ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday, picking up his third Formula 1 title of the year.
Hamilton, driving for McLaren-Mercedes, finished the 55-lap, 192-mile race in 1 hour, 37 minutes, 11.9 seconds. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was second, 8.4 seconds behind the leader. Hamilton's teammate Jenson Button was well back in third, 25.8 seconds off the pace.
Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber was fourth, 35.7 seconds back of Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel, who wrapped up the drivers' title several races ago and tied a record by qualifying for his 14th pole position for this year, spun out on the second turn of the first lap after a tire problem. Vettel had won the two previous races at the Yas Marina course.
With Vettel, who has won 11 races in 2011, out early, Hamilton was able to take advantage and pull away for his 17th career Formula 1 title. Hamilton won earlier this year at the Chinese Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix.
Hamilton is fifth in the drivers' standings. Vettel, with the championship in hand, has 374 points followed by Button with 255 and Alonso at 245. Webber is fourth with 233, six points up on Hamilton.
The 2011 Formula 1 season wraps up Nov. 27 with the Brazilian Grand Prix.
