Hamilton edges out Vettel in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton moved to the top of the order in second practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday after trading blows with Sebastian Vettel at the final round of the season.

Hamilton finished behind Vettel in the day’s first running at the Yas Marina circuit after the Ferrari driver picked up where he left off following his victory in Brazil a fortnight ago.

But it was world champion Hamilton’s turn to edge out Vettel in the evening session as he bids to end his title-winning campaign with a bang.

Under the floodlights, Hamilton clocked a best effort of one minute and 37.877 to finish clear of Vettel with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo third.

Vettel – who needs to finish only eighth in the desert to seal the runner-up spot in this year’s championship – and Hamilton have both won on three occasions in Abu Dhabi, and both started from pole position three times, too.

And on the basis of yesterday’s evidence at least, the pair, who went toe-to-toe for the title only for Vettel’s challenge to implode in the second half of the campaign, look set to dominate once more.

Hamilton finished 0.139 seconds ahead of Vettel with Ricciardo three tenths further back. Kimi Raikkonen was fourth for Ferrari ahead of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas with the Red Bull of Max Verstappen sixth.

Bottas must record an unlikely victory tomorrow to stand any chance of beating Vettel to second spot in the championship.

Earlier, British driver George Russell, 19, was handed his second practice run-out in as many grands prix by Force India, and he finished 11th – 2.1 sec off Vettel and within one second of Sergio Perez in the sister car.

Felipe Massa, who will start the 269th and final race of his Formula One career tomorrow ahead of his impending retirement, finished 11th in the order.