Verstappen goes to Mercedes and Kubica returns

AUS:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:22.427

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:26.538

The dawn of a new era in Formula One began with Lewis Hamilton taking a commanding pole position in the Williams. Over a single lap, the Williams seemed to be the cream of the crop, but Vettel in the Ferrari and Alonso McLaren looked to be very close to them. The race began and Hamilton just about kept his pole position into the first corner, but Vettel would harry him for the entire first stint until he made a suprise stop, 4 laps earlier than the rest. Vettel then banged in some rapid lap times and came out 4 and a half seconds ahead of the Williams driver, and maintained the gap throughout with the Ferrari's superior tyre wear. Alonso in the McLaren Honda was also quick, and right on the final lap made a dive on the inside of the penultimate corner to take an impressive third place. Champions Mercedes also began their own new era, fielding an all new driver lineup of promising teenager Max Verstappen and slightly experienced Valtteri Bottas. The drivers struggled with the sluggish car and only Bottas made it into Q3, qualifying a lowly 8th, but retirments meant they got decent points in 5th and 6th, Verstappen getting the higher place.

CHN:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:31.558

Fastest Lap: D.Ricciardo - 1:34.971

Hamilton once again took a dominant pole, with the returning Kubica qualifying a sensational 3rd. However, at the damp start, the two Ferrari's in 2nd and 4th got the jump on the Williams beside them to be 1st and 3rd into the first corner. However, it was the McLaren which was super fast in the wet, Alonso, who qualified 6th, passed his teammate and managed to clear Kubica and Raikkonen to get into 3rd when the time came to change tyres. However, unfortunately for the Spaniard, his Honda engine would fail after just 13 laps. Hamilton would be going for a two stop strategy whilst the Ferrari's would go for a one stop, utilising their tyre wear advantage. Hamilton made an easy move on Vettel just 2 laps after the switch to slicks, and got the gap to 15 seconds at his second stop. He would have 19 laps to reclaim the 13 second defecit he lost. However, Williams unmatched pace on unworn slicks was clearly demonstrated here, as Hamilton would make the pass on Vettel just 9 laps after his stop and go on to take a dominant win. Further behind, Kubica almost got a podium but was passed by Dnaiel Ricciardo, the Australian making many overtakes to get Red Bull's first podium of 2017.

BAH:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:28.863

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:29.111

Williams were to struggle in the hot conditions in Bahrain and it was a straight fight between Vettel and Alonso for pole, and it was the McLaren that came out on top by 0.028 seconds. However, the Ferrari's would once again make a terrific start, both of them jumping Fernando and Kimi holding the Spaniard up for 5 laps before he eventually passed him, with the gap to Vettel beiong 6.7 seconds. Vettel managed his lead perfectly, getting Fernando to just about in DRS range before he came in. Vettel used the clear air well, putting in some respectable lap times on old tyres. Vettel came in 3 laps after Fernando and they emerged side by side, Fernando defending for the whole lap until Vettel made the inevitable DRS pass on the main straight. And thus, he had checkmated him, and put the hammer down to win his second race in just three, pulling out a big lead over Lewis Hamilton in the standings, who finished fourth.

RUS:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:32.998

Fastest Lap: K. Raikkonen - 1:36.815

McLaren dominated qualifying in Sochi, with Fernando being 3 tenths faster than the nearest Ferrari in 3rd. However, with the Ferrari's great race pace, Sunday could have been different. There was no positions gained on the line for the Ferrari's but Vettel would make a DRS pass on rookie Vandoorne on lap 4, and was steadily closing in on Alonso. However, we would never know whether Sebastian would have been able to prevent Alonso from claiming his second consecutive Sochi win, as his engine died on lap 21. However, the battle between the second drivers was much more intresting, as the experienced Raikkonen chased the very inexperienced Stoffel Vandoorne. At the closing stages he was almost closing on the Belgian by 1 second a lap, but the rookie held on to take second place by just 9 tenths of a second. Further behind, Hamilton picked up valuable points for his title charge with 4th, bringing the gap down to just 4 points.

