Whilst the Sunday morning support action saw a frenetic contest in GP3 and a thrilling, last-lap pass for the lead from F2 champion Charles Leclerc, the main event produced little excitement. As has often been the case at the Yas Marina circuit, the sheer eye-wrenching opulence and grandeur of the setting would be matched only by the utter blandness of the race itself.
Nonetheless, with a few scores to be settled in the final showdown of the season, two star performers shone through in the illuminated Abu Dhabi dusk. Unlike in Sochi or Spielberg, Valtteri Bottas could not rely on a gearbox penalty or a handling imbalance to hobble his champion team-mate; Hamilton was fully operational and bolstered by a fresh power unit. To beat the Brit on merit must surely rate as one of the finest drives of Bottas’ career.
However, arguably more significant – certainly for the Renault Team’s bank balance – was Hulkenberg’s sixth place finish. Despite enraging the Silverstone-based squad with an admittedly lenient penalty, the German’s pace advantage over the Force Indias was mightily impressive, and successfully commandeered Enstone a sixth place in the contructors’ standings.
