After a long and dramatic year of on-track action, the 2014 Formula 1 season came to a close at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
The double-points final round decided the drivers' champion. Would it be Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg? Read on to find out.
Following the excitement of the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, the F1 paddock reconvened in Abu Dhabi for the final round of the year and the second day-to-night race of the season.
Of course, the thoughts of the entire motorsport community continue to be with Jules Bianchi after his serious accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
FP1
The final opening practice session of the season got off to a busy start, with Sergio Perez, Kamui Kobayashi - for the returning Caterham - and Valtteri Bottas being the first to take to the Yas Marina Circuit.
Pastor Maldonado put in the first timed lap with a 1:48.739. The times quickly tumbled, with Rosberg and Hamilton leading the way after the first 30 minutes. Felipe Massa reported loose bodywork and just a few seconds later the same panel flew off his team-mate's car.
Jenson Button and the Williams duo were forced to sit out the second half of the session due to problems. Caterham's Will Stevens missed most of first practice following a technical issue.
Hamilton ended the session at the top of the timesheets after putting in a 1:43.476. Rosberg was second, with Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo next up. Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniil Kvyat, Bottas, Perez and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. Esteban Ocon and Adderly Fong made their F1 race weekend debuts, finishing 16th and 19th. Stevens ended the session down in 20th place, after managing 13 laps.
FP2
With the stunning backdrop of the setting sun, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix second practice got under way. Adrian Sutil, Stevens and Romain Grosjean were the first to take to the track.
The Sauber driver put in the opening lap time - a 1:47.412 - before being displaced by Massa. Rosberg and Hamilton then moved to the front, as drivers completed running on the soft Pirelli compound.
Alonso's session lasted just 17 minutes before he was forced to stop his car with an electrical problem. Kamui Kobayashi was the first driver to switch to the super-soft tyre.
Hamilton took over first place with a 1:42.133, before switching focus to longer runs. He remained fastest by the end of the session, from Rosberg and Kevin Magnussen. Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Button - despite hydraulics and brake issues - and Kvyat were next up. Massa completed the top 10.
FP3
In warm conditions and under sunny skies, the final practice session of the 2014 season got off to a quiet start in Abu Dhabi. Maldonado was first out on track, with Alonso setting the opening lap time.
The Spaniard led the early stages, before being displaced by Rosberg. He failed to return to the track in the second half of FP3, due to his Ferrari mechanics completing an engine change.
Drivers switched to the super-soft tyre for the final five minutes, with the Mercedes duo emerging fastest. Rosberg topped the timesheets with a 1:41.424, four tenths clear of Hamilton and just over one second ahead of Massa.
Alonso remained fourth despite only completing eight laps. Vettel, Button, Ricciardo, Bottas, Kvyat and Raikkonen completed the top 10. Magnussen, Vergne, Perez and Hulkenberg were next up. Stevens was the slowest of the 20 runners in third practice, nine tenths down on Kobayashi.
Qualifying
Q1
The slowest five drivers were eliminated from the fight for pole position in the opening segment of qualifying. The session got off to a busy start, with Stevens and Perez being the first to emerge from the tricky pit lane and take to the Yas Marina Circuit.
Perez put in the opening time with a 1:43.781, but he only held the top spot for a few seconds before being demoted by Magnussen.
The two Mercedes drivers went straight onto the option tyre, with Hamilton and Rosberg predictably moving to the front. The championship leader remained fastest by the chequered flag with a 1:41.207, finishing one tenth clear of his team-mate.
Massa finished third, with Magnussen, Button, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Bottas, Vergne and Raikkonen completing the top 10. Alonso and Vettel finished 12th and 13th. Meanwhile Grosjean, Gutierrez, Maldonado, Kobayashi and Stevens all ended Q1 in the drop-zone.
Q2
Five drivers were also eliminated from the second qualifying session, which got off to a quiet start. As day turned to night, Perez was the first to return to the track and set a timed lap.
His 1:42.467 was quickly bettered by Massa, before Hamilton took over first place on the timesheets. Rosberg backed off on his opening attempt after making a mistake at turn eight and moved up to second place on his next lap.
Hamilton ended Q2 fastest with a 1:40.920, from Massa, Bottas, Rosberg and Ricciardo. Button was sixth, despite only one attempt, with Alonso, Kvyat, Vettel and Raikkonen rounding out the top 10.
Magnussen dropped down the order in the closing stages, finishing just inside the drop-zone in 11th. He was joined by Vergne, Perez Hulkenberg and Sutil.
Q3
The final segment of qualifying decided the top 10 positions on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix grid. Bottas was the first to take to the pit lane exit, with Vettel following the Finn out onto the Yas Marina Circuit.
The Red Bull Racing driver set the opening lap time, but he quickly dropped behind the Williams duo and his team-mate Ricciardo. Rosberg topped the timesheets after the opening runs, with Hamilton going second after a mistake at the final corner.
