2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Lewis vs Rosberg

The 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was not just any ordinary Grand Prix; it was the thrilling conclusion to the 2016 F1 World Championship and held the key to crowning the season’s drivers’ champion.

With the spotlight firmly fixed on the Mercedes team and its star drivers, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, teammates but fierce rivals, the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was set to be a battle royale between these two outstanding drivers.

The stage was set for a gripping showdown on the Yas Marina Circuit, one that would be remembered as a defining moment in the careers of both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:38.755
Fastest lap
Driver	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari
Time	1:43.729 on lap 43
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Second	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes
Third	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
25 November 2016	Practice 1	13:00 – 14:30
25 November 2016	Practice 2	17:00 – 18:30
26 November 2016	Practice 3	14:00 – 15:00
26 November 2016	Qualifying	17:00
27 November 2016	Race	17:00

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

On November 27, 2016, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi played host to the final race of the 2016 F1 World Championship, officially titled the 2016 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This event marked the eighth time the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had featured on the race calendar since 2009.

As the final race of the championship, the weekend held significant implications for the World Drivers’ Championship, with Nico Rosberg, the defending race winner from 2015, leading his teammate Lewis Hamilton by twelve points. Their team, Mercedes, boasted a 236-point lead over Red Bull Racing in the World Constructors’ Championship. For Rosberg, finishing on the podium was critical to securing his championship title, while Hamilton needed a podium finish to keep his mathematical chances alive.

The race started with Hamilton in pole position and ended with him claiming the win, with Rosberg securing second, thereby clinching his first-and-only World Drivers’ Championship. Sebastian Vettel rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.

Following the race, Nico Rosberg announced his retirement from Formula 1, making the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix his farewell appearance in the sport. The 2016 event also marked the final outing for the Manor team, as they ceased operations before the start of the 2017 season, reducing the grid to twenty Formula 1 drivers in 2017. Esteban Gutierrez and Felipe Nasr also participated in their last Grand Prix. At the same time, it was widely believed to be the final Grand Prix for Jenson Button, although he would later substitute for Fernando Alonso at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix.

Championship on the line

Lewis Hamilton trailed Nico Rosberg by 12 points before the season’s final race, creating a scenario where both drivers had a chance to win the world championship.

Hamilton could claim victory if he placed first and Rosberg finished fourth or worse or placed second or third while Rosberg finished eighth or ninth. A fourth-place finish by Hamilton and an eleventh-place or worse by Rosberg would also lead to a Hamilton victory.

On the other side of the Mercedes garage, Rosberg could emerge triumphant if he placed on the podium, finished sixth or better, while Hamilton failed to win, or placed eighth or higher while Hamilton placed third or lower. Rosberg would also win if Hamilton failed to make the podium and placed fifth or lower.

Free Practice

Lewis Hamilton led FP1 as the title contenders began their final weekend. Sebastian Vettel tested the halo, while Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa both spun at Turn 5. Romain Grosjean’s rear-brake problem ruined his tyres and curtailed his programme, and Jenson Button also had to return slowly to the pits with a technical issue.

Lewis Hamilton led FP2 despite early concerns about his tyres and gearbox. Daniil Kvyat suffered another rear puncture after a similar problem in the morning, while Sebastian Vettel stopped late on with gearbox trouble. Those interruptions complicated the longer runs in the twilight conditions most relevant to qualifying and the race.

FP3 brought varied tyre programmes as teams used the sets they could spare before qualifying. Mercedes moved from supersofts to ultrasofts later in the hour, but Lewis Hamilton reported a brake concern and did not improve further. The changing compounds made the session as much about preparation as its final ranking.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP1, 25 November 2016

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:42.869	28
2	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	+0.374s	31
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.428s	26
4	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull Racing	+0.493s	27
5	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+1.136s	27
6	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	+1.286s	23
7	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+1.687s	27
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	+1.816s	21
9	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	+2.170s	27
10	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	+2.299s	20
11	34	Alfonso Celis	Force India	+2.607s	26
12	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+2.731s	13
13	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber	+2.909s	17
14	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Haas	+3.056s	20
15	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams	+3.071s	31
16	30	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	+3.350s	33
17	20	Kevin Magnussen	Renault	+3.503s	21
18	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	+3.510s	21
19	94	Pascal Wehrlein	Manor Racing	+3.589s	29
20	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	+4.258s	10
21	42	Jordan King	Manor Racing	+4.689s	27
22	26	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	+19.120s	4

Free Practice 2 Classification

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP2, 25 November 2016

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:40.861	36
2	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	+0.079s	38
3	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+0.269s	31
4	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.528s	24
5	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull Racing	+0.529s	33
6	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+0.603s	34
7	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams	+1.098s	35
8	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	+1.180s	35
9	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	+1.403s	36
10	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	+1.407s	36
11	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	+1.505s	33
12	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	+1.962s	24
13	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Haas	+2.151s	35
14	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+2.247s	17
15	30	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	+2.411s	33
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Manor Racing	+2.739s	35
17	94	Pascal Wehrlein	Manor Racing	+2.893s	33
18	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber	+3.042s	36
19	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	+3.184s	34
20	20	Kevin Magnussen	Renault	+3.256s	25
21	55	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	+3.617s	5
22	26	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	+5.087s	4

Free Practice 3 Classification

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP3, 26 November 2016

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:40.775	16
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.137s	21
3	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+0.224s	14
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.290s	15
5	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	+0.393s	19
6	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull Racing	+1.056s	20
7	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	+1.110s	19
8	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	+1.292s	13
9	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams	+1.301s	19
10	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Haas	+1.579s	16
11	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	+1.810s	14
12	30	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	+1.841s	18
13	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	+1.889s	15
14	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	+1.908s	20
15	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+2.030s	17
16	20	Kevin Magnussen	Renault	+2.282s	17
17	94	Pascal Wehrlein	Manor Racing	+2.370s	17
18	55	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	+2.526s	10
19	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber	+2.642s	22
20	31	Esteban Ocon	Manor Racing	+2.958s	15
21	26	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	+3.330s	13
22	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	+3.463s	20

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton headed qualifying for Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg second and Daniel Ricciardo third.

Lewis Hamilton took pole ahead of Nico Rosberg. Daniel Ricciardo qualified third, with Kimi Räikkönen fourth, while Rosberg knew that any podium finish would be enough to clinch his first drivers’ championship.

Qualifying Classification

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying, 26 November 2016

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:39.487	1:39.382	1:38.755	12
2	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	1:40.511	1:39.490	1:39.058	12
3	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull Racing	1:41.002	1:40.429	1:39.589	17
4	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:40.338	1:39.629	1:39.604	14
5	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:40.341	1:40.034	1:39.661	14
6	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:40.424	1:39.903	1:39.818	13
7	27	Nico Hülkenberg	Force India	1:41.000	1:40.709	1:40.501	12
8	11	Sergio Pérez	Force India	1:40.864	1:40.743	1:40.519	12
9	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	1:41.616	1:41.044	1:41.106	17
10	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	1:41.157	1:40.858	1:41.213	15
11	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams	1:41.192	1:41.084	—	9
12	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	1:41.158	1:41.272	—	14
13	21	Esteban Gutiérrez	Haas	1:41.639	1:41.480	—	16
14	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:41.467	1:41.564	—	15
15	30	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	1:41.775	1:41.820	—	14
16	94	Pascal Wehrlein	Manor Racing	1:41.886	1:41.995	—	14
17	26	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	1:42.003	—	—	9
18	20	Kevin Magnussen	Renault	1:42.142	—	—	6
19	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber	1:42.247	—	—	8
20	31	Esteban Ocon	Manor Racing	1:42.286	—	—	8
21	55	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	1:42.393	—	—	9
22	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	1:42.637	—	—	8

What happened in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2016?

Opening laps

The race started with Lewis Hamilton leading the pack while keeping a watchful eye on Nico Rosberg’s movements in the first corner. Kimi Räikkönen moved into third, followed by Daniel Ricciardo. Sebastian Vettel, Sergio Pérez, Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, and Valtteri Bottas completed the top ten racers in the initial laps.

A pivotal moment came when Max Verstappen’s vehicle spun, pushing him down to 19th after a slight knock with Nico Hülkenberg‘s Force India. The Red Bull Racing team opted for a strategic plan by beginning the race on the more durable, super-soft tyres instead of the ultra-soft tyres selected by the top 10 drivers on the grid. Max Verstappen made a stunning comeback, climbing to 13th place by the fifth lap and getting closer to the race leader, Hamilton, who was only 19 seconds ahead.

The opening laps also had some early set backs, with Kevin Magnussen bowing out on lap 5 due to suspension damage from an early collision. The fight between Force India and Williams continued for 6th and 9th, with Alonso in the middle of the two teams. Unfortunately, Valtteri Bottas had to retire on lap 6 due to suspension issues.

