Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

O&N HOME | NFL MLB NBA NHL NCAAF NCAABk Nascar Golf Soccer Tennis Boxing Horse Racing All Sports

Vettel wins inaugural Abu Dhabi GP

Sun 1st, November 2009

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Sports Network) - Sebastian Vettel concluded the 2009 Formula One season with a convincing victory in the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while his teammate Mark Webber finished second to give Red Bull Racing a 1-2 finish at the newly-built Yas Marina Circuit.

Vettel took command after Lewis Hamilton, the pole sitter, retired early due to brake failure. The 22-year-old German claimed his fourth victory of the season. The Abu Dhabi GP marked the first F1 twilight event.

"It's a perfect day to finish the season on a high," said Vettel, who joined Michael Schumacher as the only German drivers to score four or more F1 wins in a year.

Webber held off a furious charge from new world champion Jenson Button in the closing laps to take second. Red Bull took the top-two finishing positions for the fourth time this season and finished second to Brawn GP in the constructors' championship battle.

"To sum up the season, it was up and down," Vettel said. "I think the second half we have been very strong with the fourth 1-2 for Red Bull Racing."

Button finished third and ended the season with an 11-point advantage over Vettel and 18 ahead of his Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello, who finished fourth in what maybe his last race with Brawn. Button clinched the drivers' title with a fifth-place finish two weeks ago in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"After Brazil, it would have been easy to say let's just enjoy ourselves and not concentrate on Abu Dhabi, but we did and we came away with a podium, which is a nice way to end the year," Button said.

Nick Heidfeld from BMW Sauber took the fifth spot, while Toyota's Kamui Kobayashi came in sixth in his second race substituting for the injured Timo Glock. Kobayashi's teammate Jarno Trulli was seventh, followed by Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, Nico Rosberg from Williams and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.

Hamilton, last year's champion, endured his first-ever mechanical retirement in his three-year F1 career. The McLaren driver had the dominant car in practice and qualifying during the weekend.

"It's a shame as the car felt so good these last couple of days, but we haven't had many brake problems this year," said Hamilton, who finished 19th.

Jaime Alguersuari also retired early when he mistakenly stopped in Vettel's pit stall and ran out of fuel on the track while attempting to pit again on the following lap.