Assessment: The Red Bull team found its wings in Abu Dhabi

The Red Bull team finished the 2009 season in the best possible way they could have imagined. With the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships already decided, the energy drink brand only had to hope to leave a mark here in Abu Dhabi. Without missing a beat, Vettel and Webber delivered a flawless performance today and secured a one-two finish.

Vettel had a very good start, immediately threatening Hamilton. The abandonment of the McLaren driver 20 laps later will undoubtedly change the outcome in favor of the German, in the leading position. Vettel then managed his race, his lead, and his tires to stay ahead of his teammate. The Australian, for his part, experienced a very eventful end to the Grand Prix. Struggling with his very worn set of soft tires, Webber was sliding at every corner. He was losing time to Button and had to defend his position brilliantly, it must be said, to keep the chances of a double intact until the end. The future of Red Bull should also be written in 2010, with Renault, it seems.

Sebastian Vettel – 1st:

« It was a fantastic race. We got a very good start, it wasn’t good enough to catch up with Lewis [Hamilton], but I was surprised to be so close to him. Then, when he was on the long straight, he pressed a button [The KERS], and disappeared, but I managed to stay close. We knew we were a bit heavier on fuel and we were still able to catch up with him, especially in the last sector. The car was magnificent today. There was a lot of pressure, I nearly went a bit wide entering the pit lane during my first stop, then there was the somewhat scary exit through the tunnel, but I was on the limit and it was enough to overtake Lewis. Unfortunately, he had to retire then, but up to that point, it was a fantastic race with him. After that, I had a bit of a gap on Mark [Webber] and Jenson [Button] and I could maintain a good pace myself, and the car was fantastic until the end. It worked wonderfully with both tire compounds, and it was a pleasure to sit in the car tonight. To sum up the season, what can I say? I would say made of ups and downs, we are currently very strong and have just achieved our fourth one-two, so congratulations to the team. They have accomplished a lot, working very hard at the factory. It’s a shame that the season ends now, as we are on an excellent run! It’s simply perfect to end the season on such a high note. »

Mark Webber – 2nd:

I got off to a good start and had to keep an eye on Sebastian [Vettel] who was on the outside, but I knew I had to move inside and get a good exit because there’s a long stretch up to turn 5. My car was hit quite hard on the rear left after the first corner and I was worried about a puncture. My race engineer, Ciaron, told me that the tire pressure was sufficient, so I was reassured. It seemed like Lewis was struggling a bit in the early laps, then Sebastian and I were able to get closer to him than expected. Things then started to stabilize, and I was very satisfied with the hard tires. Sebastian was a bit faster today in the next two stints, especially in the last one. I didn’t have a good feeling with the soft tires, as was the case on Friday. I was quite slow with those tires and preferred the stability of the hard ones. Towards the end of the race, Jenson [Button] managed to close the gap on me, and I was thinking ‘this is going to be tough’! We knew he had a slight speed advantage, but not by much, and I had to make sure to stay precise at the braking points. We had a nice, clean duel, on the edge, and the battle honors the way Jenson has driven throughout this year. I want to congratulate the team for what they have accomplished and thank them for their patience with me at the beginning of the year when I was recovering from my accident. It was very nice to drive alongside Sebastian this year. Renault provided us with a fantastic engine, and overall, Red Bull can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. This has been my best season so far. We got a total of 16 podiums, which is very good.

Christian Horner – Director:

« It’s the most brilliant way to end the season, by winning our fourth double and our sixth victory. Both our drivers were imperial today. Sebastian led an impeccable race and we managed to overtake Lewis thanks to a good strategy, good pace, and good work from the pit crew. Mark also had enough fuel to overtake Lewis at the next pit stop. However, it happened earlier than expected when Lewis had to retire. Afterwards, both drivers were really strong on the prime (hard) tires. Mark lost a bit of time due to traffic just before his last stop, then he struggled a bit with traction on the option tire, and Jenson was able to close the gap. It was a very exciting final lap of the season and Mark did a brilliant job to hold on to second place, so congratulations to the whole team. It has been an excellent year. Thanks to Red Bull, Mr. Mateschitz for his support, to our engine partner Renault, and all the people who worked so hard in Milton Keynes this year for this fantastic result. We learned a lot this year and we will come back stronger in 2010. »