Valtteri claimed his third career victory today and his first race win at the Yas Marina Circuit. Lewis finished today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in P2. Today's result marks the 40th 1-2 victory for the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows in Formula One and fourth 1-2 of the 2017 season.
Lewis (363 points) ends the 2017 Formula One season in P1 with Valtteri (305 points) in P3 in the Drivers' Championship.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (668 points) finishes the season with a 146 point lead over Ferrari (522 points) in the Constructors' Championship
Toto Wolff: This was a special way to end a special season: a dominant 1-2 finish in the final race of the season gives us good momentum into the winter. The car was magnificent today - quickest in qualifying and also in race conditions, on both types of tyre. I am really pleased to see the way that Valtteri has worked out of the difficult races after the summer to finish the season like this, two pole positions and the final win of the year. It was simply his race today. As for Lewis, this has been the best performance I have seen in all five years working together - he has become more rounded as a character and just as impressive as a racer. But although we had a strong result today, it's not the time to pat ourselves on the back. 2018 begins on Tuesday with tyre testing so we must be sure to do our homework well this week and to keep pushing in the factories. We will enjoy this evening - but then get our heads down, push even harder and start preparing for the next challenge.
Andrew Shovlin: This has been the most incredible year and we're absolutely delighted to have finished it with such an memorable 1-2 victory. Congratulations to the whole team! It's been a battle since the lights went out in Melbourne and every single member of staff in Brixworth and Brackley has given absolutely everything to fight for both these championships. As for today; Valtteri drove a perfect race managing pressure from Lewis behind from start to finish. He finished his first season with the team in the best possible way. We were optimistic that we'd have a little margin on Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of pace and we established early on that this was the case. We were able to pull a decent gap and it meant we could extend the first stint and wait for others to make the first move. Lewis had a more difficult afternoon, it's very hard to overtake at this track and once Valtteri had successfully defended the over-cut at the stops, the opportunities for Lewis to attack were limited. Lewis was never going to give Valtteri an easy win but it's really good to see how much they enjoy racing each other and how well they work together to improve the car. Lewis can be very proud of what he has achieved this year, he has driven superbly over the whole season and has truly earned his place as one of the great champions of the sport.
Christian Horner, Team Principal: "After holding positions at the start Daniel was able to stay close to Sebastian, and likewise Max with Kimi. Max had a go at an undercut with Kimi on lap 15. Despite his fastest stop of the year it wasn't quite enough to get Max ahead of Kimi. Then shortly after that Daniel reported a strange feeling in the steering in Turn 19 which was probably the start of his issues. He pitted immediately and the boys did a great job to scramble in time to get him turned around without losing a position, but then what looks like a suspected hydraulic problem caused his retirement. Max continued to push Kimi throughout the grand prix but unfortunately on this circuit was unable to mount a challenge, finishing in fifth. It's been a season of highs and lows for us, we would obviously have liked to have finished on a higher note but, looking back, the positives we take out of the year are the three race victories and the 13 podiums for the RB13 and, of course, an awful lot of lessons with too many retirements. 2018 starts for the team tomorrow with the Test commencing the day after."
Maurizio Arrivabene: Today's result is far from ideal, but it's worth noting that, on a track like this, the only real overtaking opportunities are at the start of the race and during pit-stops. Unfortunately, the true potential of the SF70H was only visible in the closing stages of the race. The whole team, here and at Maranello, gave its best as usual. Now we're already looking forward, with humility and determination, and we're fully focused on 2018.
Sahara Force India scored ten points in today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Sergio Perez ending the season in seventh place ahead of Esteban Ocon in eighth – both in today's race and their drivers' championship positions.
Robert Fernley: "We've ended the year as we started it with both cars firmly inside the points. Seventh and eighth places bring our points tally to 187 to sign-off our most successful season ever. As we've said before, the credit needs to go to each and every one of the 400 team members who have contributed to this achievement, as well as the support of our commercial partners. Today's race was fairly straightforward and there wasn't much to choose between the different strategies run by each car. It's nice to end the season on a positive note ahead of a busy winter finalising the new car for 2018."
