Abu Dhabi GP 2009: Vettel wins, Hamilton undone by brake failure

Sebastian Vettel won the 2009 season finale at the new Yas Marina Circuit ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, giving Red Bull a one-two. World champion Jenson Button finished third for Brawn. The race was effectively decided after the first round of pit stops: polesitter Lewis Hamilton lost the lead, and shortly afterwards McLaren retired his car with a brake problem. You can find all the results and data on our race page for the 2009 Abu Dhabi GP.

Abu Dhabi hosted its first ever Grand Prix, and Formula 1 experienced a first of its own: the race started at 17h local time and the sun set at 17:43. That made it the first race to begin in daylight and finish under floodlights. The evening was special for another reason too: it was the last time teams were allowed to refuel during a race, as refuelling was banned from 2010. It was also the final outing for the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system.

In sporting terms, the title was no longer at stake, as Button arrived already crowned world champion. Still open, however, was the battle for third place in the constructors' championship between McLaren and Ferrari.

Hamilton made a good getaway from first on the grid and led. Vettel, who had started second, stayed right behind him. Further back, things got tight on the opening lap: the front-wing endplate of Rubens Barrichello struck Webber's left rear wheel. From then on, Webber had to battle understeer.

Hamilton was already having brake problems before his fuel stop. Vettel stayed out three laps longer, made the most of the clear track and emerged in front after his stop. He led from lap 17 and never gave up the lead all the way to the flag. At the finish he was 17.857 seconds clear of Webber. Vettel also set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:40.279 on lap 54.

Only two drivers failed to finish:

• Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), after lap 20, brakes: Telemetry showed that the right-rear brake pads were wearing too quickly. McLaren therefore called the polesitter into the pits and retired the car.
• Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), after lap 18, gearbox: The Spaniard pitted on lap 18 with gearbox problems and mistakenly stopped at Red Bull's pit box first. He was waved on. Shortly afterwards, his gearbox failed for good.

The star turn of the evening belonged to Kamui Kobayashi. The Toyota driver was only contesting his second Grand Prix and opted for a one-stop strategy. He passed Kimi Räikkönen right at the start. Later, Button rejoined directly in front of the Japanese driver after his fuel stop, with a heavy car and cold tyres. Kobayashi went round the outside of him at the Turn 8 hairpin at the end of the back straight. Before his only stop he even ran third for a while. Sixth place brought him his first championship points.

The closing stages produced a tense fight for second place. Webber's rear tyres were fading and Button closed the gap. On the final lap he pulled alongside the Australian at the end of the back straight. But Webber held the inside, pushed Button wide and saved second place by 0.6 seconds. Barrichello took the chequered flag in fourth, behind his team-mate.

In the midfield, Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) spun at the chicane after a close fight with Sébastien Buemi, in which he said he had been forced over the kerb, and could only finish tenth. Buemi took the final point in eighth. Giancarlo Fisichella was handed a drive-through penalty in the Ferrari for speeding in the pit lane. Jarno Trulli went for two stops and finished seventh. His stop on lap 42 was the last refuelling stop in Formula 1 history.

Winners:

• Sebastian Vettel: Victory, fastest lap and second place in the drivers' championship secured.
• Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren): He gained more places than anyone, finishing eleventh from grid position 18 (+7).
• Kamui Kobayashi: From grid position 12 to sixth (+6), plus his first championship points.
• Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber): From eighth on the grid to fifth (+3).

Losers:

• Lewis Hamilton: From pole position to retirement, with no points.
• Jaime Alguersuari: First the mix-up in the pits, then the gearbox failure.
• Robert Kubica: Lost three places, only tenth.
• Ferrari: Räikkönen finished twelfth, Fisichella sixteenth, a lap down. Without points, the Scuderia had to settle for fourth in the constructors' standings behind McLaren.

The remaining finishers: Nico Rosberg (Williams) was ninth, Kazuki Nakajima thirteenth, Fernando Alonso (Renault) fourteenth, Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) fifteenth, Adrian Sutil seventeenth and Romain Grosjean eighteenth.

Button ended the season as world champion with 95 points. Vettel was runner-up on 84 points, ahead of Barrichello (77) and Webber (69.5). Hamilton stayed fifth on 49 points, one point ahead of Räikkönen. In the constructors' championship, Brawn won with 172 points ahead of Red Bull on 153.5. The fight for third could hardly have been closer: McLaren finished on 71 points, Ferrari on 70. You can find the full 2009 standings on our site.

It was Red Bull's fourth one-two of the season. The team ended the year as one of the strongest forces of the second half of the season. Abu Dhabi also marked the end of an era: it was the last race with refuelling and with the old points system. It was also the final appearance of Brawn, BMW Sauber and Toyota as constructors. Fisichella and Nakajima also contested their last Grand Prix here.