Despite all odds, Sebastian Vettel is the new Formula 1 World Champion. Too young or not, he is the one that conquered adversity on Sunday to lead the 2010 championship for the first time in his career – and the only one that really mattered!
Fernando Alonso needed only a fifth place to win his third world championship, but even that was too hard to reach for the Ferrari driver on Sunday.
Vitaly Petrov, notably, made it hard for Alonso who got stuck behind his Renault for lap after lap towards the end of the race. Alonso gesticulated angrily at the Russian after the chequered flag, but later said Petrov "drove very well" in defence.
With a seventh-place finish ahead of poor Mark Webber, the Spaniard left Sebastian Vettel unchallenged at the top. He congratulated him via the media, after the race.
The irony of the day is that the first-lap accident of Michael Schumacher, who got hit by Vitantonio Liuzzi, and the subsequent safety car period helped his young "Baby Schumi" countryman to win his first title.
Born on July 3rd 1987, Sebastian Vettel becomes, at 23, the youngest Formula 1 World Champion. He was the youngest of just about everything in Formula 1 prior to that.
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button completed the podium. The two former champions congratulated the new owner of the title in length after the race.
Results of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB6-Renault) - 55 laps 1.39'36"837
2 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/25-Mercedes) - 10"1
3 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/25-Mercedes) - 11"0
4 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W01) - 30"7
5 - Robert Kubica (Renault R30) - 39"0
6 - Vitaly Petrov (Renault R30) - 43"5
7 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F10) - 43"7
8 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB6-Renault) - 44"2
9 - Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso STR5-Ferrari) - 50"2
10 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F10) - 50"8
11 - Nick Heidfeld (Sauber C29-Ferrari) - 51"5
12 - Rubens Barrichello (Williams FW32-Cosworth) - 57"6
13 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM03-Mercedes) - 58"3
14 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C29-Ferrari) - 59"5
15 - Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso STR5-Ferrari) - 1'03"1
16 - Nico Hulkenberg (Williams FW32-Cosworth) - 1'04"7
17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus T127-Cosworth) - 1 lap
18 - Lucas Di Grassi (Virgin VR01-Cosworth) - 2 laps
19 - Bruno Senna (Hispania F110-Cosworth) - 2 laps
20 - Christian Klien (Hispania F110-Cosworth) - 2 laps
Best lap: Lewis Hamilton 1'41"274
DNF
1° lap - Michael Schumacher
1° lap - Vitantonio Liuzzi
44° lap - Timo Glock
51° lap - Jarno Trulli
Drivers Championship (Final): 1.Vettel 256; 2.Alonso 252; 3.Webber 242; 4.Hamilton 240; 5.Button 214; 6.Massa 144; 7.Rosberg 142; 8.Kubica 136; 9.Schumacher 72; 10.Sutil, Barrichello 47; 12.Kobayashi 32; 13.Petrov 27; 14.Hulkenberg 22; 15.Liuzzi 21; 16.Buemi 8; 17.De La Rosa, Heidfeld 6; 19.Alguersuari 5.
Manufacturers Championship (Final): 1.Red Bull-Renault 498; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 454; 3.Ferrari 396; 4.Mercedes 214; 5.Renault 163; 6.Williams-Cosworth 69; 7.Force India-Mercedes 68; 8.Sauber-Ferrari 44; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 13.
**Unofficial Results**
Fernando Alonso needed only a fifth place to win his third world championship, but even that was too hard to reach for the Ferrari driver on Sunday.
Vitaly Petrov, notably, made it hard for Alonso who got stuck behind his Renault for lap after lap towards the end of the race. Alonso gesticulated angrily at the Russian after the chequered flag, but later said Petrov "drove very well" in defence.
With a seventh-place finish ahead of poor Mark Webber, the Spaniard left Sebastian Vettel unchallenged at the top. He congratulated him via the media, after the race.
The irony of the day is that the first-lap accident of Michael Schumacher, who got hit by Vitantonio Liuzzi, and the subsequent safety car period helped his young "Baby Schumi" countryman to win his first title.
Born on July 3rd 1987, Sebastian Vettel becomes, at 23, the youngest Formula 1 World Champion. He was the youngest of just about everything in Formula 1 prior to that.
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button completed the podium. The two former champions congratulated the new owner of the title in length after the race.
Results of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB6-Renault) - 55 laps 1.39'36"837
2 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/25-Mercedes) - 10"1
3 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/25-Mercedes) - 11"0
4 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W01) - 30"7
5 - Robert Kubica (Renault R30) - 39"0
6 - Vitaly Petrov (Renault R30) - 43"5
7 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F10) - 43"7
8 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB6-Renault) - 44"2
9 - Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso STR5-Ferrari) - 50"2
10 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F10) - 50"8
11 - Nick Heidfeld (Sauber C29-Ferrari) - 51"5
12 - Rubens Barrichello (Williams FW32-Cosworth) - 57"6
13 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM03-Mercedes) - 58"3
14 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C29-Ferrari) - 59"5
15 - Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso STR5-Ferrari) - 1'03"1
16 - Nico Hulkenberg (Williams FW32-Cosworth) - 1'04"7
17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus T127-Cosworth) - 1 lap
18 - Lucas Di Grassi (Virgin VR01-Cosworth) - 2 laps
19 - Bruno Senna (Hispania F110-Cosworth) - 2 laps
20 - Christian Klien (Hispania F110-Cosworth) - 2 laps
Best lap: Lewis Hamilton 1'41"274
DNF
1° lap - Michael Schumacher
1° lap - Vitantonio Liuzzi
44° lap - Timo Glock
51° lap - Jarno Trulli
Drivers Championship (Final): 1.Vettel 256; 2.Alonso 252; 3.Webber 242; 4.Hamilton 240; 5.Button 214; 6.Massa 144; 7.Rosberg 142; 8.Kubica 136; 9.Schumacher 72; 10.Sutil, Barrichello 47; 12.Kobayashi 32; 13.Petrov 27; 14.Hulkenberg 22; 15.Liuzzi 21; 16.Buemi 8; 17.De La Rosa, Heidfeld 6; 19.Alguersuari 5.
Manufacturers Championship (Final): 1.Red Bull-Renault 498; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 454; 3.Ferrari 396; 4.Mercedes 214; 5.Renault 163; 6.Williams-Cosworth 69; 7.Force India-Mercedes 68; 8.Sauber-Ferrari 44; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 13.
**Unofficial Results**