ABU DHABI 27 November 2017: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, watched the exciting finale as Valtteri Bottas pipped crowd favourite Lewis Hamilton to win the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday evening.
A number of world leaders, dignitaries and senior officials attended the final race of 2017 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
A day that began with the F2 and GP3 races finished with glory for the Mercedes driver and a sell-out concert for P!NK
Valtteri Bottas took some of the gloss off Lewis Hamilton’s championship winning season by storming to victory.
The Finnish driver led from the start of the race and never looked in danger of giving up his lead, comfortably keeping his teammate at bay as the sun set on Yas Marina Circuit and the 2017 season.
In a day that earlier saw the F2 and GP3 seasons culminate with Charles Leclerc and Dorian Boccolacci winning the respective races, the F1 2017 season finale saw Mercedes finish on top going into the winter break, with the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel unable to mount a serious challenge from third place.
World Champ
Finishing on the podium, Hamilton was still able to raise his World Championship trophy into the sky, joining a very select group of four-time F1 world champions: Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher.
Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit, said: “Congratulations to Valtteri on wining this race and to Lewis on becoming a four-time FIA Formula 1 champion. A special thanks also to all the teams and drivers for putting on such a fantastic display of racing for our sell-out crowd to enjoy.
“It has been a wonderful four days of entertainment all over Yas Marina Circuit – from the on-track sporting action to the varied activities and entertainment in our F1 Fanzone and Oasis areas, to the unforgettable After-Race concerts.
“Abu Dhabi and Yas Marina Circuit have once again proved that we can put on a world-class show that rivals any sporting and entertainment event anywhere else. Thanks to all the fans who came and contributed to an incredible atmosphere throughout race weekend. We look forward to welcoming you back to our 10th Anniversary edition in 2018”
A capacity crowd of 60,000 people were treated to a full-day feast of sporting action and entertainment on a sun-baked Sunday at Yas Marina Circuit.
The final races of F2 and GP3 Series kicked things off on the track on Sunday, with a host of off-track activities in Yas Marina Circuit’s F1® Fanzone and four themed Oasis areas kept kids and adults entertained during the afternoon with driver autograph sessions, race simulations, aerial acrobatics displays, live music performances, UAE cultural displays, and much more.
Stunning Flypast
Just before the race, it was time for the Etihad Airways and Fursan Al Emarat to perform a stunning national colours fly past, followed by the UAE National Anthem.
At exactly 5pm it was time for the main attraction, the season finale three-way showdown between Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Fifty-five laps of breath-taking action played out under the setting sun, then illuminated by the Circuit’s iconic floodlights, ended with Lewis Hamilton lifting his fourth FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship trophy, despite losing the Abu Dhabi honours to his Mercedes team mate.
Fans watched the action live from Yas Marina Circuit’s multiple grandstands and from fans’ favourite Abu Dhabi Hill, while millions of others around the world followed live updates and a wealth of multimedia content on the Circuit’s online channels.
The evening finished with a show-stopping performance at the du Arena as global rock icon P!NK wowed the crowds with Sunday night’s Yasalam After-Race Concert. Her epic performance wrapped up an A-List line-up of After-Race concerts throughout race weekend. Scottish DJ Calvin Harris got the party started on Thursday, followed by hip hop artist J. Cole on Friday, and UK alternative rockers Mumford & Sons on Saturday.
New F1 Logo
The official new Formula 1® logo was unveiled to the world live on Sunday evening.
Under the banner of “Unleash 2018”, just minutes after Valtteri Bottas won the race, Formula 1® launched a video in front of a sell-out capacity crowd of 60,000 race fans at, which was simultaneously beamed live across all of Yas Marina Circuit’s screens and on its official social media channels announcing the new design.
Eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted a preview of the new logo just seconds before as it adorned the celebratory rose water bottles that were sprayed on the podium by top three finishers Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
The previous black and red logo had been in place since 1994. The sport’s new owners as of this season, Liberty Media, announced in November that the logo would change. F1 boss Chase Carey said it was a “good way to emphasize the excitement and a fresh energy to take the sport to a new place”.