Felipe Massa finished 10th and Lance Stroll 18th in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Both cars started on the ultrasoft Pirelli tyre, with Felipe starting in 10th and Lance 15th. Lance fought his way up to 13th at the start but struggled with balance issues and pitted on lap 11 for the supersoft tyre before pitting again on lap 29 for the ultrasoft. Felipe ran as high as seventh before making his sole pitstop of the race on lap 22 for the supersoft tyre. Lance made his third and final pitstop on lap 35 for a fresh set of ultrasoft tyres. Felipe ends the season 11th in the Drivers' Championship, ahead of Lance in 12th. The team secured fifth in the Constructors' Championship with 83 points.
Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: We were determined to finish the season on a high. There was a lot of emotion in the camp around Felipe's last drive for the team after such a great career in Formula One. It was a tough race with some very competitive racing. We had a close fight with Fernando (Alonso) in the opening lap and then later on in the race around the pitstops. Unfortunately, we didn't have the pace today to stay ahead. We ran out of energy on the outlap, which is why Fernando was able to get past as they came out of the pits, but we scored a point and points is what it's all about. I'm happy for Felipe and for the team to finish that way. It was a much tougher afternoon for Lance. He didn't have the pace today. He had a good start and got up to 13th with some good opening laps but finally lost position to Grosjean after a very close fight. He then had a big lock up, so we boxed early for the first tyre change. From there the race really went backwards due to additional pitstops and two more lock-ups whilst fighting for position, so not a weekend to remember. Finally, well done to the team on securing fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
A hard-fought but ultimately rewarding end to a challenging Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the last of the current McLaren Honda partnership.
Both drivers made strong starts off the line, but Stoffel slipped back a couple of positions on lap one after being squeezed into the first corner.
Fernando fought hard to close up to Felipe Massa in 10th position in front, and the team's strategy worked perfectly to leapfrog him further forward and within a close enough distance to bear down on Massa's rear wing. After a fun and fair battle over a number of corners, Fernando made a stunning pass down the back straight for a single world championship point, before retirement for Carlos Sainz gifted him a second point for ninth place.
The team detected significant damage on Stoffel's car very early on, making his race incredibly tough from the beginning and forcing him to nurse his car from start to finish to get it across the line. The team elected to bring him in for an early pit-stop on lap 12 to assess the damage and try to alter his balance settings in order to improve the handling. While it helped and he reported a slightly better feeling in the middle section of the race, it still didn't rectify the issue, and he had to work hard to keep the fighting pack of five cars behind him for the rest of the race, which he duly did.
Despite an otherwise relatively uneventful race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks the end of a challenging year for McLaren Honda, but we sign off the 2017 season on a positive note and two ever-valuable championship points.
Eric Boullier: "Today was a hard-fought battle for the whole team to get us both to the end of the race and the end of the season. Our drivers did a phenomenal job on a circuit where it's notoriously difficult to overtake, and to finish with a couple of points as a net result of all our efforts feels more than thoroughly well-deserved. Fernando, in his usual inimitable style, drove his heart out all race to try and aim for points, and didn't give up pushing until the final lap. He, his engineers and his mechanics did an excellent job to help him close the gap to Felipe Massa in his pit-stop and then ultimately get the job done on track with a great move past him along the back straight.
"Stoffel had an extremely tough race and did an incredible job to maintain 12th position to the end after he was faced with a serious handling issue from the start of the race. While we still don't know exactly what caused it, we could see from his data he was suffering from a huge loss of downforce which made his car all but undriveable. He put in a sterling performance not only to keep the chasing pack of five cars behind him for the duration of the race, but bring the car home in one piece. While the team tried to ameliorate the situation by adjusting the balance of his car during an earlier than planned pit-stop, it still meant he was working hard at the wheel throughout this evening's long, hot race, and he nursed his car impressively well to bring it home across the line.
