VERSTAPPEN WINS 1ST F1 TITLE WITH A LAST-LAP PASS
The most dramatic Formula One season in years should have ended with Max Verstappen’s championship-deciding pass of Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The conclusion instead came nearly five hours after Verstappen became the first Dutch champion in F1 history, when the FIA denied a pair of protests lodged by Mercedes over the controversial finish of Sunday’s race.
But the messy affair still isn’t over: Mercedes filed for reconsideration to the International Court of Appeal, turning in the paperwork as Hamilton left Yas Marina Circuit without commenting.
“Not much really to say about that. I think it also sums up a little bit the season,” Verstappen said hours earlier as the FIA heard Mercedes’ two protests.
Hamilton had a record eighth championship ripped away with five laps remaining when a crash by Nicholas Latifi triggered the safety car and gave race director Michael Masi a decision. The season-ending race and championship could be decided under yellow, or, the track could be cleaned for one final lap of racing.
Hamilton had been on cruise control and dominated Sunday after surging past pole-sitter Verstappen at the start. He led 51 of the 58 laps and was minutes away from breaking a tie with Michael Schumacher for an eighth title that would strengthen his case as best in F1 history.
The decision by Masi to go green with a lap to go allowed Verstappen to pass Hamilton in turn five — Hamilton got a good look at the lead in turn nine but couldn’t complete the move — in a stunning conclusion to a title fight that will go down as one of the best ever.
Verstappen and Hamilton arrived in Abu Dhabi tied in the standings after 21 races across four continents, the first time since 1974 the contenders were level ahead of the finale. The rivals went wheelto-wheel all season, crashing three times with Verstappen sent to the hospital after a collision at Silverstone.
It made for a bitter feud between Mercedes and Red Bull that intensified this high-stakes and sometimes chaotic title fight. It was compelling action every week, on- and off-track drama likened to the epic championship battles of James Hunt and Niki Lauda in 1976, and Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1990.
Hamilton, winner of three straight races coming into the finale to even the fight, had this one in hand and knew it until the Latifi crash. Whatever Hamilton said over his radio when Latifi brought out the safety car was replayed only as one long bleep to cover his ex