stops, Alonso and Ferrari reacted to Webber's early stop by imitating him. The Italians had made the Australian their direct rival, ignoring the second Red Bull. This trapped Alonso in traffic behind drivers who had not yet stopped, notably Vitaly Petrov in the Renault, who defended his position masterfully.

Finally, Vettel was able to control the race, win it and at the same time claim the first of his four titles. Alonso finished only seventh, just ahead of Webber, while Hamilton finished second.

2014: first of an internal battle at Mercedes

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2014 was the epilogue of a new season dominated by Mercedes, where Hamilton proved his superiority while confirming his status as one of the best drivers of his generation.

The championship was being played between the two Mercedes drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Hamilton arrived in Abu Dhabi with a 17-point lead over Rosberg. The latter had to win the race and hope for a poor result from his teammate in order to be crowned champion. Knowing that this time, the points awarded during the race were doubled, Nico Rosberg had many opportunities to make up for his deficit.

Lewis Hamilton made an excellent start from the second position on the grid, immediately overtaking Rosberg, who was starting in pole position. At mid-race, Rosberg suffered an electrical issue, affecting the energy recovery system (ERS) of his car. This drastically reduced the power of his engine. And thus annihilated any possibility of fighting for the title. Lewis Hamilton won the race, clinching his second world title after the one in 2008. As for Nico Rosberg, he wanted to finish the race despite his performance deficit. He finished in 14th place and more than one lap behind his British teammate.

2016: Nico Rosberg's revenge

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2016 was the scene of an epic showdown for the world title between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, teammates and rivals at Mercedes since 2014.

This final round of the season marked the peak of their rivalry, with Rosberg finally clinching his first and only world championship title.

Before the race, Rosberg led the championship with a 12-point advantage over Hamilton. To be crowned, Rosberg had to either finish on the podium, regardless of Hamilton's position, or finish fourth or better in case of his rival's victory.

During the qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton secured pole position, his 12th of the season, confirming his dominance over a quick lap. Rosberg qualified second, ensuring a good starting position for the race and hoping to control it.

For the race, Hamilton took an excellent start and immediately led the race, followed by Rosberg. Behind, the Ferraris and Red Bulls are fighting for the last place on the podium.

In the lead of the race, Hamilton intentionally slowed down the pace in the final laps to create a close group with him, Rosberg, and their pursuers who are Vettel, Verstappen and Ricciardo. The goal? Put pressure on Rosberg and push him into making a mistake, or allow Vettel and Verstappen to overtake him.

Hamilton ignored Mercedes' instructions to accelerate, showing the extent of the rivalry within the team. Rosberg's Finnish coolness allows him to remain calm despite Hamilton's tactical provocations. The German stayed strong, defending his position, avoiding any incidents, and finishing second.

He thus granted himself the title of world champion, thirty-four years after his father Keke, and after a grueling struggle where he had to manage his lead during the last four races, finishing second each time behind a Hamilton who did not have his destiny in his hands.

Five days after his victory, Nico Rosberg announces his retirement: he has finally been able to achieve his dream!

2021: The most controversial final in the history of F1

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, held on December 12, is undoubtedly one of the most memorable and controversial races in the history of Formula 1. This final round saw Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) arrive at Yas Marina with exactly 369.5 points each, a perfect tie for the world title.

The 2021 season had been marked by a fierce rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton, with rough confrontations on the track, numerous controversies, and growing tension between their respective teams. The Abu Dhabi final thus offers a perfect scenario.

Max Verstappen has clinched pole position thanks to an exceptional lap, and above all greatly helped by the slipstream of his teammate Sergio Pérez. Lewis Hamilton qualified second, ready to fight for the victory. The start of the race promises to be historic and explosive!

Hamilton made a perfect start, overtaking Verstappen before the first corner. The British driver quickly built a lead, but tension rose when Verstappen attempted an aggressive move at turn 6, pushing Hamilton off track. Hamilton retained the lead after cutting the chicane, a decision validated by the stewards.

Red Bull played on pit stops to try to counter Mercedes, but Hamilton was controlling the race with an overall superior pace.

Sergio Pérez was nicknamed "the Minister of Defense". Indeed, the Mexican driver stayed on track longer, offered a heroic defense against Hamilton to slow down the British driver and allow Verstappen to reduce the gap. However, this maneuver was not enough to reverse the roles as Hamilton was superior.

It is necessary to wait until five laps before the finish and Nicholas Latifi's crash on the Williams for the race to be completely restarted. Indeed, the FIA sends the safety car onto the track after the accident. At that moment, Hamilton was leading with worn tires, while Verstappen took the opportunity to put on new soft tires.

This is when one of the biggest controversies F1 has ever known emerges: the management of the safety car restart by the race director, Michael Masi.

Initially, the lapped drivers between Hamilton and Verstappen were not allowed to unlap themselves. In a last-minute turnaround, only the lapped drivers between the two leaders were allowed to unlap themselves, placing Verstappen directly behind Hamilton for the final lap.

With much fresher tires, Verstappen overtook Hamilton at turn 5 on the last lap, resisting an attempt to counterattack to secure his first victory in Abu Dhabi and his first world title.