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Abu Dhabi: How the race was won

ABU DHABI, UAE - Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton's reminder of Luther Martin King's words "the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy", could not have rung truer than on Sunday (Nov 23) when he won his second Formula 1 championship.

Hamilton became the first multiple champion since Jackie Stewart who took the second of his three titles in 1971.

CROWN No.2

Hamilton took a brilliant lead from second on the grid as the lights went out at the Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi after flashing past team mate Nico Rosberg and taking away his pole advantage.

Rosberg's car seemed to bog at the start but Hamilton's reaction time at the start of the race was only 0.2sec. If he was to retire at any point in the race it would mean Hamilton had won the championship.

The only contact between drivers during the early laps of the race was between McLaren's Kevin Magnussen and Sauber's Adrian Sutil on Lap 4.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso will be leaving the team at the end of this season but he showed he was going to put up his last fight as he passed team mate Kimi Raikkonen. The spirit seemed short-lived as he pitted on Lap 6.

McLaren's Jenson Button, who just may have raced his last grand prix of his career, came into the pits lane on Lap 7 along with Raikkonen.

FIGHTING THE FIELD

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, were sent to the back of the grid from fifth and sixth after being excluded from qualifying for having illegal front wings, ploughed their way through the field. By Lap 10 Ricciardo was eighth and Vettel 10th. On Lap 20, Ricciardo was told to ease off from William's Valtteri Bottas as he pushed himself to fourth place.

Hamilton by then had increased his lead over Rosberg by almost three seconds while the latter had a lock-up on Lap 24. On Lap25 the team noticed Rosberg was losing engine power and now seven seconds sown on Hamilton. By Lap 27 Rosberg was asking the team what he should do as he no kers.

Williams' Felipe Massa took the stricken Rosberg's second place but by then it seemed Hamilton would take a comfortable win.

LOTUS ON FIRE

Lotus' Pastor Maldanado had a dramatic retirement on Lap 28 as he pulled off the track with the rear of car on fire.  Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat was the first retiree of the day, however.

Button and Alonso, probably to be 2015 team mates, were battling it out on Lap 30 but then an error let Alonso past by for 10th.

Hamilton made a second and very fast pit stop on Lap32 and found Rosberg in second as he came out and passed him. On Lap 37 Vettel was chasing a frustrated Rosberg, by then asking the team for advice, only to be told: "Just drive flat-out!"

On L40 Ricciardo was told that Bottas needed to look after his tyres and it would be wise to stay ahead of him. L41 Rosberg announced the throttle is all over place and things just started to look worse for the title rival in eighth place.

On Lap 43 Rosberg, still feeling the tension, asked his team to let him take his car to the finish and by Lap 51 was falling back further and further into the field in 12th place as his car lost more power, with Hamilton lapping him on  Lap 53.

On L54 Rosberg was told to box, but he replied and said: "I would like to finish the race".

Hamilton crossed the finish line and his dreams came true with a well-deserved win and 384 points and his 11th win of the season. The Williams team took second and third - Felipe Massa second and Valtteri Bottas third.

Result from the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday

1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min39:02.619
2 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes +2.576
3 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes +28.880
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - Renault +37.2037
5 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren +1min00.334
6 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes +1min02.148
7 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes +1min11.060
8 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull - Renault +1min12.045
9 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari +1min25.813
10 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari +1min27.820
11 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren +1min30.376
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso +Renault 1min31.947
13 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1 lap
14 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1 lap
15 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap
16 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap
17 Will Stevens (Britain) Caterham - Renault 1 lap
r. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - Renault 13 laps
r. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Renault 29 laps
r. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - Renault 41 laps
Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo,1:44.496, lap 50.

Driver and Constructor standings

Drivers Points
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 384
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 317
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 238
4 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 186
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 167
6 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 161
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 134
8 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 126
9 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India 96
10 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 59
11 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 55
12 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 55
13 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 22
14 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 8
15 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - 8
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 2
17 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - 2
18 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - 0
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - 0
20 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - 0
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - 0
22 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - 0
23 Will Stevens (Britain) Caterham - 0

Constructors
1 Mercedes - 701
2 Red Bull - Renault-  405
3 Williams-Mercedes - 320
4 Ferrari - 216
5 McLaren 181
6 Force India - Mercedes - 155
7 Toro Rosso - Renault - 30
8 Lotus - Renault - 10
9 Marussia - Ferrari - 2
10 Sauber - Ferrari - 0
11 Caterham - Renault - 0
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