ESP:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:19.200

Fastest Lap: D. Ricciardo - 1:23.656

Lewis Hamilton once again took pole position, but it was a close fight with title rival Sebastian Vettel who was just 5 hundreths off pole. Vettel got the advantage off the line, and maintained the lead, but unlike in previous races Hamilton was able to keep in in his Williams in race trim. The first stops passed by with little change, but the race got flipped on its head when Max Verstappen had an engine failure, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car. Ferrari made their second stop way off schedule, but crucially, they lost no time. Hamilton on the other hand, would have to make another stop, but could drive as fast as he wanted. As the race got back under way, Hamilton hastily but cleanly passed Vettel, and brought the gap up to eight seconds. It wasn't looking like it was good enough, but Alonso had an engine failure from third, bringing out another VSC where Hamilton made the free stop. It was still 5 laps off schedule, so would have to drive somewhat more conservatively, but he would have the tyre advantage over Vettel. There was 14 laps to go, and Hamilton ate through the gap rapidly and with 5 laps to go was right in Vettel's diffuser. He made a move into turn 1, but Vettel forced him off the track, meaning he would have to wait two more laps. However, he was much closer coming out of the final corner, and used the Williams straight line speed advantage and the DRS to make a clean move on Vettel before turn 1 and claim his second win of the season. taking the championship lead for the first time in the turbo hybrid era.

MNC:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:11.961

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:15.161

Alonso and McLaren would absolutely dominate qualifying, with Alonso taking the pole position by 4 tenths from Sebastian Vettel. The Williams struggled, with Hamilton making a mistake and crashing in Q2, forcing him to start tenth and Kubica only managing P9 in Q3. Vandoorne, who qualified 4th, made the jump on Raikkonen to move up into P3 on lap one, but Alonso held and extended his lead in what was an amazing display. Ricciardo would make a last gasp overtake at the Nouville Chicane just 7 laps from the end to take fourth off Kimi Raikkonen, but it was a win and a double podium for McLaren to reinvigorate their title challenges. Hamilton managed to claw his way back to P7 to somewhat limit the damage, but Vettel had retaken the Championship lead in what was shaping up to be a thrilling battle between the three most talented drivers of their generation.

CAN:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:11.601

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:14.681

For the fourth time in the year Hamilton took pole, and it was a Williams front row lockout as Kubica posted his best qualifying result of the year so far in second. Vettel got the better start off the line and jumped Kubica into 2nd, and set after Hamilton. However, the Williams was in its element at the Circuit De Gilles Villeneuve, and Hamilton was almost uncatchable. Mercedes had also improved a lot, with Bottas qualifying 4th and Verstappen 6th. Verstappen had a great first lap and moved himself past Bottas and Alonso into 4th. Using the straight line speed advantage Mercedes had over McLaren, Verstappen held the position until the first stops when Fernando made an overcut on the teenager. Fernando would then set after the 2008 winner, Kubica, setting some blistering lap times to make up for the time he lost behind Verstappen. With just three laps to go, he was on Kubica's tail and made a dive down the inside of the last chicane, taking 3rd place. Hamilton became the first driver to win three races in 2017, Vettel finished second, maintaining his lead in the drivers championship and Kubica lost a podium again in the dying stages of the race.

AZE

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:40.681

Fastest Lap: D. Ricciardo - 1:44.674

Hamilton took yet another pole position and would lead Sebastian Vettel into the first corner. It would be pretty processional until the safety car came out on lap 21 after Nico Hulkenberg stacked his Force India into a wall. Vettel then got angry at Hamilton after he accused him of brake checking him, and then in a fit of rage, slammed into the side of him deliberately under the safety car. This would get Vettel the harshest penalty aside from a DSQ, a 20 second stop go penalty. Hamilton maintained his compsure and made a brilliant getaway from the start, as Vettel was put under pressure from Kubica behind. When the DRS became available, Kubica dived past Vettel on the main straight to make it a Williams 1-2. Surely Kubica would finally claim his first podium since Belgium 2010. However, a mechanical failure for Lewis Hamilton took him out of the race, handing Kubica the lead, but there were much faster cars on the track. Alonso was chasing Kubica down at a rate of 8 tenths a lap, whilst Ricciardo, who started the safety car period in 7th, made some stunning overtakes to bring himself up into 4th and chasing down Sergio Perez's podium position. With 9 laps to go Ricciardo made one of his famous divebombs into the first turn and passed the Mexican for third, and could now set after Alonso and Kubica for his first win. With just two laps to go, Ricciardo was three seconds behind Alonso, who was just 1 second behind Kubica and in DRS range. Alonso was quicker in the corners, but even with DRS, Kubica could still hold his advantage against Fernando on the straights. The final lap came and Alonso was pushing as hard as he can, likewise with Ricciardo, but Kubica kept his cool and did everything he needed to do to the final straight, as he had a slim 3 and a half temths advanatge. Alonso with DRS chased him like a hungry shark on the straight but the McLaren driver just missed out by 5 hundreths of a second, and with Ricciardo just 9 tenths behind Kubica it was one of the closest finishes in history. Kubica had not only got his first podium but his first win in 9 years. Vettel managed to recover to 5th to still, somehow, hold the lead in the drivers standings, and Felipe Nasr posted Manor's best result ever in 8th place, a herculean effort by the Brazilian.

