How the Abu Dhabi GP unfolded

Fancy a semi-naked Romain Grosjean just before we finish our Abu Dhabi coverage? Here you go.

Another look at the BBC end-of-season montage? Go on then. 

Watch it now on the F1 Forum on this page.

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A long, long time ago in this live commentary page I mentioned Lewis Hamilton, in car number 44, was going for his 44th career win during the UAE's 44th National Day holiday.

Sorry Lewis, a 44th career win was not written in the stars, but winning our Star of the Season vote with 44% of the vote was!

"They are marking time - Max Verstappen is the chosen one for Ferrari in 2017. It's easier for them to keep Raikkonen there until then."

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Kimi Raikkonen finished third - his third podium of the year. He finished fourth in the drivers' championship but won't have been happy to have not managed a race win. 

Charlotte Bowe: I rate Nico so much. A genuine and gracious guy. Also has fabulous hair 24/7. Hope he can take the 2016 championship!

Charlie Sutherland: Lewis's body language seems telling. He's sulking!!

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Lee McKenzie has just grabbed a word with Lewis Hamilton, let's see what he had to say: "A very difficult race. The tyres were done up behind Nico.

"If I was to have done strategy, the way I was behind Nico after he pitted and if I had controlled the tyres I could have made it until the end. I was pushing to try and make a gap and it took it out of the tyres.

"I didn't know which tyre was for the best. That was for the team to make the call really. The first set of tyres grained early on, were they going to do it again? Who knows.

"Of course I didn't finish it as strong as I started the hear but 'll do as much work as I can to be in better shape next season and hopefully better understand the car."

The F1 Forum team catch Nico Rosberg for a word.

"Going into a winter break like this is awesome," he says. "I give my guys a reason to party and tear the roof down tonight. 

"Next season is far away. I'll just enjoy the moment, seeing my family and little puppy dog. Great times."

Nico Rosberg must be shaking hands with every member of the Mercedes team. He has been doing it for the last 15 or so minutes and is still finding people to fist pump or five with. This is increasingly familiar scenes at the Mercedes garage, with Rosberg celebrating a win for the third race in a row.

It is all very good, but too late in the title race. Can Rosberg mount a strong challenge next year?

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been talking to Suzi, Eddie and David and told them that his team have an engine agreement in place for next year and he hopes it will be announced in the next week.

He then adds, intriguingly: "I don't think Ron Dennis will be very happy."

A Red Bull-Honda? Really?

"Red Bull have been promised a competitive engine from Bernie. I'd like to see inside Bernie's crystal ball to see where he's going to get it from."

An indication of Mercedes' dominance as another one-two sees them surpass last year's points total. Impressive when you consider double points were available at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year.

You've still got a little under 30 minutes to cast your vote on who you think has been the star of the season. Vote closes at 16:00 GMT. Check terms and conditions here.

On the F1 Forum, Eddie Jordan has been ranting about F1's rules and how they favour Mercedes, after telling McLaren chairman Ron Dennis it's time to step down...

Matthew Robinson: EJ is fuming and on one, and I agree!

Kemi: EJ is unhappy; is his crystal ball broken?

Alan Fraser: Has #EddieMeldrew / EJ forgotten to take his anti-angry medication because of the time delay? Brilliant.

Karine Jegard: I love Eddie Jordan! He is really going for it today & speaking some sense, he's passionate, insightful, bold & remembers the fans.

Eddie Jordan is fuming. He's isn't happy at all with the situation at McLaren and just before he quite literally blows his fine red silk top, Suzi Perry plants a kiss on his cheek to calm him down.

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It's ok Fernando, it's over now. 

McLaren's Fernando Alonso (17th) talking to BBC F1's Lee McKenzie:

"It's been a very, very tough year. Today I was hit at the start and that took me right into Maldonado and they put the penalty on me.

"The FIA should look at MotoGP and the World Endurance Championship to see how well they are doing with penalties."

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Gavin M: Brilliant closer from @bbcf1 - loved the street art & the Forza Jules element was a nice touch

Rachel: Nice to see #bbcf1 paying tribute to Jules in their end of season montage

Bury Sue: Nice tribute to Jules. 

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...and here's the bottom of the drivers' championship.

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Here's how the 2015 drivers' championship finished. We already knew the top three but Kimi Raikkonen pipped his fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas to fourth.

Nico Hulkenberg, meanwhile, won the battle for 10th.

