2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lore & Background

A second race win in succession – as well as a second consecutive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix win – for Vettel, coupled with other championship contenders Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber finishing second, seventh and eighth respectively, allowed him to become the youngest World Drivers' Champion, at the age of 23 years, 134 days. Button's third place allowed him to finish fifth in the championship standings, having been eliminated from championship contention at the previous race in Brazil. Due to injuries sustained in a rally crash prior to the 2011 Formula One season, this was the last Formula One race for Robert Kubica until the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. This was also the last Grand Prix for Lucas di Grassi and Christian Klien. This event also notably marked the last race for Bridgestone as a tyre supplier in Formula One, since their full time debut in 1997. Pirelli became the sole tyre supplier for all teams in 2011, entering the sport for the first time since 1991.

In Their Own Story

Under the floodlights of Yas Marina, the desert air hummed with anticipation. Inside the cockpit, Vettel felt the RB6 respond to every input as he closed the gap on his rivals. In the Ferrari garage, silence replaced the usual pre-race energy; the strategy call that should have secured glory now looked like a fatal miscalculation. When Vettel crossed the line, the roar of the crowd merged with the scream of his engine, cementing a legacy that would define the next decade of motorsport and mark Red Bull's arrival at the summit.

Reader's Guide

Heading into the final race of the season, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was leading the Drivers' Championship with 246 points; Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were second and third on 238 points and 231 points respectively. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was technically also in contention on 222 points, 24 behind Alonso with a maximum of 25 points available for the final race. As a result, this was the first occasion that four drivers still had a chance of winning the Drivers' Championship at the final event of the season. In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull Racing had already secured their first championship title with a total of 469 points, 48 clear of second-placed McLaren with a maximum of 43 points available. McLaren were themselves not confirmed in second place in the championship, with a 32-point advantage over Ferrari. Much of the media coverage occurring before the event was centred upon Red Bull, and the possibility of team orders being used to influence the result of the championship – if the team was in the position to do so – as had been used by Ferrari at the German Grand Prix. During that race, Ferrari had used radio transmissions to organize for Fernando Alonso to overtake teammate Felipe Massa for the race victory and gain seven extra points towards the Drivers' Championship. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and team principal Christian Horner both stated that Red Bull would not impose any team orders in order to benefit one of its drivers in a bid to stop Alonso from winning the championship. Sebastian Vettel himself had stated that he would help his teammate win the championship if required, having trailed Mark Webber by seven points heading into the weekend. After 242 races since their full-time return in 1997, tyre supplier Bridgestone bowed out of Formula One, having been the sport's single tyre supplier since Michelin pulled out after the 2006 season. Pirelli took over the tyre contract in 2011, returning to Formula One for the first time since 1991.

Did You Know?

• Sebastian Vettel became the youngest World Drivers' Champion at age 23 years, 134 days.
• This was the last Formula One race for Robert Kubica until the 2019 Australian Grand Prix due to injuries sustained in a rally crash prior to the 2011 season.
• This was the last Grand Prix for Lucas di Grassi and Christian Klien.
• This race marked the last for Bridgestone as a tyre supplier in Formula One since their full-time debut in 1997; Pirelli became the sole supplier in 2011.