Weekend review and results round-up from Abu Dhabi and Rally GB
The most notable thing about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was that Sebastian Vettel did not win it, as a first-lap puncture ended the champion's race and his winning runs both at the Yas Marina track, and in this segment of 2011
Vettel's exit opened the door for Lewis Hamilton to triumph on a weekend in which his efforts to put his 2011 troubles behind him had been one of the biggest pre-race stories.
Hamilton was not the only man looking to the future. The weekend started with news that Nico Rosberg had extended his Mercedes deal, though Michael Schumacher was tight-lipped about whether he was on the brink of doing likewise. And while Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil put on brave faces when quizzed about their future prospects, Romain Grosjean staked his claim for a Renault seat with a strong Friday practice performance, the team continued to ponder Robert Kubica's chances of a quick return, and excited anticipation of a potential Kimi Raikkonen comeback ran rife.
Rally GB might therefore have been Raikkonen's World Rally Championship farewell - in which case his rallying adventure would have ended in a Welsh ditch when looking good for points. Not that many on the rally were too fussed about Raikkonen's fortunes, as Sebastien Loeb clinched title number eight early following Mikko Hirvonen's Friday disaster. Ironically Loeb then had a calamity of his own, ending his battle with eventual winner Jari-Matti Latvala.
The NASCAR title battle remains finely poised between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart with one race to go, as they chased Red Bull's Kasey Kahne home at Phoenix, and this time Kyle Busch stayed out of trouble.
In China, Peugeot notched up another win as the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup made its final outing before becoming the World Endurance Championship, while GP2 made a one-off non-championship appearance to support Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, with wins going to established frontrunner Fabio Leimer and rookie GP3 graduate James Calado.
The F1 sessions
Button tops opening Abu Dhabi practice
Hamilton leads second free practice
Hamilton quickest again in final session
Vettel equals Mansell's record with pole
Hamilton dominates the Abu Dhabi GP
The F1 headlines
Rosberg extends Mercedes GP contract
Sutil stays calm over F1 future
Barrichello not giving up hope yet
Schumacher to wait to decide on future
Hamilton wants 'happy bubble' for '12
Schumacher keen on Raikkonen return
No off-throttle blowing allowed in 2012
Whitmarsh: Raikkonen can thrill again
Grosjean 'better prepared' than in '09
Pirelli to be 'more aggressive' in 2012
Ecclestone: Austin faces uphill struggle
Bahrain confident '12 race will happen
Renault will keep door open for Kubica
Ecclestone: Three-car teams unlikely
Pirelli unsure why Vettel punctured
The motorsport action
WRC: Latvala clinches GB victory
ILMC: Davidson/Bourdais win in China
NASCAR: Kahne wins for Red Bull at Phoenix
GP2: Leimer dominates first GP2 race
GP2: Calado wins on first GP2 weekend
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