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McLaren's Jenson Button (12th): talking to BBC F1's Lee McKenzie:

"It's been massively tough for the whole team. We have done a great job of staying positive. For us, 12th isn't an aim but 19 cars finished."

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Asked if Nico Rosberg can win the world championship with Lewis Hamilton as a team-mate, Toto Wolff is emphatic:

"Yes. There might be some angry fans out there but you can see in the last few races he was very strong."

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A beautiful closing montage, if I do say so myself. Television coverage has finished but stick with us online for the F1 Forum. Refresh this page to watch it, or click on the live coverage tab (mobile devices).

You can get in touch with Suzi Perry and company via #bbcf1

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Jenna Martin: I really wish the FIA wouldn't end the season with the Abu Dhabi GP. It just doesn't produce entertaining races.

Janine Pingree: So that's F1 2015 finished. As a Brit I'm delighted for Hamilton. As a McLaren fan I just hope that 2016 is a better!

Alex Davenport: This might sound creepy but Toto Wolff is a very gorgeous man!!!!

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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff talking to BBC F1: "Nico was the quicker man on the track. We gave Lewis all the strategy options. They chose the prime because the stint would have been too long."

We didn't quite get the race we wanted in the end with strategy calls, rather than pure racing, proving decisive. 

The crucial point came when Lewis Hamilton was called in for his second stop, having wanted to race until the end. After that, the decision to stay on the soft tyres ultimately proved costly. 

Arguably Nico Rosberg's most dominant win of the year.

"The way Nico Rosberg has finished with six pole positions in a row - my God, that's an expression of sheer determination. It's been a spectacular finish from him."

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Victory for Nico Rosberg was his sixth of the season and the 14th of his career. That moves him level with British driver Graham Hill, who died 40 years ago today.

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More from race winner Nico Rosberg in the podium interviews: "I am sure it's going to be another great season next year. Of course we are aware of the threat from the red guys. I will try to keep it going for the start of next year."

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Third-placed Kimi Raikkonen: "We started better this season but it's not been an ideal year. The speed has been there but there have been mistakes and problems. Today was a bit better. Obviously not enough to beat these two."

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Lewis Hamilton, who finished second: "Firstly it has been an amazing year. I am happy. Now we can really enjoy but I have to take my hat off to the team who has done an amazing job with this car. They've surpassed expectations throughout the year.

"In hindsight, once Nico had pitted I probably would have backed off a bit and gone a bit longer. As that didn't work out, the stop, going too long was probably not the right thing to do, but we gave it a try."

When David asked Rosberg if he would now go for dinner with Lewis Hamilton, the German replied: "Let's leave that. Maybe we'll see each other in the lounge afterwards."

Race winner Nico Rosberg in the podium interviews to David Coulthard: 

"Austin was the low point of the season and since then I've come back a lot stronger. Next season can start tomorrow for me - I don't need any holidays.

"Thanks to my team for my stunning car. I'm ecstatic.

"It's always tough to race Lewis - it's a great battle internally."

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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff talking to BBC F1's Tom Clarkson:

"We gave Lewis the option to choose which tyre he wanted on the car at the last pit stop.

"Even though the car was light, it wouldn't have lasted to the end with options.

"We wanted to give him a shot at the win at the end but the pace wasn't there today."  

Interesting words from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who says it was Lewis Hamilton's call to take on more soft tyres, rather the supersofts.

Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and third-place Kimi Raikkonen shake hands in the pre-podium room, although not many words exchanged before they head on up to the podium.

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Nico Rosberg leaps out of his Mercedes and playfully punches the camera. Three successive wins for the first time in his career. What an end to the season he has had.

Kenny Smith: The firework display was quicker down the straight than the Honda's - I'd be on the phone if I was them.

Flea Palmer: Well that was dull. Loaded again in Rosberg's favour. Wanted to see him & Lewis race!

Tops: Where was Rosberg at the start of the season!

11) Sainz 12) Button 13) Bottas 14) Ericsson 15) Nasr 16) Verstappen 17) Alonso 18) Stevens 19) Merhi

Retired: Maldonado

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Vettel 5) Perez 6) Ricciardo 7) Hulkenberg 8) Massa 9) Grosjean 10) Kvyat

"Rosberg will be delighted to finish the season so strongly and take that momentum into the winter."

Fireworks fill the sky as Nico Rosberg pulls off a few donuts off the track. With the season over, some of his fellow drivers follow suit.    