"Firstly, a huge, heartfelt thank you and well done to all the men and women at McLaren Honda, whose work ethic, dedication and passion for this team I'm quite sure is unrivalled anywhere in the pit lane. They've put everything into making our team what it is and I'm proud of the unshakeable spirit that makes us never stop fighting no matter how difficult the circumstances. For our incredible fans, we hugely appreciate their loyalty and unwavering support, and express our sincere gratitude for their incredible devotion over the past year. Thanks, too, to our partners for their faith and enthusiasm towards us throughout this season, and we look forward to a new and exciting era for us all in the near future.
"Finally, on behalf of everyone at McLaren, I'd like to offer sincere thanks to Honda for working so hard alongside us to constantly strive to learn, develop and improve. And, while nobody can deny it's been an incredibly challenging season, we end our partnership in Abu Dhabi with a stronger relationship than ever and plenty of healthy respect. There have been highs and lows over the past three years, but we have no regrets, and every member of the entire McLaren Honda team wishes each other well for the next chapter in our respective histories."
Yusuke Hasegawa: "Today's final race as McLaren Honda was emotional for all the team, but it was also a good result on track with both cars taking the chequered flag, and Fernando scoring some more championship points.
"After making a good start, Fernando kept chasing down Williams' Felipe Massa and he succeeded to overtake into P9, utilising the team's great pit-stop strategy. Stoffel also pushed very hard and finished a strong P12 despite suffering early damage to his car. Overall, I am proud of both drivers for showing their best performance without giving up at any point during this tough season.
"We were able to show stabilised PU performance over the last few races to round out the season, which considering the tough start to our year, we can take as a positive step forward.
"The last three years have been extremely challenging, but I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the McLaren Honda drivers and team members for all of their relentless hard work. And, of course, to all our fans who have kept us going with their incredible support.
"Honda Racing F1 is now fully focused on the development for 2018 and we will make our best efforts in order to have a good start in the coming winter testing.
"Finally, we wish McLaren every success with their new partner."
Haas F1 Team drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen finished 11th and 13th, respectively, in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday at Yas Marina Circuit.
Both drivers rallied in the 55-lap race around the 5.554-kilometer (3.451-mile), 21-turn track, with Grosjean starting 16th and Magnussen recovering from a first-lap spin that put him last in the 20-car field.
Grosjean's forward drive was highlighted by a spirited battle with the Williams of Lance Stroll. The two combatants vied for 13th place over the course of six laps, with Grosjean launching the first salvo on lap six as he passed Stroll in the first chicane, only to have Stroll get the position back on the following straight. This scenario played out again on lap 10, with Grosjean getting past Stroll momentarily before Stroll took back the spot. Grosjean finally made his move stick on lap 11 with a savvy move around the outside of Stroll in turn 11 after running wheel-to-wheel in the preceding corners. Stroll pitted shortly thereafter, having flat-spotted his tires during the scrape with Grosjean.
Magnussen, meanwhile, put forth a tenacious effort, attacking from the moment he righted his Haas VF-17 after spinning in turn three. He climbed to 14th before making his scheduled pit stop on lap 22, swapping his Pirelli P Zero Purple ultrasoft tires for a new set of Red supersofts. This dropped Magnussen to 19th, but he resumed his attack, rising to 13th by lap 32 and holding the spot through the checkered flag.
Grosjean followed the same pit strategy as Magnussen, stopping for service on lap 32 where his ultrasofts were changed for supersofts. After rising to as high as ninth as drivers ahead of him pitted, Grosjean returned to the race in 11th, maintaining this position for the remainder of the race.
Haas F1 Team ends its sophomore season with a respectable eighth-place finish in the constructors standings, outpacing McLaren (ninth) and Sauber (10th). The 47 points Haas F1 Team earned in 2017 are 18 more than the total earned in its debut season in 2016. Grosjean wraps the year 13th in the championship standings with 28 points and Magnussen finishes 14th with 15 points.
