Final Thoughts: Records There for the Taking

IMAGE [1]: Sebastian Vettel celebrates after clinching the record-tying fourteenth pole position.

Qualifying is over and the race is just a few hours away. Sebastian Vettel has already made history, and can make more in just fourteen hours. The number fourteen is a lucky number for Sebastian Vettel. Fourteen is the record-equalling amount of pole positions he has in the 2011 season. Fourteen is the number hours until another thrilling race. Saturday has taken its part in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. All that is left is the race, the most important of all. The climax to the weekend, where it is all or nothing. McLaren is the team to stop Vettel and Red Bull. Both drivers in the top three. It's almost over, at the end of the evenig on Sunday, there will either be a brand new Abu Dhabi winner, or it will be the same old same old that is Sebastian Vettel. There isn't much time for thought, but here are a few before the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.

Lewis Hamilton, the only other man besides Vettel to start on the front row in Abu Dhabi. He could be a threat for Vettel at the start especially, but also any point in the race. He's had fairly good history here. Pole in 2009, but retirement in the race. P2 on the grid in 2010, and the same race finish as his start position. He comes into the Grand Prix fifth in the title standings, but still with all to play for. All that works for him is the race win. He won't be happy with any other position. His target is to stop Sebastian Vettel, he's done it three times this year, whether it was in Qualifying or the race. Can he do it once more? He sure hopes so.

Jenson Button, most recent man to grow a moustache and race winner three times this year. He knows that he is claimed to be the better of the two drivers at McLaren and wants to keep it that way. He has had good success in Abu Dhabi. In the past two runnings of the Grand Prix, Jenson has finished third in both including top five qualifications in all three runnings. He has the speed to stop Sebastian Vettel, but he just needs to find it. He could turn P3 on the grid into a race win if he gets his strategy right and gets around the necessary drivers at the right time. If anything has to do with winning or even finishing on the podium, Jenson's on it.

Ferrari, the team that has no grip in Abu Dhabi and carries the controversial flexy front wing. They haven't had the pace for the longest amount of time and won't possibly be challenging for the race victory. They have two very talented drivers but the car hasn't been helping them with Qualifying and race results. Their history at the track isn't to great either. In 2010, they lost the Driver's crown due to a bad pit strategy and they didn't even score a point in 2009. Their drivers won't start to well either. the third row is not where the Italian team wants to be. The podium might just be the best they can do in the race but it will be hard.

IMAGE [3]: Alonso and his teammate might be this far down the starting grid on Sunday.

Finally, Sebastian Vettel, the young World Champion who has purely dominated the season. The only words that are perfectly clear to him are race wins, poles, and records. He has the best shot at the win in Yas Marina but will have to work hard for it. He has an almost perfect record in Abu Dhabi with wins in both runnings and just one P2 on the grid in '09. He's got the World Championship in the bag but there is more than one target now that Seb is aiming for now. First, there are records that are wide open for him, he could take them, or lose them. The second is to make sure that his rivals don't stop him. He needs every chance he's got. Even with the World Title checked off, Sebastian Vettel has plenty things on his list of to-do's before the season's over.

One of these people will win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But who? Only time can tell.