Mercedes junior George Russell sealed the FIA Formula 2 Drivers' Championship in spectacular fashion under lights at the Yas Marina Circuit, securing a seventh spectacular win for ART Grand Prix.
Heading into the final race weekend of the 2018 season with a 41 point advantage over Alexander Albon at the top of the standings, Russell commenced proceedings in perfect fashion, securing four bonus points for taking pole position on Friday.
Starting from first place, Russell had a poor getaway from the front of the grid, with extensive wheel spin allowing fellow front-row starter Nyck de Vries to get the jump from the get-go, taking the lead into Turn 1.
Before Russell could come back at the McLaren-backed Dutchman, however, the safety car was deployed following a spectacular crash after the starting lights went out, with third-placed starter Nicholas Latifi stalling on the grid, being rear-ended by Arjun Maini who collected the stationary Canadian at high speed, causing a flurry of carbon fibre to litter the main straight.
Six laps of running behind the safety car momentarily paused proceedings and when the green flag waved once more on lap 7, Russell was quickly on the charge, chasing de Vries down with the aim of regaining the lead.
Struggling to find a way past his rival out on track, Russell elected to use an undercut strategy to his favour, ditching his race-starting Supersoft tyres for a set of more durable Softs on lap 8, taking the net lead on lap 10 after clearing de Vries under braking into Turn 3.
Filtering into second place in the running order after Artem Markelov completed his mandatory pit stop for Russian Time on lap 10, the race saw a new leader in the form of Campos Racing's Luca Ghiotto who, by starting the race on the more durable softs, had inherited the lead, filtering through the field.
With tyre graining plaguing the runners behind him, the first-placed Italian extended his gap over Russell, holding as much as a 25-second advantage over the British racer, still in need of pitting to complete his mandatory tyre change.
With nearly an entire pit stop in hand over Russell, disaster struck for Ghiotto when he was found to have left the track and gained an advantage, with the race stewards handing him a five-second time penalty as a result.
Pitting with four minutes of racing action remaining after the disruption of the race start meant that the full race distance would not be completed, Ghiotto performed his pit stop and served his time penalty, surrendering his lead to Russell to rejoin in fifth place.
When the chequered flag waved after a tumultuous evening of racing in the desert, it was Russell who was victorious, sealing what was not only his seventh victory of the season but also the Drivers' Championship, with Albon finishing outside of the points for DAMS.
Artem Markelov, who opted for the overcut strategy by extending his opening stint, followed the British driver across the finishing line to secure second place while Ghiotto cleared Lando Norris and Nyck de Vries in the dying stages of the race to secure his fourth podium finish of 2018.
De Vries narrowly missed out on a podium, taking the chequered flag in fourth place while McLaren protege Norris took fifth place for Carlin.
Louis Deletraz fronted a 6-7 finish for Charouz Racing System with Antonio Fuoco following his team-mate across the line while Roberto Merhi secured reverse grid pole for Sunday's Sprint Race by finishing in eighth.
Tadasuke Makino finished in ninth place in the second Russian Time while Jack Aitken completed the top 10 for ART.
Formula 2 debutant Dan Ticktum narrowly missed out on a points finish by taking 11th for BWT Arden while he was followed by Dorian Boccolacci, Alessio Lorandi and Albon who was 14th after stalling at the start of the race which effectively ended his championship challenge.
Niko Kari took 15th while Sergio Sette Camara was 16th in the second Carlin machine. Sean Gelael was 17th as the final runner for Prema Racing.
Latifi, Nirei Fukuzumi and Maini failed to see the chequered flag.