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Race winner Nico Rosberg: "Awesome guys, thanks for that season - it was really great."

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NICO ROSBERG WINS THE SEASON-ENDING ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX.

Into the last lap and Nico Rosberg is heading to his third successive win. What's this, though, he reports some big vibration. Any last lap drama?

Romain Grosjean breezes past Daniil Kvyat and into ninth. A good sign off as he prepares to leave the Lotus team for Haas next year.

"Nico is in a comfort zone with a eight-second lead over Hamilton. This is as comfortable a victory as Rosberg has had."

"Strat 10, strat 10," Lewis Hamilton is told. Nico Rosberg gets a similar message soon after. 

Hamilton initially refused the request to change the engine mode, before he's forcibly told "that's an instruction".

Rosberg is cruising now to victory. He leads by eight seconds from Lewis Hamilton.

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Vettel 5) Perez 6) Ricciardo 7) Hulkenberg 8) Massa 9) Kvyat 10) Sainz

"Another good first sector for Lewis Hamilton but it's not enough to close the gap that he needs to Rosberg."

Lewis Hamilton's need a bit of that power boost Daniil Kvyat has. He is now 7.5s behind Nico Rosberg but they are both putting in similar laps now. Five laps to go, time is running out for the world champion.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is penalised for overtaking Jenson Button off the track and he'll have five seconds added to this time.

Nigel Moss: Can't believe Merc sent Hamilton back out on primes when he could have finished race on options and taken the race back to Rosberg!

Travis: Mercedes have turned boring. It’s like when Bahrain happened they never wanted it to happen again. Disappointing.

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Rubens Barrichello has actually gone into a shop, seen a shirt with a tuxedo printed on it and thought: "You know what? That's pretty snazzy."

No Rubens. No.

Jenson Button refuses to be Verstappened. 

The McLaren and the Toro Rosso of Max Verstappen are racing side-by-side, almost touching, before Verstappen runs wide and rejoins ahead of Button. Surely he will have to give that position up? Or did Button run him wide?

Lewis Hamilton is charging and the gap is now 10.5s. His last lap is indeed a second faster than Nico Rosberg's. Can he keep it up to the finish? Tough, very tough.

Daniil Kvyat has clearly run over one of those little squares in Maro Kart that give you a random in-race perk. 

He is told over team radio that he has a power boost, and has one chance to use it. He's eighth, 1.6s behind Nico Hulkenberg.

Jack of all trades: if @LewisHamilton had pitted right after nico he would have challenged and overtaken him, now its impossible.

Mike Bird: Primes? Has Hamilton just blown it?

Alex Withington: I don't understand why Mercedes didn't put Lewis on super softs... only 13 laps to go.

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To stop is the decision as Lewis Hamilton heads in. He takes on fresh soft tyres - matching Nico Rosberg's strategy and is back out in second and 13s behind his team-mate, with 12 laps to go. He's going to have to go more than a second a lap faster than his team-mate. Gonna be tough!

Lewis Hamilton: "If I was to back off and look after these tyres to end, how slow could we go?"

Mercedes engineer: "Lewis, it wouldn't work."

Hamilton: "Give me the calculation, guys."

Lewis Hamilton wants to go to the end of this race on his rapidly wearing tyres. He's warned off that idea, though. What will he do?

Sebastian Vettel stops and swaps for super soft tyres. He is back out and flying.

Sean Harrison: Are we actually witnessing Mercedes letting their drivers race & try different strategies?

Joe Lee: Nothing wrong with McLaren's part of the car but the Honda power unit is a joke. 

1) Hamilton 2) Rosberg 3) Raikkonen 4) Perez 5) Ricciardo 6) Vettel 7) Grosjean 8) Hulkenberg 9) Kvyat 10) Massa

This is being set up for a right old fight towards the end of the race. Nico Rosberg is gaining on Lewis Hamilton, the gap now down to 14s, but Hamilton is on tyres that are 27 laps old.

He's still going but you'd expect him to surely stop soon and switch to supersofts. If the Briton is going to win this, he will have to overtake Rosberg in the closing stages. Tense.

Lewis Hamilton: "What tyre is the other car [Rosberg's] on at the moment?"

Mercedes engineer: "The other car is on prime at the moment."

