Farewell
So there you have it. Lewis Hamilton claims his second world title after winning his 11th race of the season in Abu Dhabi. Nico Rosberg started on pole but was overtaken by Hamilton before the first turn and the German suffered a series of mechanical problems to end up in 14th. Felipe Massa took second in front of Valtteri Bottas but it’s all about Hamilton who sprays some non-alcoholic fizz across the podium. “I’m lost for words,” Hamilton says before then thanking the fans, his family and team in a long-winded way. On Rosberg he adds: “All year long he drove very well.” Stay tuned for Paul Weaver’s report and thanks for joining.
Hamilton wipes off a mixture of sweat and tears (but mostly tears) and what a fantastic achievement for the man from Stevenage. Nico Rosberg arrives to congratulate him, a nice ending to a heated season.
A special word for Felipe Massa, too, from Alex Perring via email
Raced wonderfully today. His highest finish in 2 years. Here is hoping that this marks a return to form for next season
That was Hamilton’s 11th win of the season compared to Rosberg’s five victories but the dramatic conclusion to the title race itself was really something of a damp squib due to the German’s car problems. Rosberg is sent a nice message over the radio from his team but, disappointment being an understatement, responds with silence. Hamilton parks up in the pits, surrounded by hundreds of photographers, and is met by his loved ones – a blubbering Nicole kisses his helmet – and then mechanics.
Fireworks go off and there are tears, cheers and hugs in Hamilton’s spot in the pits. “Thank you for not making the British public sweat,” Prince Harry tells him over the radio. “World champion, I can’t believe it,” the driver responds, preceded by an impressively high-pitched yelp, before doing some impressive donuts off the track.
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS
… the race and indeed the world title
Lap 54: Hamilton is a minute and forty something seconds from becoming world champion for a second time. Massa is gaining ground but the Mercedes driver will not be caught now.
Lap 54: Nico Rosberg is told to “box, box, box” and retire but he says “No, I’d like to finish the race.” He is being lapped and is dropping down. A sad ending for the German.
Lap 53: Lewis Hamilton about to lap Nico Rosberg.
Lap 52: Massa is only 3.5 seconds behind though and appears desperate to spoil the party a little but Hamilton should have a little more to spare over the final laps.
Lap 52: Rosberg is in 12th and Hamilton is told that he is no longer a threat so is given permission to go out in style and crown his title with victory.
Lap 51: With each lap Massa is eating a bit into Hamilton’s lead but the champion elect continues to maintain his time. Rosberg is down to ninth having been overtaken by Perez and then Vettel, in his last race for Red Bull.
Lap 50: Five laps to go and we’re treated to shown shots of Prince Harry talking to Red Bull mechanics and Hamilton’s significant other, Nicole Scherzinger, staring anxiously at a screen. There really isn’t much need, though, unless his car blows up and there’s more drama to allow Rosberg’s dodgy car to make it from seventh to fifth.
Lap 49: Ricciardo pits and drops from third to fifth. Rosberg remains seventh with Perez, Alonso and Vettel close behind.
Lap 48: Vettel pits and comes out in 10th but he should be able to gain a few more places with a new set of super softs and others in front due to stop. Massa continues to charge and he is now eight seconds behind Hamilton.
Lap 47: Hamilton’s gap in front of Massa is now 9.5 seconds with the latter gaining on him.
Lap 46: It’s admirable how Rosberg is continuing with all these problems. Although he has just been told he could still finish in fifth, that really looks unlikely unless there is some drama in front of him as Massa set a new fastest lap, 10.3 seconds behind the leader, Hamilton.
As it stands after 45 laps
1 Lewis Hamilton
2 Felipe Massa
3 Daniel Ricciardo
4 Valtteri Bottas
5 Sebastian Vettel
6 Jenson Button
7 Nico Rosberg
Lap 45: The message over the radio to Hamilton is to “keep the pace up” because it appears Massa is planning to attack. Down the field, the Catheram car of Kamui Kobayashi is being rolled off.
Lap 44: Massa pits and Hamilton is back in front, with the Brazilian coming back out with a set of super soft tyres and into second. Ricciardo is in third.
Lap 43: Lewis Hamilton has posted a quick last lap and then says “I’m comfortable” on the radio but you can still hear the anxiousness in his voice.
Lap 42: It’s only getting worse for Rosberg. “Guys, what’s going on?” he asks on the radio, with an apparent additional brake problem making things even more difficult for the German. We don’t hear what the response is but it’s now merely a case of Hamilton getting around the final 13 laps safely.
