F1 fever rages in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Lewis Hamilton will remember Abu Dhabi and the UAE capital will remember the McLaren driver.

The 2008 world champion on Saturday became the first pole-winner of the inaugural Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the first day-night race.

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The 5.5km Yas Marina Circuit was bathed in floodlights when Hamilton turned in a stunning final lap to clinch the top spot in the 20-strong grid — the 17th pole of his career.

Hamilton, in his McLaren Mercedes, was trailing the Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber when he began his final lap. The 24-year-old went on to clock a best lap of one minute and 40.948 seconds.

Vettel and Webber took the second and third spots in the grid.

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Jenson Button of Britain, who had sewed up the championship at the last race in Brazil, was the fifth fastest behind Brawn teammate Rubens Barichello of Brazil.

At 5pm on Sunday with more than 50,000 spectators and over 600 million television viewers around the world watching, Abu Dhabi will bring the curtain down on the 2009 championship.

Do you think F1 will spark a motor sport craze in the UAE? Why do you think motor sport is so appealing?