The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Highlights Formula 1

penultimate race of the 2011 Formula One season, one that has

simply flown by. It has taken us some while to get you but it has

not taken Sebastian Vettel to be the best man and Formula One. He

has had the title wrapped up and the big news is that Jensen Button

could secure second place, beating Lewis Hamilton in the same car and

Mark Webber, who drives a faster car. And for the constructors

championship... The battle is for midfield. 6th place is up for grabs.

Millions of pounds the prize. What would happen as the sun came down

and Abu Dhabi, one of the action in a few moments. Here is what

happened in qualifying. With the championship long-since decided, it

was McLaren who had been on top in Abu Dhabi over the weekend with

Sebastian Vettel struggling and Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button

having high hopes for pole position, as did the superstars. It was a

hard day's night for Williams, statistically this was the worst

qualifier for Williams in the entire history. Rubens Barrichello

could not contend due to win or a link -- oil lake. Pastor Maldonado

starts at the back. I want to have the whole race tomorrow and to get

to the end with a smile. It has been a tough weekend. Qualifying

was stopped when Felipe Massa misjudged the chicane, sending a

bollard in to Jensen Button. Force India wasn't form, making the top

10, just behind Mercedes. Paul arrester having an eye on points

from 10th place. It is a long race but hopefully we can get the

numbers right and we can focus on what we want to achieve. There is a

compromise. The scene was set for Nikki in the contested final few

minutes. Ferrari was the third fastest and 5th and 6th place was

the maximum they can achieve. Lewis Hamilton said a very quick time in

Q2 so hopes were high. Jensen Button went quickest only to be

beaten by Lewis Hamilton by 100 the second, one foot of the track.

Sebastian Vettel knew what he had to do. The world champion won

himself up and delivered his best lap of the weekend when it mattered

most, over, the advantage that McLaren thought they had, prompting

celebrations from Red Bull. All of the cars have completed. P2.

Something I did in Q 3, on the last run, something they switched on.

There is that extra time. I do not know when it comes from. Hopefully,

next year, we will not have that. A we were able to use everything.

That you are allowed to use. To improve my lap time dramatically.

Still not enough to challenge Sebastien. When the sun goes down,

the circuit changes. I felt more comfortable and then Q2 be a very

competitive and in Q3, if we got everything together, I would have a

chance. Which was the case. I am very pleased. The records keep

falling, 17 front row starts for Sebastian Vettel. Lewis Hamilton

and then defies the blown diffuser as the source of their speed.

Jensen Button, ahead of Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg,

and Michael Schumacher is set for a race with Force India, Vitaly

Petrov, Alguersuari and a bad session for Kobayashi, I'd

qualified by his team-mate. Heikki Kovalainen is the best of the

younger teams. For the last row, Williams. The weekend could only

get better. As dusk approaches, many drivers used those clear

visors for the all-important five red lights. The race in the desert

is underway. It looks even. Down to the first corner. And once it goes

around the outside of Mark Webber. Nico Rosberg! Sebastian Vettel!

Puncture! He has not even made it down to turn No. 5. How did he get

that so quickly? He has overloaded the car going into the turn. We

will get a replay. There would have been no contact at that stage.

McLaren, 1, 2. We very nearly saw... We nearly so both Mercedes getting

together in to turn No. 5. They are side by side. Alonso has gone past

Jensen Button! Into second place. Mercedes right behind. Tremendous

first lap in Abu Dhabi and still we have Alonso and Jensen Button in

that strike a race. Into the slipstream, Mercedes Benz, side by

side. No respect at all. But then fancies a look. He knows that he

needs to clear that Ferrari. Hamilton, way down the road already.

Jensen Button into third place. We expected that to be a Red Bull in

front of him and not fernery. Hamilton leaves the Grand Prix. --

Ferrari. They come to complete the end of the first lap. Rosberg,

Schumacher. That determined move by Nico Rosberg to regain that place

that he lost in the first corner. Hamilton leads by 2.5 seconds. We

have the tyre. Double trouble. have spoken so much about that. We

will see the replay. He goes through the gears. He already has

the puncture. Was that damage from running on to the kerb? He will is

on the far side. The inside tyre was on the outside of the kerb.

