Abu Dhabi Grand Prix thriller: Raikkonen wins, Vettel clings onto title lead
getaway and seized second ahead of a slow-starting Mark Webber.
Alonso sized up Webber and the Spaniard made his pass on the second straight after a dramatic wheel-to-wheel tussle through turn eight.
On the second lap Vettel in 20th damaged the front wing of his Red Bull in a collision with Bruno Senna's Williams.
On lap nine Nico Rosberg ran into the back of Narain Karthikeyan's Hispania car and flipped into an airborne ride across the Indian's car and over his head at more than 300 kph.
He slid heavily into the barriers and triggered the introduction of a safety car for six laps during which Vettel, having risen to 14th, ran too close to Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso and swerved wide, hit a bollard and almost hit the barriers.
This further damaged his front wing and he pitted on lap 13, rejoining 22nd to endure a close scrap with Romain Grosjean's Lotus, the Frenchman having re-entred the fray after his eighth opening lap crash of the year.
If it appeared to be ill-fortune for Vettel, it was not as this early stop enabled him to take full advantage as the race unfolded.
Hamilton's superb drive ended on lap 20 when his McLaren lost all power. He pulled up, retiring from the lead for the second time in six races. It was his fifth 'did not finish' of a frustrating year.
Pole-sitter Hamilton's retirement left Raikkonen in the lead while behind Vettel had climbed into the points ahead of the midway pit stops.
As Felipe Massa, Webber and Raikkonen
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