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Thank you and goodbye!!
And with that my job is done. A thrilling decade of F1 comes to an end. Our coverage here on Vavel continues with our driving ratings tomorrow as well as plenty of analysis and features on the 2019 season as a whole.
My name is Callum McAvoy and its been an honour to provide you with the very best live updates. I hope you've enjoyed this season and until next year, it's goodbye from me!!
What's next?
Just 104 days until the 2020 season kicks off down under in Australia. And of course there will be a lot of winter testing during that period
The Constructors’ Standings
Toro Rosso don't jump ahead of Renault so the standings don't change:
Mercedes – 739pts
Ferrari – 504pts
Red Bull – 417pts
McLaren – 145pts
Renault – 91pts
Toro Rosso – 85pts
Racing Point – 73pts
Alfa Romeo – 57pts
Haas – 28pts
Williams – 1pt
The Drivers’ standings
So here is how the 2019 season finishes unless Leclerc is penalised:
Hamilton (Mercedes) – 413pts
Bottas (Mercedes) – 326pts
Verstappen (Red Bull) – 278pts
Leclerc (Ferrari) – 264pts
Vettel (Ferrari) – 240pts
Sainz Jnr. (McLaren) – 96pts
Gasly (Toro Rosso) – 95pts
Albon (Red Bull) – 92pts
Ricciardo (Renault) – 54pts
Perez (Racing Point) – 52pts
Norris (McLaren) – 49pts
Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo) – 43pts
Kvyat (Toro Rosso) – 37pts
Hulkenberg (Renault) – 37pts
Stroll (Racing Point) – 21pts
Magnussen (Haas) – 20pts
Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) – 14pts
Grosjean (Haas) – 8pts
Kubica (Williams) – 1pt
Russell (Williams) – 0pts
Leclerc investigation
It has been mentioned a few times already but another reminder that Leclerc may be disqualified because of a fuel infringement. Bottas will move up to third if that is the case
The Drivers’ Standings
Verstappen sealed P3 and Sainz on the last lap secured sixth and best of the rest. What a season those two have had
The Result
So here's how it all finished in Abu Dhabi:
- Hamilton (fastest lap)
- Verstappen
- Leclerc
- Bottas
- Vettel
- Albon
- Perez
- Norris
- Kvyat
- Sainz Jnr.
- Ricciardo
- Hulkenberg
- Raikkonen
- Magnussen
- Grosjean
- Giovinazzi
- Russell
- Gasly
- Kubica
DNF Stroll
Leclerc on beating Vettel
Charles Leclerc:
"I've learnt to much this year and finishing ahead of Vettel is fantastic"
Verstappen reflects
Max Verstappen:
"It's been a great year. P3 in the championship. I'll recharge and go again next year"
Hamilton thanks the fans
Lewis Hamilton:
"I travel round the world to so many countries and I continue to meet so many people who support me and inspire me. Thank you to team LH, this is for them"
Donuts time
Hamilton Verstappen and Leclerc give the fans what they want by performing donuts on the main straight. What a way to finish the season
Hulkenberg says goodbye
Hulkenberg bows out of F1 having been voted driver of the day
Fast finish
The fireworks are in full flow now. There was a lot going on on the last lap so the final positions will be confirmed in just a sec
CHEQUERED FLAG
Verstappen is second as Leclerc claims third for now. He'll be off to the stewards for a possible fuel infringement remember
CHEQUERED FLAG
LEWIS HAMITON WINS THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
FINAL LAP
Perez passes Norris and Sanz passes Hulkenberg!
FINAL LAP
Hamilton sets the fastest lap as Norris continues to fight off Perez for P7. Bottas 1.5s off Leclerc isn't going to do it
Lap 54/55
TWO LAPS TO GO
All of sudden Vettel is attacking Albon for P5 and after a brief duel is ahead of the Red Bull. Sainz meanwhile is also having to defend from Ricciardo
Lap 53/55
THREE LAPS TO GO
Perez just 0.7 behind Norris and Sainz just 1.1 off Hulkenberg.
Lap 52/55
FOUR LAPS TO GO
Four seconds between Leclerc and Bottas. This is going down to the last corner of the last lap
Lap 51/55
FIVE LAPS TO GO
Even though he's in P18, Gasly is still going to finish best of the rest on the championship as it stands. Can Sainz or even Albon gain a position to change that?
Lap 50/55
Leclerc doesn't seem to be catching Verstappen but Bottas is just six seconds off the Ferrari and gaining. The podium finish is still on!
Lap 49/55
Norris has been told his ageing hard tyres still have enough life in them to push and keep clear of a rampant Perez.
