Sebastian Vettel romps to Abu Dhabi victory

Abu Dhabi: One week after confirming his status as world champion, Sebastian Vettel led a one-two finish for Red Bull at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday — making it three wins here in five years for the German.. The 26-year-old, who secured his fourth successive world title at last week’s Indian Grand Prix, stole the lead from teammate Mark Webber at the first turn and never looked back to help himself to a seventh win in a row and 11th of the season.. Vettel won here from second place at the inaugural race in 2009 and took the chequered flag the following year after starting from pole.. The win kept him in with a chance of equalling the record of nine consecutive F1 race wins by Alberto Ascari, achieved in 1952 and 1953, and also Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 in a season should he come out on top in the US and in Brazil later this month.. Last week’s perfect drive had helped Vettel join legends Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher as a four-time champion.. The Abu Dhabi win was only the third time this season that the Red Bulls have ended in the top two positions, following their previous one-twos in Malaysia and Japan.. Mercedes’ chase for second place in the constructors’ championship continued with Nico Rosberg taking the final podium spot. Teammate Lewis Hamilton started off in fourth but could only finish seventh. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean came in fourth, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso fifth after a pair of late passing moves and Sahara Team India’s Paul Di Resta sixth.. Dismal weekend. There was no denying that Vettel was once again the cleverer of the two Red Bull drivers as he made the first turn with incredible swiftness. Hamilton, meanwhile, was pushed back a spot by Grosjean.. Defending Abu Dhabi champion Kimi Raikkonen, meanwhile, continued his dismal weekend when, starting from the back of the grid as a result of a technical indiscretion in qualifying, he clipped one of the two Caterhams to limp out even before the first turn.. Intelligent as ever, Vettel took his first stop after only 13 laps and was quick to re-join in top position. As the sun dipped by the 20th lap and the temperatures fell considerably, Vettel continued his dominant form, with Felipe Massa and Di Resta in second and third, while Rosberg and Webber continued their own little tussle for fourth.. By the 23rd lap, Webber had joined his teammate and world champion at the head of the race followed by Mercedes’ Rosberg, Lotus’ Grosjean and Team India’s German driver Adrian Sutil, who started to be challenged by Hamilton for fifth place.. The two Ferraris of Massa and Alonso also started gaining considerably, with the Brazilian in sixth behind Sutil. By the half-way mark of the 55-lap race, it was Vettel and Weber ruling at the top followed by Rosberg, Grosjean and Massa.. On the 34th lap, both Webber and Rosberg made their second pit-stop and, though this allowed them to re-join in their old positions, the race came to its now familiar conclusion, with Vettel finishing more than half a minute clear of his teammate.