Bottas denied second despite serene Abu Dhabi win
Though Valtteri Bottas prevailed in Abu Dhabi, Sebastian Vettel beat him to second in the drivers' championship.
Valtteri Bottas missed out on second place in the Formula One drivers' championship despite winning the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
Having qualified on pole, Bottas needed to triumph at the Yas Maria Circuit and have Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finish ninth or lower for him to complete a season one-two for Mercedes alongside title winner Lewis Hamilton.
After preserving his lead despite a strong start from Hamilton, who qualified second, and maintaining his advantage in the round of pit stops, Bottas did his part in a race of little incident.
Unfortunately for the Finn, though, Vettel completed the podium to take third, with his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen fourth after Daniel Ricciardo was forced to retire.
Further down the field, Felipe Massa - who said goodbye to the sport at the same circuit last year only to return to Williams as a replacement for Bottas - bid farewell for a second time as he marked his final race with a points finish.
Massa had to settle for 10th after losing out in a battle with Fernando Alonso, who will look to be fighting further up the field with Renault power as McLaren's much-troubled relationship with Honda comes to an end.