"Give it everything", he is told
Lap 48/55
Kvyat passes Hulkenberg for P9 while Stroll retires having never recovered from his Gasly collision at the start of the race
Lap 47/55
Leclerc is still 22 seconds off Verstappen. He'll have to gain two seconds a lap if he wants P2. That's a lot of twos
Lap 46/55
The first of those is Perez who has passed Hulkenberg and is now just two seconds off the Brit
Lap 46/55
10 laps to go now and the two big battles are for second between Leclerc and Verstappen and seventh where Norris is going to have to fight off over drivers
Lap 45/55
Perez right on Hulkenberg's tail for ninth with Norris a little further up the road
Lap 44/55
This is like Hungary all over again. Can the two-stoppers make up a seemingly impossible gap on the one stoppers. Ricciardo stops again while Leclerc is now 25 seconds off Verstappen. Can he do it?
Lap 43/55
A lot of drivers are bailing on their one-stop strategy. Sainz is the latest to make a second stop onto quicker tyres and will now work to make up 20 seconds on his rivals
Lap 42/55
As it stands however Norris will leapfrog Perez in the final standings. On fresh tyres the Racing Point might just be able to sneak back ahead
Lap 41/55
15 laps to go. Perez re-overtakes Ricciardo for P11. The Mexican has run another great race
Lap 40/55
While those stops were happening, Bottas finally gets past Albon and is now up to fourth, only three seconds behind Leclerc
Lap 40/55
Ferrari perform a second double stop of the afternoon. Leclerc stays third but is now on the faster Soft tyres and will hunt down Verstappen. Vettel meanwhile drops to P6
Lap 39/55
Saying that, Perez has just stopped gain and slots into the middle of that train promoting Sainz into the points
Lap 38/55
A little further back, the Renault/McLaren train is sticking together. Sainz is stuck in 11th and it doesn't look like he'll be able to take the best of the rest title from Albon
Lap 37/55
Albon is only two seconds behind Vettel and Bottas is now just two seconds off Albon and gaining. He should get past both within the next ten laps or so
Lap 36/55
A bit of bodywork comes of Vettel's car and his Albon. It doesn't seem to have affected either driver
Lap 36/55
Leclerc is still under investigation don't forget. He might as well be bold and try something ambitious to get past Verstappen as he may be disqualified regardless. Bottas meanwhile takes fastest lap from his teammate
Lap 35/55
20 laps to go he's the current order:
HAM VER LEC VET ALB BOT PER KVY NOR HUL
Lap 34/55
Leclerc talks to his engineer about: "Going to Plan C?" Perhaps another stop is on the cards?
Lap 34/55
Verstappen may be second but he's still moaning bout turbo lag. Christian Horner tells his driver they know what the issue is but they can't fixt it right now
Lap 33/55
Verstappen does it! It was close but fair down in the inside at turn seven. Leclerc tries to come back around the outside of turn nine but Verstappen defends well and holds position
Lap 32/55
Verstappen is now right behind Leclerc and he has the DRS. He should be getting past the Ferrari in the next few laps
Lap 31/55
Bottas is out in sixth and on fresh tyres he could seriously push for a podium finish having started last
Lap 30/55
Mercedes readying to pit Bottas. Toto Wolff is right next to the pit crew as they change his tyres and he applauds what was a very quick stop
Lap 29/55
Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race on his new tyres. Will he still have the bonus point by the end of the race?
Lap 28/55
Verstappen has been on the radio moaning about his engine power. He wants more of it to push for second and he's not happy
Lap 27/55
Hamilton now pits. A little slow but he won't care. Unless we get a safety car or a mechanical issue this really is his to lose
Lap 26/55
I spoke too soon! Verstappen pits from P2 for the first time. he comes out behind Leclerc but he won't need to stop again and his fresher tyres will give him the chance to push the Ferrari near the end
Lap 25/55
Nearly halfway through and this grand prix is turning into a doozy. Giovinazzi has finally got past Kubica for 15th but apart from that there's not a lot to report
Lap 24/55
And that Kubica/Giovianzzi contact has been noted by the stewards
Lap 24/55
Is this debris enough to warrant a VSC? Probably not
Lap 23/55
Kubica, in has last race as well, makes contact with Giovinazzi while defending his position. Both cars have sprayed front wing debris onto the track
Lap 22/55
Kvyat passes Raikkonen for eighth but the pair are being chased by the McLarens and Renaults
Lap 21/55
We have an explanation for the DRS calamity. The central electric hub that controls everyone's DRS stopped working. Overtaking is happening everywhere yet there will be some who will still advocate for getting rid of DRS
Lap 20/55
On the fresh tyres Hulkenberg passes Sainz. the McLaren's had been held up by Grosjean during the no DRS period
Lap 20/55
The current top ten:
HAM VER LEC BOT VET ALB PER MAG RAI KVY
Lap 19/55
Hulkenberg pits and goes out duelling with his teammate Ricciardo and the two McLarens
Lap 18/55
Feel the speed! Bottas is straight past Hulkenberg with the DRS with Vettel and Albon soon to follow suit
Lap 18/55
DRS IS BACK! 15 laps overdue
Lap 18/55
Vettel attempts to get ahead of Bottas but without DRS can't quite pull it off. His fresh tyres should allow him to get past soon though
Lap 17/55
Hulkenberg, in his last race, has stayed out and is now in fourth holding up Bottas, Vettel and Albon. This could have ramifications for the lead
Lap 16/55
Hamilton and Verstappen yet to pit, seemingly very comfortable on their tyres
Lap 15/55
Sainz nearly pulls of a great move on Ricciardo but goes in too hot and runs off the track
Lap 14/55
Albon stops for Hard tyres which seems to be the preference right now amongst all the drivers
Lap 13/55
Vettel comes out in P7 after a brief scrap with Perez. The Racing Point is involved with everything today
Lap 13/55
Bottas past Perez. the lack of DRS isn't affecting him. Meanwhile Ferrari perform a double pit stop. Leclerc gets away well but Vettel is held for longer after a wheel gun problem!