Pit stops

On lap 7, Mercedes and Ferrari brought in their leading drivers, Hamilton and Räikkönen, for their first pit stops, followed by Rosberg and Vettel in subsequent laps. Red Bull also reacted by pitting Ricciardo and fitting him with yellow-walled soft tyres, a move that was copied by the other front-running cars. Rosberg maintained his position ahead of Räikkönen after the pit stop, but the yet-to-pit Red Bull of Verstappen stood between him and the race leader, Hamilton.

Jenson Button retired on lap 12 while running in 8th place due to a broken right front suspension. A few laps later, due to gearbox issues, Daniil Kvyat retired from 16th on lap 14.

Meanwhile, Mercedes advised Rosberg to be careful when racing Verstappen, anticipating that the Dutch driver would soon pit, giving Rosberg clean air without an on-track battle. Red Bull Racing took a more conservative approach, keeping Verstappen out as long as possible to finish the race with only one pit stop, holding up Rosberg in the process. The risk Verstappen’s strategy posed to Rosberg became clear, with Räikkönen catching him and Vettel making progress, too. Rosberg was told to pass Verstappen on track, a move he finally made on lap 20, and went on to begin narrowing the gap to Hamilton.

The Mercedes drivers pitted for their final stint on soft tyres on laps 28 and 29, with Rosberg enjoying a comfortable 4-second lead over Max Verstappen, followed by Ricciardo and Räikkönen. Vettel, aiming for a short final stint on the faster red-walled super-soft tyres, took the lead, with all other drivers on slower, older soft tyres. Mercedes became concerned about Hamilton’s slower pace, which nearly matched Vettel’s lap times despite Vettel’s much older tyres, prompting questions about the reason for Hamilton’s pace.

With 18 laps remaining, Vettel pitted to switch to the super-soft tyres but dropped to 6th place, increasing Mercedes’ concerns. On lap 41, Hamilton asked about the pace of the cars around them, with Vettel clocking 1 minute 44.6 seconds and a one-stopping Verstappen slower at 1 minute 45.9 seconds. Hamilton then began to slow down the pace significantly, clocking 1 minute 46s, allowing the chasing pack to catch up while keeping Rosberg around one second behind. The track’s challenging layout made overtaking difficult, which made this strategic move effective. At this point, the Mercedes pit wall repeatedly urged Hamilton to increase his pace, that fell on deaf ears.

Final laps

Nearing the later stages of the race, Carlos Sainz and Jolyon Palmer were having their own on-track battle, eventually leading to Renault driver Palmer missing his braking point and colliding with Sainz’s Toro Rosso. This unfortunate incident caused Carlos Sainz to retire from the race, and Palmer was given a 5-second penalty.

Meanwhile, Vettel had overtaken Räikkönen, Ricciardo, and Verstappen, catching up to Rosberg by lap 50. Thanks to Hamilton’s tactics, Verstappen was also able to close the gap on Vettel.

In the penultimate lap, Vettel made a daring move to overtake Rosberg, who defended his position fiercely. Red Bull Racing also encouraged Verstappen to close in on Vettel to fall within 1 second and take advantage of his DRS in case of any mistakes. Hamilton’s actions had the potential to deny Rosberg his first championship win. Although Mercedes’ F1 Team Principal, Toto Wolff, understood Hamilton’s competitive spirit, he did not fully endorse his refusal to obey team orders. At the same time, commentators and fans alike argue that F1 drivers should be free to race how they want.

Despite the last stint dramas of the Mercedes team, Rosberg secured second, and he was crowned the 2016 Drivers’ Champion.

Why did Rosberg retire?

Nico Rosberg announced his retirement from Formula 1 just days after winning the 2016 World Drivers’ Championship. There were several reasons for his retirement:

1. Achieving His Dream: Rosberg had achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a Formula 1 World Champion. After years of intense competition and being in the shadow of his teammate Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg finally secured the championship title. Winning the championship was a culmination of his career goals, and he felt it was the right time to retire on a high note.
2. Family and Personal Life: Rosberg voiced his desire to spend more time with his family. The demanding schedule of F1 often keeps drivers away from their loved ones, and Rosberg wanted to prioritise his family life after his racing career.
3. Defending A Title: Defending an F1 Championship comes with increased expectations and pressure. Rosberg recognised that defending the title would require the same level of commitment and effort in 2016, and he wanted to step away from the sport on his terms without the added pressure of defending a title.

Why did Manor Racing quit F1?

