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The AT&T
Williams team would prepare for the final race of the 2009 season, the fifty
five lap Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima would start
the race from ninth and thirteenth positions. Kazuki had originally
qualified fourteenth but Kovalainen would take a grid penalty seeing Kazuki
move up one place. Nico was one of the heaviest in the top ten in regard to
fuel load while and Kazuki was one of the heaviest. For Nico it would be his last race with
Williams and it was fairly certain that it would be the same for Kazuki.
With the cars on the grid the sun would start to set and the field would
move off on their parade lap.
As far as tyres were concerned the bulk of the field were all on the harder
tyre for the start of the race. Only Fisichella was on the softer tyre. All
the track lights were on already to ensure a smooth transition as it became
dark. With the start of the race it would be Hamilton leading from Vettel,
Webber, Barrichello, and Button. Trulli was sixth from Kubica and Heidfeld.
Kubica would pass Trulli for sixth while Nico was in ninth and Kazuki fourteenth as they completed
lap one.
Button had been able to pass Barrichello for fourth but back at the front
Hamilton was fastest on lap two with a 1m:43.788. Kubica was now attacking
Barrichello for fifth while Button was running close behind Webber. Lap
three and a 1m:42.715 from Hamilton while replays show Barrichello's front
wing making contact with the left rear tyre of Webber as the Red Bull moved
across the track and into front of the Brawn. Nico was still in ninth some
1.1 seconds behind Heidfeld. Lap four and Hamilton was again fastest with a
1m:42.136 to now be 1.3 seconds ahead of Vettel. Vettel was running a
heavier fuel load so his pace was quite respectable. Lap six and a new
fastest lap of 1m:41.277 from Hamilton but on lap seven Webber would respond
with a 1m:41.025 to be fastest while Vettel had closed a few tenths to
Hamilton.
Lap nine and another fastest lap from Hamilton with his lead now 1.5 seconds
from Vettel. Webber was third and would set another fastest lap on lap nine
with a 1m:40.883, while behind him it was Button, Barrichello, Kubica,
Trulli, Heidfeld, Nico, and Buemi in tenth. Lap ten and Hamilton was now 1.7
seconds ahead of Vettel as he set another fastest lap on lap ten with a
1m:40.769. With eleven laps complete Hamilton had lost some time after
running wide and in the process seeing Vettel now 0.9 seconds behind. It was
very likely that Vettel would pass Hamilton in the first round of pit stops.
Hamilton was under pressure locking front wheels as he tried to stay in
front of Vettel. Nico was still in ninth and Kazuki fourteenth, both drivers
not making any real impact on the race.
Lap fourteen and Webber was again fastest with a 1m:40.571 with Webber now
just 1.4 seconds behind Vettel. Lap sixteen and Hamilton was again fastest
with a 1m:40.367 as Barrichello pitted from fifth. He was joined by Kubica
with both drivers staying on the medium tyre. Lap eighteen and Hamilton
would pit joined by Button. Both would continue on the harder tyre while
Button got into a fight with Kobayashi with the Toyota driver getting past
Button at the end of the main straight. Webber, Trulli, Nico, and Buemi
would all pit on lap nineteen. Vettel would pit on lap twenty joined by
Heidfeld. Vettel would continue on the harder tyre and would come back out
in front of Hamilton. Hamilton was told that he had a rear brake problem and
on lap twenty one we would see Hamilton pit and was pushed into his garage
and into retirement.
Vettel was now leading from Webber by six seconds with Kobayashi third
followed by Button, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Trulli,
and Kubica. Nico and Kazuki were now in eleventh and twelfth, with Kazuki
yet to pit. Lap twenty six and Vettel was now 8.9 seconds in front of
Webber. Kobayashi was still third but yet to make his first stop. Button was
fourth from Barrichello with one stoppers Raikkonen and Kovalainen sixth and
seventh. Raikkonen would pit on lap thirty taking on the softer tyre for his
run to the flag. Kobayashi would pit on lap thirty one for his only stop. He
would take on the softer tyre coming back out behind Buemi in eleventh.
Kovalainen would pit on lap thirty two taking on the softer tyre on which he
would finish the race.
Kazuki would finally pit on lap thirty three also taking on the softer tyre
as he was one stopping. Vettel was now leading by 10.1 seconds from Webber,
Button, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Trulli, Kubica, and Nico in eighth. If the
BMW's continued to be in their points scoring positions they will see BMW
move ahead of Williams to take sixth in the constructors championship.
Alonso would pass Kobayashi for tenth and would then pit taking his one stop
returning on the softer tyre. Lap thirty seven and Nico was in eighth and
Kazuki thirteenth while at the front Vettel was now leading by 10.4 seconds
from Webber, Button, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Trulli, Kubica, and Nico.
Nico would pit on lap thirty nine taking on the softer tyre having made his
final stop. Lap forty and Kubica would pit from seventh for his last stop.
He would return in sixth while Webber would also pit followed by both
Barrichello and Heidfeld also coming in returning in fifth and sixth. Vettel
would also make his final stop while Kubica would spin trying to pass Buemi
losing his place to Nico with Nico now in ninth. Kazuki was in thirteenth
while Trulli and Button would take their second stops. With the end of the
final stops Vettel would still be leading from Webber by 16.6 seconds.
Button was third from Barrichello, Heidfeld, Kobayashi, Trulli, Buemi, and
Nico in ninth. Kazuki was still in thirteenth with seven laps remaining.
Button was closing in onto Webber and after lap forty nine the gap between
Weber and Button was 1.3 seconds. Lap fifty and the gap was now 1.1 seconds
and on the next lap it was down to 0.7 seconds. Of the top ten this was the
only real fight going on as the race came to its conclusion with four laps
remaining. Three laps remaining and Webber seemed to have Button covered.
Webber was pushing going fastest in sector one but despite this Button was
able to close right in onto Webber. Vettel was on the last lap and had set
the fastest lap of the race on lap fifty four with a 1m:40.279. Vettel would
cross the line to win in Abu Dhabi and Webber would come home second despite
some attacking moves from Button on the last lap. Button was third from Barrichello, Heidfeld,
Kobayashi, Trulli, and the last point went to Buemi.
For the AT&T Williams team their drivers would finish in ninth and
thirteenth seeing neither driver score any points and with Heidfeld's fifth
it would see BMW take sixth from Williams in the Constructors championship.
Kazuki would not get that point and would finish 2009 with zero points
against his name. |