Quote Message: It's very tense on the pitwall here at Mercedes

It's very tense on the pitwall here at Mercedes

Quote Message: This is going to be a fantastic end to this season

This is going to be a fantastic end to this season

"Nico, if you can just pick the pace up a little bit, we need to close that gap," is the message over the team radio.

The German is currently 17s behind Lewis Hamilton, who is pushing hard to try and build up a big advantage ahead of his next stop.

Elsewhere, Daniil Kvyat looks to be eyeing a move on Nico Hulkenberg. Just half a second separates the two.

Mercedes are evidently happy with the lap times Lewis Hamilton is producing, but Nico Rosberg is lapping 0.6s faster. How long before the Briton is called in?

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Mercedes engineer to Lewis Hamilton: "Okay, we are going to try and extend this stint."

Shoddy stop by Ferrari as they struggle to get the front right wheel off's Kimi Raikkonen's car. He is eventually back out but the 6.6s stop costs him so valuable time. His team-mate Sebastian Vettel is now running in third.

Amy Brown: Put your foot down, Lewis!

Kur7t: Rosberg comes in to the pits #Hamilton has to make his move now.

As Lewis Hamilton closes to within DRS territory, Nico Rosberg pits. In and out in 2.6s with fresh softs on.

Hamilton responds by slamming his foot down on the accelerator and going purple through the final sector, while Kimi Raikkonen pits from third.

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Valtteri Bottas heads into the pits to serve his penalty after that pitlane contact with Jenson Button. A 10.7s stop and he is back out. 

Mix of strategies being used throughout the field, and the closest battle is up at the front, with Lewis Hamilton 0.9s behind Nico Rosberg.

Squeaky bum territory for the race leader.

James Jackson: Feel for @alo_oficial Can't be fun being at the back of the grid when you have had such a successful career.

Mark O'Neill: Alonso threatening to retire the car. He's better off just retiring period.

Joe: Alonso wanting a safety car? Where's Piquet when you need him?

Sebastian Vettel is elevated to fourth as Sergio Perez pits from fourth to take on more softs. 

Vettel, though, is flying. He sets the fastest lap of the race so far with 1:46.078. Further ahead, Lewis Hamilton has brought that gap down between himself and Nico Rosberg to 1.3s.

Kenny Smith: It's getting dark, and Alonso wants to take his ball in. #teasready

Pitflaps: Alonso taking his 2016 sabbatical already.

Quote Message: They've paid him enough money to be in that seat - his team could expect him to get to the end of the grand prix.

They've paid him enough money to be in that seat - his team could expect him to get to the end of the grand prix.

Fernando Alonso, 17th, sounds like he has had enough.  

"If we don't get a safety car, then I'm going to retire the car," he says.

Max Verstappen is feeling racey. He is currently 15th but flies down the inside of Marcus Ericsson at Turn 7 and takes the position. "Mad Mac" is in the mood now for some overtaking.

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Quote Message: The projected life of the soft tyre is about 30 laps, which takes us until the end of the race.

The projected life of the soft tyre is about 30 laps, which takes us until the end of the race.

Bit by bit Lewis Hamilton is taking little nibbles out of Nico Rosberg's lead. The gap is now down to 3.8s.

Sebastian Vettel, on worn tyres that have rattled off 24 laps, finally makes his first stop and it is for more softs. No one stop then for Vettel, as he'll make one more stop for supersofts towards the end.

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Vettel 5) Perez 6) Grosjean 7) Ricciardo 8) Hulkenberg 9) Massa 10) Kvyat

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Lotus' Pastor Maldonado talking to BBC F1's Lee McKenzie after he was taken out by McLaren's Fernando Alonso on lap one:

"It happens - that is racing. We are already thinking about next year and trying hard to get better and better. We have all the tools and chances."

Lee asks if he is confident that Lotus will become Renault.

He replies: "Hopefully, yes."

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Max Verstappen, after passing his team-mate Carlos Sainz and into P11, locks up and is on team radio soon after. He's flatted spotted his tyre and has to pit for the second time.

Still waiting for Sebastian Vettel's first stop as we approach half-race distance. In contrast, Fernando Alonso makes his third stop of the race, after the early collision and subsequent drive through penalty. He is back out and running dead last.

"Sergio Perez (currently fifth) could still beat Sebastian Vettel (fourth) if that Force India continues going well."

Lewis Hamilton has some work to do if he is to win this race. Nico Rosberg is 6.2s down the road. 