They do use that through qualifying but what is different is the tyre

pressure is low, they are not optimal. Because you do that slow

lap to the grid. That puts a lot more movement and frequency into

the vibration. Let's see how it is all shaping up. Rubens Barrichello

making his way to the back of the field. Finally, Sebastian Vettel

comes into the pits and his luck has run out. I never thought I

would be saying that this year. Is the higher tyre going on? No, it

looks like it is over. Because he has damaged the brake? He has made

a real mess of this. Having to do that whole lap. The floor was

damaged and the exhaust. And the wishbone, which is the clincher.

That is that, that has to be his first retirement for how long?

Korea last year, his engine blew up. Lewis Hamilton, his lead has gone

to 2.7. Hamilton, Alonso, bottom, Webber. -- Jenson Button. Kobayashi,

what a start he has had. We have Sauber. Sergio Perez, in the pits.

He has got up close and personal to someone. It is almost a carbon copy

of last year. Lewis Hamilton was very conservative. Sebastian Vettel

gets onto the kerb. Nothing unusual, relative to the cars behind. Turn

number two, that was already damaged. Punctured already? He got

off the line well. The team would know that from the telemetry. If

the alarm was going off? Maybe it was just deflating slowly. Nothing

unusual at this point. And immediately, that is a sudden

deflation of the tyre. Some very happy faces in the McLaren cockpit!

I am pretty sure that it was on that kerb. Don't forget, they are

quite low pressure at that point, putting a lot of energy into this.

Christian Horner. The end of the world, you would think! So much

pain. Bruno Senna, getting a very poor start. It must be said. And he

goes around the outside. Very cautiously. On a hard tyre. He has

pitted already and changed those tyres. He has either had contact

some time around the first lap or the strategy was to get the slower

tyres out of the way. This is a replay of Fernando Alonso passing

Jensen Button. The battle was so interesting, Nico Rosberg and

Michael Schumacher. Nico Rosberg was not happy after India. Because

of the strategy that Mercedes used. So, aggressive driving from Nico

Rosberg. Look, I want to be the team leader. Today, I am having

this. And he finally got the job done later. Hamilton, his lead was

2.8 but Fernando Alonso has taken two tenths out of that. And Mark

Webber is the fastest in the first sector. Will they be able to manage

or decrease that gap? Sebastian Vettel isn't in the Grand Prix. The

first time we have said that since Korea last year and his engine blew

up. His trainer. Almost trying to calm him down. That looks pretty

unlucky. Mark Webber alongside Jensen Button. That looks like the

position has been taken. That is a replay. He is the second DRS zone.

He can pop open his wing. Double DRS. Deep into the corner. He makes

that stick. Having a word with Sebastian. He has a great deal of

affection for Sebastien. He would make the perfect son-in-law! Paul

di Resta, in the DRS son. He will get the benefit. There he goes.

Defensive on the inside. Clean around the outside. The DRS is

working. The drivers said they did not think it would. That is twice

we have seen the driver recovering. Pretty easy, you would have to say?

This year has been so difficult to predict, the performance of the

races. Kobayashi. Passing Liuzzi and Daniel recorder. -- Daniel

Ricciardo. An important battle between the boys from Hitachi. He

needs to establish his career and show Red Bull but he is a man for

the future. Antonio Liuzzi, trying to hang in there with his career.

He has worked his way down to the back of the grid. To show the top

teams that he still has it. D'Ambrosio well ahead of him.

two HRTs fighting for all they're worth. All of a sudden, what we

consider supremely younger drivers, like Ricciardo, they are under

pressure from the drivers in GP 2. TEAM RADIO: I've got another

problem. Jenson Button carrying some kind of mechanical issue?

didn't hear the first part of the broadcast. It could be KERS. They

can send messages from the cockpit to the pit wall without

broadcasting on the radio, they will have a multi-function switch

which will tell them the tyre performance, without giving away

too much information to the competition. Jenson has decided to

go on the radio and broadcast that, he will know we will pick up that

message. Mark Webber is closing in. He has set the fastest first sector.

