Mark Webber led the Formula One world championship longer than any driver this year, yet his teammate Sebastian Vettel led it just once - when it counted, at the end. No team orders were needed within Red Bull Racing.

Vettel, at 23 years and 135 days, becomes F1's youngest world champion. Webber winds up a disappointing third.

He qualified only fifth at the final grand prix of the longest season in F1 history - 19 races - and was only eighth at the chequered flag for his worst finish since the Chinese GP in April.

Webber's critics will be out in force again, no doubt, but it can be no disgrace to end the season ahead of the world champions of the two previous seasons - Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

While it was clear before this final race that Webber would probably need a helping hand from Vettel to overhaul Fernando Alonso, it was Webber's early pitstop that wrong-footed Ferrari and aided Vettel.

Alonso had gone into the finale eight points clear of Webber, who Ferrari must have seen as his main challenger as it decided to mirror Red Bull's strategy for him.

With Vettel out in front in the Abu Dhabi race Alonso needed to finish fourth (instead of second if Webber had been ahead) but the Spaniard got stuck behind Renault's Vitaly Petrov, fighting to retain his seat in F1 for a second year, for 40 laps and could finish only seventh.

There will be repercussions at Ferrari over that outcome - and the team's Australian engineering co-ordinator Chris Dyer will be under the microscope.

"Afterwards it (Alonso's early pitstop, after Webber's) was really clear it was a mistake," Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said.

"What I feel inside is a lot of pain ... for sure it was the worst race of the year for us and that's why it hits you very hard in the head.''

For Vettel and Red Bull, the success was overwhelming.

Together they have reached the summit, toppling the might of Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes and previous world champion drivers Alonso, Hamilton and Button.

Webber, though, is left with a horribly empty feeling.

For so long he was in contention for the title yet in the end his campaign fizzled.

In the team's post-mortem of the season, and his own analysis, the matter that will need to be addressed is why Webber didn't win any of the last six GPs - as Alonso and Vettel won three each.

"When you aim high and you miss the target, the arrow's got to go a long way down," Webber said.

"I'm very disappointed by what happened (in Abu Dhabi).

"I aimed for the biggest target in motorsport and it didn't work out.

"But there are still lots of positives to take out of the season.

"I've taken five pole positions, four victories and I'm even proud of some of my second places, because they were well-executed race weekends.

"In due course, I'll probably look back and think this season wasn't a bad effort.

"Saturday was my worst qualifying since the season-opener in Bahrain.

"I struggled with a lack of grip in qualifying and then had the same problem at the start of the race.

"That's why I pitted relatively early, on lap 11.

"I wanted to get some different rubber on the car to see if it would give me more speed.

"Unfortunately, I got stuck behind the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari as I exited the pits and the time I lost dropped me behind Fernando Alonso when he pitted four laps later.

"But that became academic because I was still behind Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg, who'd pitted while the safety car was out at the start of the race (after Vitantonio Liuzzi's Force India car climbed over Michael Schumacher's Mercedes), and it's very difficult to overtake at Yas Marina (the Abu Dhabi circuit.

"I'm reminded of that great adage, ‘What doesn't kill you makes you stronger'.

"Well, I'm still alive and I'm sure I'll bounce back from this season a better driver.

"Right now, though, I need a good break. The gas has been wide open since the third week in January and it's been a long season.

"There's been a lot of travel, a lot of emotion and a lot of effort. It's time for some time out.

"I've got to take my hat off to Sebastian because he's done a good job this year.

"We've had our ups and downs, but we've pushed each other and it's always rewarding to get out of bed to do that.

"It's amazing to think that the only time he led the championship was after the last race, but that's the only time it matters.

"Well done to him. I fully congratulate him."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Webber he had nothing to be ashamed of as the reality dawned that he was not joining, at least not this year, Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones as Aussie F1 world champions.

"We're all very proud of what Mark's done - he's been an awesome competitor," Horner said.

"He could well have won it ... obviously he'll be disappointed and will take a few days to reflect but I think he'll come back even more motivated.

"He's a big part of this success, he's pushed Sebastian to the limit.

"I've told him he should hold his head high and be proud of what he's achieved this year."

Earlier it was Horner who yelled to Vettel over his radio, after he had clinched the title, "You are the man!"

Indeed he is. And what a brilliant young racing driver he is.

He is Germany's second F1 world champion.

The first was Michael Schumacher, who won a record seven world titles but has made a forgettable comeback this season.

Schumacher's first title came in 1994 when, as he was crashing out of the Australian GP in Adelaide, he turned his Benetton car into Damon Hill's Williams to ensure the Brit couldn't take the crown.

No such smell about Vettel's success. He won it as a champion should - from pole position, and 10 seconds clear of the McLarens.

F1's best season ends with a new superstar on its throne.

F1 drivers' world championship final standings - Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Red Bull-Renault) 256 points, Fernando Alonso (Spain, Ferrari) 252, Mark Webber (Australia, Red Bull-Renault) 242, Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 240, Jenson Button (Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes) 214.

F1 constructors' championship - Red Bull-Renault 498 points, McLaren-Mercedes 454, Ferrari 396, Mercedes 214, Renault 163.