HAMILTON’S DULLSEYE!

Lewis hits the target as he slams ‘boring’ track

LEWIS HAMILTON finished off his world title-winning season by slamming the track that hosted the finale.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas led from start to finish in Abu Dhabi, with Hamilton trailing in second.

But as the Brit put the seal on his fourth world crown, he stuck the boot into the Yas Marina track for being so dull for drivers and spectators.

He said: “They’ve got to change this track. It’s just impossible to overtake.

“You have to have a 1.4second advantage on the car in front. Valtteri and I have got the same car, and there’s not 1.4 seconds between us in ability.

“You have the long straights where you can’t even get close enough to utilise them.

“If there is some way to enable us to remain closer, it is a track which will go up in the rankings, but I don’t know if they can change it.

“I know there’s money to do it. I have hope for Abu Dhabi to get better.”

The 3.3-mile circuit is notable for its lack of action and, aside from Daniel Ricciardo’s hydraulics failure and Carlos Sainz’s dodgy tyre following a pit-stop error by his Renault team, it was yet another race here to pass off without incident.

Last year’s GP only came to life after Hamilton defied Mercedes’ team orders and backed up the pack in a fruitless bid to prevent Nico Rosberg from winning the title. The Brit hustled Bottas yesterday, but the Finn’s lead rarely appeared in danger.

Hamilton cemented his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats in Mexico last month by joining an elite band of drivers to have won the World Championship on more than three occasions.

He vowed to end the season with a bang but, after finishing ninth in Mexico, coming fourth in Brazil, and a second-place finish here, the 32-year-old will start his title defence on the back of a three-race winless streak.

Hamilton added: “Big congratulations to Valtteri because he did an amazing job to hold me off.

“I gave it everything. Valtteri did a great job this weekend and this year.”

For Bottas, it marked his first victory since July and only the third of a campaign in which he has been outclassed by Hamilton.

“We Finns don’t show emotion but it doesn’t mean we don’t have any,” Bottas added.

“I’m so happy. It is a really important win after a difficult start to the second half of the year.”