Lap 41: And now Button has overtaken him. What a disappointing damp squib this is turning out to be.
Lap 40: Rosberg’s last lap was the slowest of the entire field with the exception of the rookie Will Stevens, who is currently bringing up the rear.
Lap 39: Felipe Massa’s lead over Hamilton is around 15 seconds at present, while Ricciardo is another 24 behind the champion elect. Hamilton has just posted his quickest lap and should move back into the lead when Massa pits in the next couple of laps. Rosberg has slowed a little more and Jenson Button is only three seconds behind him in eighth.
Lap 37: Rosberg is not happy on the radio. Asks “what the hell can I do to get fifth?”, the reply he receives riles him further. “Just go flat out.”
As it stands after 36 laps
1 Felipe Massa
2 Lewis Hamilton
3 Daniel Ricciardo (new fastest lap)
4 Valtteri Bottas
5 Sergio Perez
6 Nico Hulkenberg
7 Nico Rosberg
Lap 35: Rosberg pits and comes out in seventh. His only hope now is to finish in the top five and Hamilton to have a spectacular failure over the next 20 laps.
Lap 34: It’s looking all so bleak for Rosberg, who is down to fourth as Bottas easily gets past the German. All Hamilton needs is to maintain and the championship is his
Lap 32: Oh and now it appears that this is merely management from Hamilton’s camp as he comes back around and takes a 2.7 second pitstop. Rosberg is in front as Hamilton comes back out but the British driver soon overtakes him. Massa’s lead is 15 seconds.
Lap 30: Nico Rosberg’s mechanical issues are continuing and fourth place Valteri Bottas is closing on him as Felipe Massa’s pulls clear in second. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, has posted a slower lap, meaning the Brazilian is only nine seconds behind the leader. Both Mercedes drivers are using relatively new power units but these are worrying moments – with Rosberg’s last lap only half a second slower.
As it stands after 30 laps
1 Lewis Hamilton
2 Felipe Massa
3 Nico Rosberg
4 Valtteri Bottas
5 Jenson Button
Updated
Lap 29: Replays show the Venezuelan negotiating turn 20 before finding a safe place to park up. Cameras cut to the pits where the Lotus mechanics are … laughing.
Lap 28: We’re past halfway and Pastor Maldonado’s miserable season is over after his car bursts into flames and he pulls out.
Lap 27: Rosberg has reported back to the pits that it’s more than ERS which has failed as Massa overtakes the Mercedes. Hamilton is 15 seconds clear in front.
Lap 26: Rosberg’s electrical recovery system has failed, like it did in Canada, and Massa is closing on him and Hamilton’s gap has increased to 11 seconds.
Lap 25: Nico Rosberg says he is losing engine power. This is a big, big moment.
Lap 24: Worrying for Rosberg, that gap is now over seven seconds behind. Valtteri Bottas has overtaken Ricciardo, who appears to be conserving his tyres, into fourth.
Lap 23: Lotus’s Romain Grosjean has made his second stop and Ricciardo must be heading down the pits soon. In the race for the title, Hamilton’s lead is currently 2.644 seconds but expect him to pit before Rosberg, who has just overshot a corner a little so expect that gap to increase when they complete this lap.
Lap 22: Sebastian Vettel, who had said his rear tyres were “going off” has pitted along with Kevin Magnussen but Vettel’s stop is a little slow. Ricciardo is now the only driver not to make a stop.
Lap 21: Daniel Ricciardo is now up to fourth but has yet to make a stop
Lap 19: Hamilton is maintaining that gap and it’s all very straightforward from his point of view at the moment. The British driver is very much in control but Rosberg has posted the fastest lap – 1:46.869 on lap 17 – and there must surely be one twist to come over the next hour
Lap 17: Daniil Kvyat becomes the first retirement of the afternoon having spun out. Rosberg’s plan is to keep the gap manageable and, listening to the car radio, they have plans to “go longer than Hamilton” – that gap is now 2.6seconds.
Lap 14: And just as I say that, Massa has pitted and Hamilton is 2.455 seconds in front of Rosberg. Massa comes out in third and Riccardo is now up to sixth.
Updated
Lap 13: Felipe Massa is leading (for the first time since Australia where he started on pole) but of more importance when it comes to the title, Hamilton is a little over two seconds in front of Rosberg.