"Kimi Raikkonen is continuing the great form he showed in qualifying. I wonder if someone forgot to tell Kimi that the world championship started in March."

Kimi Raikkonen is the fastest man on the circuit and as he approaches Sebastian Vettel, his Ferrari team-mate lets him through.

Next up for the Finn, the two Mercedes.

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Lewis Hamilton's latest lap is more than two seconds faster than Sebastian Vettel and, unsurprisingly, that flash of silver is getting bigger in Vettel's mirrors. 

Hamilton makes his move heading into Turn 8, and is up into second with ease. It is as you were at the front. 

Side-by-side racing between Daniil Kvyat and Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson is yet to stop and he can't fend off Kvyat and the Russian swoops into 10th.

Benedict Salido: VET in 2013 won 2 of last 3 races after being crowned champ, HAM in 2015 is going for 0 of last 3 races. Says a lot about the two.

Audrey Eager: Vettel doing what Vettel does! Turns up at a race, does little & will make the podium.

Lewis Hamilton's stop, by the way, was a stunning 2.2s. How on earth can they do what they need to do in that time!?

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Lewis Hamilton is briefly into the lead before he stops, putting Nico Rosberg back out in front. 

 Sebastian Vettel, who is yet to stop, is up to second and manages to keep ahead of Hamilton when he returns to the circuit. Vettel going for a one-stopper?

Nico Rosberg pits from the lead and the stop is spot on, in and out in 2.6s with soft tyres bolted on. 

"Lewis, box, box," is the message to Hamilton.

"Sadly that does look like a procedural error from Williams. Button is allowed to go to his box and it's the duty of the other team to wait."

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Contact between Valtteri Bottas and Jenson Button in the pits!

The two seemingly don't spot each other as Bottas is released just as Button turns into the McLaren garage and the Williams clips the rear of the Briton's car. 

Bottas heads on out with part of his front wing missing.

Daniel Ricciardo pits, as do several other drivers to make the switch to the harder soft tyres. The leaders stay out.

Some fine battling between Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg, the two exchanging places before Ricciardo wins out. 

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso is indeed deemed at fault for that collission with Pastor Maldonado. He is given a drivethrough penalty.

What's the gap look like at the front?

Nico Rosberg leads Lewis Hamilton by 1.7s, with Kimi Raikkonen almost three seconds behind Hamilton's Mercedes.

Sorry Caramel and Martijn, I don't think you can blame Pastor Maldonado for this one. Fernando Alonso got clipped by a Sauber, sending him into Maldonado. I'm putting Alonso at fault there.

Replays also highlight a brilliant start by Carlos Sainz, he swooped past three cars on that first lap. Max Verstappen rightly gets a lot of praise, but Sainz has been great to watch too.

Ryan: "Best lap of Formula 1 all season, entertainment, a little bit of chaos, accidents...this is great!  

Caramel: A Lotus screwed on the first lap. Maldonado is an amazing liability.

Martijn Kosters: Oh Pastor, what a way to finish the season.

A quick check of the top 10 after that dramatic start.

Nico Rosberg leads ahead of Lewis Hamilton and then Kimi Raikkonen, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Felipe Massa, Carlos Sainz, Daniil Kvyat and Valtteri Bottas.

Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, is up from 15th to 12th. The hunt begins.

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"You can see the nervousness in all the drivers. A lot of weaving around and winners and losers - Vettel up to 12th already."

There was contact between Pastor Maldonado and Fernando Alonso and its race over for Pastor Maldonado. He's out, Alonso has a damaged front wing and is straight back to the pits.

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LIGHTS OUT!!

Brilliant start by Nico Rosberg and he is away! Lewis Hamilton is slow off the line and is under pressure from Kimi Raikkonen. Looks to be contact at the back too.

Everyone is in position. Almost time...

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The top 10 stream away with supersoft tyres on. Sebastian Vettel, down in 15th, has softs bolted on.

Nico Rosberg is sat in the cockpit, a look of steely determination on his face. Will he set the tone for 2016 with a big win? 

Everyone is away now for the formation lap. It's go time.

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber on BBC F1: "I really want to see a battle on track - I don't want to see undercuts or overcuts. Maybe a car will end up in the fence - win or bin."

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Perez 5) Ricciardo 6) Bottas 7) Hulkenberg 8) Massa 9) Kvyat 10) Sainz

11) Verstappen 12) Button 13) Maldonado 14) Nasr 15) Vettel 16) Alonso 17) Ericsson 18) Grosjean 19) Stevens 

Merhi starting from the pitlane.

