Zoom Vettel slots in behind Hamilton on his way to victory

Sebastian Vettel capped off his impressive season with a series of donuts in front of fans at the stunning Yas Marina facility having secured an impressive fourth grand prix win of the season. Mark Webber capped off his season with the runner-up position helping Red Bull Renault to their fourth one-two result of the year, while Jenson Button showed his fighting spirit as he chased the Australian across the line. The season is now over and the 20 drivers give their views on the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

1 . S. Vettel - Red Bull Renault RB5
Vettel secured a well-deserved second position in the championship with his fourth win of the season. Shadowed Hamilton in the opening laps before taking the lead in the first round of pitstops and then controlled his pace at the head of the field.

“That was a fantastic race. We had a very good start, it wasn’t good enough to overtake Lewis, but I was surprised I was so close to him. Then, when Lewis was on the long straight, he pushed a button and disappeared ahead, but I was able to stay close. We knew we were a little bit heavier and we were always able to catch him up, especially in the last sector. The car was a dream today. There was a lot of pressure, I nearly went a bit wide in the pit lane entrance during my first stop and then there was the scary exit through the tunnel, but I was on the limit and it was enough to get past Lewis. Unfortunately he then had to retire, but up to that point it was a fantastic race with him.

"After that I had a little bit of a cushion to Mark and Jenson behind and I was able to pace myself, but the car was fantastic until the end. It worked brilliantly on both tyre compounds and it was a pleasure to sit in the car this evening. To sum up the season, what can I say? I would say up and down, we are currently very strong and have just gained our fourth one-two finish, so congratulations to the team. They have been pushing a lot, working very hard back in the factory. It’s a shame now that the season ends, as we are on a roll! It’s just perfect to finish the season in this way on such a high.”

2 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB5
Survived lap one contact with Barrichello and ran third before Hamilton peeled off into the pits to retire. Defended his position in the closing laps to help Red Bull record their fourth one-two finish of the season.

"I made a pretty good start and had a bit of a look on the outside of Sebastian, but I knew I had to get back on the inside and get a good exit, as it was a long run down to Turn five. My car got hit quite hard on the left rear after the first corner and I was worried about a puncture. My race engineer, Ciaron, told me the tyre had enough pressure and I was relieved. It looked like Lewis was struggling a little bit in the first few laps and Sebastian and I were able to get a bit closer to him than we expected. Things then started to stabilise and I was pretty happy on the prime tyres.

"Sebastian was a bit quicker today in the second two race stints, especially the last one. I didn’t have much of a feeling on the option tyre and it was the same for me on Friday. I was quite slow on that and preferred the stability of the prime. Towards the end of the race, Jenson was able to close the gap to me and I thought ‘this is going to be tight’! We knew we had a slight top-speed advantage, but not much and I had to make sure I was accurate with my braking points. We had a good clean fight on the limit and the battle was a credit to how Jenson’s driven all year. I want to congratulate the team on what they have achieved and thank them for their patience with me at the start of the year when I was coming back from my accident. It’s been very enjoyable driving alongside Sebastian this year, Renault has given us a fantastic engine and overall Red Bull can be incredibly proud of what they have done. It’s been my best season to date; we’ve had 16 podiums together; it’s very good.”

3 . J. Button - Brawn Mercedes BGP 001
Another spirited drive from the 2009 champion who passed team-mate Barrichello in the pits and chased down Webber to finish in third position.

"It was a fun race today and to be on the podium for the last race of the year is fantastic. I've really enjoyed driving here at the Yas Marina Circuit this weekend and Abu Dhabi has done a fantastic job for its first Grand Prix. We expected the prime tyre to be the better tyre in the race but I was struggling for balance especially as the track temperatures started to fall and it became more difficult to get heat into the front tyres. The car felt great when we switched to the soft tyre for the final stint. It really felt transformed and suddenly I had a great front end and could carry more speed into the corners.

"The last few laps were really exciting and I was giving everything to take second place from Mark. I couldn't quite make the moves stick and he's a very difficult guy to overtake but it was a good clean fight and we were really on the edge. I'm a little bit disappointed not to get second but it's still great to finish on the podium. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the team in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. It really has been a fantastic year and they should all be very proud of what we have achieved together. It's nice to end the year on a high after what has been a very competitive and challenging season."

4 . R. Barrichello - Brawn Mercedes BGP 001
Hampered with front wing damage after his first lap skirmish with Webber, unable to hold back Button in the stop and went on to finish fourth in what was probably his final race with the team.

"We had a pretty competitive race today. The start was quite exciting and I went to the inside at turn one but unfortunately I collided slightly with Mark and he took a chunk of my front wing with him. It lost me a lot of downforce initially which let Jenson past but I was able to live with the understeer so we decided not to change the nose and I just pushed as hard as possible. I was quicker than Jenson in the middle stint but it's very difficult to overtake, even more so when it's your team-mate in the same car, so there was nothing I could do to get past him. Still it was a competitive race throughout and a lot of fun so I have to be pleased with fourth position today. It's truly been a great season and I have to thank the team for giving me a car that has been so competitive this year and the opportunity to return to winning ways again. We've had a great year together."