AUT:

Pole: R. Kubica - 1:04.277

Fastest Lap: L. Hamilton - 1:07.411

Robert Kubica took only his second pole position to carry forward the form he had from his Azerbaijan win. He won the race off the line from Sebastian Vettel but a safety car was needed immediately after Daniil Kvyat torpedoed Max Verstappen. Kubica valliantly fend off Vettel in the first stint, but Vettel made the undercut on him with a great out-lap. Kubica would try to stay on the tail of the Ferrari, but it was simply too quick. Lewis Hamilton closed in on his Polish teammate and Kubica was ordered to make 'the switch' on the last lap, as Hamilton was in the title fight with Sebastian Vettel. However for now, it was Vettel who had a big lead in the championship, and with the Ferrari being the fastest car on race pace, he was looking very good for a long awaited 5th World Title.

GBR:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:36.611

Fastest Lap: L. Hamilton - 1:30.485

In changable conditions in qualifying, it was Fernando Alonso who snatched pole from Lewis Hamilton after a daring move to slick tyres which put him 9 tenths up on the home hero. Hamilton would unfortunately get a bad start and fell into the clutches of championship leader Sebastian Vettel. Vettel and Hamilton collided yet again in turn 3, sending the Brit spinning and Vettel being dished out a 10 second penalty. This would shake up the order, as Alonso now led from Kimi and Vandoorne. Unfortunately for the Belgian, his engine would fail him just 3 laps in, handing third to Kubica. However, Kubica would lose the podium place as Verstappen made an excellent move round the outside of Stowe, putting his Mercedes into the podium positions. Out in front however, Fernando was dominating, having a 13 second lead over Raikkonen at the first pitstops. Meanwhile behind, Ricciardo, who had to start last because of an engine penalty, and Hamilton, were putting on an amazing show, scything through the field at a magnificent rate. Vettel was also making decent progress, and by the time it was for the second stops Vettel had made his way up to 3rd but had Hamilton right behind him in 4th and Ricciardo was in 5th. When they came out of the pitlane Hamilton and Vettel were about to have a rematch, the two title rivals going side by side through turns 3 and 4, but it was Hamilton who swooped by into the podium positions on the first DRS zone. Then, more mayhem ensued, as Vettel suffered a suprise puncture, meaning he would have to make another stop and fell to 9th. But then, on the final lap, Hamilton was gifted 2nd as Raikkonen suffered a puncture as well, with half a lap still to run. Ricciardo would chase him down for another podium finish for Red Bull but Raikkonen just held on. But ultimately, the winner was Fernando Alonso, getting his 3rd win of 2017 by almost 40 seconds after a commanding drive, with both him and Hmailton slicing Vettel's advantage in the championship.

HNG:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:16.703 (Vettel set fastest time with 1:16.497, but was demoted 5 places)

Fastest Lap: K. Raikkonen - 1:19.974

Vettel took a dominant "pole position", but was contreversially demoted to 6th after the stewards gave him a 5 place grid penalty for his actions in Silverstone. "This is clearly bias", said the championship leader "I served my penalty in both Azerbaijan and Silverstone, yet they think further punishment is needed. They just want to stop me because I had a big lead in the standings and that isn't good for the show". So it was offically Alonso who took his second consecutive pole position, with Kimi Raikkonen just alongside him. Alonso shot away into the lead, but Kvyat tagged teammate Ricciardo, handing Vettel a free position. Vettel would then go on to pass Kvyat mid way through the race, whilst title rival Hamilton's Williams struggled on the tight and twisty nature of the Hungaroring. Alonso became the first driver in 2017 to achieve back to back wins as well as the first to get 4 wins in the season so far, as Vettel managed to finish 4th, a disappointment considering he dominated qualifying, and Hamilton could only manage 6th. These results meant that Alonso, just like the year before, would lead going into the summer break by six points from Vettel, and Hamilton trailed Alonso by 15 points. Ferrari also retook the constructors championship lead from Williams.

