Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Aletihad)
When the lights came on at the Yas Marina Circuit (YMC) on Sunday evening in Abu Dhabi, there was much more than the spotlight on the tarmac action for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen underlined his supremacy on the season with a record-extending 19th victory this year and fans got ample glimpse of the power units driving the Red Bull Racing car. Behind the scenes, meanwhile, the YMC got a three-star recertification from Formula One's world governing body FIA at an opportune moment as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix entered its 15th year as hosts.
The badge came as a recognition for their efforts towards sustainability and measures to protect the environment surrounding the track on Yas Island. As the season-ending climax venue for so many years, even if the winner is decided, there is still much to look forward to.
The driver fraternity said so in unequivocal terms in the lead-up to Sunday even as Verstappen went into the race with his arms already wrapped up around the overall championship for the fourth time. Verstappen said: "Abu Dhabi is a great place and I am always happy to come here. It means the season is finally coming to an end and it is time to relax after going all out on the track here for one last time."
As well as snatching the extra point for fastest lap, Verstappen set a new record of 19 victories in one season – an astonishing win percentage of 86.4 – single-handedly matching the combined 19 race wins of the two Mercedes drivers' 2016 campaign.
While Verstappen is holding fort at one end of the spectrum, the other end also has many who look forward to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for different reasons. They include rookie drivers and F1 hopefuls such as Keanu Al Azhari who won the UAE Trophy Round in F4. Or the F2 winner Theo Pourchaire.
Even junior drivers such as Logan Sergeant, the secondary driver at Williams Racing, told Aletihad before practice began that he was looking forward to end the season on a high, unsure of keeping his seat – the only one in the driver lineup this year to be in the shade of uncertainty.
His teammate Alexander Albon also reminded why Abu Dhabi is much sought after apart from getting a few moments to relax after a season full of twists and turns. "We get to test and tune up for the cars so there others in the team [engineers] who have got a sense of what needs to be done on the car if we have to get more competitive. Right now, Verstappen is not even in our sights."
The one team who does have Red Bull Racing in their sights is Mercedes, especially after their second-place finish on Sunday coming down to the wire in a head-to-head fight for points with Ferrari. Only three points split the two on the podium eventually.
Mercedes had some luck going their way as Ferrari's Sergio Perez was docked five seconds as penalty for a race infringement. With the Ferrari World right next door, it was symbolical that Ferrari were left to rue the case of a 'so near, yet so far'.
Yet, it is at the Yas Marina Circuit where lessons are learnt, people have a good time at the Abu Dhabi Hill and the F1 caravan takes a break so it comes back stronger.
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