After clinching the Formula One Championship and powering his Red Bull team to the constructors' title, Sebastian Vettel will be chasing individual records at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The two-time Formula One champion has already won twice in Abu Dhabi, and another victory this weekend will leave him needing to take the checkered flag in the final race of the season in Brazil to match Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in a season. The 24-year-old German can also equal the record for the most pole positions in a season (14) at the Yas Marina circuit, which he professes to love despite complaints that there are too few overtaking opportunities. “The track in Abu Dhabi is special this will be our third Grand Prix there,” Vettel said. “The race starts at dusk and finishes at night, which means we have to drive with special helmet visors because of the different light conditions. The other factor is that we drive anti-clockwise. The track's a bit like Singapore from the speed, but the asphalt is smoother.” Vettel will face competition from plenty of drivers looking to prove a point, including his teammate Mark Webber who sits fourth in the drivers' standings but has yet to win a race this season. Then there is McLaren's Jenson Button, who wants to tighten his grip on second with a strong performance since he is only 13 points ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. “Our car should suit this circuit so I'm very optimistic,” Button said. Button's teammate Lewis Hamilton — who finished second in Abu Dhabi last year — is hoping a victory in Abu Dhabi could erase some of the pain of a season that has been most notable for several mistakes and a running feud with Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. The Indian Grand Prix last month was typical of Hamilton's difficult season. He was penalized three grid places for ignoring yellow flags warning drivers to slow down during the practice session and then collided with Massa during the race — the third time he has done that in four races. “We've got every reason to be confident for Abu Dhabi,” Hamilton said. “This circuit should really suit the characteristics of our car.
