Which F1 drivers do well at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton successful at Yas Marina

Follow us on Google Discover

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has seen only a few drivers do well and win titles as well as races at the Yas Marina Circuit since its debut in 2009, so who is the most successful?

Formula 1 has seen a clutch of champions crowned at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the event has served as the season finale every year since the inaugural running except for 2011, 2012 and 2013. Sebastian Vettel was the first driver to win a Formula 1 title at Yas Marina in 2010.

The track first welcomed Formula 1 in 2009 after Jenson Button had just secured the drivers’ championship in Brazil. Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while driving for McLaren by 0.667 seconds over Vettel, but he would not win the race.

The German leapfrogged Hamilton for the lead after the first pit stops, with the Brit forced to retire his car after 20 laps due to a right-rear brake issue. Vettel crossed the line 17 seconds clear of Red Bull teammate Mark Webber for the team’s fourth one-two finish of the season.

Red Bull also saw Vettel become the youngest drivers’ champion in F1 history when he took back-to-back Abu Dhabi GP wins in 2010. Hamilton would not take his first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory until 2011, and winning at Yas Marina in 2014 saw the Briton win his second title.

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful F1 driver at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

It took three years before Hamilton claimed his first victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claiming his maiden win at the track in 2011. Despite Vettel taking pole position in 2011, an unexplained puncture took him out of the race by Turn 2 and handed the win to Hamilton.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Max Verstappen’s controversial title win over Lewis Hamilton

Even a win in 2016 at Yas Marina was not enough for Hamilton to win his fourth title, as a runner-up finish was sufficient for Nico Rosberg to clinch the championship. Wins in 2018 plus 2019 also came after Hamilton already sealed his fifth and sixth drivers’ championships.

A chance to claim his sixth Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory and record-breaking eighth drivers’ title in 2021 was then taken away from Hamilton by race director Michael Masi, who took it upon himself to ensure the season ended with a racing lap and Max Verstappen capitalised.

Red Bull and Verstappen utilised a late safety car when Nicholas Latifi crashed to pit for new tyres. Yet his chance to steal an Abu Dhabi GP win and the title from Hamilton was not there until Masi resumed the race on the last lap after clearing the lapped cars between the rivals.

The Abu Dhabi GP has seen three repeat winners as a Formula 1 race

Masi’s intervention to ensure the 2021 season ended with a racing lap even saw Verstappen become a multiple-time Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner. The Dutchman was the third driver in F1 after Vettel and Hamilton to claim repeat victories at Yas Marina having also won in 2020.