Track: Yas Marina Circuit
Number of Laps: 55
Circuit Length: 3.5 miles (5.6km)
Race Length: 189.8 miles (305.5km)
Start Time: 13:00 GMT
Fastest Lap: 1:38.434 (Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 2011)
Fastest Race Lap: 1:40.279 (Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing-Renault, 2009)
2014 Pole Position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG Petronas, 1:40.480, Super soft Tyres
2014 Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas
Tyre Compounds: Super soft, Soft, Intermediate, Wet
First F1 Championship Grand Prix: 2009
Most Wins: Sebastian Vettel (3), Red Bull (3)
The Formula One season draws to a close on Sunday as the teams come to the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. It was at this race twelve months ago that Lewis Hamilton was crowned a double World Champion, in a race that Nico Rosberg suffered mechanical issues.
The German will be hoping not to repeat that this year. He has won the last two races and has claimed the last five pole positions in a row. He will be desperate to win three in a row and take the momentum with him into 2016.
Williams are the team to look out for here. Fresh from securing third place in the championship two weeks ago, they will be hoping to use the long straights at the Yas Marina circuit to their advantage and avenge Felipe Massa’s exclusion from the Brazilian Grand Prix with a podium.
Lotus, who are expected to confirm their takeover by Renault at this race, are desperately trying to keep hold of sixth place in the constructors’ championship. Lotus currently have nine points in hand over Toro Rosso, who are hunting them down. The Italian outfit’s Max Verstappen trying to beat Nico Hulkenberg to a top 10 finish in his début season.
We will be hoping that the season ends with a strong race. The season hasn’t been a classic, but with two or three good races to far this year it would be nice to add another to that list before the chequered flag falls for the last time.
