2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Heading into the race weekend the top two places in the World Drivers' Championship had already been determined with Lewis Hamilton as champion ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas. However third place was yet to be decided between Max Verstappen, 260 points and Charles Leclerc, 249 points, with Sebastian Vettel, 230 points, still able to overtake Leclerc for fourth place in the standings but too far behind Verstappen to take third. The top four places in the World Constructors' Championship were decided with Mercedes in first ahead of Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren. Fifth place was still undecided with Renault eight points ahead of Toro Rosso.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/2019/bresil/championnat.aspx|title=Brazil 2019 – Championship|date=17 November 2019|website=statsf1.com|access-date=27 November 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/file/78014/download/26183|title=2019 Formula One Sporting Regulations|date=12 March 2019|website=fia.com|pages=3–4|access-date=27 November 2019}}

{{Further|2019 Formula One World Championship#Entries}}

The drivers and teams entered were the same as those for the previous race with no additional stand-in drivers for the race or practice. The race marked the final race for Toro Rosso, as the team was rebranded as AlphaTauri for the {{F1|2020}} season. It would be also the final race for Robert Kubica, before he would also make his final two starts in the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/file/111254/download|title=2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Entry List |website=Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |date=28 November 2019 |access-date=28 November 2019}}

The first session saw the red flag come out twice. The first time when Daniel Ricciardo suffered an engine failure and a second time after Sebastian Vettel crashed his car at turn 19 in the closing minutes of the session, after which the session was not restarted. The session ended with Valtteri Bottas fastest followed by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fp1-report-and-highlights-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-2019.4ew6Cx4PClWl6kuUkndui6.html|title=FP1: Bottas heads Verstappen in opening Abu Dhabi session as Vettel crashes|date=29 November 2019|website=formula1.com|access-date=29 November 2019}} The second practice session saw one red flag after Bottas and Romain Grosjean collided at turn 11, Bottas would later receive a reprimand for the incident.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.bottas-grosjean-summoned-to-stewards-over-fp2-collision.3K1vTApltyLWScV7YqW04m.html|title=MUST-SEE: Bottas reprimanded for collision with Grosjean in FP2 in Abu Dhabi|date=29 November 2019|website=formula1.com|language=en|access-date=29 November 2019}} Bottas finished the session fastest ahead of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fp2-bottas-fastest-again-despite-tangle-with-grosjean.2jHADjuIUQ9H1WRgoAoMT4.html|title=2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP2 report and highlights: Bottas fastest again, despite tangle with Grosjean|date=29 November 2019|website=formula1.com|access-date=29 November 2019}} The third practice session ran uninterrupted and ended with Verstappen fastest followed by Hamilton and Bottas.{{Cite web|title=2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP3 report and highlights: Verstappen narrowly fastest over Hamilton and Bottas|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fp3-verstappen-narrowly-fastest-over-hamilton-and-bottas.64MwZJCoNsnNBKPbacBDka.html|date=30 November 2019|website=formula1.com|access-date=24 May 2020}}

;Notes

• {{note|1|1}} – Valtteri Bottas was required to start from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota for power unit components.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.bottas-to-start-abu-dhabi-season-finale-from-back-of-the-grid.59m3dFGVQg39PF8bXR3zpR.html|title=Bottas to start Abu Dhabi season finale from back of the grid|website=Formula1.com|access-date=28 November 2019|date=28 November 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.mercedes-change-bottas-engine-again-in-abu-dhabi.7cahnh0EO0UeE6ifdwvZme.html|title=Mercedes change Bottas' engine again in Abu Dhabi|website=Formula1.com|access-date=30 November 2019|date=30 November 2019}}

Prior to the race, it was announced that the fuel mass in Charles Leclerc's car as declared by Ferrari was "significantly different" to the amount measured by the FIA. It was decided that this would be investigated by the stewards after the race.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.ferraris-leclerc-facing-post-race-investigation-in-abu-dhabi.0psuhWcypheKNdlXmP78P.html|title=Ferrari's Leclerc facing post-race investigation in Abu Dhabi|date=1 December 2019|website=formula1.com|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019}}

The front-runners all maintained their positions into the first corner, with Lewis Hamilton leading from pole position. Further back down the grid, Lance Stroll collided with the rear of Pierre Gasly, causing Gasly to make contact with Sergio Pérez in front of him and resulting in Gasly losing his front wing. Gasly was forced to pit for a replacement which caused him to drop to the back of the grid, over a minute behind 19th place. The incident was not investigated by the stewards. Max Verstappen lost 2nd place to Leclerc on the straight between turns 7 and 8, meanwhile Valtteri Bottas had made up five places on the first lap after starting in last place.