Lap 12/55
Ricciardo pits for Renault. Is this going to trigger a wave of pit stops...
Lap 12/55
Leclerc has been on the radio about possible vibrations. Ferrari say the data is all good but slow motion replays shows there is definitely wear on his front left
Lap 11/55
That Mercedes is just too quick isn't it? Bottas who started 20th, is now tenth and chasing Perez for ninth after just ten laps
Lap 10/55
And speaking of that, Norris is pitted and drops down to 17th. Sainz now free to fight Albon. It's the right choice for the Woking team
Lap 9/55
McLaren need to be careful. Norris is ruing P6 ahead of teammate Sainz but the Spaniard is still fighting Albon, in fifth, in the championship
Lap 8/55
Leclerc is running a comfortable in P2 right now, four seconds behind Hamilton and two head of Verstappen. But his still has fuel investigation hanging over him...
Lap 7/55
That said Perez has climbed into the top 10 after getting pass Magnussen while Bottas take Giovinazzi for 12th
Lap 6/55
Without DRS this race is going to become a dead rubber. It's not a circuit that promotes overtaking. Alonso lost the 2010 championship after getting stuck behind Vitaly Petrov at this circuit
Lap 6/55
Stroll reporting massive vibrations after his collision with Gasly
Lap 5/55
Hamilton is now three seconds ahead of Leclerc. Meanwhile Bottas is making his way up the grid from last place. He's currently 13th
Lap 4/55
DRS has been disabled because of a technical issue. Bit of an odd one and that will stop overtaking for a few laps
Lap 4/55
So after a few laps in here's the current top ten:
HAM LEC VER VET ALB NOR SAI RIC HUL MAG
Lap 3/55
It looked like Stroll hit Gasly and he subsequently hit Perez and lost his wing. Stewards are not investigating surprisingly
Lap 2/55
Pierre Gasly has lost is front wing and is into the pits for a new one. He made contact with the two Racing Points at the first corner
Lap 1/55
Leclerc has moved up to second with the top eight very close
Lap 1/55
No big drama in the first corners. Hamilton leads
LIGHTS OUT
AND AWAY WE GO!!!
HERE WE GO
The drivers are lining up on the grid!!
Strategy to be key?
A wide range of tyre choices and strategies by the looks of it. You love to see it
FORMATION LAP
The driver's are off getting their tyres and brakes warmed up!
The Grid
A quick reminder of the grid:
HAM VER LEC VET ALB NOR RIC SAI HUL PER GAS STR KVY MAG GRO GIO RAI RUS KUB BOT
End of the decade
The 2010's started off in the desert with a Ferrari one-two in Bahrain. Oh how the Scuderia would love to end the decade with the same result
A tense grid
This Leclerc news has sent shockwaves and confusion up and down the grid. How will this change the top teams' strategies?
FIVE MINUTES TO GO
Back to the present now and the driver's are getting ready for the formation lap
Anticipation for 2020
This season may not be over yet but attention is already turned to 2020. Teams and drivers are expecting a full on three way duel between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. We can only hope
Leclerc disqualification?
Worrying news for Ferrari fans, Leclerc is being investigated for a fuel infringement. If found guilty he could be disqualified after the race meaning Verstappen would be guaranteed third in the championship. Watch this space...
Can Verstappen create a stir?
Nico Rosberg gives some advice to Verstappen who starts P2. Rosberg knows this track well having won is world championship here in 2016
15 minutes to lights out
The national anthem of the UAE is accompanied by a pretty spectacular air display
Hamilton's to lose?
In case you missed it, Hamilton starts on pole today and he's the pundits choice for victory
What can we expect today?
The Yas Marina circuit isn't the most thrilling on the calendar and in ten years of hosting Formula it hasn't produced a lot of fireworks. That being said the 2012 addition was pretty action packed so you never know...
25 minutes to go
The 2019 season will be over very soon. It's been a muddled year with a mixture of sensational and boring races, competitive battling and runaway title winners. Whether it goes down in the history books remains to be seen
F1's twilight race
Abu Dhabi is host to F1's only twilight race: The drivers race off as the sun begins to set and cross the finishing line in the dark of the night
Hamilton and Raikkonen landmarks
Kimi Raikkonen moves into second on the all time race starts his with 312 just 10 behind Ruben Barrichello. Hamilton starts his 250th race as well
The end for Hulkenberg and Kubica
The 2020 driver line-up was confirmed earlier this week when Nicholas Latifi signed for Williams for next season. This means that Robert Kubica and Nico Hulkenberg will be racing for possibly the last time today. Can they go out with a bang?
Fight for 5th
Don’t expect much change in this table with most places set in stone or near enough. However one fight is still ongoing with Toro Rosso just eight behinds Renault in fifth.
The Constructors’ standings
And now for the team’s standings:
Mercedes – 701pts
Ferrari – 479pts
Red Bull – 391pts
McLaren – 140pts
Renault – 91pts
Toro Rosso – 83pts
Racing Point – 67pts
Alfa Romeo – 57pts
Haas – 28pts
Williams – 1pt
Top 10 aspirations
A little further back numerous drivers are hoping to finish in the top half of the table. Definitely keep your eye on Perez, Norris and Raikkonen who are the most likely drivers to swap places in the standings.
The battles to look out for
The fight for third between Verstappen and Leclerc will be feisty as usual. The best of the rest title is also incredibly close with Gasly and Sainz level on points and Albon not far behind either.
The Drivers’ standings
And the bottom half
Norris (McLaren) – 45pts
Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo) – 43pts
Hulkenberg (Renault) – 37pts
Kvyat (Toro Rosso) – 35pts
Stroll (Racing Point) – 21pts
Magnussen (Haas) – 20pts
Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) – 14pts
Grosjean (Haas) – 8pts
Kubica (Williams) – 1pt
Russell (Williams) – 0pts
The Drivers’ standings
Before we get racing let’s have a look at the top 10 in the championship.
Hamilton (Mercedes) – 387pts
Bottas (Mercedes) – 314pts
Verstappen (Red Bull) – 260pts
Leclerc (Ferrari) – 249pts
Vettel (Ferrari) – 230pts
Gasly (Toro Rosso) – 95pts
Sainz Jnr. (McLaren) – 95pts
Albon (Red Bull) – 84pts
Ricciardo (Renault) – 54pts
Perez (Racing Point) – 46pts
The Grid
So with that in mind, here’s how the grid will line up today:
HAM VER LEC VET ALB NOR RIC SAI HUL PER GAS STR KVY MAG GRO GIO RAI RUS KUB BOT
Grid penalties
Only one driver is taking grid penalties today. Bottas qualified second just behind Hamilton but he'll line up last after excessive changes to his power unit
One hour to lights out
Good afternoon and thank you for tuning into Vavel for our live coverage of the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix! My name is Callum McAvoy and I will be providing you with the very best updates of the final race of the decade
Ferrari strategy woes continue
Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari qualified fourth and fifth on the grid but the Scuderia made a massive mistake and didn’t let Leclerc out on time to set a final flying lap at the end of the session. Ferrari have made plenty of strategy errors throughout 2019 and Saturday was no different
Qualifying Report
An eventful Saturday saw Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton take pole position ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. However, Bottas will be taking heavy penalties for power unit changes and will start from the back of the grid
What happened last year?
Lewis Hamilton won from pole position followed by Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. The opening lap saw Nico Hulkenberg barrel roll his Renault into the wall, after trying to overtake Romain Grosjean at turn nine. The race was also two-time champion Fernando Alonso’s last. The Spaniard bowed out of the sport performing synchronised donuts with Hamilton and Vettel at the finish line.
Yas Marina breakdown
Circuit length: 5.554km
Laps: 55
First Grand Prix: 2009
Race lap record: 1:40:279, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull (2009)
Number of corners: 21
2018 winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
The Schedule
Qualifying will get underway Saturday 13:00 BST before lights out on Sunday at 13:10 BST and you can follow the race right here on Vavel!
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the final race of the 2019 Formula 1 season. My name is Callum McAvoy and I'll be providing you with live updates of all the action from Abu Dhabi!