2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Championship standings

Vettel leads the championship on 240 points after India. Alonso is second on 227, with 50 points remaining across the final two races. Räikkönen is third on 173, well out of title contention.

Previous race

Vettel won at the Buddh International Circuit for the second year running, sweeping all three practice sessions and the race. Alonso finished second, limiting the damage but failing to close the gap.

Car upgrades

Ferrari have brought a revised front wing with updated main planes, flaps, and endplates, plus modified forward bargeboards. The team used one of their permitted curfew breaks on Thursday night to complete the installation. Williams tested a new three-flap front wing design in Friday practice but reverted to the older specification for qualifying and the race. Caterham bring modifications to their exhausts, bodywork, brake ducts, floor, diffuser, and front wing as their battle with Marussia for tenth in the Constructors’ Championship intensifies.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the yellow-banded soft compound as the prime and white-banded medium as the option. Two DRS zones are designated — between Turns 7–8 and Turns 10–11.

Practice

FP1: Hamilton was fastest (1:43.285) ahead of Button and Vettel. Pérez ran wide at the pit entry.

FP2: Vettel dominated (1:41.751), three tenths faster than Hamilton. Button was third, Webber fourth before a KERS cooling leak curtailed his running. A near-miss between Webber and Räikkönen occurred at the pit-lane entrance.

FP3: Hamilton was quickest (1:42.130). Vettel spent 55 minutes in the garage addressing a brake caliper problem but still set the third-fastest time.

Weather

Hot and dry — 29–30°C air temperature, 29–34°C track.