It’s over ! After an incredible race in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won his very first career coronation. He becomes the first Dutchman to win a drivers’ championship in Formula 1.
“Max Verstappen, you are the world champion! The world champion! Red Bull Race Director Christian Horner yelled into the microphone as the driver crossed the finish line.
” Oh my God ! I love you so much ! Answered an emotional Verstappen, who trailed the whole race, until the very last lap.
PHOTO KAMRAN JEBREILI, REUTERS
Max Verstappen crossing the finish line
With 10 laps to go in the last Grand Prix of the season, Hamilton was almost 13 seconds ahead of Verstappen. At 53e lap, an accident of Williams driver Nicholas Latifi forced the safety car out. This is where it all happened.
While Verstappen switched to soft gum, Red Bull decided to take Perez out of the race. Hamilton, for his part, was ordered by Mercedes not to go to the pits.
There was then a good chance that the race would end with the safety car. But the Abu Dhabi circuit workers worked exceptionally quickly to allow for a very final lap.
At that point, the race management decided to ask the laggards to exclude themselves from the restart to leave Verstappen and Hamilton in a one-on-one battle. The Dutchman, with cooler and faster tires, was able to beat his opponent in the final seconds to win. Mercedes then tried to take the lead again, without success.
PHOTO HAMAD I MOHAMMED, REUTERS
Max Verstappen celebrates with members of his team.
Lewis Hamilton stayed in his car for a long time after the race before going to congratulate his rival with a brief hug.
“I want to congratulate Max and his team,” said the Briton at the microphone of F1. I think they have done an amazing job this year. ”
“This last part of the season, we gave everything,” he added. We never gave up. ”
Historic race
Sunday was a historic day in F1, and that’s saying something. For the first time since 1974, equality persisted between two drivers before the last round of the World Championship. On the one hand, there was Lewis Hamilton, 36, in search of his eighth coronation. On the other, Max Verstappen, 24 years old in search of his very first title. The two totaled 369.5 points.
F1 fans around the world had plenty to eat from the seconds after the start. Even before the approach to the first corner, Hamilton moved ahead of Verstappen. Then, at the seventh corner, the latter forced the Mercedes off the track. Hamilton, however, recovered his place in front of the peloton and gave himself a slight head start.
After 11 laps, Hamilton held a lead of more than 4 seconds over his great rival, while the latter was already having difficulties with his soft rubber. He had no choice but to stop at the pits at 14e turn to return with the hard eraser. Hamilton did the same on the next lap, going from medium to hard rubber.
Stuck behind Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, Verstappen fell behind again in the following laps. At 19e lap, Hamilton’s lead was 8 seconds.
Things took a turn for the worse afterwards. At 20e turn, the other Red Bull driver Sergio Perez came to the defense of his counterpart and seriously nudged Hamilton. The two pilots passed each other twice. By slowing Hamilton down in this way, Perez allowed Verstappen to narrow his gap with the Mercedes. Said gap went from 8 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
“It’s dangerous driving,” the Briton said into his microphone.
Mercedes’ top speed was clearly seen in the next 10 laps, as the 36-year-old driver regained a lead of more than 4 seconds over his Dutch rival.
Then came the accident at Latifi, which changed everything.
It was all the same Mercedes which won the Constructors’ Championship for the eighth consecutive season.
Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikonnen ended his F1 career with a technical break at 27e tower. Quebecer Lance Stroll finished at 13e row behind the wheel of his Aston Martin.