Rosberg extended his advantage with his second lap, taking pole position with a 1:40.480. Hamilton finished under four tenths further back, with Bottas beating his team-mate Massa to third. Ricciardo and Vettel were fifth and sixth fastest for Red Bull Racing.
Kvyat impressed with seventh place in Q3, finishing ahead of Button and Raikkonen. A mistake by Alonso on his second attempt meant he dropped to 10th.
Full qualifying results can be found here.
The Race
Under the setting sun, the final round of the 2014 Formula 1 season took place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and decided the drivers' title.
Rosberg lined up on the grid on pole and 17 points behind his championship rival Hamilton, who was second fastest in qualifying. Which Mercedes driver took the world title? Read on to find out...
For the final time in 2014, the revs rose, the lights went out and for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix got under way. Off the line, Hamilton had a strong start to take the lead into turn one, with Rosberg just holding off Massa. It was a clean first corner, with a few drivers taking to the run-off area.
Magnussen and Hulkenberg got very close at turn five; with the Danish driver losing several positions on lap one before reporting suspension damage, after contact further around the lap with Sutil. Button jumped up to fourth on the opening tour, with Raikkonen and Alonso advancing to fifth and sixth. Kvyat fell to seventh, while Bottas dropped to eighth.
Grosjean completed his drive-through penalty for changing power-unit elements at the end of the first lap. At the front of the field, Hamilton extended his lead to 1.6 seconds after the opening three laps. Alonso moved ahead of Raikkonen, who then dropped behind Kvyat, on lap five before pitting for the prime tyre.
McLaren reacted by pitting Button at the end of the next tour, with Kvyat and Raikkonen following the 2009 world champion in. The Englishman emerged clear of Alonso, who had lost time behind Stevens. The race leader pitted at the end of lap 10, with Rosberg taking the lead.
The German completed his first stop on the following tour, emerging three seconds behind his team-mate. After previously failing to pass his former team-mate, Ricciardo displaced Vergne for seventh place at turn 11 on lap 13. Massa pitted at the end of the tour, with Hamilton re-claiming the lead.
Kvyat became the first retirement from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on lap 17 after a mechanical problem. After 20 laps, Magnussen reported that his soft compound tyres were holding up well. Meanwhile, at the front, Hamilton and Rosberg were separated by 2.6 seconds.
Magnussen and Vettel pitted at the end of lap 21, with a delayed stop for the Red Bull Racing driver. Rosberg reported on lap 25 that he was losing engine power, with Mercedes informing him that it was an ERS failure. He quickly dropped back from Hamilton and into the clutches of Massa.
The Brazilian moved easily into second place on lap 27, as the Mercedes team frantically investigated the problem and searched for answers. Ricciardo pitted for the first time at the end of the tour, with Alonso following him in and completing his second stop. Maldonado's 2014 season ended on the next lap, with the back of his Lotus E22 on fire.
Alonso passed Button on lap 30 at turn 11, after a mistake from the Englishman. After losing time to Massa, Hamilton pitted at the end of the 31st lap and emerged on the soft tyre just behind his team-mate. With Rosberg's issues, he easily moved ahead on the back straight.
Rosberg pitted and emerged in seventh place, before falling behind Vettel. He suffered several off-track excursions as he battled with the problems. Massa relinquished the lead at the end of lap 43 to pit for the second time, emerging on the super-soft tyre after an impressive second stint.
The Brazilian was 9.3 seconds behind Hamilton at the end of the 46th lap and quickly closed the gap. Meanwhile Rosberg slowed considerably and dropped out of the top 10 with four laps remaining.
Despite switching to the option tyre for the final stint, Massa's challenge faded in the final laps. Hamilton took the chequered flag to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and to take the 2014 drivers' championship.
Hamilton wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the 2014 title
Reliability ultimately played a part in deciding the title, but it was nevertheless a fantastic and faultless drive by Hamilton. Rosberg suffered an ERS failure but did not give up. He eventually dropped to 14th but made it to the chequered flag.
Williams enjoyed a very competitive race, with Massa and Bottas finishing second and third. Ricciardo recovered to fourth place after starting from the pit lane, with Button coming home on fifth place for what could potentially be his final F1 race.
Hulkenberg and Perez ended the season with a good result, finishing sixth and seventh for Force India, ahead of Vettel - who also started from the pit lane - and Alonso. The Spaniard ended his final race for Ferrari in ninth, one place ahead of his team-mate Raikkonen.
Magnussen could only manage 11th after his earlier issues, with Vergne and Grosjean finishing just ahead of Rosberg. Gutierrez, Sutil and Stevens - on his F1 debut - completed the finishers. Kobayashi, Maldonado and Kvyat all retired.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix results can be found here.
