The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concluded the turbo-hybrid era's fourth season with Valtteri Bottas securing a dominant victory from pole, marking his third career win and a strong finish to his first year with Mercedes. This final race at the Yas Marina Circuit, known for its challenging overtaking opportunities, served as a testament to strategic execution and consistent pace, rather than dramatic on-track battles for the lead.
Qualifying
Qualifying set the tone for Mercedes' strong weekend, with Valtteri Bottas claiming pole position with a lap time of 1:36.231, narrowly edging out his teammate Lewis Hamilton by just 0.172 seconds. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel secured third on the grid, over half a second adrift of the Mercedes front row. The session underscored the W08's inherent speed on the Yas Marina layout, particularly through the technical final sector. This performance mirrored the team's strength seen in races like the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix, where qualifying dominance often translated directly into race control due to circuit characteristics.
Race
From the moment the lights went out, Bottas controlled the pace, converting his pole position into a lead he would maintain for the majority of the 55-lap race. Lewis Hamilton, despite his best efforts and setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1:40.650, found the Yas Marina Circuit's layout challenging for sustained overtaking attempts. He remained within striking distance but could not mount a successful challenge for the lead. Sebastian Vettel held onto third, completing the podium as the sole Ferrari representative. The race saw two notable retirements: Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull suffered a hydraulic issue on lap 20, and Carlos Sainz's Renault was forced out on lap 31 after a wheel was not properly fitted during his pit stop. These incidents, while not impacting the front-runners, highlighted the persistent reliability challenges that can define a season's end, a theme occasionally revisited, as seen in the with its own share of technical dramas.