Abu Dhabi: As this year's Formula One season comes to an end, fans can say farewell some familiar sights.
There will be no more BMW next season. The German automaker's F1 programme is a victim of the economic downturn, leaving the future of the Swiss-based team in doubt.
The remnant Sauber team has received financial support from Qadback Investments, but has not yet secured a place on the grid for 2010. It is first reserve team, meaning it will get in should any of the 13 entries for 2010 not take their place.
Driver Robert Kubica has already signed a contract with Renault for 2010, while Nick Heidfeld's vast experience will make him a valuable commodity in the driver market.
Kubica will replace Fernando Alonso, who has secured his dream move to Ferrari for 2010. The Spaniard won two world championships with Renault and had been more closely identified with his team than any other driver.
Alonso's arrival means there is no room for Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, where he, too, won a world championship, in 2007.
Raikkonen is in talks about a return to McLaren, but the Finn has been making noises about a switch to rally driving.
Giancarlo Fisichella's F1 career may also be at an end after 230 grand prix races. The Italian has been employed as Ferrari's test driver next season, and while he also holds out the possibility of a switch to a race drive in 2010, his poor performances for Ferrari this year would not have increased demand.
On the technical side, Abu Dhabi was the last appearance of mid-race refuelling, and the KERS power-boost system.
The refuelling ban is a cost-cutting measure, so teams don't have to tote the hefty rig around the world for races. It will prompt a redesign of chassis to accommodate a larger fuel tank.
KERS has proven to be an expensive experiment gone wrong. Hailed as an environmental breakthrough — it stores the energy from braking and then allows that to be used for a quick power boost — it proved too problematic. Brawn GP and Red Bull, succeeded despite not using the technology.
Abu Dhabi is likely to be the last grand prix in the short F1 career of Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman was drafted in to replace the disgraced Nelson Piquet Jr following revelations of the deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Grosjean had not finished above 13th in his six races leading into Abu Dhabi.
