Sebastian Vettel cried into his radio under the Abu Dhabi lights on Sunday as he crossed the finish line and became F1′s youngest ever world champion.

The 23-year-old German, now leading the standings for the very first time in his career, had entered the race as the underdog, behind Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber in points and dogged all weekend with suggestions he should move over and let his teammate past.

But Vettel won commandingly from pole position, while a crucial strategy mistake triggered by an early safety car, and an unmoveable Vitaly Petrov in a Renault, left Ferrari’s Alonso stranded in seventh place.

Spaniard Alonso let his emotions spill over as he gesticulated angrily at Russian Petrov after the chequered flag, but he later congratulated the new champion and said Petrov “drove very well” in defence.

Former long-time championship leader Webber, meanwhile, finished the race just eighth and the championship just third, and was emotional in his post-race interviews with the media.

Asked by the BBC if he will be back in 2011, he answered simply: “Yeah.”