2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Hamilton

Hello everyone and welcome to AUTOSPORT Live for coverage and rolling updates on today's potentially fascinating encounter. It's round 18 of the 2012 FIA Formula 1 world championship - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Yas Marina.

Lewis Hamilton has shown himself to be the king of fast lap times around this circuit over the past few years. He produced another crushing display in qualifying to take pole by over three-tenths of a second, ahead of Mark Webber.

Sebastian Vettel qualified a solid third yesterday, but he was sensationally excluded from the results of the session more than four hours after it had concluded. Elevated to the inside of row two comes Pastor Maldonado, with Kimi Raikkonen fourth in the Lotus. Jenson Button is fifth in the other McLaren, while Vettel's challenger in the title race - Fernando Alonso - starts from sixth position.

Hamilton beats Webber to Abu Dhabi pole position

The race itself begins in just under 15 minutes' time, but before then we will take a check on the latest weather conditions, examine what the championship protagonists have to do this evening and give you a heads up on the likely tyre strategy for this all-important race.

Here's how the championship tables look with three rounds to go: World Championship standings, round 17: Drivers: Constructors: 1. Vettel 240 1. Red Bull-Renault 407 2. Alonso 227 2. Ferrari 316 3. Raikkonen 173 3. McLaren-Mercedes 306 4. Webber 167 4. Lotus-Renault 263 5. Hamilton 165 5. Mercedes 136 6. Button 141 6. Sauber-Ferrari 116 7. Rosberg 93 7. Force India-Mercedes 93 8. Grosjean 90 8. Williams-Renault 59

Weather conditions are once again fine and dry as we approach the start of the race.

There was a slight concern yesterday that an increase in humidity could tip the balance for thundery showers to develop in the heat. Showers are indeed falling around the town of Tarif to the south-west of Abu Dhabi, but they are making no advance towards Yas Island so we are good to go for a dry race.

A stiffening north-westerly wind is again evident and air temperature has dipped slightly from today's high of 32 degrees Celsius.

An Etihad Airways Airbus A340 from the nearby airport provides a spectacular flypast over the grid.

Here's how the grid will line up: Pos Driver Team/Car 1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 3. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 9. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 10. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 13. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 14. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 18. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 19. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 20. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 22. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth PIT Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault * * Qualifying times deleted due to insufficient fuel sample

Drivers begin to get themselves prepared with under 10 minutes to the formation lap.

Vettel

Vettel's exclusion from the qualifying results meant he was shuffled to the back of the grid. Red Bull quickly decided to start the German from the pitlane for today's 55-lap encounter. Needless to say, he faces a long evening ahead on a circuit where overtaking has proved difficult.

Many fans have wondered how this will work, given the long, twisty nature of the pitlane and its unique exit through the tunnel. FIA race director Charlie Whiting confirmed earlier that he will switch the pit exit light to green once he can no longer see the field moving through Turn 1, allowing Vettel to get on with his job.

Starting from the pitlane has allowed Red Bull to change Vettel's gearbox and ratios, alter the suspension settings and reduce the downforce - all in an attempt to help him gain top speed and make overtaking his competitors easier.

Alonso

It's a golden opportunity for Alonso to regain momentum in the title race. Despite starting sixth, the Spaniard has been fast and determined in recent races, so a podium finish is certainly possible.

A bold opening lap in India led to a fine second place, so look out for the championship challenger making up places with another quick start.

It won't be easy for Alonso to maximise his points haul though, with quick drivers including Button, Raikkonen and Maldonado ahead on the grid.

There is an enormous scrum of reporters and photographers at the end of the pitlane surrounding Vettel's car. The German receives a word of encouragement from the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

There is just five minutes remaining until the formation lap begins at Yas Marina.

Tyres

Pirelli's soft and medium compound are looking durable on the smooth Yas Marina circuit, with one stop the clear plan this afternoon.

Q3 drivers will be starting on the soft rubber, which does have a slightly more limited distance range than the harder tyres. A switch to the hard tyres is expected when the lap count reaches the late twenties.

Expect many of those outside the top 10 to opt for a long first stint with the harder tyres, making a switch to softs when the fuel load is reduced and more rubber has gone down on the track surface.

Two DRS zones here, the first down the long back straight into Turn 8 with another chance to open the wing down the second stretch into 11.

Hamilton was peerless in qualifying yesterday and is challenging for a second successive victory at this circuit.

Hamilton's main concern will be his start, which hasn't been great over the last few races.

Webber is leaving his gloves off and keep as cool as possible with a couple of minutes to go. He starts alongside Hamilton.

Webber lines up second in his Red Bull and could be vulnerable to DRS attack, with the unmodified RB8 slowest in the speed traps here.

The engines fire with a minute to the formation lap.

Schumacher and Senna have opted for the harder rubber.

The formation lap begins at Yas Marina. Hamilton answers the call and leads the 23 cars away, with Vettel sat at the pitlane exit.

Pirelli data also suggests Vettel is also going for the harder rubber for his early adventures.

Problems for de la Rosa. He did not get away and the HRT mechanics are trying to push him.

Hamilton leads the pack down the long straight and begins the run back towards the end of the lap.

De la Rosa has been pushed into the pitlane and HRT will try and resolve the Spaniard's issue.

Hamilton makes the turn for home and leads the pack into the start-finish straight.

The front few rows are in position, Vettel in the pitlane and de la Rosa behind him. We await the lights...

Lap 1: The five red lights go out and we are racing at Yas Marina!

Lap 1: Hamilton gets a good start and Raikkonen is through into second ahead of Maldonado and Webber, but there is contact behind in Turn 1.

Lap 1: Hamilton is cleanly away down the straight with Raikkonen launching brilliantly up to second with Maldonado third.

Lap 1: Yellow flags out and Vettel is catching the pack quickly, having been released by Charlie Whiting.

Lap 1: Heading in to the twisty section it is Hamilton from Raikkonen, Maldonado and Alonso as he pulls off a great move on Webber.

Lap 1: Disaster for Force India with Hulkenberg and di Resta way down the field. Vettel is up to 22nd position.

Lap 2: Not a great first lap for Webber as Alonso demotes him to fifth, with the Red Bull slow as predicted down the straights.

Lap 2: Grosjean is touring back to the pits with a right front puncture. Rosberg is also into the pits at the end of the first lap.

Lap 2: Hamilton leads them into lap two with a 1.4 second margin over Raikkonen.

Lap 2: Hulkenberg did not get moving again after his part in the collision at Turn 1. He is out of the race.

Lap 2: Vettel is quickly moving through the field. He has passed Senna and is up to 19th spot.

Lap 2: Mistake for Hamilton there and this is a chance for Raikkonen...

Lap 2: Hamilton holds off the Finn for now but complains of cold tyres over these early laps.

Lap 3: A frenetic start to this race. Rosberg has rejoined after his pit visit in 21st position.

Lap 3: Vettel reports he has a damaged front wing over the team radio.