Abu Dhabi GP 2016 driver ratings

In the end, there was nothing more Lewis Hamilton could do. Despite dominating the last four races of a topsy-turvy 2016 season and hurling psychological bodyshots and controversial tactics in his team-mate's direction at the Abu Dhabi finale, he must relinquish the championship. After a near faultless weekend's work, that will sting Hamilton.

Hamilton's converted pole-to-race win here has been a familiar trend at the end of 2016 but rather than racing into the distance this time, as Mercedes said he easily could have, a desperate Brit controlled the pace and tried to back Nico Rosberg into the competition. Unfortunately for him, neither Ferrari nor Red Bull could be quite quick enough. Hamilton's decision and refusal to listen to his team's pleas over team radio has been heavily criticised, with Britain's national newspapers claiming he could even have his £30m deal ripped up, but would any elite driver really have done anything different in the same situation? Even Toto Wolff admitted the racer in him would have considered a similar ploy.

Brundle: Nico the champ, Lewis the story

Sky F1's David Croft predicted that his move will more likely lead to a "wrap on the knuckles" but any punishment will surely not hurt Hamilton as much as losing the title to Rosberg. Reliability concerns have blighted his year but if Hamilton had brought this kind of form at the beginning of the season, he would surely be joining the pantheon of greats with four championships.
Rating out of ten: 9

Nico Rosberg's drive to the title may have been unspectacular, but it was masterful in its own way.

The German was under incredible pressure in Abu Dhabi and knew that the slightest error, the littlest bit of contact could eliminate him from the race and hand the title to Hamilton.

When pressured to overtake Max Verstappen, contact seemed inevitable as the pair duelled at Turn Eight just millimetres apart. Yet Rosberg somehow avoided the Red Bull and took the position.

Relieved Rosberg savours title

Then as Hamilton backed him into the pack in the closing laps, Rosberg kept his cool and did enough to win the title.

Most drivers will tell you that the first championship is the toughest to win and the nerves must have been unbearable for the German.

The way he kept his nerve and delivered without mistake was mightily impressive.
Rating out of ten: 8.5

A first podium in seven races for Sebastian Vettel and an encouraging end to the season for a driver and team whose title dreams have never looked like being fulfilled.

"Welcome back the old Sebastian Vettel," marvelled Martin Brundle as the German made his way through the field on the supersofts. At one stage it looked like Ferrari had been out-thought by the one- and two-stopping Red Bulls yet again in 2016, but Vettel's late grip gave him the tools to excel. Executing fine overtakes on Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will have felt extra pleasing for Vettel, who was even targeting a spectacular race win. Thanks to Hamilton's backing up tactics, he was only 0.8 seconds adrift of doing so.

Of course, there are areas to improve within the team, such as their below-par qualifying performances, while Vettel will desperately hope they can deliver him a car to challenge next year. But after all they've been through, this third place trophy will be savoured.
Rating out of ten: 8.5

Overtaking impossible in Abu Dhabi? No one told Max Verstappen as he delivered another masterclass, charging through the field after a first lap spin.

The Dutchman was tipped into a spin after contact with Nico Hulkenberg at the first turn and dropped to the back of the pack.

But he quickly charged through the field and before seven laps had been completed as already back into the points.

And remarkably, despite having to push and make the overtakes, he still made his supersoft tyres last, a tactic which allowed him to one-stop and helped team-mate Daniel Ricciardo fight the Ferraris.

The only disappointment for Verstappen from the weekend will have been qualifying where a mistake saw him line-up in sixth when it appeared third was on the cards.
Rating out of ten: 8

Starting in third, it looked like Daniel Ricciardo would present Mercedes with their biggest challenge in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately for the Australian, it just didn't work out that way.

A sluggish start, though not as bad as his team-mate's, dropped him down a place but in hindsight he should have stayed out on the supersofts longer to one-stop the race. After all, Verstappen proved this was possible.

Just like at the Spanish GP, split strategies from Red Bull denied Ricciardo track position and despite a brief battle, he couldn't get past the Dutchman. Undercutting Kimi Raikkonen for fifth was as good as it was going to get.

Still, the Saturday performance alone made this a promising weekend for Ricciardo, and he may be the man to watch out for in 2017. "It's my time," a clearly determined driver told Sky Sports F1 last week.
Rating out of ten: 8

Things looked good for Kimi Raikkonen after a quick start saw him running third for the majority of the first half of the race.

However, his strategy just didn't work out and after losing time behind the long-running Verstappen following his first stop, found himself undercut and behind both Red Bulls following his final stop.

To compound the Finn's misery, his team-mate was flying on supersoft tyres and he had to move aside to let Vettel through to hunt down the Red Bulls.
Rating out of ten: 7.5

It was a momentous day for Force India as they secured their best ever finish in the Constructors' Championship but also for Nico Hulkenberg as the German left the Silverstone team on a high. After qualifying in seventh, Hulkenberg luckily avoided serious damage from Verstappen bumping into him and, without the pace to challenge the top six, kept his team-mate at bay to finish where he started.

"It was quite a simple and lonely race," admitted Hulkenberg, who also claimed Force India would always have a place in his heart as he prepares for his new start as Renault's leading driver.