Manor Racing, formerly known as Marussia and Virgin Racing, faced financial difficulties throughout their time in F1 and ultimately ceased its Formula 1 operations for several reasons:

1. Financial Struggles: Manor Racing operated on a relatively small budget compared to the bigger and more established teams. This financial constraint made it difficult for Manor to compete effectively and develop competitive cars or attract the top drivers.
2. Lack of Sponsorship: The compounding effect of not being competitive made it hard for the team to secure sponsorship deals and attract financial support. A chicken and egg scenario where they needed money to be competitive but had to be competitive to attract the money.
3. Competitive Pressure: Formula 1 teams that find themselves at the back of the grid often find it challenging to score points and secure revenue through prize money. Manor Racing consistently finished lower down the pack or last.
4. Changing Ownership: The team went through various ownership and name changes, which added instability to the team and their operations.

Due to these challenges, Manor Racing decided to withdraw from Formula One at the end of the 2016 season.

2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	55	1:38:04.013	25
2	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	55	+0.439s	18
3	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	55	+0.843s	15
4	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	55	+1.685s	12
5	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	55	+5.315s	10
6	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	55	+18.816s	8
7	27	Nico Hülkenberg	Force India Mercedes	55	+50.114s	6
8	11	Sergio Pérez	Force India Mercedes	55	+58.776s	4
9	19	Felipe Massa	Williams Mercedes	55	+59.436s	2
10	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren Honda	55	+59.896s	1
11	8	Romain Grosjean	Haas Ferrari	55	+76.777s	0
12	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Haas Ferrari	55	+95.113s	0
13	31	Esteban Ocon	MRT Mercedes	54	+1 lap	0
14	94	Pascal Wehrlein	MRT Mercedes	54	+1 lap	0
15	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
16	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
17	30	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	54	+1 lap	0
NC	55	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso Ferrari	41	DNF	0
NC	26	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso Ferrari	14	DNF	0
NC	22	Jenson Button	McLaren Honda	12	DNF	0
NC	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams Mercedes	6	DNF	0
NC	20	Kevin Magnussen	Renault	5	DNF	0

2016 Final Championship Standings

2016 Final Drivers’ Championship Standings

Pos	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Nico Rosberg	GER	Mercedes	385
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	380
3	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	256
4	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Ferrari	212
5	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	204
6	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Ferrari	186
7	Sergio Pérez	MEX	Force India Mercedes	101
8	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Williams Mercedes	85
9	Nico Hülkenberg	GER	Force India Mercedes	72
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	McLaren Honda	54
11	Felipe Massa	BRA	Williams Mercedes	53
12	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Toro Rosso Ferrari	46
13	Romain Grosjean	FRA	Haas Ferrari	29
14	Daniil Kvyat	RUS	Toro Rosso Ferrari	25
15	Jenson Button	GBR	McLaren Honda	21
16	Kevin Magnussen	DEN	Renault	7
17	Felipe Nasr	BRA	Sauber Ferrari	2
18	Jolyon Palmer	GBR	Renault	1
19	Pascal Wehrlein	GER	MRT Mercedes	1
20	Stoffel Vandoorne	BEL	McLaren Honda	1
21	Esteban Gutierrez	MEX	Haas Ferrari	0
22	Marcus Ericsson	SWE	Sauber Ferrari	0
23	Esteban Ocon	FRA	MRT Mercedes	0
24	Rio Haryanto	INA	MRT Mercedes	0

2016 Final Constructors’ Championship Standings

Pos	Team	PTS
1	Mercedes	765
2	Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer	468
3	Ferrari	398
4	Force India Mercedes	173
5	Williams Mercedes	138
6	McLaren Honda	76
7	Toro Rosso Ferrari	63
8	Haas Ferrari	29
9	Renault	8
10	Sauber Ferrari	2
11	MRT Mercedes	1

2016 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2016 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	20 March
2	2016 Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	3 April
3	2016 Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	17 April
4	2016 Russian Grand Prix	Sochi Autodrom, Sochi	1 May
5	2016 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló	15 May
6	2016 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	29 May
7	2016 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	12 June
8	2016 European Grand Prix	Baku City Circuit, Baku	19 June
9	2016 Austrian Grand Prix	Red Bull Ring, Spielberg	3 July
10	2016 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	10 July
11	2016 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	24 July
12	2016 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	31 July
13	2016 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	28 August
14	2016 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	4 September
15	2016 Singapore Grand Prix	Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore	18 September
16	2016 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	2 October
17	2016 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	9 October
18	2016 United States Grand Prix	Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas	23 October
19	2016 Mexican Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City	30 October
20	2016 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	13 November
21	2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi	27 November