Red Bull 1-2 in Abu Dhabi

Sebastian Vettel wins the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina

It was billed as a procession; a meaningless final race to the topsy-turvy 2009 F1 season. And in a sense it was. Sebastian Vettel managed to best Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren early on, but that tussle never took off after Hamilton retired with dodgy brakes, leaving Vettel to cruise to victory.

But there was excitement, particularly in the closing laps. Reinvigorated by his World Championship after Brazil – and on a set of tyres that suited his car in the final third of the race – Jenson Button took the fight to second place Mark Webber. Hunting him down in the closing laps and driving like the World Champion he is, it took all of Webber’s experience to fight off the challenge from the Brit. It was nose to tail in the last two laps, but Webber held on to his second place.

But freedom from the angst and pressure saw Button back on the podium for only the second time since his run of wins at the start of the season. It was a fitting end to a season which saw the stars of F1 eclipsed by the newcomers. Red Bull had a 1-2 and Brawn a 3-4 at Yas Marina to encapsulate the season (almost!);  the second half of the season saw a renaissance of McLaren and Ferrari; and the Yas Marina circuit on Yas Island was a stunning spectacle.

The 2010 F1 season is going to be very interesting.

By Cars UK