Last appearance of Fernando Alonso in Formula One, several pilots who sat in the car for the last time for their team: It hung before the race farewell mood in the air - when was started, but was felt by sentiment only a little. In an eventful season finale, Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, rounding off an almost perfect season for him.
Sebastian Vettel finished second once again, behind him were the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
The race started with a breathtaking rollover by Nico Hulkenberg. After a collision with Romain Grosjean, Hülkenberg's Renault lifted off the road, turned in the air and hung headfirst in the side boundary. The driver was stuck head down, but he immediately gave the all-clear on the radio for the racing team. "I hang here like a cow, I can not do anything," he said.
Tire advantages in the end for the Red Bull pilots
However, Hamilton could not be distracted from that. The Brit, who had already decided the qualifying, dominated long stretches of the race. In the meantime, he had left the lead to his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, but he never let Vettel approach him seriously. Bottas finished fifth with a weakening tire.
A very early tire change brought the old and new World Champion at the end of the race a disadvantage compared to the upcoming Red Bull pilots who had come to the pits much later and had the advantage of fresher tires. Hamilton and Vettel, however, managed to save the lead over time thanks to their experience and driving skills.
One of the day's farewell takers, Kimi Raikkonen, had only a short day's work. The last race of the Finn in the Ferrari ended in the seventh lap, his car simply stopped. After all, Alonso held to the end, with his eleventh place ended his big Formula 1 career, however, a little glamorous.