F1: six things you need to know about Abu Dhabi's season finale

The grid has gathered in Abu Dhabi for the final grand prix of 2015, with Mercedes expected to continue their dominance after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg finished well clear of the Ferrari’s in the first practice session at Yas Marina.

Hamilton won here 12 months ago en route to his second world title as a mechanical problem forced his teammate out of the points, but there’ll be no such drama this time round with the championship long since settled.

In fact, plenty of teams are approaching the race as a valuable test in the run-up to winter testing, with McLaren-Honda’s Eric Boullier saying: “All of our efforts this weekend will be beneficial to next year’s car."

Despite this, there remains plenty to play for in the middle order of the grid. Toro Rosso could still grab sixth off Lotus with the right results, while several drivers could boost their positions in the standings.

With the end of the season fast approaching, here are six things you need to know about Abu Dhabi’s night race...

Williams’ technical director Pat Symonds has revealed the contents of a draft proposal for the sport’s new regulations in 2017, with “a bigger diffuser and substantial front wing” on the cards as things stand.

Teams are yet to agree on the rules, so there could be changes before they are ratified next March, but no dramatic alterations are expected as long as the provisional tyre sizes remain the same.

“It is a little bit retro, but the brief from the Strategy Group was to make the cars quicker and to make the styling a bit better,” says Symonds. “It is not for me to say whether it is the right thing or not. I think the TRM members have done what was asked of them.”

The likelihood of more aero and more mechanical grip suggests that organisers are taking no chances in their pursuit of making cars five to six seconds faster than the current crop. But as we’ve been discussing this week, it won’t necessarily make the racing any better...

Well, sort of.

Reflecting on his season, Jenson Button has said that his Spanish teammate has offered “a more consistent challenge” than Lewis Hamilton did towards the end of his time at McLaren.

“On some race days Lewis was untouchable and on other race days it was like, 'Where is he?'” said the 2009 champion. “I'm guessing Lewis is a different driver now, more experienced, but with Fernando he is always there.”

Alonso is currently 17^th in the drivers’ standings with just 11 points to his name all season, while Button is a place ahead on 16 points having finished in the top ten twice as often as his teammate.

“He is always competitive,” added Jenson. “If he is in front of you you're holding on and if he's behind you he's pushing you along, so that's great. I like that. I think that's important in the team and it has definitely helped us this year.”

After a torrid year, Alonso believes McLaren can find two-and-a-half seconds of pace to compete for wins in 2016, although Button has cautioned against over-optimism by warning fans of the “long winter” ahead.

One of the biggest fiascos of the season is set to come to an end this weekend with Red Bull confirm details of their engine deal for 2016.

The four-time constructors champions had been expected to terminate their relationship with partners Renault after the French manufacturers fell behind their rivals, although that appears less likely now with alternative deals off the table.

Team boss Christian Horner is reported to have said: “We've entered the world championship, we've signed a contract for an engine, but I can't tell you what it'll be or called at the moment.”

Red Bull found themselves backed into a corner after potential arrangements with Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda all fell through, their predicament one factor in the recent push to introduce a cheaper, non-hybrid power unit from an independent supplier.

That move has since been voted down, with the FIA expected to push for a ‘minimum supply’ rule so that powerful teams can’t pick and choose who they support in the future. Very cunning.

As well as being home to the Yas Marina circuit, Abu Dhabi also contains the fearsome Ferrari-branded Formula Rossa, which happens to be the fastest rollercoaster in the world.

Topping out at nearly 150mph, the mile-and-a-half long track puts riders at the Ferrari World theme park through 1.7G, and the risk of striking flies and birds at top speed is so serious that skydiving goggles are mandatory. Yikes.

What better way, then, to promote your coaster than stick your multi-million pound drivers on it for a quick spin before a big race? Well, that’s exactly what Ferrari have done.

As seen in this video, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen strap themselves into the front carriage for a lap of the circuit, and while Seb looked fairly excited, the same cannot be said of his teammate.

“Pretty average, I must say,” said Kimi afterwards, although admittedly he was describing his performance this season and not his Formula Rossa experience.

The Finn admitted 2015 had been “better than last year but a long way from what it should be,” for the Italian team, who are expected to get even closer to Mercedes in 2016. “But that's life and next year we will try again.”

Meanwhile, fellow Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas will be hoping to cling onto his fourth place in the drivers’ standings as Williams seek positives at the end of the season.

The team will finish third in the constructors for the second year in a row, having been beaten to second place by Red Bull last season.

Bottas, who is just one point ahead of Raikkonen with a race to go, said it “would be nice” if the Gove outfit had a car finish above one of the quicker Ferraris in the championship.

Felipe Massa, on the other hand, is 19 points adrift of his teammate with little chance of moving from sixth. The Brazilian’s contract with Williams runs out at the end of next season, and he says the team needs a “triple improvement” if it is to challenge the frontrunners for the title.  

“I am happy to work with this amazing team and I guess they are happy to work with me,” said Felipe. “But we need to wait next year on how it is going to be, and what I decide is the next step.”

And not for the first time either.

After bailiffs impounded their cars in Belgium and the team was locked out of its hospitality suite in Japan, staff at the financially troubled Lotus team were locked out of the Yas Marina circuit as delayed equipment awaited collection at the local airport.

Bernie Ecclestone reportedly came to their rescue, paying the team’s outstanding track fees so that they could take part in the season’s final race, and their absence from scrutineering on Thursday will not be punished with the race ban that would be expected in normal circumstances.

Romain Grosjean, who is preparing for his final grand prix with Lotus before moving to newcomers Haas, said: “We will try to forget that as we have shown in Suzuka and I think Brazil where we were a bit late and we didn't manage to put the car on track and to go for it.

“It is just harder for the guys that don't deserve this, but they are going to do the maximum and from there we try and score some good points.”