Valtteri Bottas wins his third of the season in Abu Dhabi this weekend. He held off teammate, Lewis Hamilton to take the checkered flag from the pole. Bottas led the majority of the race, only losing the lead for a brief period of time while he was in the pits. Hamilton, the current Formula 1 World Champion, came in second by 3.8 seconds, followed by rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.
Valtteri Bottas Wins from Pole
The start of the race found Bottas clearing Turn 1 safely and opening up a lead over his teammate. Other drivers were not so lucky, including Nico Hulkenburg and Sergio Perez who tangled on the first lap. Bottas quickly opened up a two second lead over his teammate by the time the first pit stops came due. All of the leading drivers, including Bottas, Hamilton, and both Ferrari cars, started on the Ultra Soft tires. Bottas was the first of the two Mercedes to pit, resulting in the one time he was not in the lead of the race. Lewis Hamilton stayed out for an additional three laps and turned the fastest lap of the race in the process. Hamilton got within 0.5 seconds of his teammate, however, he was unable to overtake him. Bottas the poured on the speed and pulled away from Hamilton to secure his victory.
Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari came in fourth with Max Verstappen in fifth behind him. Daniel Ricciardo had a solid race right up to the point a hydraulic problem too him out of the running. Fernando Alonso finished ninth for McLaren Honda in what would be the last race he would drive for them. Felipe Massa, ran his final Formula 1 race, and finished tenth, finishing his 269th grand prix in the process.
The last race of the 2017 exhibited some exciting moments and brilliance dominance by Mercedes. It was, in short, a summary of the entire season in one race. As Formula 1 prepares for the 2018 season, a new logo heralds a new era in Formula 1, with new ownership, new rules, and a wide open future. As the lights go out in Abu Dhabi the countdown to the 2018 season begins.
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