BLG:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:42.603

Fastest Lap: M. Verstappen - 1:47.219

Lewis Hamilton took his sixth pole of the year from Sebastian Vettel in second and Kimi Raikkonen in third. McLaren were off the pace as they qualified a distant 5th and 6th. Hamilton get the better run down into La Source and held the lead, but Vettel got the better exit and tucked into the Brit's slipstream and attempted to pass for the lead at Les Combes, but failed. The positions stayed like this, with the gap hovering between 5 and 9 seconds, until Daniel Ricciardo, who was in 6th, had an engine failure and brought out the safety car with just 7 laps to go. It would be a four lap shootout at the end and Hamilton got a great restart, getting a comfortable advantage. Vettel however, struggled, and the ther Williams of Kubica had a similarly lightning start, puting Raikkonen under pressure. Vettel, Raikkonen and Kubica would three abreast into Les Combes, and it was Kubica who was the victor. Raikkonen ran wide and lost out to Alonso who was fifth. So Hamilton won, but Raikkonen's mistake meant Alonso just about held on to the championship lead. On the last lap, 19 year old Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to set a fastest lap.

ITA:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:35.668

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:23.217

A shower engulfed the Autodromo Nazionalze Monza on Saturday, causing some mix ups with the grid, but it was once again Lewis Hamilton who prevailed, who just about beat Max Verstappen for pole position. Vettel would start down in 8th because of engine penalties, and McLaren struggled, with Alonso starting 15th after engine penalties and Vandoorne started in 12th. Hamilton would hold a decent lead into turn 1, the Mercedes car in its current state no match for the Williams in the dry, and Vettel and Alonso made their way through the field. Alonso had got himself up into 9th and about to catch the Force India's, but, in a big blow for his title hopes, his engine died on lap 40. Vettel had fared much better, and was the fastest car on track, passing his teammate with ease, Kubica, and with just 2 to go, made the move on Max Verstappen into the Della Roggia to take 2nd. Raikkonen had lost 5th earlier when Ricciardo made one of his signature divebombs into that first chicane, in what was a very impressive result on a track that did not suit the Red Bull's. However, Hamilton was unstoppable, getting his 5th win of the season and taking the championship lead for the first time since Spain. Verstappen also became the first ever teenager on the podium at 19 years old in what was an impressive weekend for the young Dutchaman.

SNG:

Pole: S. Vettel - 1:39.500

Fastest Lap: K. Magnussen - 1:46.348

Sebastian Vettel lit up Singapore with an incredible pole position lap, beating Fernando Alonso, who had looked the favorite by almost half a second. However, on the rainy Sunday night, all the hard work would eventually come undone, as he collided with rival Hamilton yet again, causing a chain reaction which took out Alonso and Raikkonen, opening up the door for a new winner to emerge. Max Verstappen sensationally had the lead, the upgrades Mercedes brought in to the Asian part of the season remedying the sluggishness that was a characteristic of the car before, but he was quickly passed by Daniel Ricciardo on lap 6 and Robert Kubica on lap 10. There would be many safety cars, with Kvyat bottling his chance at a fourth place finish, his seat at Red Bull for 2018 coming under massive pressure from Carlos Sainz Jnr, who was having a scorcher of a race in 6th place, soon to be 5th when he passed Bianchi. In the closing stages of the race, the track started drying, but still too damp for slicks. The only one to stop was Kevin Magnussen, who was in 8th but dropped to 11th, but he made impressive progress through the field to finish 7th and set the fastest lap. The battle for the lead has hottening up, with Kubica closing in, but the two hour time limit came too soon for the Pole to take his 3rd win and Ricciardo won by 2 seconds, finally taking Red Bull's first win in almost a year.

