ABU DHABI: An era certainly did come to an end as the Sun went down on the season’s final Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit here on Sunday.
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas led from the pole to the chequered flag to keep his team-mate Lewis Hamilton behind, to clinch his third victory of the season, as the Silver Arrows’ finished One-Two, as the fireworks illuminated the Abu Dhabi sky.
Bottas finished the race with the timing of 1 hour 34 minutes and 14.062 seconds, 3.899 seconds ahead to deny the newly crowned Formula One Champion, Hamilton, his 10th win of 2017 season. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel had a lonely race in the third place as he finished 19.3 seconds behind the race winner.
Vettel’s team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen, finished in the fourth place as he was chased all the way till finish line by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who finished fifth.
Other Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo, who started on the second row of the grid, survived an early pressure from Raikkonen before a Hydraulic issue post pit-stop in the 21st lap of the race made him the first retirement of the race.
With this result, Hamilton ended the driver’s championship with 363 points, 46 points ahead of Vettel, who edged Bottas by 12 points.
Sunday’s retirement for Ricciardo meant that Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth in the championship, with 205 points, five ahead of Ricciardo.
MASSA BIDS ADIEU
William’s Felipe Massa, who raced his last race season grabbed the final point, finishing 10th, behind his former Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso.
It was a strong finish for the Force India as Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon brought home their cars in eighth and ninth position respectively behind Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg. Other Renault of Carlos Sainz suffered a retirement in the lap 32, after a tussle with Force India’s Esteban Ocon.
F1 CHANGES LOGO
- Formula One unveiled a new logo at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday as the first step in a rebranding of the U.S.-owned sport.
- The design, described as symbolising the look of a Formula One car with a ‘modern-retro feel’, replaces one introduced three decades ago by former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
- Managing director Sean Bratches said it reflected the “wider transformation taking place in Formula One” as owners Liberty Media sought to broaden the sport’s appeal and lead it into a digital future.
- Formula One’s director of marketing Ellie Norman, who joined from Virgin Media, the new logo derived from fan feedback and would be easier to work with on digital and mobile platforms.