The replay here of Sebastian Buemi and Paul di Resta, a late pass on

the brakes, down into turn eight. Again, indeed DRS zone. You can see

the white line. And once again, Paul di Resta passes him, a little

bit of a wobble on the braking. That could be the setting for the

KERS harbour Sting. That is a straightforward DRS shoot-out. Do

you like that? It is artificial but it is exciting nonetheless. Yes, at

least... They extended the first one because the drivers told them,

the drivers were telling them that they still couldn't overtake

anybody. Look how fast Mark Webber is down the straight. He is in the

DRS zone, he will get another helping of the two, there is a

detection.... We have had the second one. This is for real.

Sebastian Buemi goes past Paul di Resta. Paul di Resta will be able

to open his DRS down the next straight and will he return the

compliment? He does. But Sebastian Buemi much more defensive this time

and Paul di Resta just breezes down the outside, but the back end

Stakes at -- step said. He gets the inside line. Well that cost him

another place? He is in trouble, he has got to stay so close to him

coming out of turn five to get back on terms if he wants the help of

the DRS. Paul di Resta will need the best lap he has got. He is

trying to get rid of those slower, harder compound tyres. At this

stage, they have less grip and that is why they will be pulling away

from him. He will get his plot -- pay back later on in the race,

because everyone has to use both tyres, as the sun begins to set and

the floodlights begin to dominate. Ted Kravitz has news. TED KRAVITZ:

It is a KERS failure for Jenson Button. McLaren are trying --

telling him to do everything he can to rebid his system, but that is a

big job. Jenson Button wishing he had 13 fingers in that cockpit and

all the time, he has to hold off Mark Webber. He is right on top of

him. Webber has got the DRS Open. Jenson Button hasn't got any KERS

and Webber has the inside line. They touch, more or less. Through

he goes, sensible driving by Nick Jenson Button, cutting back up the

inside and a retaking the position. Smart driving, he knew he was going

to lose out. A Felipe Massa it closes in and watches. He is now 15

seconds off the lead in fifth place. Clever driving from Jenson Button,

I really thought Mark Webber had got the job done. He went for it,

but it looks like he baled out of it. People's out and says he is

coming through and then get some of brakes so early -- he pulls out.

Great wheel-to-wheel stuff here, and then smart reactions from

Jenson, he cut back and positions his car. Felipe Massa is in the pit.

The first of the front-runners to stop. On go the soft tyres again,

the yellow markings tell us that. They will run that until the end of

the race. That confirms what we have been hearing it, that Ferrari

are not happy with this harder tyre. This will be a sighter, Ferrari

will use this to understand what they should do with Fernando Alonso.

He has got the gap to Hamilton down to 1.9 seconds. If Felipe Massa

starts recording some serious times, they will bring Fernando back in.

It was the end of lap 15, so you think they are using him as a

guinea pig? Because it is quite Delhi. It is indeed. You would

think the window for a two-stop would be 17 or 19. But at the fuel

burns off, it is easier on the next set of tyres -- as the fuel. He has

to get a move on here. For all the battling they have been doing, it

has allowed the gap to Fernando Alonso in front to widen to 10

seconds. It is costing them dear love. McLaren are in the pit lane.

Hamilton. Ferrari react straight away. Lookout close he is, 1.9

seconds is the gap between them -- look how close. McLaren putting on

the soft tyres, as they are in the Ferrari. That look like a super pit

stop from McLaren. Not quite so good, he can get out clear. We have

Jenson Button in as well. 3.64 Lewis Hamilton, four seconds for

Alonso. Interesting strategy from McLaren.

That was quite tight to bring good Lewis and then Jenson immediately

afterwards. You wouldn't expect them to do that. We have seen Red

Bull doing it area in the year. Alonso dipping a tyre, two tyres

onto the white line, before he got on to the racetrack. I think he is

all right on that one. TED KRAVITZ: It was very tired, good work by the

McLaren guys, they had about six seconds to get everyone in position

-- a title. The Jenson Button was that longer than he should have

been. Webber pits. He had to wait for Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg

as well. Oh, dear, it is all going horribly wrong for Red Bull. 9.4

seconds. So who was in that zone? Felipe Massa. Felipe Massa has gone

through, he is right behind Jenson Button. We will see Mark Webber

appearing. That has cost him massively. A lap too late and he

goes very wide on the exit of turn three. An angry Mark Webber, just

when he needed the perfect pit-stop. Red Bull are the best, just ahead

of Mercedes-Benz, on average, through this year. They have been

the top two teams, but that won't help of Red Bull's average at all.