This is what Pirelli reckon will be the most likely strategy today: "Most drivers are expected to stop twice during the 55 laps of Abu Dhabi. 

"The mostly likely strategy is: start on supersoft, change to soft on laps 10 and 32. A three-stopper is theoretically the quickest option (start on supersoft, then change to soft on laps seven, 23 and 39) but this depends on having a car that is quick enough to overtake and gain track position, in case of traffic."  

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And THAT is a beautiful sunset. This is a twilight race remember. Let those sparks fly.

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Now THAT is a fly by.

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Just over 10 minutes to go until the final race of the season, then there's no more F1 for the rest of the year.

Sad face time.

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Last chance for you to check out some fine Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stats and facts and wow your mates down the pub. See them here.

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One for the Alan Partridge fans out there, David Coulthard has his "Dan!" moment, shouting Nico Rosberg's name a few times. No dice. 

"It still think Nico has an advantage. Three-tenths in qualifying is a big gap. What was Lewis doing?

"Rosberg to win, Lewis second and Kimi to drop off - if Perez is still there he could be third."

The first person DC spots is Mercedes executive chairman Niki Lauda.

"Lewis wants to prove that he's still the master," says Lauda. "Nico has been the master for the last two races so I'm nervous."

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You can vote between now and the end of the race for who you think has been the star of the season. 

Make your choice on this page (desktop users) or by clicking the 'vote' tab if you are following on a mobile device. Check terms and conditions here.

David Coulthard is on his scout around the grid now. Let's see who he can snaffle. 

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The polesitter in Abu Dhabi has only gone on to win once in six races. 

However, the front row is still the place to be. The only time a driver has won from lower than that was in 2012, Kimi Raikkonen winning from fourth.

"In the course of McLaren’s news conference on Saturday evening, Fernando Alonso was also asked whether his friend Mark Webber’s observation that he is a ‘ticking bomb at the moment’ was fair. 

"Alonso replied: ‘Not really. I don’t think so. I am aware of the situation, some frustrations in some races this year, but I have been always very calm, very positive. Not just this year, but also in the last seven or eight years, when sometimes even in a dramatic way at the last race losing the championship, some strategic mistakes, and I was never a bomb. There are other people throwing the cap in the podium and so on and that seems more a bomb than me. But people always say something about me, which is nice because they keep remembering me even when it is a low season.’” 

The sound of engines firing drowns out Mark Webber on BBC Two and the drivers head on out to the grid.

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Toto Wolff has just said 'Hasta la vista, baby' while wearing a cardigan.

You could pretty much end the season now. Nothing will top that.

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who has just won the World Endurance Championship, has been talking to the BBC F1 team about what he thinks of Formula 1 in 2015.

The Australian said: "Lewis has dominated the bulk of the championship. Rosberg has only got there quite late on. Seb has had a bit of a crack but Ferrari haven't been as quick as the Merc.

"Young Max Verstappen is awesome and young Carlos Sainz. That's good. We need that these new young guys to keep improving and challenge because the older drivers aren't going to be around forever."

Half-an-hour until lights out. Plenty of time for you to get in your stars of the season to us.

Let us know via #starsoftheseason, text in on 81111 (UK only) and have your say on the BBC Sport Facebook page. 

The Sun on Sunday headline is 'Pole duncer' and also focuses on Nico Rosberg's recent domination and says Lewis Hamilton was left 'shell-shocked' after the German took his sixth pole position in a row.

They say it 'raised more questions about Hamilton's dip in form'.

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Mercedes asked Formula 1's governing body to clarify the rules amid concerns over Ferrari's relationship with the new Haas team.

US-based Haas are entering F1 in 2016 and will be using parts bought from Ferrari, in whose wind tunnel they have been developing their new car.  

There have been suggestions Ferrari have gained an unfair advantage through it and Eddie Jordan believes that is the case.

He said: It's clear that it is ambiguous. It's very generous to Ferrari. Was there an advantage gained? Clearly in my view there was." 

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In contrast, Daniel Ricciardo's moustache is magnificent.

American rapper Ludacris is in the house. 

I'll tell you what is ludicrous. The outfit the chaptalking to Christian Horner is wearing at the back.

