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Abu Dhabi conjures a fitting end to F1 season finale

Abu Dhabi - The futuristic venue was host to the glitterati and the who's who from the F1 world with many descending in the capital to witness the race

It was said to be a dead rubber, so to speak, with both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships wrapped up well before the Formula One bandwagon touched down in the UAE Capital.
But there couldn't have been an apt ending to the 2018 season finale than this with Abu Dhabi putting on a fantastic show, a show that will be remembered for a long time. As Mercedes driver and five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line in the 10th running of the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in blustery conditions on Sunday night, the Yas Marina Circuit was the setting to some dramatic scenes. The futuristic venue was host to the glitterati and the who's who from the F1 world with many descending in the capital to witness the race.
First up, Hamilton played tour guide to great friend and Hollywood actor Will Smith, who ticked off many a thing off his bucket list, not least, waving the chequered flag to usher Hamilton home.
While we are on the subject of Hollywood, the race itself was not short of drama with Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg suffering a horrific crash on the first lap which saw him wedged between the tyre barriers. The car caught fire as well to make matters worse but the German was rescued in time by the marshals before he was taken to the medical centre. Haas F1's Romain Grosjean, with whom Hulkenberg's tyres made contact with, was quickly on the radio asking his team if Hulkenberg was ok.
In a dog-eat-dog world that is F1, it was heartening to see a competitor asking about the well-being of another. It clearly showed the other side of the sport, especially after the push and shove witnessed between Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen and Racing Point Force India's Esteban Ocon in Brazil. And staying on the subject of respect, fierce adversaries and foes Hamilton and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who have fought tooth and nail over the course of the previous two championships brought a touch of football at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
But unlike footballers, who swap their jerseys at the end of a game, the duo, who finished first and second in the race, swapped their crash helmets. "We are swapping helmets. So, it is actually the first time that we are swapping helmets and I've been really looking forward to it," said Vettel, in a short video posted by Mercedes.
"This is kind of an honorary thing that drivers do. This is kind of the highest regard or respect that we can have as drivers. This is like our jerseys," Hamilton said.
Both said to each other: "Here's one of mine."
"Great job this year and it's a real pleasure racing against you," added Hamilton.
And Vettel responded by saying: "Well done to you. Five championships, that is a great achievement. I hope I stop you from any more."
Abu DHabi was also the scene of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso's final race in Formula One and the F1 fraternity had hosted a farewell event for the Spaniard in the paddock on Saturday night, titled 'Gracias Fernando.'
And perhaps, in keeping with the theme, legendary American hard rock band Guns N' Roses after-race concert was truly the icing on the cake.
james@khaleejtimes.com