Formula One reaches the end of the 2020 world championship season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Join The Roar for live race updates and a blog of the last race of the year from 12:10am (AEDT).
In a season full of irregularities, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix maintains its traditional spot as the final race, with the end-of-term vibe very much being felt throughout the sport.
While the championships have been wrapped up, it is all about recovering some lost pride in this final race for the likes of runner-up Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton returns after missing the previous race with a positive COVID test.
The focus of attention this weekend will be the battle for third in the constructor’s championship, which sees Racing Point lead McLaren by ten points and Renault a further 12 behind the Sakhir Grand Prix winners.
Yas Marina is a vastly technical circuit, with little opportunities for overtaking across the 5.5 kilometres during the 55-lap race. The DRS zones are long, including the record 1.14-kilometre straight, but it may be pit strategies which cause the major shuffling.
With Hamilton not 100 per cent fit after missing the last race, Verstappen capitalised during qualifying and claimed his first pole position of the year. The Dutchman was 0.025 seconds faster than Bottas with less than a second covering the top three.
McLaren qualified the best of the midfield cars, as Lando Norris was a stunning fourth quickest on the same row as Hamilton. Carlos Sainz starts sixth, as the only Racing Point in the top ten is eighth and Renault have both cars in tenth and eleventh.
All will be wary of Sergio Perez too, who despite starting from the rear of the grid in what could be his final Formula One race can still pose a threat to the top ten and help Racing Point secure third in the championship.
It is a weekend of farewells too for many drivers with their current teams, as Sebastian Vettel says goodbye to Ferrari, Sainz to McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo to Renault, while the likes of Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat are out of Formula One altogether.
For one last time in 2020, tune in on The Roar for Formula One live blog updates of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with coverage to start at midnight AEDT. Will it be Hamilton who makes a twelfth win of the season? Or can this crazy year produce one last twist for Formula One?
Lights out: 12:10am (AEDT)
Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi
TV: Fox Sports
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Previous winner: Lewis Hamilton
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 4. Lando Norris (McLaren), 5. Alexander Albon (Red Bull), 6. Carlos Sainz (McLaren), 7. Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri), 8. Lance Stroll (Racing Point), 9. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), 10. Esteban Ocon (Renault), 11. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault), 12. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 13. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), 14. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), 15. Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo), 16. George Russell (Williams), 17. Pietro Fittipaldi (Haas), 18. Nicholas Latifi (Williams), 19. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), 20. Sergio Perez (Racing Point)
Micko
Roar Rookie
Apparently Portimao might be the GP to fill in that gap in the calendar for 2021! :happy: :thumbup:
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Well that then wraps up this live blog for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and F1 in 2020 too. What a year it has been, going back to March when I was at Albert Park and live blogging updates on Friday March 13 about the cancellation of the event. That feels like an eternity ago, but now in December after 17 races in 161 days - I feel very grateful that we did get F1 back on this year. A huge thank you to The Roar as always for allowing me to blog the races and I can't wait (after a nice summer of rest) to come back and tackle the record 23-race season. Until then, thank you guys for following and commentating. It's been fun as always and I get a great kick out of making these a forum for everyone to join in and watch the races together. See ya'll in 2021!
Micko
Roar Rookie
The season was great with all the makeshift GP's: Portimao, Imola, Mugello, Eiffel (Nurburgring) & Turkey, all fantastic tracks! :thumbup: :happy:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Obviously if there were some more incidents then it would've been more exciting. Max in RB & the two Mercs were basically set from the start.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
I believe so mate.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Barring any serious penalty now for Carlos Sainz, it looks like McLaren have secured third in the constructor's championship too - which will be their best result since the last time they won a race, back in 2012. They've not had the win or the pole position, or the faster car like their rivals in pink - but they have had the consistency in both their drivers. Both Sainz and Lando Norris finish in the top ten of the driver's standings too, which is an amazing result. Great things to look forward too in 2021 with a Mercedes power-unit and a Honey Badger incoming!
Micko
Roar Rookie
Is Sainz ahead of Albon through race positions?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Thoughts on the race then Roarers or the season itself? Given that this race I'm sure we're all in agreeance that it wasn't the greatest!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 347 - Lewis Hamilton 223 - Valtteri Bottas 214 - Max Verstappen 125 - Sergio Perez 119 - Daniel Ricciardo 105 - Carlos Sainz 105 - Alexander Albon 98 -- Charles Leclerc 97 -- Lando Norris 75 -- Pierre Gasly 75 -- Lance Stroll 62 -- Esteban Ocon 33 -- Sebastian Vettel 32 -- Daniil Kvyat 10 -- Nico Hulkenberg 4 --- Kimi Ráikkönen 4 --- Antonio Giovinazzi 3 --- George Russell 2 --- Romain Grosjean 1 --- Kevin Magnussen 0 --- Nicholas Latifi 0 --- Jack Aitken 0 --- Pietro Fittipaldi
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 573 - Mercedes AMG 319 - Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 202 - McLaren Renault 195 - Racing Point Mercedes 181 - Renault 131 - Scuderia Ferrari 107 - Scuderia AlphaTauri 8 --- Alfa Romeo Racing 3 --- Haas Ferrari 0 --- Williams Mercedes
JGK
Roar Guru
Yawn of a race. Great that Daniel knicked the fastest lap at the end.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
POST-RACE INTERVIEWS - Hosted by Martin Brundle VERSTAPPEN - "It was really enjoyable." "Starting up the front makes life much easier." "Overall it was a very strong race for the team." BOTTAS - "I think Red Bull was too quick today. Surprisingly quick." "I feel like it was a solid race from my side. No mistakes." "It's been a while since I've been on the podium." HAMILTON - "You can't win them all!" "I'm really generally happy with the weekend." "That was a really hard race for me, physically. I'm just glad it's over." "Body is not feeling great."
Micko
Roar Rookie
Some small consolation for Danny Ric getting the fastest lap.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 55-LAP ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 1 M. Verstappen 2 V. Bottas 3 L. Hamilton 4 A. Albon 5 L. Norris 6 C. Sainz* 7 D. Ricciardo (Fastest Lap) 8 P. Gasly 9 E. Ocon 10 L. Stroll 11 D. Kvyat 12 K. Räikkönen 13 C. Leclerc 14 S. Vettel 15 G. Russell 16 A. Giovinazzi 17 N. Latifi 18 K. Magnussen 19 P. Fittipaldi RET S. Perez Sainz is still under investigation for driving slowly in the pit-lane.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX! A perfect lights to flag victory for the 23-year old from pole position. Valtteri Bottas leads Mercedes home in second and ending their season as seven-time constructor champions. While Lewis Hamilton claims third to end his season as a seven-time driver's world champion.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 55/55: FINAL LAP
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 54/55: Albon actually has closed up on Hamilton to 1.8-seconds.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 53/55: 12-second lead for Verstappen now and he has also lapped all the cars up to Räikkönen in twelfth.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 52/55: No signs that anyone will be making any additional stops now. This one is just going to fizzle out, if it hasn't already.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 51/55: Ocon closing in on Stroll again for ninth, the gap is now 1.1-seconds.