Simply Abu Dhabi XXVIII

5 3 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Further down the grid, Ricciardo was one of two retirements with hydraulic failure, while Renault’s Carlos Sainz lost a wheel after a pit stop which for a moment jeopardised Renault’s chances of taking the valuable sixth place in the constructors’ championship. Those fears were allayed, however, when Sainz’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg brought his Renault home in sixth place which ensured the team bagged the DHS 50 million bonus for next year. McLaren-Honda’s Alonso gave Honda a farewell gift of a points finish for their last race, which netted the team a staggering 393 grid penalties for engine issues during the season and 10 retirements. Next year McLaren switches to Renault power and should be a race contender alongside Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. Bring on 2018!