DHL FASTEST LAP AWARD: 2016 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

It’s Vettel for the third time! The Ferrari driver was fastest at lapping the Yas Marina circuit during this final round of the season, the 2016 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX, thus securing the DHL FASTEST LAP AWARD at a grand prix weekend for the third time this year. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, who celebrated his first world championship title win after the race, also claimed victory in this awards category with six fastest laps.

Sebastian Vettel needed just 1:43.729 minutes for his best time. He shares third place in the overall standings of the 2016 DHL Fastest Lap Award with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who won the race in Abu Dhabi. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) is second in this category right behind Rosberg with four wins. Fernando Alonso (McLaren), Nico Hülkenberg (Force India), Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) and Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat all set one fastest race lap each.

It was not by chance that Vettel’s 43rd lap was the fastest. In the battle for podium places at Abu Dhabi, the Ferrari driver made a conscious decision to come in for his final pit stop after his immediate rivals. Not until the 37th lap did he pit for new boots. While the rest of the day’s top-ten drivers were running soft tires at this point almost to a man, the German was in a position at this late stage to bolt on the faster-degrading supersoft spec tires, which made it possible for him to post better lap times.

As a result, just before the end of the race, Vettel even managed to close on the three drivers who were in the lead at the time – Hamilton in P1, behind him Rosberg, who needed at least a third-place finish to take the world championship title, and Verstappen. The Ferrari driver was soon able to overtake the young Dutchman. All four racing cars were tightly bunched towards the end over the last few laps. The tension was overwhelming, because had Vettel and Verstappen both overtaken Rosberg, then Hamilton would have finished ahead of his teammate in the drivers’ standings.

However, positions at the finish line remained the same, so Nico Rosberg became world champion for the first time. Formula 1 crews are now packing away their equipment and materials for the final time this season. After the last race, many tons of freight have to be returned to team headquarters and factories. Preparations for 2017, which began long ago in 2016 and have been ongoing ever since alongside current activities, will now step up a gear this week.

New Formula 1 regulations are to be introduced next season and will also create unaccustomed challenges for the teams’ logistics technicians. Newly developed materials and equipment will have to be safely packed and shipped, including, for example, the wider profile tires, on which drivers will race next year. Some members of the top racing teams – Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari – will stay with their cars and equipment for a few days in Abu Dhabi where on Tuesday, 29th November, they will test the new tires developed by Pirelli for next season.  

Fastest race laps: 2016 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX

01 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)  01:43.729 - on Lap 43
02 Fernando Alonso (McLaren) 01:44.495 - on Lap 50
03 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 01:44.889 - on Lap 29
04 Romain Grosjean (Haas) 01:44.970 - on Lap 45
05 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 01:45.137 - on Lap 37
06 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) 01:45.163 - on Lap 35
07 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 01:45.187 - on Lap 36
08 Sergio Perez (Force India) 01:45.249 - on Lap 30
09 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 01:45.261 - on Lap 33
10 Felipe Massa (Williams) 01:45.675 - on Lap 33