5 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.09
A strong race from Heidfeld to finish just four seconds behind Barrichello in what was BMW Sauber’s 70th and final grand prix. His result moves BMW Sauber up to sixth position in the championship ahead of Williams Toyota.

“I am very happy with my fifth place. It was a good race in which I was able to get the maximum out of the car and score four points, which was enough to reach our target for the end of the season to overtake Williams in the constructors’ championship. After I have been a little unlucky in recent races, this time I was really able to exploit the car’s potential. For quite a long period I was able to go at the same speed as the world champion’s car, the Brawn. The strategy to go for a rather long stint paid off and the track was even more fun when it had more rubber on it. It is a pleasing end to our last season together. It now becomes very emotional. During the last laps I had to pull myself together in order to keep my concentration.”

6 . K. Kobayashi - Toyota TF109
Another impressive drive to score his first championship points with sixth position. Made great use of his one stop strategy to beat team-mate Jarno Trulli for position.

"It was a really good race for me. At the start I overtook (Kimi) Raikkonen and that was important in the end because it would have been difficult to finish in the top six if I had been behind him during the first stint. When I got past I was confident I had the race pace to fight for the points and my target was to be consistently fast. The team did a great job with the strategy and the pit stop which played a big part in helping me finish in the points. I certainly wasn't expecting to be racing in Formula 1 this season and I want to say thank you to Toyota for this opportunity. My target was to finish in the points today but I am a bit surprised to be in the top six. This is a fantastic result and I am extremely happy."

7 . J. Trulli - Toyota TF109
Started in sixth position but lost out to rookie team-mate with his traditional two stop strategy.

"It was not an easy race for me. I made a good start and was fighting with the BMWs on the first laps, which was good fun, but I was struggling a little with traction. During the stint the rear tyres were degrading and then later braking consistency became an issue. I was pushing as hard as possible and putting in some good laps to fight for the top six. In the end I was seventh, which is not bad, and for the team the result is pretty good. Obviously Kamui drove really well and I am very pleased for him; he deserved this result."

8 . S. Buemi - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR4
Clashed with Kubica late in the race but held on to secure his second straight points finish after a strong debut season.

“Getting another point today, after also scoring in Brazil, is a nice way to end the season. The entire team has done a great job over the past four races and so I am looking forward to next year. At first, I was having trouble matching Rosberg’s pace, but I picked up more and more speed as the race progressed. I lost a bit of time behind Nakajima, but overall I think I did the best I could and it was a great race. My fight with Robert was quite fair, as I think I left him enough space.”

9 . N. Rosberg - Williams Toyota FW31
Gained one position courtesy of the Buemi-Kubica clash but unable to challenge for points in his final race with Williams Toyota.

"It wasn’t a terribly exciting race for me today as I just didn’t have the pace to do any better. I would have liked to help the team hold on to sixth place in the constructors’ championship. From a personal perspective, my seventh place in the driver’s table wasn’t challenged and I think this was a good result this year in the circumstances. It's been a long season and I would really like to thank all the team for their effort during the last four years. We have had a great time together."

10 . R. Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.09
Arguably over optimistic in his attempted pass of Buemi late in the race, but his race was hampered by a lack of pace in his second stint.

“I lost the race in the second stint when I was very slow, while in the first stint I was able to go at quite a good pace, similar to Rubens. The car was working very well. After changing tyres I had no grip at all. The track was getting quicker and I just could not go at the pace of the other drivers. This was very strange. My fight with Sebastien Buemi was quite tough and a bit dangerous. We nearly touched when braking into the chicane. He first moved to the left and blocked the inside of the left hander. When I moved to the right he pushed me over the high inside kerb of the right hander section of the chicane and I spun. He did not leave any space at all. Thanks a lot to the team for the last four years. I hope to meet them back on the grid next year.”

11 . H. Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes MP4-24
A great start from 18th to run 13th and then got the jump on Raikkonen to gain a further place. Had he started 13th and not had his gearbox change penalty, undoubtedly would have scored points.

“I got a really good start and managed to overtake some cars. Unfortunately, the performance of my car was not as I’d have liked, and the heavy fuel load made it harder to make greater progress – but I was fighting right until the last corner. After my pitstop, my KERS stopped working, which meant I had to adapt the car to perform well without it. Still, after this race we can reflect on our overall season and look at what a great job we did to secure third position in the constructors’ championship. That was thanks to an incredible team effort. We never gave up, and really turned the tables around. And I’m extremely proud to be a part of the team that beat Ferrari in the constructors’ championship for the first time since 2005.”

12 . K. Raikkonen - Ferrari F60
A poor end to the season as he lost a position to Kobayashi at the start and then Kovalainen in the stops. His final race for the Italian team but the team’s focus has been on 2010 for a long while and the F60 was just not competitive in Abu Dhabi.

