Vettel leads home Webber for another Red Bull 1-2

Abu Dhabi: Sebastian Vettel led his Red Bull team-mate Australian Mark Webber home in an impressive one-two triumph in today’s season-ending inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the first ‘day-night’ race in Formula One history.

The 22-year-old German, in commanding form on the spectacular Yas Marina circuit, took full advantage of the early retirement of Briton Lewis Hamilton with brake problems on his McLaren Mercedes to seize his fourth win of the year. It was the Red Bull team’s fourth one-two this season, matching the record of the newly-crowned constructors’ champions Brawn GP, whose new champion driver Briton Jenson Button finished third after a tense tussle with Webber over the final laps. The result confirmed that Vettel finished the season as runner-up in the drivers’ championship behind Button while Red Bull proved they are more than worthy of finishing second to Brawn in the teams’ championship.In a race that started in late afternoon sunshine, but finished under dazzling floodlights, Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello finished fourth in his expected last outing for Brawn. German Nick Heidfeld marked his last race for the departing Sauber BMW team, which is leaving Formula One, by taking fifth ahead of Japanese Kamui Kobayashi.Italian veteran Jarno Trulli finished seventh for Toyota and Swiss Sebastien Buemi, who was 21 on Saturday, took the final point in eighth place for Toro Rosso. Finn Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, making his final race appearance for Ferrari, finished down in 12th position and his team-mate veteran Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in 16th while two-times world champion Ferrari-bound Spaniard Fernando Alonso was 14th in his final race for Renault. Hamilton, who had been a hot favourite to win, made a good start and was away clear of the field into the first corner while behind him there was a minor collision as Webber, starting third, was touched from behind by Barrichello as they went into the opening turn. The incident damaged Barrichello’s front wing, part of which flew off and lodged itself into the side-pod of his team-mate Button’s following Brawn. This split second of confusion enabled Hamilton, with the help of his KERS button, to pull away up the straight and gave Button his chance to overtake his team-mate for third. The two Red Bulls, driven by Vettel and Webber, ran in second and third positions with some ease at this stage, giving the impression that they had the pace to take control. Hamilton pitted after 17 laps, conceding the initiative to Vettel who pitted one lap later and emerged comfortably in front of Hamilton, who was experiencing vibrations, due to a right rear brake problem. Two laps later, it was all over for the 2008 champion and his team called him in to retire from the race. Bureau Report