One thing's for sure, the French team are getting a proven competitor. Despite clamour for Sergio Perez to move to a higher team, Hulkenberg comfortably won the qualifying head-to-head and with a bit more luck on a first lap, he may have outscored the Mexican in 2016. At the very least, he would have a had a podium to his name by now.
Rating out of ten: 9

A quiet race for Sergio Perez to end the season as he scored solid points, but was out-qualified and out-raced by departing team-mate Hulkenberg.

There was not much between the two Force Indias in qualifying, just 0.02 seconds, but at the flag Hulkenberg was eight seconds up the road from the Mexican.

Perez will need to step up and lead the team next year alongside an inexperienced Esteban Ocon as they look to build on their best every constructors' championship finish.
Rating out of ten: 7

"I'm so proud of the way I finished my career," said an emotional Felipe Massa. "I was fighting the last lap in the same way I was fighting my first lap of my Formula 1 career."

And that, despite struggling this season and battling down in ninth in Abu Dhabi, is testament to the Brazilian's character. Every fan will remember Massa for the heartbreaking championship loss in front of his home fans but eight years later, he's still an F1 fighter.

Considering Force India's pace advantage, ninth was probably as good as he could hope for here and out-qualifying his team-mate, along with holding off Fernando Alonso, was a fitting end to his time in the sport.
Rating out of ten: 8.5

Fernando Alonso continues to get results that simply shouldn't be possible with the machinery, with another Q3 appearance and a points finish.

The Spaniard scored 33 more points than the retiring Jenson Button in the sister McLaren, but perhaps more remarkably secured a top-10 finish in the Drivers' Championship with 10th in Abu Dhabi. Massa was 11th for Williams, underlining the job the Spaniard has done.

The long straights in Abu Dhabi should have left the McLaren a sitting duck with their Honda engine still down on power, but Alonso drove well to finish in the points and almost passed Massa for ninth with a late charge on the supersoft tyres.
Rating out of ten: 9

An eighth 11th-place finish of the season for Haas F1 rounded off a promising debut campaign in the sport. And considering Romain Grosjsean accounted for all of their points, the Frenchman has certainly proved his worth.

Grosjean started behind his team-mate but was able to outlast him on the soft tyre, though he was never able to challenge the McLaren up the road. The season has tailed off slightly for Haas and Grosjean but there were always going to be highs and lows, and it's clear the former Lotus man is excited for the future.

"All the other teams are close to their limits where we have so much that we can improve on for next season," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Rating out of ten: 7.5

Esteban Gutierrez finished 2016 with no points and once again behind Grosjean - by 20 seconds - as his time at Haas came to an end.

Of 24 drivers to start a grand prix this year, only four failed to score a point, two of which didn't contest the entire season.

"You have to ask yourself is he good enough for Formula 1?" pondered Ted Kravitz in his post-race Notebook.

Gutierrez did at least out-qualify Grosjean at Yas Marina, but that was a small positive for the Mexican.
Rating out of ten: 6

His team-mate stole the headlines in qualifying but perhaps these kind of displays are why Force India hedged their bets with Esteban Ocon. The Mercedes protégé is proving himself as a driver with fine racecraft, holding his own against his experienced rivals.

On Sunday, Ocon survived contact with Kevin Magnussen, Felipe Nasr and Pascal Wehrlein while overtaking the trio, with both Manor drivers blaming each other for their collision. Ocon's job would have been to beat both Sauber men, which he did, but without more retirements a points finish and rise up the Constructors' Championship was never going to be possible here.

Still, the Frenchman's talent has been evident despite missing the first half of the season.
Rating out of ten: 7

It was a great Saturday for Pascal Wehrlein as he out-qualified Ocon by a huge four tenths of a second and dragged Manor in Q2.

But he couldn't maintain his advantage in the race and eventually finished behind the Force India-bound Ocon, but not before the pair had clashed on track.

Having been overlooked for the aforementioned Force India drive, 2017 will be a make or break year for the German.
Rating out of ten: 7

Marcus Ericsson stretched the soft tyre to the very end of its life, lasting 38 laps after starting his race at the back of the grid on that rubber. Because of this, the Swede was a sitting duck at the halfway point of this race. Though he pleaded with his team to help him, they stuck to the one-stop strategy and while he was pleased with his performance, he wasn't able to secure his first points of the season.

It's been an encouraging year for Ericsson, however, and despite his disappointing qualifying showing here, he will be optimistic of impressing in a better car in 2017. His team-mate has the points that Sauber craved, but it's safe to say Ericsson had a better season.
Rating out of ten: 6

Felipe Nasr finished the season with a strong qualifying performance to beat team-mate Ericsson by around two tenths of a second.

However, in the race he slipped behind his team-mate in what may prove to be his final race for Sauber.
Rating out of ten: 6

A disappointing end to the season for Jolyon Palmer, who looked like he was in for a promising weekend when he out-qualified his team-mate again. However, both tyre struggles - Palmer had to revert to a three-stop in the end - and an avoidable crash with Carlos Sainz blighted his evening.

Sainz criticised Palmer after he was rear-ended, for which the Brit was handed a five-second penalty and took responsibility for the collision. Propping up the pack wasn't what he was after here, but his real target in 2016 was to secure a race seat for next season - which he has done.
Rating out of ten: 6

Did not finish: Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat, Jenson Button, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen