Lewis Hamilton produced a near-flawless performance on Sunday when he took full advantage of the early retirement of double world champion Sebastian Vettel to win a sizzling ‘day-night' Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Driving his McLaren with measured assurance and great speed, the 26-year-old Englishman dominated from the second corner of the opening lap to the finish as he claimed his third win of a troubled season and 17th of his career.
He started second, but took the lead within a few hundred metres when 24-year-old German Vettel's Red Bull suffered a puncture to his right-rear tyre and forced him to swerve off the Yas Marina circuit.
Hamilton streaked by and took a lead he relinquished only twice briefly during the pit-stops as he delivered one of the most accomplished performances of his 89 races in Formula One.
Two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso came home second for Ferrari, wiping away some of the memories of a nightmare race in 2010 when his title challenge was wrecked by strategic mistakes.
Briton Jenson Button in the second McLaren fought through to finish third ahead of Vettel's Red Bull teammate Australian Mark Webber and fifth-placed Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari.
German Nico Rosberg led compatriot and Mercedes teammate seven-time champion Michael Schumacher home in sixth and seventh places with another German, Adrian Sutil, finishing eighth ahead of his Force India teammate rookie Briton Paul di Resta. .”
Starting from a record-equalling 14th pole position of the season, Vettel made a clean start when the lights went out and pulled clear of Hamilton and into the lead. The field behind him rushed unscathed into racing order behind him.
Vettel retires
Having won both previous Grand Prix events held at the Yas Marina circuit, it looked like business as usual for the 24-year-old German, but only for a few hundred metres as a puncture pitched him out of control and off the circuit as he turned into Turn Two.
The right rear tyre of Vettel's Red Bull machine deflated rapidly and, although he was able to recover and nurse the car back to the pits, it signalled the end and his first retirement in more than a year since the Korean Grand Prix of 2010.
The results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 1hr 37mins 11.886s; 2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), +8.4s; 3. Jenson Button (McLaren), +25.8; 4. Mark Webber (Red Bull), +35.7; 5. Felipe Massa (Ferrari), +50.5; 6. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), +52.3; 7. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), +1:15.9; 8. Adrian Sutil (Force India), +1:17.1; 9. Paul di Resta (Force India), +1:41.087; 10. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), +1 lap; 11. Sergio Perez (Sauber), +1 lap; 12. Rubens Barrichello (Williams), +1 lap; 13. Vitaly Petrov (Renault), +1 lap; 14. Pastor Maldonado (Williams), +1 lap; 15. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), +1 lap; 16. Bruno Senna (Renault), +1 lap; 17. Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus), +1 lap; 18. Jarno Trulli (Lotus), +2 laps; 19. Timo Glock (Virgin), +2 laps; 20. Vitantonio Liuzzi (HRT), +2 laps. Retired: Daniel Ricciardo (HRT) 7 laps; Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso), 36 laps; Jerome d'Ambrosio (Virgin), 37 laps; Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 54 laps.
Drivers' championship: 1. Vettel 374 points; 2. Button 255; 3. Alonso 245; 4. Webber 233; 5. Hamilton 227; 6. Massa 108; 7. Rosberg, 83; 8. Schumacher76; 9. Petrov 36; 10. Heidfeld 34; 11. Sutil 34; 12. Kobayashi 28; 13. Alguersuari 26; 14. di Resta 23; 15. Buemi 15; 16. Perez 14; 17. Barrichello 4; 18. Senna 2; 19. Maldonado 1.
Constructors' standings: 1. Red Bull 607 points; 2. McLaren 482; 3. Ferrari 353; 4. Mercedes 159; 5. Renault 72; 6. Force India 57; 7. Sauber 42; 8. Toro Rosso 41; 9. Williams 5.
