Seven Straight For Vettel

Ever since Formula One returned from their summer break, Sebastian Vettel is the only man to take the top step of the podium. With today's win Vettel ties Alberto Ascari and Michael Schumacher for longest winning streak in Formula One history at seven straight victories.

Vettel dominated today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, taking the lead from his teammate and pole sitter Mark Webber in the first corner and never looking back, leading all fifty-five laps for his third career win at Yas Marina. Vettel has eleven victories this season with two races to go and now sits only four victories behind Ayrton Senna for third on the all-time wins list.

Thirty seconds behind Vettel, Mark Webber made it a one-two for Red Bull as he finished second for the fourth time this season. Nico Rosberg rounded out the podium in third, his second consecutive podium and fourth of the season. Romain Grosjean finished fourth as his Lotus teammate Kimi Räikkönen retired after making contact with Charles Pic in the first turn of the race.

Fernando Alonso recovered after missing Q3 to finish fifth. Alonso was under investigation for exceeding track limits when making a pass on Toro Rosso's Jean-Éric Vergne but no penalty was given. Paul di Resta finished sixth after making one pit stop during the race and holding off fellow British driver Lewis Hamilton. Felipe Massa, Sergio Pérez and Adrian Sutil rounded out the points.

Pastor Maldonado finished only seven-tenths of a second behind Sutil. Jenson Button finished where he started in twelfth with Esteban Gutiérrez the last car on the lead lap in thirteenth. Nico Hülkenberg was running in the points most of the day until a penalty for unsafe release from the pit lane put him a lap down and cost him a points paying position.

Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Vergne, Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic all finished a lap down with the Marussias of Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton two laps down. Räikkönen was the only retirement from the race.

Vettel now leads Alonso by one-hundred and thirty points with two races to go. Alonso is thirty-four up on Räikkönen in third with Hamilton trailing him by eight points. Webber is fifth, nine back of Hamilton and Rosberg is sixth another seven back. Grosjean is seventh, eight points ahead of Massa. Button and di Resta round out the top ten.

Red Bull's lead in the Constructors' Championship is now one-hundred and seventy-nine points over Mercedes. Mercedes extended it's margin over Ferrari for second to eleven with Lotus in fourth, thirty-seven back of Mercedes. McLaren is fifth, eighteen ahead of Force India. Sauber is seventh, thirteen ahead of Toro Rosso and Williams trails Toro Rosso by thirty-one points. Marussia and Caterham have yet to score a point.

In a fortnight, Formula One returns to the United States for the United States Grand Prix from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Last year, Lewis Hamilton extended his winning streak in the United States to two as he defeated Vettel by just over six-tenths of a second. The last twelve United States Grand Prix have been won by either McLaren or Ferrari. The last time a manufacture other than McLaren or Ferrari won the USGP was Williams in 1980 with Alan Jones at Watkins Glen. Jones had clinched the World Drivers' Championship the week prior at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The last time a car other than McLaren or Ferrari has won a race in the United States in general was Lotus in the 1987 Detroit Grand Prix with Ayrton Senna behind the wheel.