There is Jenson Button and he has a new pursuer in this shape of Felipe

Massa. Look how far behind that has put Mark Webber. Nico Rosberg is

still back down there, having now pitted as well. He lost a place to

Felipe Massa but not Rosberg. RADIO: Jenson, Rosberg has pitted,

he is out of the picture. A for the moment. That is the wonderful thing

about engineers, psychologically, as he has got the replay, and there

is mark where they're getting extremely wide through turn three.

A -- Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso has got the gap down to the leader.

We want to see a different winner to Sebastian Vettel just for a

change but I am sad he is not in the race, because this would have

been tremendous. Potentially it was going to be great, but the only

thing I can't quite work out is how his Alonso managing to keep Lewis

Hamilton so honest, we have not seen this pace from Ferrari all

weekend. His Lewis just running defensively, got his engine mode

turndown? Just basically doing enough to maintain the gap, or is

this everything he has got? If he is, we wouldn't be seeing much of a

race. You think Vettel would be gone. I think so. These are

shuffling up nicely. Maldonado in the pits. Running wide. He lives

for another day. We expected a lot more of that are at last year, and

in the first two races, but Maldonado merely the first race at

to connect with the pit wall. -- Nia Ali. Did you ever do that?

I did, unfortunately. Adelaide 1995, I was leading. Hermann Tilke, I

spoke to him and I asked him to tell me about the pit turn, why

would you want those beautiful Grand Prix cars being driven on the

track event? TEAM RADIO: Webber is 1.6 seconds behind you. This is

good. Gentle encouragement from Rob Smith there. I will finish my story

on Hermann Tilke the, the designer of the racetracks. I said why do

you hide the cars underneath the tunnel? People want to see Grand

Prix cars. And he said, that wasn't my design. Teflon shoulders. He

designed the track but not the peter out. Look at the closing

speeds for Felipe Massa or. Jarno Trulli is in there somewhere.

Felipe Massa is on good form, you would have to say. Mark Webber

starting to catch him. Felipe Massa gets him a handy -- gets himself a

handy DRS zone. Annie Get ever- closer to Jenson Button. -- and he

gets. Paul di Resta pits finally for Force India. Jenson Button,

then, his troubles are not over. They are fighting hard for that

third place, as we watch Paul di Resta or cautiously going through

that tunnel on to the pit straight. But then and Felipe Massa, third

and fourth. Felipe Massa is now close to getting into the turn --

DRS turn. He will have himself in the DRS zone at the end of this lap,

but Mark Webber will also be within it. The predator becoming the prey.

Hamilton has just extended his lead by nearly one second on the

previous lap from Alonso, so I don't spell it Alonso had any

traffic. We will see on the drive a tractor -- I don't know if. We will

time through this particular bit of traffic. Webber has done the

fastest first sector of anybody to getting ever closer. Does he get

DRS? Yes, he is within a second. The trouble is he has the slowest

car and a straight line can he can barely get out of his own way. It

is handy around the corners and it worked for him there. As you say,

the predator becomes the prey. His mirrors are full of the bright

yellow nose. He hasn't looked as confident on the brakes. This is

turn 11, where we saw him attend to go down the side of Jenson but then

bail out of it. -- attempt. He has the pace but in the braking zone,

the Ferrari and McLaren are more comfortable. Maldonado with the

drive-through penalty. He must have nightmares about blue flags. They

have gone straight for a drive- through penalty, cut-and-dried that

one. Derek Warwick is the driver representative on the panel of

stewards this weekend. A new fastest lap for Lewis Hamilton,

another half a second on to his lead, it is 4.6 now. Lewis has

turned up here and looked straight away like the old Lewis. Just got

in it, got on with it. No tantrums, nothing is going on around Lewis

other than driving. There is nothing missing in his armoury. He

seems emotionally, sometimes, like he is not in the race. Very wide

that they hairpin. Turn seven, that gives Mark Webber his best chance

to open his DRS and go for the past. I expect Felipe Massa to open the

inside line. Clear defence, trying to use the extra grip. Can he make

it stick? He runs wide. Now Felipe Massa needs to keep it neat and

tidy and get his own helping of DRS. His rear tyres don't look too

healthy. Felipe Massa should have given up the early... He is coming

back at him. Down into 11, brave on the brakes. He has taken it

straightaway. Mark doesn't like that braking area falls that he is

struggling and all of this is playing into Jenson Button's hands.

