**Sebastian Vettel cruised to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber after Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire early.**The McLaren pole-sitter had to stop on lap 20 with a brake problem, after which Germany’s Vettel romped home in Formula 1’s first-ever twilight race.
New world champion Jenson Button launched an attack on Webber late on but had to settle for third.
His Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello was fourth at the new Yas Marina track.
The veteran Brazilian never threatened to make up the three points he needed to overhaul Vettel in the final drivers’ standings and the 37-year-old must settle for third place after a season in which he occasionally looked like a potential world champion.
BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld came fifth in Abu Dhabi ahead of Toyota’s rookie Kamui Kobayashi, while the Japanese’s team-mate Jarno Trulli was seventh with Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi eighth.
Vettel recorded his fourth win of the season and it was also the third time Red Bull scored a one-two.
The last grand prix of 2009 was a largely uneventful race held at the spectacular and well-received new Yas Marina circuit, in which the Abu Dhabi government has invested huge amounts of money.
It was expected that Englishman Hamilton would cruise to victory after a storming performance in qualifying on Saturday in a McLaren car which he said had not been better all season.
But Vettel was afforded that luxury after Hamilton’s car suffered a brake problem, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh explaining to his disappointed driver that the team could not take any risks.
“I was locking and locking and locking it was harder than ever to drive the car,” Hamilton told BBC Sport.
"It’s a shame as the car felt so good these last couple of days, but we haven’t had many brake problems this year so there you go.
“But I still think the whole team should be really proud of how we have recovered this season.”
More to follow.