He won 11 races to Rosberg's five overall this season. Tellingly, the German driver failed to make the most of pole, having bettered Hamilton 11-7 in qualifying.
His other title was also decided on the last day, when he did just enough to beat Massa by one point at the season-ending Brazilian GP.
That never looked like being repeated in Abu Dhabi, despite Rosberg's brash pre-race talk of pressuring Hamilton into making mistakes.
In the final moments before the start, Rosberg stared blankly ahead in intense concentration mode, while Hamilton's helmet visor was already down.
Rosberg seemed rooted to the spot, while Hamilton showed phenomenal acceleration.
"It was a good start, like a rocket. It was probably the best start I've ever had," Hamilton said.
This put the onus on Rosberg — his childhood friend and teenage go-karting rival — to match his pre-race fighting talk with some aggressive driving.
It never happened.
As Rosberg's race went from bad to worse, he snapped at his team engineers over race radio to "investigate why" he was losing so much speed.
Hopes fading, Rosberg started to panic and clutched at straws.
"How am I looking for that position I need in case Lewis drops out?" he asked a race engineer.
"It's not good at the moment," came the reply.
The 5.554-kilometer (3.44-mile) Yas Marina circuit is built on a man-made island, and the race has a unique feel, beginning at dusk and ending under floodlights.
With darkness falling, Russian driver Daniil Kvyat veered off track and Pastor Maldonado walked away unharmed as the back of his Lotus car caught fire.
