F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Updates - race day
shares
comments
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
Summary
Status: Stopped
And that's all, folks! Thank you so much for following along with us this year; have a wonderful New Year, and in case we don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight.
Norris and Sainz get fifth and sixth to surely secure third in the world constructors' championship, with Ricciardo snatching the fastest lap from Verstappen!
Ocon mugs Stroll to take ninth place on the final lap as he charges up the inside on the run between Turns 10 and 11.
Verstappen brings the season to a close with a lights-to-flag finish - leads every lap, gets the fastest lap, easy win, surely? Bottas and Hamilton keep second and third, as Albon got to 1.5s of Hamilton in his late charge.
Fittipaldi is also hunting the fastest lap as Haas bolt on some softs for the final few laps. Verstappen still holds the fastest lap with a 1m40.958s.
Albon was a full second faster than Hamilton on that lap. Does he have enough in the tank to go for third?
Sainz has steadied the gap over Ricciardo to around 12 seconds so he looks to have sixth place safe - subject to a post-race penalty for his earlier pitlane incident - but as things stand McLaren has third place in the constructors' tied up.
Magnussen pits for the second time in this race to take fresh mediums. Unless he had a puncture that looks like an unscheduled stop for the Danish driver - or maybe Haas want to give him a go at the fastest lap on his final race for the team.
"You can turn the engine down if you want to," Verstappen says. "Negative," comes the reply, suggesting Red Bull is confident enough to keep things as they are.
Hamilton is waving a few coveting glances at second place, having been slowly chipping away at Bottas. Verstappen, meanwhile, has scampered off into a 12s lead.
Leclerc has been shown the black and white flag for exceeding track limits, so he'll have to be on his best behaviour between now and the end of the race to avoid a penalty.
On lap 45 Ricciardo, on the fresh mediums, has taken 1.4s out of Sainz's advantage with the gap now at 14.6s, so the fight for sixth place could come alive over the final couple of laps.
Verstappen reports vibrations, perhaps getting a bit under the collar. We've got 10 laps remaining - will anyone break the deadlock and come in for a stop?
Vettel on his new mediums makes light work of overtaking Russell at Turn 8 to take 14th place. 12 laps to go.
Leclerc, still on his ascent up the order, tries to go around the outside of Raikkonen at Turn 11 but the Finn is having none of it and blocks the Ferrari driver into Turn 12 to keep hold of 12th.
"Tyre temperatures are a little bit on the low side for this compound, just be aware on the brakes," Verstappen is told.
Ricciardo now finally, after 40 laps on those tyres, comes in to pit. He puts on a set of mediums, returning just ahead of Gasly to claim P7.
Stroll, finally in clean air, has lost 8 seconds to Gasly having been stuck behind Vettel. Not the race the Racing Point driver had been hoping for.
Vettel's red wall resistance against Stroll ends as he pits at the end of lap 36. The Ferrari driver takes on fresh mediums and comes out in P15 behind team-mate Leclerc and Russell in the Williams.
No real action in the top three - Verstappen, Bottas and Hamilton all round about the same times. Albon's slowly starting to drop off Hamilton a bit.
Leclerc picks off another one as he gets ahead of Russell at Turn 8 to take 14th place on lap 34. Further back Magnussen has pitted for the first time in this race and switches to the mediums - everyone else in this race is on the hards.
Leclerc has been pinged for exceeding track limits at the final corner for, at least, the third time in this race. He's at risk of a penalty if he keeps doing that.
Gasly shows Stroll how it is done as he dives up the inside of Vettel at Turn 8 to take eighth place. Vettel offers a fightback on the second stretch of back straight but the French driver sticks to the inside to keep the place.
We're on lap 31, and Verstappen's now 7.5s clear of Bottas. Hamilton remains 2.4s behind his team-mate, with Albon 6s adrift. Ricciardo's 17.5s off the top four.
Stroll, still stuck behind Vettel, is caught napping by Gasly as the AlphaTauri driver sends it up the inside at Turn 11 to take ninth place.
Leclerc and his fresh hard tyres is making quick work of climbing back up the order having already overtaken Fittipaldi, Latifi and Magnussen. Giovinazzi pits ahead of him to hand the Ferrari driver P15.
Sainz's pit incident - going too slowly in the pitlane - will be investigated after the race. That adds an extra post-race dimension to the battle for P3 in the constructors.
Trending
Latest news
Formula E’s new Gen3 Evo car breaks cover
Monaco ePrix
Formula E’s new Gen3 Evo car breaks cover
The weekly reality check that has kept MotoGP hype off of Acosta so far in 2024
Spanish GP
The weekly reality check that has kept MotoGP hype off of Acosta so far in 2024
F2 veteran Ghiotto to make IndyCar debut with Dale Coyne Racing at Barber
Barber Motorsports Park
F2 veteran Ghiotto to make IndyCar debut with Dale Coyne Racing at Barber
Latest videos
Adrian Newey Set to Leave Red Bull
10:16
Adrian Newey Set to Leave Red Bull
Did We Expect P2 in the Sprint? | 2024 Chinese GP F1 Akkodis Race Debrief
13:54
Did We Expect P2 in the Sprint? | 2024 Chinese GP F1 Akkodis Race Debrief
Who Are The Key Players In The F1 2025 Driver Market
24:10
Who Are The Key Players In The F1 2025 Driver Market
Top Comments