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| © Octane Photographic |
Following the excitement of the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, the F1 paddock reconvened in Abu Dhabi for the final round of the year and the second day-to-night race of the season.
Of course, the thoughts of the entire motorsport community continue to be with Jules Bianchi after his serious accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
FP1
The final opening practice session of the season got off to a busy start, with Sergio Perez, Kamui Kobayashi - for the returning Caterham - and Valtteri Bottas being the first to take to the Yas Marina Circuit.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Pastor Maldonado put in the first timed lap with a 1:48.739. The times quickly tumbled, with Rosberg and Hamilton leading the way after the first 30 minutes. Felipe Massa reported loose bodywork and just a few seconds later the same panel flew off his team-mate's car.
Jenson Button and the Williams duo were forced to sit out the second half of the session due to problems. Caterham's Will Stevens missed most of first practice following a technical issue.
Hamilton ended the session at the top of the timesheets after putting in a 1:43.476. Rosberg was second, with Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo next up. Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniil Kvyat, Bottas, Perez and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. Esteban Ocon and Adderly Fong made their F1 race weekend debuts, finishing 16th and 19th. Stevens ended the session down in 20th place, after managing 13 laps.
FP2
With the stunning backdrop of the setting sun, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix second practice got under way. Adrian Sutil, Stevens and Romain Grosjean were the first to take to the track.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The Sauber driver put in the opening lap time - a 1:47.412 - before being displaced by Massa. Rosberg and Hamilton then moved to the front, as drivers completed running on the soft Pirelli compound.
Alonso's session lasted just 17 minutes before he was forced to stop his car with an electrical problem. Kamui Kobayashi was the first driver to switch to the super-soft tyre.
Hamilton took over first place with a 1:42.133, before switching focus to longer runs. He remained fastest by the end of the session, from Rosberg and Kevin Magnussen. Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Button - despite hydraulics and brake issues - and Kvyat were next up. Massa completed the top 10.
FP3
In warm conditions and under sunny skies, the final practice session of the 2014 season got off to a quiet start in Abu Dhabi. Maldonado was first out on track, with Alonso setting the opening lap time.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The Spaniard led the early stages, before being displaced by Rosberg. He failed to return to the track in the second half of FP3, due to his Ferrari mechanics completing an engine change.
Drivers switched to the super-soft tyre for the final five minutes, with the Mercedes duo emerging fastest. Rosberg topped the timesheets with a 1:41.424, four tenths clear of Hamilton and just over one second ahead of Massa.
Alonso remained fourth despite only completing eight laps. Vettel, Button, Ricciardo, Bottas, Kvyat and Raikkonen completed the top 10. Magnussen, Vergne, Perez and Hulkenberg were next up. Stevens was the slowest of the 20 runners in third practice, nine tenths down on Kobayashi.
Qualifying
Q1
The slowest five drivers were eliminated from the fight for pole position in the opening segment of qualifying. The session got off to a busy start, with Stevens and Perez being the first to emerge from the tricky pit lane and take to the Yas Marina Circuit.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Perez put in the opening time with a 1:43.781, but he only held the top spot for a few seconds before being demoted by Magnussen.
The two Mercedes drivers went straight onto the option tyre, with Hamilton and Rosberg predictably moving to the front. The championship leader remained fastest by the chequered flag with a 1:41.207, finishing one tenth clear of his team-mate.
Massa finished third, with Magnussen, Button, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Bottas, Vergne and Raikkonen completing the top 10. Alonso and Vettel finished 12th and 13th. Meanwhile Grosjean, Gutierrez, Maldonado, Kobayashi and Stevens all ended Q1 in the drop-zone.
Q2
Five drivers were also eliminated from the second qualifying session, which got off to a quiet start. As day turned to night, Perez was the first to return to the track and set a timed lap.
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| © Octane Photographic |
His 1:42.467 was quickly bettered by Massa, before Hamilton took over first place on the timesheets. Rosberg backed off on his opening attempt after making a mistake at turn eight and moved up to second place on his next lap.
Hamilton ended Q2 fastest with a 1:40.920, from Massa, Bottas, Rosberg and Ricciardo. Button was sixth, despite only one attempt, with Alonso, Kvyat, Vettel and Raikkonen rounding out the top 10.
Magnussen dropped down the order in the closing stages, finishing just inside the drop-zone in 11th. He was joined by Vergne, Perez Hulkenberg and Sutil.
Q3
The final segment of qualifying decided the top 10 positions on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix grid. Bottas was the first to take to the pit lane exit, with Vettel following the Finn out onto the Yas Marina Circuit.
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| © Octane Photographic |
The Red Bull Racing driver set the opening lap time, but he quickly dropped behind the Williams duo and his team-mate Ricciardo. Rosberg topped the timesheets after the opening runs, with Hamilton going second after a mistake at the final corner.
