Royal start to Abu Dhabi grand prix

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, King Juan Carlos of Spain and General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Friday witnessed the start of the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit.

The races will last for three days.

The launch ceremony was also graced by sons of King Hamad, Sheikhs Abdullah, Nasser and Khaled along with top senior officials and dignitaries.

Sebastian Vettel topped the times in Saturday's final free practice session for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver outpacing his team-mate and bitter rival Mark Webber by just one-tenth of a second.

On a hot dry day, following Friday's heavy rainstorm, the 23-year-old German delivered a best lap in one minute and 40.696 seconds as Australian Webber and the rest cut their times in a frantic conclusion on soft tyres.

Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, who still retains a mathematical chance of taking his second drivers' title in Sunday's 55-laps showdown, was third quickest ahead of the fourth contender and current leader, Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Hamilton's McLaren team-mate and compatriot Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, was fifth ahead of Russian rookie Vitaly Petrov in a Renault.

Seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, 41, of Mercedes, was seventh ahead of his team-mate and fellow-German Nico Rosberg with Pole Robert Kubica ninth in the second Renault and German Nick Heidfeld 10th for Sauber.

The session was run in near-perfect conditions and the four title contenders all enjoyed trouble-free sessions with the two Red Bulls showing their pace throughout.

Hamilton, fastest in Friday's second practice after Vettel was quickest in the earlier rain-hit opener, was not quite able to match his previous pace, but will have taken comfort from seeing Button regain his pace.
 

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