F1 classic races - Abu Dhabi

IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.  As Abu Dhabi has only staged two Grand Prix races, here is a selection of races between 1991 and 2010 of events that no longer feature on the F1 calendar, plus one event in Abu Dhabi.  Enjoy the archive!

1995 – Argentina

WINNER: Damon Hill (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Jean Alesi (Ferrari), 3^rd: Michael Schumacher (Benetton Renault)

HAVING spun out of a comfortable lead through suspension failure in Brazil, Damon Hill’s response came with a crushing victory on F1’s return to Argentina.  The first event at Buenos Aires in 22 years also brought a new pole sitter in the shape of young Scot David Coulthard.  Electrical problems curtailed his race, but his presence on the Grand Prix scene was here to stay.  Hill played the patient game in the early stages and then set a string of quick laps around the pitstops to build up a commanding lead.  Jean Alesi recovered from causing a first corner pile-up, which led to a race stoppage to finish second ahead of an off-colour Michael Schumacher, who had to settle for third, over a minute behind his chief rival.  Gerhard Berger produced a brilliant recovery from a dreadful 81.7 second pitstop to claim the final championship point in the second Ferrari.

1997 – San Marino

MAIDEN: Victory for Frentzen in 1997, his high point at Williams

WINNER: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3^rd: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari)

WITH no points from the first three races, Heinz-Harald Frentzen was already under pressure to deliver at Williams.  His response at Imola was impressive, as he held off a faster Ferrari of Michael Schumacher to claim his maiden F1 success.  Jacques Villeneuve had started on pole position for the fourth race in a row, but gearbox problems intervened at his second pitstop.  Schumacher had jumped Frentzen at the start, but quicker pit work from Williams got their man out infront and he grittily held on until the chequered flag.  Gerhard Berger’s 200^th Grand Prix ended early, when he spun on a damp patch on lap four.  Eddie Irvine kept rising star Giancarlo Fisichella at bay to secure a double podium finish for Ferrari on home soil.

1998 – Austria

WINNER: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)

WET qualifying for the first time since Belgium 1994 provided a jumbled up grid, which had Giancarlo Fisichella on pole position, Jean Alesi a brilliant second for Sauber and the likes of David Coulthard languishing back in 14^th spot.  Coulthard was then involved in a collision with the two Arrows cars on the first lap, limping back with damage.  Front row men, Fisichella and Alesi’s races ended on lap 22, with a collision at the Remus Curve.  For a while, Michael Schumacher looked likely to overwhelm Mika Hakkinen, but he ran wide on lap 17, bouncing across the gravel and ripping the front wing off his Ferrari and dropping him back to 15^th.  After a feisty and exciting scrap with his brother, Ralf – he used team orders to pass Eddie Irvine and recover to third, behind Coulthard, who stormed back to second.  However, Hakkinen was untroubled at the front to record his fifth win of the season, to show his true championship mettle.

2003 – USA

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Sauber Petronas)

WITH three men in the title running, the 2003 US Grand Prix in changeable conditions played a significant role in the destination of the championship.  A collision with Rubens Barrichello on the third lap handed the stewards with a difficult decision on whether to penalise Juan Pablo Montoya.  He was given a drive-through penalty and by being on the wrong tyres when conditions worsened, his championship hopes died.  The mixed weather played into the hands of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.  Despite only qualifying 7^th, the German showed his class again in such variable weather to claim his sixth victory of the season.  Kimi Raikkonen kept his mathematical hopes alive by finishing a strong second, while Heinz-Harald Frentzen benefited from a brilliant call to change to intermediates at the right time, by getting an unlikely podium finish for Sauber.  His reward was the sack!  Jenson Button was on course for a maiden podium finish, until his BAR Honda engine expired whilst running second at half-distance.  A European heatwave mid-season had handed the initiative in 2003 to the Michelin runners, but at Indy, Ferrari played their wild card of the Bridgestone intermediate tyre which took Schumacher to the brink of achieving more history.

2006 – Bahrain

ENOUGH: Excellent pitwork kept Alonso ahead in 2006....just!

WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3^rd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes)

THE first race of 2006 saw four teams arriving in desert believing they had equipment that was good enough to win the season opener.  McLaren’s chances took a knock when a rear wing failure saw Kimi Raikkonen spin out in Q1.  Starting 22^nd, he charged through the pack to finish third.  Honda’s Jenson Button had an great scrap with Juan Pablo Montoya throughout the race, eventually winning the dice to come home in fourth.  Even Williams threatened serious pace, with debutant Nico Rosberg coming home a sensational 7^th and recording fastest lap, the youngest driver to do so.  In the end, the battle for victory came down to a fight between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.  Schumacher claimed pole position in the new knockout qualifying formula and led the first two stints of the race.  Despite heavy traffic, Alonso’s Renault team produced a top-class pitstop that was just enough to squeeze out ahead of Schumacher.  Alonso won the race, but Schumacher and Ferrari had shown that they were going to be serious challengers again in 2006. 

2010 – Abu Dhabi

WINNER: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing Renault), 2^nd: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Jenson Button (McLaren Mercedes)

FORMULA ONE’s first ever four-way title showdown ended with a nail-biting and tense finale in Abu Dhabi.  The favourites for the title were Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, with the Spaniard eight points clear going into the final event.  The outsiders were Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, with both men qualifying on the front row.  A nasty accident between Michael Schumacher and Vitantonio Liuzzi on the first lap brought the Safety Car out and sent cars such as Nico Rosberg and Vitaly Petrov into the pits to make their mandatory pitstops.  As the softer tyre began to wear out, both Webber and Alonso pitted early, handing the initiative to Vettel.  Ferrari had made a strategy blunder and covered off the wrong Red Bull driver.  This allowed Rosberg and Petrov to jump the pair and with the lack of overtaking opportunities, both drivers remained stuck behind the Russian for the rest of the afternoon.  Vettel won the race and with both Alonso and Webber failing to finish in the top four, it was enough for Sebastian to become the youngest ever F1 world champion.  Red Bull did the double and it began the Vettel dynasty in Formula One.