Whilst they squabble over position, Felipe Massa has had nine top-six

finishes but never better than 5th place. We can see him getting out

of shape. They really go wide into that and cut back. This is where he

had to go defensive. It was half- hearted. The DRS got him straight

back. Mark Webber choosing not to defend. The movement was done

before the second apex. Jensen Button's Cerys is back. -- KERS.

Fernando Alonso has just done the fastest lap of the race. The gap is

down to 5.1 seconds. As the world's fastest spectator looks on. Here is

Paul di Resta. He has just lost one place. He was right behind Rubens

Barrichello and he has now also behind Vitaly Petrov. From last on

the grid, up to 10th place. Paul di Resta, with the help of the DRS,

alongside the Russian. He returns at complement in a hurry. Let's see.

These guys will be causing themselves time. To keep outside

that one second DRS zone. This is a great comeback from Rubens

Barrichello. He is the most experienced man on the grid. He

doesn't have a drive lined up for next year. Why it Webber pits.

Crucial information for Hamilton. His lap times are starting to level

off. There is a set of options going on. They will put them one at

the end? Three stops. We present he will only want to do a couple of

laps or maybe even the last lap on the prime tyres. He has to get back

into this race. He was running 2.9 seconds behind Felipe Massa. He has

come out behind Jarno Trulli and has a lot of free air. He has to

deliver a bunch of qualifying laps. This will give Hamilton and

Fernando Alonso gets some vital information. We expected they would

be trying to take this out of the late 30s before coming in for what

we would expect to be the last stop but if the lap times are holding,

they will push this even further. 19 laps to go. It costs 20 seconds

to make a stop. He has to be a 1.75 seconds faster to make that

worthwhile. That extra stop. And the tyres are not that much faster.

The gap is 4.2 between them. Fernando Alonso will not give up.

You sense that there was Hamilton has got this under control. Mark

Webber has just pitted. McLaren. Jensen Button. The medium compound.

If this keeps going and he keeps eating into the lead of Lewis

Hamilton, a he has got to be looking at coming in. Bruno Senna

is under investigation for ignoring blue flags. We have three drivers

currently? Fantastic news for Ferrari. They want to go as long as

they can to win the race, they will go much longer than Lewis Hamilton,

they know how hard he is on the tyres and they say that the wearer

and stir with Alonso is very good. Let us see how long they can last.

Bruno Senna will get a drive through for that infringement, the

blue flag rule. His uncle would not have been too impressed with the

blue flag rule. You think that Ferrari will struggle on the slower

tyres? That is the information we have had. Obviously, this track

evils with each lap. The scare stories are usually not so scary on

a Sunday. We believe that Ferrari have been trying to avoid a harder

tyres. We have seen it in other races. As we go end to the cool of

the night, the temperature is down to around 29 degrees, a difficult

day they have is switching on to the harder tyres. -- the difficulty.

Fernando Alonso has just done the fastest first sector. This is a

replay of Barrichello and Kovaleinen. They should not be too

much of the battle. He has lost a piece of his front wing. Touching

the inside kerb. McLaren are in the pit lane. Here is Lewis Hamilton.

What of Ferrari do? They need to pit. To put those white marked

tyres on. There they are. Another tremendous pit-stop from McLaren.

That looked super slick. Ferrari are reacting to that

stopped. They are in the pit lane. Alonso carried on. They do not need

to worry about showing their hands. They are ready. They need to

deliver a better pit stop. Then Felipe Massa in the pit lane.

Because Alonso carried on. Hamilton also pose a bit slower tyres. That

isn't how it has worked out with Mark Webber. We heard that at no

point has the white marked higher ever been degrading faster than the

yellow. There is traffic immediately for Felipe Massa.