“We knew we did not have a car that was competitive here. It was definitely not a good weekend, but I don’t think any of us have anything to reproach ourselves for. We did the most we could with the package we hard. At the start, the track was a bit slippery and that cost me a place to Kobayashi, who was very quick today. Then, when the two Brawns were back ahead of me, after their first pit stop, our race was definitely compromised and a points finish became impossible. It’s a shame to end my time with Ferrari with this result, but this year we have never been in a position to fight for the win at every race, as I would have wished.”

13 . K. Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW31
Unable to make progress on race day with his one stop strategy and ends his second full season having failed to score a championship point.

"It wasn’t easy running on a one-stop today and I didn’t feel that the first stint went well. The middle of the race was more affected by traffic, but there was nothing to do except keep plugging away for 55 laps, but it was a good battle and I enjoyed myself."

14 . F. Alonso - Renault R29
Off the pace all weekend, the double world champion made some minor progress on race day to finish 14th in his final race with the team. Overall, a disappointing end to his second stint with the team.

“The result today is disappointing as we were not able to produce the performance we wanted. I would have liked to finish the season on a high, especially as this was my last race with Renault. I would like to thank the entire team for everything that we have achieved together over the years. We had some great victories and won championships together. It has been the most amazing seven years of my career and something I will never forget.”

15 . V. Liuzzi - Force India Mercedes VJM02
Struggled for pace with Force India Mercedes due to a brake problem.

"Overall I thought we got the maximum from the car today but unfortunately we had a problem with the brakes more or less from the beginning of the race so we couldn't really fight for positions. I was behind the Williams at the start and one of the Toyotas in the middle of the race so we were pretty much mixing it in the midfield. We had a problem with the soft tyres in the first 15 laps that caused a lot of oversteer so I think it is the maximum we could have achieved. We knew it would be difficult to score points and although I would have liked to get some on the board at the end of the season I am happy we have showed some good form in these five races."

16 . G. Fisichella - Ferrari F60
A drive through penalty capped off a miserable stint with Ferrari ahead of the Italian veteran taking a testing role with the team. It was probably Fisichella’s last race in Formula One and it was not the dream he and Ferrari had hoped for.

“I am disappointed that third place [in the championship] got away from us like this, but today our pace was what it was, as can be seen from my team-mate’s twelfth place. I tried all I could, as usual and I feel I drove a good race. It was a shame about the drive-through which compromised my second stint. I got a good start and got past Grosjean, who then got ahead of me again, cutting the chicane, but then in his turn, he got by, taking back what I had gained. I am sorry that I wasn’t able to contribute to the team in terms of points and to have not really shown my worth. Unfortunately, the F60 is very difficult to drive, especially in qualifying and starting from the back is always a big penalty. Now the time has come to think of the future: I do not yet know if I will get a race drive with a team, but what is certain is that I will be a Ferrari driver and I am happy about that.”

17 . A. Sutil - Force India Mercedes VJM02
Surprisingly off the pace in qualifying and in the race, ran towards the tail of the field all evening.

"We had some problems at the start of the race with the tyres and had to stop earlier than expected to change to a new set. The two stop strategy was the right one and the race went okay although we obviously didn't get any points, which was the aim. All the same it has been a very good season, naturally with a lot of ups and downs, but we've gone massively forward from the beginning of the season to the end. I think we can be very proud of this progress."

18 . R. Grosjean - Renault R29
He was final finisher in 18th position in a car that simply is not on the pace of its rivals. A difficult stint for Grosjean with Renault may now be over.

“The race today was disappointing. I made a good start but I was blocked several times. I also suffered with some brake problems during the race. Towards the end I unfortunately lost a place to Fisichella, which was a shame, but the performance of the car didn’t really allow me to show what I was capable of today. It’s now the end of the season and I can say that I have learnt an enormous amount this year, especially being teammate to Fernando.”

19 . L. Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-24
Unable to shake off Vettel at the front of the field before losing the lead in the first round of stops. Retired soon after with a brake problem but another strong performance from the 2008 champion.

“I had a good start, but I realised early on that something wasn’t right with the brakes. After three or four laps, it became clear that there was a problem with my right-rear brake pad, so I couldn’t open up the gap back to Sebastian and Mark. When the problem got worse, the team radioed me and told me to stop at the end of the lap. Of course, it’s a shame that we couldn’t show the performance we’d had throughout the weekend – but sometimes that’s racing. However, I think we can be really proud of our efforts: who’d have thought we’d finish third in the constructors’ championship at the start of this season? It’s been an incredible year, and now I can’t wait for next season to start so I can fight for the world championship again.”

20 . J. Alguersuari - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR4
Entered the wrong pit box before being sent on his way by the team, only to retire with a gearbox problem.

“My start was not too bad, but I got a bit boxed in and on the first lap, I made a mistake at turn 19, losing the rear of the car and going onto the grass, which is when I lost a few places. Then later, I had to stop with a gearbox problem as a couple of gears were disabled, so I decided to pit. But there was a misunderstanding because I came into the Red Bull Racing pit next door as my team was not expecting me. I therefore drove back onto the track and had to retire there when the gearbox broke.”

Earl ALEXANDER
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