With the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship officially complete, teams turn their full attention to 2018. While the season-opening Australian Grand Prix won't take place until March 25, plenty of work will happen between now and then, with preseason testing Feb. 26-March 1 and March 6-9 at Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya providing the first glimpse of where teams stand prior to the 69th Formula One season.
Guenther Steiner: "We didn't gain a position, but still, we finished eighth like last year. With a little bit more we could've finished sixth, but 'if' and 'when', it didn't happen. We fought to the end today and we provided a lot of the race action. I think for the sport, we did well. We were always providing entertainment. Thanks to everybody, and we're looking forward to next season."
Renault Sport Formula One Team clinched sixth position in the FIA Formula One World Championship in today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with an outstanding sixth place finish for Nico Hulkenberg. The team went into the weekend needing five points to move into sixth, but thanks to a mature team performance and measured drive from Nico, notched up eight points to achieve its aim.
Nico had lined up for the race in seventh. A strong start kept him in position, but the Stewards judged he had gained track position from a first lap excursion and awarded him a five second penalty, which he served in his sole pit stop on lap 17. Knowing he had to pull out an advantage over eighth placed Sergio Perez, Nico put in a series of quick laps to create a gap of over seven seconds by his stop. He gained one position as Daniel Ricciardo retired ahead, and then controlled his pace to cross the line sixth.
Carlos Sainz had started from twelfth on the grid and was locked in a close on-track battle with Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso to get into the top ten. When Massa stopped on lap 22 Carlos took full advantage and looked set to gain track position after he finally came in for his stop on lap 31, but a wheel came loose when he exited the pit lane, forcing him into an early retirement.
Renault Sport Formula One Team finishes the year sixth in the Constructors' Championship, with Carlos Sainz ninth and Nico Hulkenberg tenth in the Drivers' Championship.
Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director: "Mission accomplished. We came here with one clear objective. At the start of the year we set out to finish fifth, which was very ambitious, but ambition is good - you have to set high targets. This season we've not made it easy for ourselves and the last three weekends have been a microcosm of this rollercoaster of a year. At times we've been too aggressive, then too conservative, but we came to Abu Dhabi with a very extreme preparation and the weekend went almost exactly to plan. Sixth was the revised goal and I'm so proud we got it. It's a milestone for the team and an achievement that goes beyond the on-track result. It's a motivation for everyone - for every team member and a fantastic reward that will count far more through the winter than any financial considerations."
The Sauber F1 Team finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix twilight race in P14 (Pascal Wehrlein) and P17 (Marcus Ericsson). With the 2017 season having come to an end, Wehrlein holds 18th and Ericsson 20th place in the FIA Drivers' Championship. The Sauber F1 Team finished in 10th place in the Constructors' Championship.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "It was a decent race today - Pascal advanced well and was competing with Kevin (Magnussen) ahead. He did a good job in overtaking, but then he lost him on the straights. Marcus' race was ok, but he seemed to be struggling with the balance of the car. Overall, we can see that we have made some improvements in the last few races. We are now focusing on 2018 and building on the progress we have made."
The 2017 season concluded with a win for Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas from pole, using the expected ultrasoft-supersoft one-stopper.
The vast majority of drivers adopted this strategy, with the very low wear and degradation on the smooth asphalt of the Yas Marina circuit confirmed in the race, where track temperatures fell from daylight into darkness.
Just three drivers started on the supersoft, while Williams driver Lance Stroll was the only driver to stop more than once: making three pit stops in total.
Mario Isola: "No surprises at all for anyone during the last race of the season, with Bottas taking a deserved win from pole using a one-stop strategy. Coming into this race, we thought there would be a wide pit stop window, and this proved to be exactly the case. We saw a few teams trying to gain track position by attempting to undercut their direct rivals, but on the whole, nobody could really make this tactic stick. Our attention now focuses firmly on 2018, with drivers remaining here to test the new tyre range for the first time, which we presented on Thursday. The softer compounds will be particularly well suited to this track, and it will be very interesting to see how the new hypersoft goes: what we learn from this test will start to influence where we nominate it next year."
