Verstappen claims last-lap win and world title at Abu Dhabi GP

Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton on the final lap to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and sensationally requirement the 2021 Formula 1 world championship.

The Dutchman had been on undertow for a sound defeat to Hamilton, who jumped Verstappen off the line and controlled the race, until five laps from the finish, when a safety car was deployed to wipe up Nicholas Latifi’s wrecked Williams, which had come to a crashed end in the barriers at Turn 14.

Hamilton didn’t have the margin on Verstappen to make a safety stop, gifting the Dutchman a self-ruling switch to a set of softs to gainsay the Briton’s immensely worn nonflexible rubber.

It was touch and go as to whether the race could be resumed. Race tenancy at first said lapped cars wouldn’t be unliable to unlap themselves in the interests of getting whoopee when underway, but then three lap-down cars splitting Verstappen from Hamilton were unliable to get superiority of the safety car on the penultimate lap, enabling one final lap to be run.

With a severe grip disadvantage Hamilton was a sitting duck, and Verstappen lunged for the lead into Turn 5, emerging with the lead. Hamilton attempted to fight when lanugo the two when straights and into Turn 9, but he couldn’t get onto the brakes as late as his rival.

With only the twisty last sector to go, Verstappen was out of danger and well-spoken to take the polychrome flag and his first world title.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Through the whole race I kept fighting, then the opportunity in the last lap — it’s incredible.

“It don’t know what to say. My guys in the team and of undertow Honda as well deserve it.

“To the team, I think they know I love them, and I hope we can do this for 10 15 years together. There’s no reason to transpiration ever.”

Hamilton was distraught to have lost the crown without having controlled the race. The Briton was perfect at lights out to seize the lead from the polesitter, and he held first place despite Verstappen scything lanugo his inside at Turn 6. He was forced off the road and cut Turn 7, emerging with an enhanced advantage.

Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing was immediately onto the phone to race tenancy to demand Hamilton sacrifice position, but the stewards were disinclined to investigate, and race director Michael Masi was content with the Briton slowing unbearable to neutralize the time he gained by wearing the track while maintaining the lead.

“That is incredible,” Verstappen radioed. “What are they doing here?”

Hamilton had the pace to tenancy the race from there, tent Verstappen’s early stop on lap 13 and surviving a superb lap and a half of Sergio Perez defending.

The Mexican, who was left out to wait Hamilton’s progress, dueled him wheel to wheel through lap 20 until the Briton finally barged through on the pursuit tour to rebuild his lead and proceed to grind out a decisive victory — until the fateful safety car.

“Firstly, a big congratulations to Max and to his team,” the despondent Hamilton said. “I think we did an wondrous job this year. My team and everyone when at the factory … worked so nonflexible this whole year. It’s been the most difficult of seasons. I’m so proud of them.

“We gave it everything. This last part of the season we gave it veritably everything. We never gave up, and that’s the most important thing.”

Carlos Sainz took third place without Sergio Perez retired with a technical issue during the safety car, ending an impressive first season at Ferrari by vibration teammate Charles Leclerc in the championship standings.

“I’ll definitely take it, expressly without everything that unraveled in that race with the late safety car,” he said. “A podium to end a mighty first season for me, for Ferrari, P5 in the championship — I think I took it on today and definitely enjoyed it.”

AlphaTauri finished fourth and fifth with Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, but it wasn’t unbearable to jump Alpine for fifth in the constructors standings.

Valtteri Bottas wound up sixth, gaining places overdue the safety car without a lackluster final race for Mercedes had him languishing lower in the points for much of the evening, superiority of McLaren’s Lando Norris, whose race was spoiled by a slow puncture halfway through the grand prix.

Alpine teammates Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon were eighth and ninth, with Charles Leclerc scoring the final point of the season for Ferrari.