Vettel says thank you for the fantastic ride
German looks for one final hurrah after Verstappen tops the second free practice
The floodlit Yas Marina track was getting hotter by the minute despite the dip in temperatures as F1 stars stepped up the pace in the second free practice session at the Etihad Airways F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday.
Newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen topped the time sheet in the evening session after seventime champion Lewis Hamilton took the top spot in the morning.
Brazilian Grand Prix winner George Russell of Mercedes finished 0.341 seconds behind the Dutchman, while Charles Leclerc in Ferrari separated the Mercedes duo, with Hamilton fourth. Ahead of his F1 swansong at the season finale, Sebastian Vettel could not repeat his morning form and finished out of the top 10 under the lights. Vettel won four titles in Abu Dhabi between 2010 and 2013, during which he and his Red Bull team dominated. With 53 race victories and 57 pole positions, he is third in the top 10 F1 drivers in terms of victories, behind Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
“The decision has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Vettel said, explaining reasons behind his retirement.
“But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist.”