Kovaleinen exits. What is crucial is that it Fernando Alonso can keep

delivering lap times, he can jump Hamilton at the stop. He has not

matched his best second sector. He has some traffic. He is clear. This

is absolutely crucial. Hamilton will be under pressure. Mark Webber

has got his DRS Open. And there is more group from those tyres. Jensen

Button has made the change of tyres.. Another helping of DRS.

That extra grip, he should be sailing past? He has a problem in

the braking zone. Trying to go up the inside, into turn number 8. I

wonder if that damage to the floor is affecting him? It is still

flapping away. That tiny amount makes a huge difference to the

balance of these cars. Battling with Rubens Barrichello. He will

look left. He says, I am leading. I am going down the outside. Fernando

Alonso, 18.4. If he is going to win, he has to keep this going. Look at

this. Mark Webber, for position. He has the inside line. Jensen Button

decided not to brave this. Mark Webber, such an affect on that

corner. He might not be in the DRS zone. He might have been told that

Mark Webber put another set of faster tyres on. Maldonado decides

to get out of everybody's way. He will be investigated after the race

for that second infringement. This is the move from Mark Webber. To

take that position away from Jensen Button. He said to him very clearly,

I am coming through! He took a beeline for the apex. Some battling

going on. It does not look like Fernando Alonso has got enough pace

in the middle sector to make this stick. He had just over 2.5 seconds

to find. His lead is 20 seconds exactly over Hamilton with one stop

to make. If he could really attack that pit out, have a fantastic in-

lap and attack that, he will be right on to him. Very close indeed.

Hamilton has some traffic ahead of them. Kobayashi, Perez. The lap

times are in the mid-44s. They will not be that easy to pass. Hamilton

is four tenths quicker than Alonso. The Ferrari mechanics are in the

pit lane. It's the only thing they can do, it isn't working, they have

to come in. He has an HRT pitting in front of him. This will cost

time. If HRT do a reasonable pit- stop at the far end, he will be

leaving the pit box at the same time. Ferrari seem to be a long

time going on. Hamilton exiting the last corner. Passing the commentary

box. 5.2. I thought it looked a bit slow. As he edges through. But it

is easy now. Steady pit stop. Hamilton comfortably in the lead.

There it is. The tyres on Fernando Alonso will be drier and he has to

get speed onto those. He needed track position. McLaren is probably

quicker on those tyres. Ted was there. The problem was Alonso was

rocking from side to side so not only did the guy on the right rear

have an issue, but the man on the front left was also struggling. It

did not work. Alonso could not be fast enough at the end. It was

worth Ferrari trying but the slow stop did not help. At least he gets

the DRS. But Mercedes are so quick. He did not open the DRS. Now he can

pull away. They both have to stop again. That suggests that Mark

Webber has got what he needs. That will not do much for him? He will

be behind Felipe Massa. They tried something different. And on this

day in history, it has not worked. Hamilton was 5.7 seconds ahead.

That has gone down, 5.4. As Fernando Alonso crosses the line.

He has bought himself six seconds. As soon as he passed them. Rosberg

betting on this lap. He was annoyed after India, he felt that the team

allowed Michael's strategy to jump him during the race. I was talking

to someone from the team he suggested, you must toughen these

boys up, they have to know that they are racing all the way. And

Rosberg has responded superbly. Fantastic pit stop from Mercedes.

The front man probably did not enjoy that too much. It has to be

the second worst job in Formula One after lollipop man. Do they get

paid extra? I don't know. They should be. Felipe Massa. How is he

doing? His fight with Mark Webber. They are effectively having a good

race. 25 seconds? He has had problems, he has spun out. That has

now nailed this battle with Mark Webber. He welcome out in front of

him after the stop. That has taken the pressure off Red Bull massively.

Lab 51. Sebastien Vettel spins out. What that puncture. Having led on

the first corner. Lewis Hamilton accepted that gift. And he just

took off into the lead. And he built that lead very quickly but

Fernando Alonso started taking it back, having passed Jensen Button

earlier on in the race. Jensen Button held on from lap number 12.