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"I expect Sebastian Vettel (15th on the grid) will be able to come through, which will give us a lot of excitement. That said, Kimi Raikkonen is third and hasn't been able to deliver the big results for the team. Will he be able to challenge Mercedes?"

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Ah, the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. What a race that was.

From Kimi Raikkonen claiming first win since coming back to F1, famously ranting "leave me alone I know what I'm doing", to Sebastian Vettel's superb climb through the field from a pit-lane start. 

Today, Raikkonen starts from the second row - just as he did in 2012. Vettel, meanwhile, finds himself towards the back of the grid once again. 

Add to that one final ding dong between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton and we could be in for another classic.

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"It has, to say the least, not been a great season for McLaren this year. As such, they might have hoped they could slip through this final race unnoticed and get quietly on with the work of preparing for next season. If so that was rendered impossible by chairman Ron Dennis’s revelation ahead of qualifying on Saturday that a sabbatical for Fernando Alonso next season had been considered if the Honda engine remains uncompetitive. A bewildered Alonso was bemused by Dennis’s comments, describing them as ‘weird’ and ‘strange’, and saying he did not know what his boss’s intention was in saying that. 

“The Spaniard handled a difficult news conference on Saturday afternoon with good humour and calm, but amid the probing Alonso did eventually admit that he had discussed the ‘crazy’ idea with Dennis earlier this year. He was at pains to emphasise, however, that it was his ‘intention’ to race in 2016, and that even if the first test is bad, that will not change.”

Watch what BBC F1 pundits had to say on the matter here.

McLaren's Jenson Button (12th on the grid) has written on Instagram: "Looking forward to jumping in my girl today, it's been a pleasure to drive her this weekend."

He's hasn't said that all season...

"I was at an event last night where Toto Wolff said if we let these guys do their own thing, they would lose all the time. I'm not sure about that.

"The championship is over. Let these guys race."

The Sunday Times story has a picture of Lewis Hamilton with the headline 'Second best... again'. 

They say that Hamilton 'may feign indifference, but he really does not to be heading into the off-season on the back of a run of success for team-mate Nico Rosberg'.

The report adds: 'That would leave him a whole three months to ponder upon how come the guy he had destroyed to take his third title had subsequently had the beating of him on a regular basis.' 

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“Ferrari made a right Horlicks of Sebastian Vettel’s qualifying session, miscalculating the time he would need to get through the first knock-out session, and he will start back in 15th place, one place ahead of old rival Fernando Alonso, following Lotus driver Romain Grosjean’s gearbox penalty. 

"The four-time champion was phlegmatic about it, though. ‘We thought the lap I had on the soft was good enough but in the end it turned out not to be,’ he said. His customary place in third in the grid was taken by team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, but only by the skin of his teeth, the Finn supplanting the impressive Sergio Perez’s Force India right at the death. 

"Raikkonen admitted he had not had the greatest of sessions, saying: ‘It was a long way from what this car can do but I did my best.’ Vettel added: ‘Kimi is still in there. Hopefully he can get P3 and then we see. It is possible to overtake here, we have the speed to make progress, how much we will see.’”

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One of the highlights of the year has to be the resurgence of Ferrari. 

They were winless in 2014 but, led by Sebastian Vettel, they became Mercedes' closest competitor this season, taking three race wins.

Vettel would need to produce one heck of a drive to win from 15th, but Kimi Raikkonen, who starts third, is in a great position to ensure give Ferrari the ideal sign off.

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Three drivers go into today's race slugging it out for 10th in the drivers' championship.

That position currently belongs to Nico Hulkenberg, who has 52 points, but just three points behind are Romain Grosjean and Max Verstappen.

There's been lots of love for Verstappen's exhilarating driving this season, and I sense we could be in for another stunning show from the 18-year-old today...

Also, this is well worth a watch if you find yourself at a loose end post race.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Final race of the season coverage klaxon! 

Suzi Perry and company are live now on BBC Two for one-hour of build up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Watch on your tellybox and online at the top of this page, or via the live coverage tab if you are following on a mobile device.

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OK, it may not be something that has dominated the backpages in Finland over the last week, but there should be a tasty little battle between compatriots Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas today.

The two go into the race looking to snatch the points needed to finish fourth in the drivers' championship. Bottas currently holds that position with 136 points, with Raikkonen just one place and one point behind.

Tense.

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“It has been a strange season, 2015, in many ways. As Red Bull team principal Christian Horner put it on Saturday: ‘The action in the paddock has been more exciting than the racing.’ Will the season end that way, too? 

