Abu Dhabi GP: Single point for Massa in his last race

With Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll starting from tenth and fifteenth grid positions the Williams Martini team would be on the grid for the fifty five lap 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. For Felipe this was his last Formula One race as he moves on to different things in 2018. On pole was Bottas followed by Hamilton, Vettel, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Perez, Ocon and Felipe. The top ten would all start the race on the ultra soft tyres. The only drivers who were on the super soft tyre were the two Sauber's and Harley but they were starting from the rear of the grid. Lance was on a set of new ultra soft tyres for his first run.

The cars would complete their formation lap returning and with the start it would be Bottas leading from Hamilton with Vettel third. Felipe had dropped one place to be eleventh behind Alonso. Lance was in fourteenth as Felipe was able to re-pass Alonso to be tenth again. Raikkonen was now fifth followed by Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Perez, and Ocon in ninth. Lance had moved up to thirteenth to be right behind Sainz. lap three and Bottas was 1.2 seconds ahead f Hamilton with a similar margin from Hamilton to Vettel. Hulkenberg would receive a five second penalty for gaining an advantage when he went off the track. Felipe was 2.6 seconds off ninth place Ocon. Grosjean would pass Lance for thirteenth but Lance would get back past with both using their DRS.

The fight between Grosjean and Lance would continue with the Hass running close behind. But Lance was now over five seconds off twelfth placed Sainz. Lap eleven and Bottas was 1.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Vettel was still third followed by Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Perez and Ocon in ninth. There were gaps between all the drivers as Grosjean finally got past Lance for thirteenth. Lance would pit complaining about flat spots returning on super soft tyres and was running last. Felipe now had Alonso close behind but Felipe had the advantage of his Mercedes engine.

Bottas continued to extend his lead over Hamilton with the top ten remaining the same. Verstappen would pit on lap sixteen coming back out on super soft tyres. He would return in ninth while Raikkonen would also pit on lap seventeen also taking on the super soft tyre. He would also get an adjustment of his front wing. Perez would also pit taking on the super soft tyre coming back out in thirteenth. Lap nineteen and Hulkenberg would 0pit from fifth also getting a new set of super soft tyre. Hulkenberg would return in twelfth having taken his five second penalty. Lance was down in nineteenth while Felipe had moved up to eighth but had yet to pit. The top four had yet to pit but fifth and sixth had come in for their stops.

Ricciardo was now in for super soft tyres returning still in fourth. But Ricciardo would pull off the track with a hydraulic problem and he was told to switch off. Raikkonen was now fourth followed by Verstappen, Ocon, Felipe, Alonso, Sainz, and Hulkenberg tenth. Bottas would pit on lap twenty three seeing Hamilton now leading. Bottas had also taken on the super soft tyres. Lap twenty four and Felipe would pit also taking on super soft tyres to be eleventh just head of Alonso. Alonso would get past the first chicane using the DRS and was able to open up a bit of a gap and was able to stay ahead of Felipe. Quickly Alonso was able to open a gap to Felipe of 1.6 seconds. Hamilton would also pit taking on the super soft tyre coming back out in second.

Lance was down in seventeenth right behind Ericsson. At the front Hamilton was closing in onto Bottas closing to be around one second. Vettel was a distant third while for Williams Felipe was twelfth. Lance was now sixteenth with twenty eight laps completed. Lap thirty and the fight between Bottas and Hamilton continued. Lance would pit again on lap thirty two taking on ultra soft tyres. He was again running last while at the front Hamilton would run wide after having made a small mistake. Sainz would pit but he would have to stop with the left front wheel appearing to now be put on correctly. He would retire from the race out on the track. Lance would go a lap down but Felipe would move up to tenth as a result of other drivers pit stops including Sainz and Grosjean.

Ericsson would pas Lance for seventeenth with thirty six laps completed. Felipe was four seconds behind Alonso in ninth as Lance pitted again. It was becoming a test session for Lance as he took on ultra soft tyres again. Lap forty and Bottas had been able to maintain the lad over Hamilton. Vettel had dropped further away from Hamilton with margins behind the rest of the top ten. Lap forty five and Bottas was able to keep Hamilton that bit over a second behind. Felipe would be lapped still running in tenth. At the front Hamilton was able to close the gap to Bottas as Bottas went past Alonso's McLaren. But quickly Bottas was able to open the gap back out. For Williams Felipe was tenth and Lance last and in eighteenth. Lap fifty two and a fastest lap from Bottas to bring his lead out to 2.2 seconds over Hamilton.

The final laps would be completed and it would be Bottas who would take victory in the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton was second followed by Vettel, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Perez, Ocon, Alonso and Felipe tenth. For the Williams team it was not the best of races but at least Felipe was able to finish and come home in the points even if it was only a single one. Williams would be able to finish their season in fifth in the Constructors championship after what was overall a difficult season. Felipe would come on his radio and thank his team and would complete some donuts in his FW40 to celebrate his career in Formula One.