He was having issues with his KERS. Once he began to manage that, he

was OK. Mark Webber's first stop was heavily delayed. The We'll did

not go on properly and he was passed by Felipe Massa. The KERS

came back on in-lap 33 and at that point Felipe Massa passes Mark

Webber for 4th place. And the Red Bull cars decided to put Mark

Webber crucially on three stops. Felipe Massa spinning off. That it

will show is over. Other what has considerably on Lewis Hamilton, but

it wasn't enough. Webber is pushing for fourth place. Let's see where

he finishes up. We watch Sergio Perez running over the bollard on

the inside of the corner. We have got Daniel Ricciardo dropping out

of the Grand Prix, he is the fourth retirement, we have lost Sebastian

Buemi, d'Ambrosio and of course, Vettel. Hamilton is by 7.8 seconds

over Alonso. -- Leeds. Webber still lapping incredibly quickly, still

in the traffic as well. And there is Jenson Button, who will inherit

third place when Webber makes the necessary pit stop to put the same

tyres on that Jenson Button has got now. Having gone for a free stop.

Rosberg is still behind Felipe Massa. They are clear-up Michael

Schumacher. Paul di Resta or his ninth. If Force India had two cars

in their point. -- in the points. It is Toro Rosso who are missing

out today in that great scrap we have got going on between Force

India, Sauber and Toro Rosso, for the world championship positions.

It will mean that millions of pounds for them. Webber fastest

again in the middle sector. With the throttle pedal nailed. Surely

expecting... It looks a bit rushed, considering it was going to have to

happen. He is going to have to pit now and he does. So Mark Webber,

then, to have the mandatory tyres, so he has used both compounds.

Interesting strategies and different concept, and I like that

idea that they have to use two different types of tyre. Jenson

Button going through turn one, under no pressure. Farquhar becomes

said comfortably in first place -- fourth place -- Mark Webber comes

out comfortably in fourth place. won't be the happiest Australian in

the world at the end of that. Incredibly, he hasn't won a Grand

Prix all year and this would have been a perfect opportunity. But

with one thing and another, he doesn't seem to be able to get the

track position to make it stick. He has got the pace. Hamilton is in

1014 of the 21 of this racetrack. We lost Vettel barely, it took some

of the fizz out of the race, it must be said. Hamilton will not

care, he is coasting, for Eau Rouge has to go, two left and two right -

- four corners to go. Lewis Hamilton takes the final turn, the

short run to the line. Hamilton is back and so on -- are McLaren.

Tremendous victory here in Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton beats

Fernando Alonso, he comes over the line in second place. 8.4 seconds

adrift. Wonderful race for Hamilton, at McLaren are so urgently needed

that victory. One race to go this season, as Jenson Button, who will

make it two McLaren drivers on the grid, yet another podium for him.

He ended up 26 seconds off the pace. Webber will take fourth. The

various dramas for him this afternoon, the slow pit-stop, the

different strategy. And a full 25 seconds for Felipe Massa. Batty's

Jarno Trulli who finishes 18 -- a bat is. TEAM RADIO: Brilliant,

brilliant race, Lewis. A fantastic race, superbly controlled race from

start to finish. Brilliant job, guys, as always. Fantastic, guys, I

am so glad to do it for you. There is a little shuffle that we haven't

seen for a little while, and Lewis Hamilton goes to give his team a

hub. I love the scenes, the pure emotion, the sharing of the moment.

That is his mother. She won't have heard, probably, that he was

wishing have a happy birthday. She will get that later. -- wishing her.

The celebrations begin. The relief begins for Lewis Hamilton. Back on

form, that is what we came to expect from him. Under pressure

from Alonso, who wouldn't ever letting quite breathe easy death.

Vettel out with that tyre problem - - wouldn't let him quite breed

easily. Lewis Hamilton accepted the gift and made for the race his own.

JAKE HUMPHREY: What a race. Sebastian Vettel gets his first

retirement of the season, Lewis Hamilton gets his first win in Abu

Dhabi. Fernando Alonso had incredible pace behind Lewis,

Jenson Button had issues but still came back third and a frustrating

race for Mark Webber. Michael Schumacher just behind his team-

mate Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta for -- with a strong dive -- drive.

Jenson Button can now longer be caught by his team-mate, but he is

and confirmed as second yet. The constructors has been a walk in the

park for Red Bull. McLaren and Ferrari are run the positions they

will finish. The fight remains for Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso.