"Well, it has certainly been quite a weekend when it comes to paddock intrigue, with discussions over Fernando Alonso, Red Bull, Renault and all manner of other things bubbling away nicely. 

"But shortly there will be 90 minutes of racing in the spectacular setting of the Yas Marina circuit to bring a curtain down on the season. Can F1 surpass itself in the final act?”

A few changes to the grid positions after the seemingly inevitable addition of grid-place penalties. 

Romain Grosjean takes a five-place hit after a late change of the gearbox in his Lotus, while there's a pitlane start for Roberto Merhi after Manor made some suspension set-up changes.

Will Stevens' five-place penalty was confirmed on Saturday after an electronics unit change. 

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Perez 5) Ricciardo 6) Bottas 7) Hulkenberg 8) Massa 9) Kvyat 10) Sainz

11) Verstappen 12) Button 13) Maldonado 14) Nasr 15) Vettel 16) Alonso 17) Ericsson 18) Stevens 19) Grosjean 

Merhi starting from the pitlane.

Throughout the weekend we have been asking for your stars of the season. Who, or what, shone brightest for you in 2015?

Also, let us know what has been your highlight of the year?

Let us know via #starsoftheseason, text in on 81111 (UK only) and have your say on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Lewis Hamilton/TwitterCopyright: Lewis Hamilton/Twitter

Lewis Hamilton has the number 44 on his car. He is racing in Abu Dhabi, where the 44th UAE National Day is being celebrated, and he is also going for his 44th win.

I'm no believer in fate, but that is an impressive coincidence!

“The gap between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was an unusually large 0.3secs in qualifying and Hamilton admits he is flummoxed. ‘I was just saying to my engineer we need to work out how to rectify it,’ he said in his post-qualifying news conference. ‘If you look at all the races before Singapore, it was in the region between 0.3-0.6 gap between me and Nico in qualifying. And then since a lot of time has been lost. while it looks like one side has gone a lot better, essentially from our point of view as a team, it’s quite the opposite, I’ve got worse.

“‘We have this great graph which shows you all the races and up is quicker and down is slower and all 12 apart from Barcelona the car was great and I looked at the on-board laps and the car was great and since then the on-board laps it was terrible balance, particularly today and we need to figure it out. There must be a way. Nico’s car looks like it is pretty much underneath him.’”

BBCCopyright: BBC

Lights will go out for the final race of the season at 13:00 GMT, with build up live on BBC Two and online from 12:00 GMT.

Plenty of big questions still to be answered. Will Nico Rosberg win a third race in a row? Will Lewis Hamilton end the season on a high? Can David Coulthard top yesterday's trousers choice?

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For the sixth consecutive race it is Nico Rosberg who starts on pole.

The German has been in fine form since Lewis Hamilton wrapped up the title, winning the last two races and beat his team-mate to pole by almost four tenths of a second on Saturday. 

What's changed from the man who just could not find an answer to Hamilton's dominance in the middle of the season?

"It’s not a revival, I haven’t reinvented anything," he said. "It’s just progress and that’s it. Before it was always very, very close but Lewis had that one-tenth edge and at the moment it’s me that has the one-tenth edge."

Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel's Q1 exit was the biggest surprise. The former world champion later confirmed that there were no problems with his Ferrari, just a wrong call made, having thought he'd done enough to get through to Q2.

"After Lewis Hamilton romped to 11 poles and seven victories in the first 12 races of the season, to put a stranglehold on the championship, who would have bet that he would not start at the front of the grid again for the rest of the year. That, though, is what has happened. 

“Hamilton mentioned in a Brazil a change in the car since Mercedes’ struggles in Hungary that had made him feel less comfortable and he has expanded on what he meant this weekend. ‘Part of our suspension, which is worth just over a tenth, a tenth and a half, I was thinking it wasn’t really working for me and I took it off,’ the world champion said. ‘I have used it for the last six races. So I tried to work around it and get back to where we were. I was thinking I would try something different but it didn't work.’”

Here we are then.

From Lewis Hamilton's first victory of 2015 in Australia back in March...

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...to the Briton winning a third world championship in America...

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...we are just hours away from the curtain coming down on the 2015 season.

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It has largely been a year of dominance for Hamilton, but things haven't quite gone his way in the last couple of races.

Will he ensure he finishes on a high with victory in Abu Dhabi today?