Formula 1: Vettel and Red Bull Dominate in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — German wunderkind Sebastian Vettel roared to victory in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, leading a Team Red Bull sweep of the top two spots as the Formula 1 season came to an end at its most lavish new track.

Mark Webber took 2nd place, and Jenson Button, who had secured the driving championship in the penultimate round two weeks earlier in Brazil, took the final podium spot ahead of Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello in 3rd.

Vettel, 22, won for the fifth time in his brief F1 career and for the fourth time this season.

Outgoing champion Lewis Hamilton led in the early going from his pole starting spot, but his McLaren-Mercedes was sidelined by brake problems, and Hamilton ended up 19th in the 20-car field.

The race, on the new Yas Marina circuit, was the first in F1 history to begin in daylight and end in the evening. Last year's Singapore GP was the first F1 race to be staged at night.

The two Brawn drivers secured the constructor's championship in the team's inaugural season. Vettel claimed 2nd place in drive standings, and Red Bull finished second in constructor points.

Even before his retirement, Hamilton had been unable to break away from the two Red Bull machines and the pair of Brawns. Vettel chased Hamilton, not getting close enough to challenge for the lead but plenty close to take the lead after the first series of pit stops, when Hamilton had to stop before Vettel.

Button, who opened the season with six victories in the first seven races, failed to get back to the top of the podium. However, he closed out his championship season on a high mark, nipping at Webber's heels for the runner-up spot before settling for third.

Vettel won by more than 17 seconds over his teammate in a largely uneventful race. Two champion drivers — Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso of Renault — closed out their tenures with their present teams by finishing 12th and 14th, respectively.

Alonso moves to Ferrari next season, while Raikkonen's 2010 plans are incomplete.

Inside Line says: The youthful Vettel put an exclamation mark on the notion that he will wrestle Hamilton at the front of the next generation of F1 drivers while Button, an elder statesman in comparison (he turns 30 in January), finally achieved the success that was forecast for him when he entered F1 in 2000. — David Green, Correspondent