Rosberg extended his advantage with his second lap, taking pole position with a 1:40.480. Hamilton finished under four tenths further back, with Bottas beating his team-mate Massa to third. Ricciardo and Vettel were fifth and sixth fastest for Red Bull Racing.
Kvyat impressed with seventh place in Q3, finishing ahead of Button and Raikkonen. A mistake by Alonso on his second attempt meant he dropped to 10th.
Full qualifying results can be found here.
The Race
Under the setting sun, the final round of the 2014 Formula 1 season took place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and decided the drivers' title.
Rosberg lined up on the grid on pole and 17 points behind his championship rival Hamilton, who was second fastest in qualifying. Which Mercedes driver took the world title? Read on to find out...
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
For the final time in 2014, the revs rose, the lights went out and for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix got under way. Off the line, Hamilton had a strong start to take the lead into turn one, with Rosberg just holding off Massa. It was a clean first corner, with a few drivers taking to the run-off area.
Magnussen and Hulkenberg got very close at turn five; with the Danish driver losing several positions on lap one before reporting suspension damage, after contact further around the lap with Sutil. Button jumped up to fourth on the opening tour, with Raikkonen and Alonso advancing to fifth and sixth. Kvyat fell to seventh, while Bottas dropped to eighth.
Grosjean completed his drive-through penalty for changing power-unit elements at the end of the first lap. At the front of the field, Hamilton extended his lead to 1.6 seconds after the opening three laps. Alonso moved ahead of Raikkonen, who then dropped behind Kvyat, on lap five before pitting for the prime tyre.
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| © Octane Photographic |
McLaren reacted by pitting Button at the end of the next tour, with Kvyat and Raikkonen following the 2009 world champion in. The Englishman emerged clear of Alonso, who had lost time behind Stevens. The race leader pitted at the end of lap 10, with Rosberg taking the lead.
The German completed his first stop on the following tour, emerging three seconds behind his team-mate. After previously failing to pass his former team-mate, Ricciardo displaced Vergne for seventh place at turn 11 on lap 13. Massa pitted at the end of the tour, with Hamilton re-claiming the lead.
Kvyat became the first retirement from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on lap 17 after a mechanical problem. After 20 laps, Magnussen reported that his soft compound tyres were holding up well. Meanwhile, at the front, Hamilton and Rosberg were separated by 2.6 seconds.
Magnussen and Vettel pitted at the end of lap 21, with a delayed stop for the Red Bull Racing driver. Rosberg reported on lap 25 that he was losing engine power, with Mercedes informing him that it was an ERS failure. He quickly dropped back from Hamilton and into the clutches of Massa.
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| © Octane Photographic |
The Brazilian moved easily into second place on lap 27, as the Mercedes team frantically investigated the problem and searched for answers. Ricciardo pitted for the first time at the end of the tour, with Alonso following him in and completing his second stop. Maldonado's 2014 season ended on the next lap, with the back of his Lotus E22 on fire.
Alonso passed Button on lap 30 at turn 11, after a mistake from the Englishman. After losing time to Massa, Hamilton pitted at the end of the 31st lap and emerged on the soft tyre just behind his team-mate. With Rosberg's issues, he easily moved ahead on the back straight.
Rosberg pitted and emerged in seventh place, before falling behind Vettel. He suffered several off-track excursions as he battled with the problems. Massa relinquished the lead at the end of lap 43 to pit for the second time, emerging on the super-soft tyre after an impressive second stint.
The Brazilian was 9.3 seconds behind Hamilton at the end of the 46th lap and quickly closed the gap. Meanwhile Rosberg slowed considerably and dropped out of the top 10 with four laps remaining.
Despite switching to the option tyre for the final stint, Massa's challenge faded in the final laps. Hamilton took the chequered flag to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and to take the 2014 drivers' championship.
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| © Octane Photographic |
Hamilton wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the 2014 title
Reliability ultimately played a part in deciding the title, but it was nevertheless a fantastic and faultless drive by Hamilton. Rosberg suffered an ERS failure but did not give up. He eventually dropped to 14th but made it to the chequered flag.
Williams enjoyed a very competitive race, with Massa and Bottas finishing second and third. Ricciardo recovered to fourth place after starting from the pit lane, with Button coming home on fifth place for what could potentially be his final F1 race.
Hulkenberg and Perez ended the season with a good result, finishing sixth and seventh for Force India, ahead of Vettel - who also started from the pit lane - and Alonso. The Spaniard ended his final race for Ferrari in ninth, one place ahead of his team-mate Raikkonen.
Magnussen could only manage 11th after his earlier issues, with Vergne and Grosjean finishing just ahead of Rosberg. Gutierrez, Sutil and Stevens - on his F1 debut - completed the finishers. Kobayashi, Maldonado and Kvyat all retired.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix results can be found here.
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