Let's hear from the drivers. Congratulations, it was a well-

controlled race, a faultless race by the team. You think that is one

of your best? I do, definitely. It is always difficult to remember all

of the Grand Prixs you participate in. I have had some great victories

in the past, but I really feel, obviously, it has been a while

since I won and it feels fantastic, to put that kind of performance in

and not make mistakes. I am very much my biggest critic, so I am

always judging how many mistakes I make, pit-stops and all those

things, and I felt I could maximise everything today. And also, the

team did a fantastic job with the strategy. And with the pit stops,

they were top class. I felt the whole package today came together

and I owe them a big thank you. After the first lap, it was not

special, it was more or less the same as the others, but we attacked

Webber down the outside in turn one and then we had the Sebastian

incident in back row 10 two. At that point, we thought it would be

a long race of defending second position. But it was not like that,

at the car was performing well, the pace was so good that we were

looking more to Hamilton and the victory than in the mirror, so that

was a surprise. It was one of those days when the car is better than

expected. My KERS failed pretty early on and it was difficult to

keep up. You don't just to lose on power, you lose a lot of lap time

when you are using it in the corners, but you lose all of the

engine braking that it gives you, so it was pretty tricky and towards

the end of the race, they found a way of curing the issues, pushing

loads of buttons and getting it working. It worked on two laps at

the time and then it disappeared, but you don't know it has, so you

suddenly hit the brakes and the car doesn't slow down, so it is quite

scary, lots of Button pushing and I am on the podium, so I am pretty

happy, considering it was a bit of a mess. Fair play to Lewis, he did

a great job today and I think the whole team have had a good weekend.

Typical day? An enjoyable day? She decided to switch strategy halfway

through, because on lap 12 you were saying it was getting difficult,

handling the car, so did you decide to go to a one-stop? That was

always a plan. That should the plan. But it didn't work out, we thought

most cars would be like that. We chose to switch the cars ahead of

tyre strategy ahead of the race and this which the other car quite

quickly, when you see the performance of the primes on my car,

it was hard for the first 30 laps, pretty slow, but I suppose the

thing is we have come away with a double points score and week out

the strategy, so something tells you there. It secures more than six

the place in the constructors ahead of Brazil, --, which we need to

maintain. To be honest, at the exit of the first corner, it seemed fine

but turning into the second corner, I felt something was wrong with the

rear right, and had to crash -- catch the car, and the second time,

I couldn't do it any more. I had lost too much air in the rear right

and had a puncture and spun off. And on the way back, I damaged the

suspension so badly that we couldn't carry on.

Let's get the thought of David Coulthard. The sun has gone down,

the beautiful hotel is lit up, we thought Sebastian would light up

the race but it turned out to be Lewis Hamilton. We wondered when

his luck would run out and it ran out at turn ABBA back row here at -

- at 10 two here. But Lewis, a great victory. We have heard

stories over the years of drivers when there has been a tragedy or a

big accident, they desperately search for the answers and we have

spoken to Sebastian and he has done exactly that same thing. He has

been down to luck that the corner to try and understand, was it

something with the kerb, he has met with the Pirelli engineers. You

want to know if it was a driver error or car failure and then you

move on. The team will want to do exactly the same but they have had

an incredible run of good fortune. He has won the World Championship,

it didn't mean he didn't want to win this weekend, but they don't

think anyone would disagree that Lewis Hamilton was a worthy winner

of this Grand Prix. He has dealt with his personal issues off the

track and it doesn't seem to have held him back behind the wheel.

crowds have been enjoying themselves, there have been packed

grandstands, the perfect time for Lewis Hamilton to turn on the style.

It is indeed, he wants to find his form and McLaren haven't quite done

it this year in terms of the driver and Constructors' Championship, but

it was an impressive race pace here and it would have been a close-run

thing had Sebastian not had his issues. It sets them up for one

more Grand Prix in Brazil and then the all important development phase

into next year. The chassis well have been designed, it is adding

those final parts that will see the cars roll-out in January.

Fascinating period in the season. Red Bull still have the quickest

car on paper but McLaren pick up the win today and in the race,