Updated
David Wall makes a fair point about Red Bull but Daniel Riccardo has been attacking and is making his way up the standings, now into seventh
What were Red Bull thinking in even pushing the limit on front wing flexibility to put them at risk of being penalised (and they should know what they could do considering there had been controversy about that for them in previous seasons)? They have second place in the constructors’ championship sewn up and they had little-to-zero chance of winning this Grand Prix. It seems negligent at best, if not reckless, and certainly embarrassing.
Lap 12: Rosberg is in and the pitstop is a good but not great 2.6sec, just over 21.741 in the lane.
Updated
Lap 11: Hamilton is in the pits, and comes out in third with Rosberg about to make his stop on the next lap. Massa, who has yet to make his stop, is up to second.
As it stands after 10 laps
1 Lewis Hamilton
2 Nico Rosberg
3 Felipe Massa
4 Valtteri Bottas
Lap 9: Meanwhile, Rosberg is told he will go for another three laps before making his first stop.
Lap 8: With each lap Hamilton is moving very slightly further in front – the gap is now up to +2.456 – but that’s only marginal at the moment. Hamilton is told his first stop is very near, waiting for traffic to clear in the pit lane.
Lap 7: TV coverage is currently focusing on the battle for sixth but Hamilton is +1.713 in front after seven laps and the first few drivers are heading into the pits for the first of three stops.
Lap 5: The gap is now +1.571 as they move on to the fifth lap of 55. Meanwhile, Alonso is attacking and has overtaken two to move into fight. Kimi Raikkonen has dropped into seventh.
Updated
Lap 3: Hamilton’s lead remains roughly the same as we are shown replays of the start again. Felipe Massa is in third, Jenson Button currently resides in fourth.
Lap 2: So after that intial piece of drama, Lewis Hamilton is 1.239sec in front of Nico Rosberg as they complete the first lap.
Meanwhile, Robert Hagan has emailed in
Somehow I don’t think you would be saying the double points award was ridiculous if Hamilton was in the Rosberg position and stood a chance of winning the title.
To nip any accusation of bias in the bud – I am Irish
Updated
We are go
Amazing. Lewis Hamilton has zoomed past Rosberg once the lights go out and makes the first turn in front, with his team-mate trailing in second.
An email from John McEnerney
Hi Alan, I reckon Eddie gets his shirts from Ushio Shinohara(the boxer painter). If LH plays it cool & has no car trouble he’ll clinch it but if he goes for the win it could backfire. I think he’s matured a little this year & if he plays it safe & finishes 2nd it show his maturity. Can see this one being a little boring but you never know! Hamilton to win the title!
That maturity was highlighted in Damon Hill’s column in this morning’s Observer, where he says 29-33 is the peak for drivers. Both Hamilton and Rosberg are, yep, 29.
They’re off … on the formation lap, with Rosberg leading them out in front of 60,000 fans around the tack. A pointer: Rosberg has never won back-to-back races.
Five minutes until the off. We’re all agreed that the double points showdown is absolute nonsense but if Rosberg ends up winning the title, would it be the most undeserved result in sporting history? Let me know … alan.smith@theguardian.com or if Twitter is your thing, @alansmith90
Good afternoon, everyone. Before we get on to the race, let’s deal with the serious issues first: where did Eddie Jordan get his shirt?
Alan will be here shortly. Meanwhile, read Damon Hill’s thoughts on Lewis Hamilton’s place in history:
We now have to count Lewis among the great drivers of F1, even if he fails to win in Abu Dhabi. His wins total, 32, is massive, and if he had been picked up by Red Bull he would easily be a four-times world champion by now. He was very unfortunate not to win his first world title in 2007 and has been let down in terms of car reliability by McLaren and Mercedes since then.
I believe Lewis is driving better than ever now. He is starting to marry his natural talent with experience. When you have the right mix you get the guy in his absolute prime. It’s uncanny how it happens between the ages of 29 and 33. That seems to be the golden patch for racing drivers. I didn’t get into it until I was 33; I might have missed my peak. Drivers just seem to settle at this stage, and have more confidence than desperation.
Lewis is certainly quick enough and, like Fernando Alonso, he’s a hard man to keep behind you. He just seems to pick up speed in a race. In qualifying, he has sometimes overcooked it to Nico’s benefit. Nico seems able to take it to the edge without going over. Lewis has sometimes gone over. But once he settles into a race he has been hard for Nico to manage.
