LEWIS: THANK GOD THAT’S ALL OVER!
LEWIS HAMILTON was “pleased this season is over and done with” after he retired from yesterday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — to record the worst championship finishing position of his career.
As Max Verstappen raced to win number 15 from 22 rounds at Formula One’s seasonending race, Hamilton’s Mercedes gearbox expired with three laps remaining.
Hamilton’s demise dropped him to sixth in the final standings, 214 points adrift of runaway championship winner Verstappen, and 35 points behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion also lost his record of winning in every season of his career — a streak which stretched back to his debut campaign for McLaren in 2007.
“I am very pleased it is over and done with,” said Hamilton. “I gave it everything, but ultimately the last race was like my whole season. It summed up my year.”
Gremlins struck Hamilton’s Mercedes after he ran off the track while duelling Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in the battle for fourth on the opening lap.
Hamilton hit the sausage kerb launching him airborne. He rejoined ahead of Sainz but was told to give the place back.
He then lost out to Russell, and complained his car was “broken”, before parking his machine on lap 55 of 58.
Hamilton departed Abu Dhabi last year pondering if he would ever return to F1, so aggrieved was he by Michael Masi’s officiating of the decider which cost him a record eighth crown.
Winter
The 37-year-old decided against retirement but he will head into this season’s winter break having finished lower than fifth in the championship for the first time.
“This year was not the greatest,” added Hamilton. “It is probably up there with the topthree worst seasons, but in terms of how the team stayed united, there have been lots of pluses.”
Russell overcame a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in the pits to finish fourth and end his debut season at the Silver Arrows two places ahead of his teammate.