Race Notes - Kimi Raikkonen wins dramatic Abu Dhabi GP

Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus-Renault won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari by 0.8 seconds, and Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull-Renault 3,3 seconds further back.

The victory was Raikkonen's first win since before his retirement in the 2009 Belgium GP, and 19th of his career.

Vettel now leads Alonso in the Driveer's World Championship by 10 points with only two more rounds of remaining in the season.

It is the first win for the team since the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix (as Renault), and the first for the Lotus name since Ayrton Senna in the 1987 United States Grand Prix.

Jenson Button (7.7s) in the McLaren-Mercedes finished in fourth, followed by Pastor Maldonado (13.0s) in the Williams-Renault was fifth, Kamui Kobayashi (20.0s) in the Sauber-Ferrari was sixth, Felipe Massa (22.8s) in the seconds Ferarri was seventh, Bruno Senna (23.5s) in the second Williams was eighth, Paul di Resta (24.1s) in the Force India-Mercedes was ninth and Daniel Ricciardo (27.4s) in the Toro Rosso-Ferarri finished in the final points paying position.

Before the start Vettel was sent to the back of the grid, and the Red Bull driver is starting from the pitlane.

Drivers expected to run a one-stop strategy, the top nine drivers starting on the soft compound tyres. Vettel, Schumacher and Senna starting on medium compound tyres.

Pedro de la Rosa doesn't get started on the formation lap and his car is pushed to the pitlane.

At the start Lewis Hamilton takes the lead from pole. Raikkonen passes Mark Webber and Maldonado to take second. Senna and Nico Hulkenberg make contact at the first corner. Alonso gets past Button. Romain Grosjean suffers a front-right puncture. Nico Rosberg pits at the end of the lap.

Hulkenberg's car is taken away by the crane.

Hamilton complain that his tyres are still cold. Raikkonen takes advantage of it, and makes a run on Hamilton but cannot get past.

On the first lap Alonso passes Webber. The order at the end of the first lap is Hamilton, Raikkonen, Maldonado, Alonso, Webber, Button, Massa, Kobayashi and Sergio Perez, Vettel to 20th.

On lap 2 Grosjean and Di Resta pit.

On lap 3 Vettel complains that he has damaged his front wing while trying to pass Senna.

Alonso sets fastest lap.

In lap 7 Hamilton sets fastest lap at 1m48.1s, pulling away from the field, while Alonso closes on Maldonado in third. Vettel passes Heikki Kovalainen and runs in 13th place.

On lap 9 Narain Karthikayan and Rosberg make contact, Rosberg launching over the HRT. Rosberg's Mercedes end up in the wall. Both are out on the spot and the safety car is deployed. It looks as if the HRT was slowing with an engine problem and Rosberg was caught unaware while catching the slower car. A lot of debris is left on the track.

Jean-Eric Vergne pits.

The order begind the safety car is Hamilton leading Raikkonen, Maldonado, Alonso, Webber, Button, Massa, Perez, Kobayashi, and Michael Schumacher in tenth. Vettel runs 12th.

On lap 11, still under the safety car, the stewards announce that they will investigate the Rosberg/Karthikeyan incident.

Under yellow, Ricciardo slows slighty and Vettel, while warming his tyres, jinks to the right and hits a track marker board, damaging his front wing even more.

On lap 14 Vettel pits, switching to soft compound tyres and a new front wing, and comes back out in 21st position.

On lap 15 the safety car comes in and the race resumes. Webber battles with Alonso, but can't get past. Vettel passes De la Rosa and Di Resta.

Hamilton sets a new fastest lap at 1m47.9s and pulls out a 1.6 second lead over Raikkonen.

On lap 17 Vettel battles to pass Grosjean, and eventually get past the Frenchman for 17th place. While attempting to get past Vettel left the edge of the track, so he gives back the place to Grosjean in fear of being penalised. Vettel comes back and passes Grosjean again and then passes Glock.

On lap 19 Hamilton sets fastest lap at 1m47.2s.

At lap 20 Hamilton slows from the lead with an apparent electrical problem a pulls to the side of the track - his day is done.

At lap 20 Raikkonen leads Maldonado by 4.6 seconds, followed by Alonso (5.3s), Webber (5.9s), Button (6.7s), Massa (9.4s), Perez (10.2s), Kobayashi (13.7s), Schumacher (15.7s) and Ricciardo (16.9) in tenth. Vettel (21.2s) runs 12th.

On lap 21 Alonso passes Maldonado in the DRS zone to take second place.

On lap 22 Webber closes on Maldonado. Renault informs Raikkonen of the gap back to Alonso, and says they will keep him updated on the gap, Raikkonen responds "leave me alone, I know what I am doing".

On lap 23 Webber attempts to pass Maldonado, the two touch and Webber spins. Both continue. Webber falls to seventh.

Raikkonen sets fastest at 1m47.2s.

On lap 24 Button passes Maldonado cleanly to take ver third place.

On lap 25 Perez passes Massa for fifth.

On lap 26 Kobayashi pits from ninth and changes to medium tyres. Vettel passes Schumacher for eighth place. Webber battles Massa. Massa spins, but continues.

On lap 27 Massa and Ricciardo both pit. Schumacher, Timo Glock and Vitaly Petrov pit the next lap.

On lap 29 Alonso pits from second place for medium tyrees, and rejoins in seventh behind Vettel. Perez passes Maldonado for fourth.

On lap 31 Webber and Perez pit for medium tyres.

On lap 32 Raikkonen pits from the lead, taking on medium tyres and rejoins still in the lead, just ahead of Vettel. Button sets fastest lap at 1m46.4s.

On lap 33 Senna pits from fifth place. Vettel's tyres are 17 laps older than Raikkonen's.

On lap 34 Raikkonen sets fastest lap at 1m46.0s. Vergne pits from sixth. Button closes in on Alonso in third place.

On lap 38 Vettel pits again from second place and takes on another set of soft compound tyres, and rejoins in fourth. Raikkonen sets fastest lap at 1m47.8s.

Grosjean, Di Resta and Perez are battling.

On lap 39 Grosjean makes contact with Perez, in the chaos Webber is hit and out of the race. Perez and Ricciardo pit. The safety car is deployed. Vettel pits and takes on another set of soft tyres. Di Resta pits as well.

Behind the safety car Raikkonen leads Alonso, Button, Vettel, Maldonado, Kobayashi, Schumacher, Massa, Senna and Vergne in tenth place.

On lap 42 Charles Pic retires. Schumacher pits with a puncture.

At the end the safety car comes and the race resumes with Raikkonen in the lead.

On lap 33 Raikkonen sets fastest lap at 1m45.4s and and leads Alonso by 1.9 seconds. Vettel closes on Button in third, just behind Alonso in second.

On lap 46 Perez pits for a 10-second stop-go penalty for causing the incident with Grosjean.

On lap 48 Alonso sets fastest lap at 1m44.6s while Vettel continues to look for a way past Button. Alonso re-sets fast lap the next lap at 1m44.3s.

At lap 50 Raikkonen leads a closing Alonso by 2.0 seconds, followed by Button (5.4s), Vettel (6.4s), Maldonado (10.2s), Kobayashi (15.5s), Massa (16.8s), Senna (17,6s), Di Resta (18.5s) and Ricciardo (20.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 52 Vettel passes Button for third place.

Alonso edges ever closer to Raikkonen in the lead by 1.0 seconds.

On lap 53 Alonso sets fastest lap at 1m44.0s.

On lap 54 Vettel sets fastest lap at 1m43.9s.

Raikkonen holds off Alonso to take his first win since returning to Formula 1 this season.