• The Final Stint - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

F1 crowns a true champion

Lewis Hamilton ended a six-year wait for a second world title in style in Abu Dhabi. In the end double points had no bearing and justice seemed to have been done in the desert but, while the championship was settled, F1 left Abu Dhabi with more questions than answers. ESPN picks out five of the major talking points from Yas Marina.

A worthy winner

How the title was won

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• Lewis Hamilton's second world championship only came after a year-long and, at times, bitter rivalry with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. ESPN charts the highs and lows of that feud and how Hamilton ultimately prevailed.
• Click here to relive the 2014 title battle

There was no doubt in the Abu Dhabi paddock on Sunday night that Formula One had crowned a deserving champion. Throughout the year Lewis Hamilton has only been interested in proving his worth on the track, allowing others to play mind games while he focused on turning his God-given talent into race victories. Over the past 19 races he has done just that, with 11 wins and 384 points in total. Even Nico Rosberg admitted on Sunday night that the best man won.

Hamilton's second title should cause concern among his rivals. In the past there was always an element of doubt surrounding him, a chance he could throw it all away with a mistimed mood swing or a nervy opening lap. The mistakes have still been present in qualifying, but when it matters in the race Hamilton has been a clinical winning machine able to balance aggression with precision to beat his team-mate. Of course, having the fastest car by 30 seconds over a race distance helps, but Hamilton has grown this year and attacked the season with a renewed determination and enthusiasm. In previous seasons his racing has suffered because of distractions outside of the sport and outside of his control. This year he has focused his mind fully on winning no matter what has come his way and it has proved to be very powerful weapon. LE

A lucky escape and a proud defeat

Double points turned out to be nothing more than an afterthought in Abu Dhabi. There was a genuine fear the hated format could sway the title unfairly but, thankfully, the right man won. In a season which has seen the reputation of Formula One take a considerable battering the powers-that-be should be thanking their lucky stars such an ill-advised rule change had no bearing on the result. Mercedes has already talked about leading to the charge to get double points scrapped next season, which is ironic as it is in the decision-making F1 Strategy Group which voted it into being. Hopefully double points will be consigned to the history books as nothing more than an odd and unpopular quirk to the 2014 season.

That format would have only benefited Nico Rosberg but he came out of the finale with his reputation enhanced on and off the track. Despite an ERS issue taking him out of contention at mid-distance the German went down fighting after refusing to bring his Mercedes into the pits for an early retirement. Rosberg showed the intelligence he is blessed with in those last 25 laps in Abu Dhabi, asking for constant feedback and doing everything to bring the car home as he did in Canada. Much like Felipe Massa after losing to Hamilton in 2008, Rosberg won himself plenty of admirers in the paddock for the way he handled his defeat so gracefully. Appearing in the pre-podium room to congratulate his old friend there were clear signs of the genuine warmth between the two men whose friendship stretches back to their karting days in 1997. He said he will come back stronger in 2015 and he will need to, especially on race day, but he leaves this season with his reputation enhanced. NS

A great show of class as Rosberg congratulates @MercedesAMGF1 team mate and 2014 champion Hamilton #AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ETSXLf3D2T— Formula1.com (@F1) November 23, 2014

Will F1 stop the rot?

Formula One rightly focused on the racing over the weekend in Abu Dhabi, but it can't be ignored that under the surface the sport is still rotten. Even in the opulent surroundings of the Yas Marina paddock there were still stark reminders of the financial turmoil F1 faces. Marussia's garage was cleared for their arrival on Wednesday but an attempt at an 11th hour revival fell short, leaving the space empty save for the odd Ferrari engineer who were on standby in case the team arrived and needed power units. Caterham was being led through the weekend by an administrator, and although Finbarr O'Connell quickly adapted to the life in the piranha club it remains to be seen whether his efforts were enough to convince one of three tempted buyers into taking on the floundering team.

Some hope came from the alliance of Force India, Lotus and Sauber, however. The three had talks with Bernie Ecclestone and Donald Mackenzie, chairman of the sports controlling shareholders CVC Capital. According to the alliance, Ecclestone and Mackenzie have come round to their way of thinking and are looking at ways to better distribute the heavily biased way in which $900 million of the sport's revenues is shared between the teams. The next step is to approach the owners of the big teams (the likes of Dietrich Mateschitz and the Ferrari and Mercedes boards rather than Horner, Mattiacci and co) to convince them to take a smaller share of the pie. However, with business plans set among those teams based on the contracts they agreed until 2020 it's going to be a very hard sell. LE

The Marlboro man

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Updated: On Monday Ferrari confirmed Maurizio Arrivabene has replaced Marco Mattiacci as team principal. Arrivabene has been involved in F1 through Philip Morris's sponsorship deal at Ferrari and knows the team incredibly well. He has also represented F1 sponsors on the F1 Commission since 2010, meaning he has good knowledge of the sport's political machinations. The final pieces at Maranello are falling into place, with Ferrari heading into 2015 with a new president [Marchionne], team principal and driver line-up [Vettel and Raikkonen].

Over the Abu Dhabi weekend speculation that Mattiacci will move elsewhere came to light. The theory went that Mattiacci will move on to a senior role in Ferrari's overall business, similar to the role that used to be performed by Luca di Montezemolo. When Mattiacci arrived at team principal in April, he was not seen as an ideal fit due to his lack of direct F1 experience, but that may have been entirely the point. In his seven-month tenure he has learnt the inner-workings of the sport, which will be crucial if he is to fill a Montezemolo-style role in the future. The Ferrari announcement did not shed any light on his future, however. LE

New tricks from F1's old dog

Jenson Button is still at the top of his game. It was not lost on many in the paddock that Button's fifth position in Abu Dhabi helped McLaren secure fifth place in the constructors' championship. He finished ahead of the two Force Indias hoping to wrestle that spot away from the Woking outfit. And yet, Button's McLaren and F1 future hangs in the balance. When there are pay drivers making up slots further down the grid it is a travesty a driver as skilled as Button is sweating on his future. His post-race doughnuts suggested he fears the fat lady might be about to sing but it is hard to remember the last time a driver of his talent was facing the end of his career without a drop in form or a voluntary decision to call it a day. McLaren's handling of such a respected world champion is not befitting of a team stepped in such history and prestige in the sport. The solution is simple; move the impressive young Kevin Magnussen back to a reserve driver role (McLaren's delay means the opportunity to farm him out to another team is gone) and pair Button with Alonso for 2015. With GP2 sensation Stoffel Vandoorne also waiting in the wings McLaren's future looks more than healthy but it makes sense to enter the Honda era with Alonso and Button at the helm.NS

Whatever happens next year with my career I know I've done all I can on and off the track, it's been a pleasure to call @mclarenf1— Jenson Button (@JensonButton) November 24, 2014

My home for the last 5 years. A big thank you to all of my supporters over the years and especially the strength that you have given me the— Jenson Button (@JensonButton) November 24, 2014

Past year. I'm not done yet!! There's still so much I want to achieve in this sport #JB22 #Bringtheaction— Jenson Button (@JensonButton) November 24, 2014

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