MAL:

Pole: L. Hamilton - 1:29.978

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:34.116

Hamilton took yet another pole position for Williams, with the Ferrari's 2nd and 3rd and Verstappen qualifying an excellent 4th. Verstappen then made an excellent start, almost taking the lead but Hamilton hung on round the outside to maintain his advantage and pull away. However, just after the only pitstop of this race, Hamilton suffered some power loss, meaning Verstappen could reel him back in and retake the lead. Alonso had managed to pass Raikkonen for 4th to boost his championship chances, and Vettel maintained 3rd till the end. However, the star of the show was 20th birthday boy Max Verstappen, taking his first ever win after a calm and composed drive with minimal mistakes. It was a great day for Mercedes as well as Bottas took 6th. Hamilton extended his championship lead further with 2nd, just holding off Sebastian Vettel.

JPN:

Pole: S. Vettel - 1:27.563

Fastest Lap: M. Verstappen - 1:33.647

Vettel took his second pole with a great lap round the figure of eight circuit, with Lewis Hamilton alongside him. But off the line, the Williams driver pounced and took the lead, but it was short lived as Vettel made an epic move round the outside of the last part of the esses and pulled away. However, the joy was only to last 4 laps, as a spark plug failure bogged him down and forced him to retire, giving Hamilton an open goal. However, once again Verstappen was making his way through the field and started to catch Hamilton, the gap down to 9 tenths at the last lap. Hamilton defended his line into the hairpin and maintained the lead, holding on throughout the last corners to get his 6th win of the season and pull out a massive lead in the championship over Vettel, 36 points.

USA:

Pole: M. Verstappen - 1:33.116

Fastest Lap: F. Alonso - 1:37.681

Max Verstappen became the youngest ever pole sitter after a close battle with Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, but on the long run down to turn one it was Hamilton who led after forcing Verstappen wide. He almost went into the clutches of Sebastian Vettel but was ahead by the time they got to the esses. Verstappen then set about closing in on Hamilton, but on the first stint he defended well. Mercedes tried an undercut to get ahead, and it worked, but it was now Verstappen who had to defend from Hamilton. The Williams driver almost got past at turn 12, but this time it was Verstappen who forced Hamilton off the track. Hamilton complained, but it was to no avail, as Verstappen crossed the line to take his second victory. However, Hamilton would get his first shot at winning a second title in Mexico. He had to outscore Vettel by 11 points and Alonso by 5 points to secure his second championship.

CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATIONS

IF HAMILTON WINS, VETTEL MUST FINISH ON THE PODIUM. ALONSO IS OUT OF THE TITLE RACE

IF HAMILTON FINISHES SECOND, VETTEL MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 6 AND ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 3

IF HAMILTON FINISHES THIRD, VETTEL MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 7 AND ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 4

IF HAMILTON FINISHES FOURTH, VETTEL MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 9 AND ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 6

IF HAMILTON FINISHES FIFTH, HE CANNOT WIN THE TITLE. HOWEVER, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 7 TO REMAIN IN THE HUNT

IF HAMILTON FINISHES SIXTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 8

IF HAMILTON FINISHES SEVENTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 9

IF HAMILTON FINISHES EIGHTH OR LOWER, BOTH VETTEL AND ALONSO WILL REMAIN IN THE HUNT

MEX:

Pole: S. Vettel - 1:16.488

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:18.555

Sebastian Vettel kept his title hopes alive with another pole position, with Daniel Ricciardo alongside him. Alonso could only manage 4th but luckily the Williams struggled in the high altitude and Hamilton could only get 5th. Both front row starters made a poor start and it was Daniil Kvyat who led the way into turn 1, followed by Alonso and Ricciardo. But Vettel was to have yet another collision with Hamilton, as the Ferrari would puncture the Williams' right rear tyre. This action gave Vettel a 10 second penalty whilst Hamilton would have to make a long second stint. Vettel had slight front wing damage but could still maintain his 4th position until his first pitstop. The penalty and longer than usual pitstop dropped him behind both Renault's, who were running very well in 5th and 6th. Meanwhile up in front, Alonso was trying a one stop, whilst the Red Bull's were on a two stop strategy. Ricciardo passed Alonso, as he was pushing his tyres harder, and was catching Kvyat for the lead but was stopped by another engine failure. Vettel managed to make mince meat of the Renault's once his car had been repaired and his penalty served, but was a long way off the top 3, who were Alonso, Kvyat and Raikkonen. Hamilton extended his second stint till lap 52, where he came out in 10th place. He passed Magnussen, Perez, before he would finally get his chance to have a rematch with Max Verstappen, albeit for 7th place. He went down the inside at turn one, but Verstappen fought back at the second DRS zone, meaning they would be side by side for turn 4. The Williams though who hung on around the outside of turn 4 and took the inside in turn 5 claiming the position once and for all. Up ahead, it was Alonso who was commanding the race, making his one stop strategy work to perfection and win by ten seconds from Kvyat, who got his first podium of the year. Since both Alonso and Vettel finished ahead of Hamilton, the title would go to Brazil.

CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATIONS

IF HAMILTON WINS, THEN HE IS WORLD CHAMPION, REGARDLESS OF WHAT VETTEL OR ALONSO DO

IF HAMILTON FINISHES SECOND, ALONSO MUST WIN AND VETTEL IS OUT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

IF HAMILTON FINISHES THIRD, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 2 AND VETTEL MUST WIN

IF HAMILTON FINISHES FOURTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH ON THE PODIUM AND VETTEL MUST WIN

IF HAMILTON FINISHES FIFTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 4 AND VETTEL MUST WIN

IF HAMILTON FINISHES SIXTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 5 AND VETTEL IN THE TOP 2

IF HAMILTON FINISHES SEVENTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 6 AND VETTEL IN THE TOP 3

IF HAMILTON FINISHES EIGHTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 7 AND VETTEL IN THE TOP 3

IF HAMILTON FINISHES NINTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 8 AND VETTEL IN THE TOP 4

IF HAMILTON FINISHES TENTH, ALONSO MUST FINISH IN THE TOP 8 AND VETTEL IN THE TOP 5

BRZ:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:08.349

Fastest Lap: M. Verstappen - 1:12.008

The title was left wide open when Lewis Hamilton binned it in the first Qualifying session. And with his main rival Alonso on pole and third place Sebastian Vettel in third, Hamilton had to make a comeback drive to give him the best chance of the championship. Alonso made a good start and led Verstappen through the Senna S. Hamilton had already made three positions by the end of lap one and got up into the points paying positions by lap 8. However, his progress would get slower as he faced stiffer opposition. Alonso would still hold the lead by the first stops, but a poor pitstop meant that he was to be overtaken by Max Verstappen. He tried closing in on him, but he made an error at the Ferradura, losing a couple of seconds. Vettel, feeling that his title chances were slipping away, made the move on Alonso on lap 39 on the Senna S. Fortunately, Alonso had a pretty big gap to Kubica in third, and perhaps keeping in mind his earlier mistake, didn't want to end the championship here. However, Hamilton was storming through the field and with three laps to go he was right on Bottas, and made the overtake into the Senna S. Kubica then hastily slowed down and moved out of the way so Hamilton could move up into fourth, just one position behind Fernando. So with Verstappen winning and Hamilton 4th, Vettel was out of the title race, however, Alonso was just by a hair's width in the title fight, the gap being 24 points going into Abu Dhabi.

CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATION

HAMILTON WINS IF HE FINISHES IN THE POINTS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT ALONSO DOES

ALONSO WINS IF HE WINS AND HAMILTON FINISHES OUTSIDE THE POINTS

UAE:

Pole: F. Alonso - 1:35.887

Fastest Lap: S. Vettel - 1:40.012

Honda turned up their engines to the maximum for Abu Dhabi, and it payed off, with Alonso getting a stunning pole position almost half a second up on second placed Vettel. The only way Alonso could win theis championship however was if Hamilton DNF'd. Hamilton did have a pretty poor qualifying and only managed 7th position. There was no question about who was going to win, Alonso dominated the race, leading from start to finish. All Hamilton needed to do was to finish the race in the points. He had a poor start and slipped behind the Red Bull's and was in 9th. Fortunately, it was Kubica behind who defended him from the traffic outside the top 10. Hamilton was handed a free position when Ricciardo retired again, and would then pass Kvyat in the first round of stops to return to seventh. However, the whole Williams team suffered a late race scare when Kubica retired from the race on lap 40. They did everything in their power to prevent the same issue happening to Hamilton, but his car was ultimately fine, and Hamilton crossed the line in 7th to finally become a multiple time world champion. Alonso, despite winning the race, would once again be disappointed, as he had lost the title in the last race in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016 and now 2017.