On lap 4 it was announced that DRS was disabled for all cars due to a technical issue after a server crash caused communications with the cars to be disrupted, meaning that it could not be ensured that cars only used DRS in the permitted zones of the track.{{cite web|url=https://www.racefans.net/2019/12/01/server-crash-caused-drs-black-out-during-abu-dhabi-gp/|title=Server crash caused DRS black-out during Abu Dhabi GP|website=racefans.net|date=1 December 2019|access-date=2 December 2019}} Shortly after, Stroll complained of difficulties caused by damage from his first lap collision with Gasly. Stroll would later go on to retire from a brake problem after running near the back for most of the race. Lando Norris was the first driver to make a scheduled pit stop on lap 8. Ferrari brought both drivers in for pit stops on lap 12, with Sebastian Vettel suffering with a slow stop causing him to be stationary for nearly 7 seconds.

DRS was eventually enabled on lap 18. Bottas passed Nico Hülkenberg on the same lap to clear the midfield after starting from the back. Robert Kubica and Antonio Giovinazzi both suffered floor damage after colliding during an overtake attempt by Giovinazzi. Verstappen pitted from 2nd on lap 25, followed by Hamilton a lap later who maintained the lead upon exiting the pits. Bottas was the last of the front-runners to pit on lap 29. No positions were gained or lost amongst the top six after the round of pit stops. On lap 32, Verstappen retook 2nd place from Leclerc going into turn 8, having lost the position on the first lap. The Ferrari drivers made a second round of pit stops on lap 38, with Leclerc maintaining 3rd and Vettel dropping from 4th to 6th. Bottas passed Alexander Albon for 4th place soon afterwards.

On lap 41, Carlos Sainz Jr. made a second pit stop from 9th place after he was concerned that his ageing tyres would cause him to be overtaken towards the end of the race, losing a points-scoring position and handing 6th place in the World Drivers' Championship to Gasly. Sainz exited the pits in 14th place. The final two laps saw multiple overtakes; Vettel passed Albon for 5th place, Lando Norris lost 7th place to Pérez, and Sainz successfully passed Hülkenberg to take 10th place and claim a point, securing 6th place in the championship. Hamilton crossed the line to win the race, taking his 11th victory of the season and the 84th of his career. Having also led every lap, taken pole position and recorded the fastest lap of the race, this marked Hamilton's sixth "grand slam", his last of which came at the 2017 British Grand Prix.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statsf1.com/fr/statistiques/pilote/divers/detail-lewis-hamilton--chelem.aspx|title=Statistiques Pilotes - Divers - Grand chelem - HAMILTON Lewis|website=statsf1.com|language=fr|access-date=4 December 2019}} Hamilton also completed and scored points in every race of 2019, making him the first driver to finish and score points in every race of a season twice (2017 and 2019).{{Cite web |last=Collantine |first=Keith |date=2 December 2019 |title=Hamilton ends 2019 with a grand slam and three new records |url=https://www.racefans.net/2019/12/02/hamilton-ends-2019-with-a-grand-slam-and-three-new-records/ |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=RaceFans |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Haldenby |first=Nicky |date=2023-11-19 |title=The Drivers Who Finished Every Race in an F1 Season |url=https://www.lightsoutblog.com/2023/11/19/the-drivers-who-finished-every-race-in-an-f1-season/ |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=Lightsoutblog.com |language=en-us}}

Post-race, Ferrari were handed a €50,000 fine for the pre-race fuel infringement, although Leclerc was allowed to keep his 3rd-place finish.{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.ferrari-decision.4wfSrpLehif5wg2TZqoS0G.html|title=Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019: Ferrari handed big fine for Leclerc fuel discrepancy|date=1 December 2019|website=formula1.com|language=en|access-date=4 December 2019}} In an interview, Gasly said he was "disgusted" by the collision with Stroll at the start of the race, as his car "clearly had the potential to keep sixth place [in the drivers' championship]".{{cite web|url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/147452/gasly-disgusted-by-stroll-clash-that-ruined-his-race|title=Gasly "disgusted" by Stroll F1 clash that ruined his Abu Dhabi GP|website=autosport.com|date=2 December 2019|access-date=2 December 2019}} Gasly ended the season in 7th place with 95 points, one short of Sainz's 96.

;Notes

• {{Note|2|1}} – Includes one point for fastest lap.

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;Drivers' Championship standings

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;Constructors' Championship standings

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• Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
• Bold text and an asterisk indicates the 2019 World Champions.

• 2019 Yas Island Formula 2 round

{{reflist}}

{{F1 race report

| Name_of_race = Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

| Year_of_race = 2019

| Previous_race_in_season = 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix

| Next_race_in_season = 2020 Austrian Grand Prix
{{small|Multiple Grands Prix called off}}

| Previous_year's_race = 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

| Next_year's_race = 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

}}

{{F1GP 10-19}}

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Category:Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix