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The rain never fell enough to cause a problem for the drivers in the desert earlier today, but there was plenty of action and enough talking points to send us going into the off-season eager to restart in Australia in March.
From Lewis Hamilton finishing his perfect 2018 campaign off in style, to stunning crashes and even some interesting and controversial battles, this race had it all. Abu Dhabi is a controversial circuit on the calendar, but this year's Grand Prix will have done the Yas Marina Circuit no harm in retaining its place as the season's finale. Keep reading to find out which 5 stood out the most!
1 - Raikkonen's Sad End to his Ferrari Career
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Kimi Raikkonen has arguably been driving his best since his title-winning season in 2007 and definitely since returning to Ferrari in 2014. The Finn has had a superb season, standing on the podium 12 times and reaching the top step for the first time in over 5 years at the United States Grand Prix.
With both championships already decided going into this final round, most fans of the sport would've liked to see the Iceman spraying rose water after the chequered flag, but that sadly didn't happen. After the first Virtual Safety Car period, Kimi's Ferrari ground to a halt on the pit-straight, a mechanical issue ending his race prematurely. The Ferrari has been an extremely reliable car this season, arguably the best over all of 2018, this being his first mechanical failure since Spain and his first non-finish at all since Belgium.
This was a very disappointing result for Kimi fans, as his move to Sauber next year will likely mean that this was the final chance we had to see the 2007 world champion standing on the podium. However, with Sauber's recent performances and general upwards trend this season, we could see him back in the top 3 in 2019.
2 - Hulk's Spectacular End to 2018
Nico Hulkenberg has had a superb, if not a tad quiet season in 2018. The German has been extremely consistent throughout the campaign, scoring solid points regularly without threatening the podium. This good streak of results has meant that he finishes '18 in seventh place, the coveted "best of the rest" spot.
The Renault driver definitely caught the eye today, though, totalling his car after a battle with Romain Grosjean. The two were racing for the 7th place down the first back-straight, with Nico squeezing Grosjean off the road.
When Romain rejoined, perhaps a little too forcefully, their wheels contacted each other, sending the Hulk airbourne and somersaulting into the barriers. It was a savage roll, but Nico was alright once he was righted. Hulkenberg's had an incredible season, though, he's been crucial to Renault's 4th place in the constructor's championship and I can't wait to see him go toe-to-toe with Ricciardo next year.
3 - Mad Max in the Desert
Another week, another Red Bull v Renault rant. Max Verstappen qualified respectably for today's race, but fell down to 10th when the Safety Car was brought out for Hulkenberg's crash. The Dutchman wasted no time in recovering, though, muscling his way past the Force India of Esteban Ocon, but the two would soon come to blows once again.
Max's engine began to overheat, forcing him to slow down on the straight and be repassed by Ocon, much to his rage. If the first move was forceful, the second was dangerous, diving down the inside at the hairpin and making contact with the Frenchman. Verstappen's engine eventually ran normal once again, but that won't stop RBR from being glad that they're switching to Honda for next year. However, it was far from all bad news for Verstappen.
4 - Bottas Slumps to 5th
In my pre-race predictions, I said that Valtteri Bottas would fall to 5th overall in the driver's standings, and that's exactly what happened. Bottas struggled after his pit-stop and slumped from 2nd down to 5th in a matter of a few laps thanks to some brilliant overtaking from both Verstappen and Ricciardo.
Max was just 3 points behind Bottas going into this race, and a third-place finish from the Dutchman sealed the 3rd position in the overall standings. Thanks to Kimi Raikkonen's retirement, Verstappen managed to pass two drivers in the driver's standings in one race, showing the progress that he's made in the second half of the season. With Red Bull switching to a new power unit for next year, and Max in red hot form, there's a real possibility that he'll be able to challenge for the title in 2019.
5 - Force India Hold onto 7th
A prediction of mine that didn't come true was Charles Leclerc powering Sauber to a 7th-placed finish in the constructor's standings, but that didn't happen, despite the Monegasque's best efforts. Leclerc was running 4th in the early stages, and ended up 7th by the end, the only midfielder ahead of him being Carlos Sainz's Renault.
If it wasn't for Sergio Perez scoring solidly in eighth, that would've been enough, but it wasn't to be, despite Ocon's late retirement. Marcus Ericsson of Sauber also retired in this one, and the Swede was running well, but this did cause the end of the Swiss team's chances of usurping the Silverstone outfit. Take nothing away from either team, though, both have a lot of reason to be optimistic for the 2019 season.
What were your biggest talking points from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments below!
