Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Mega Gallery

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The most extraordinary System One particular season in decades finished, of study course, in 1 of the most extraordinary finishes achievable when Max Verstappen snatched the planet championship absent from Lewis Hamilton with a move on the closing lap of the Abu Dhabi GP.

Mercedes filed two protests after the race, which have been dismissed additional than four several hours after the race and Verstappen’s initially planet championship was upheld.

Hamilton led fifty one of the 58 laps and was only 5 outings around Yas Marina Circuit absent from passing Michael Schumacher in the file textbooks with an eighth championship Sunday. Then a crash gave Verstappen and Red Bull 1 closing probability.

Whatsoever Hamilton mentioned above his radio when Nicholas Latifi’s spin into the wall introduced out the security auto was only replayed as 1 lengthy bleep to address the expletives.

F1 race director Michael Masi took his time figuring out how to conclude the race right before controversially settling on 1 closing lap of racing to choose the title. Verstappen commenced the closing lap just guiding Hamilton, chasing him as a result of the initially four turns.

Verstappen built his move on the fifth turn, and Hamilton had 1 last shot. He pulled his Mercedes even with the Red Bull in turn 9 but could not very clear Verstappen, who surged forward to turn out to be the initially Dutch planet winner.

Verstappen and Red Bull celebrated in a champagne soak, been given hugs from his fellow competition — like Hamilton and Hamilton’s father — and built his way to the DJ to jump wildly up and down to the tunes. The “Orange Army” of Dutch supporters erupted in joy and fired off their traditional orange flares. The supporters also chanted Latifi’s name as they exited the circuit.

“It’s just crazy, I mean, my intention when I was minor was to turn out to be a System One particular driver and to go for wins, to be on the podium,” mentioned Verstappen. “When they play the nationwide anthem, you want it to be yours and when you stand here and they notify you that you are the planet winner, it’s one thing outstanding and particular.”

Verstappen, the only F1 winner to compete below the Dutch flag, was congratulated on Twitter by Primary Minister Mark Rutte. He mentioned the earn was a “A historic day for Dutch sport.”

It was a fitting conclusion to a season that saw the two contenders go wheel-to-wheel above 22 races spanning four continents and get there in Abu Dhabi tied in the championship standings. It marked the initially time the contenders have been equal at the season finale considering that 1974.

The two blended for 18 of the victories, with Verstappen winning ten times — equaling the amount of wins scored above his initially 6 seasons in F1. Verstappen led an F1-significant 652 of the 1,211 laps this yr and scored 18 podium finishes.

But he’s been criticized this yr above his intense driving with Hamilton himself expressing Verstappen was above the edge. The two crashed 3 times this season, and Verstappen was despatched to the clinic for analysis subsequent 1 incident at Silverstone.

Verstappen had complained all weekend that he’s been taken care of unfairly by the race stewards, who he believed held him to a higher standard than other drivers. He recurring that he preferred race handle to play no purpose in the finale, but when Masi did, it went in Verstappen’s favor with the closing 1 lap of racing to choose the title.

“I imagine (the track) was very clear, so why would you operate it out guiding the security auto?” Verstappen mentioned. “When every little thing is very clear, you have to release the track, so I imagine which is a good issue from the race director. Of study course, now it operates for me. But it also operates from me, I know that.”

Hamilton did not participate in the write-up-race news convention with Verstappen and third-put finisher Carlos Sainz. He did 1 job interview right before the victory podium and congratulated Verstappen and Red Bull.

Hamilton, who turns 37 up coming thirty day period, won 3 consecutive races coming into the finale to knock all 19 details off Verstappen’s lead in the standings. But his eight wins this season are the fewest for Hamilton considering that 2013, when he only won when and finished fourth in the standings.

He praised the hard work of Mercedes.

“It’s been the most challenging of seasons. I’m so proud of them, so grateful to be on the journey with them. We gave it completely every little thing, we never gave up and which is the most important point,” Hamilton mentioned. “I’ve been experience good in the auto this previous few of months, specifically at the conclusion. But if I’m truthful, we’re even now in the pandemic and I just would like anyone to remain secure and have a fantastic Xmas with their families, and we’ll see about up coming yr.”

The bitter rivalry between Mercedes and Red Bull got the ending it deserved — 1 that left the victor practically speechless.

“Oh my God!” Verstappen screamed above his radio as he crossed the end line.

“You are the planet winner! The planet winner!” screamed again Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

“Let’s do this for an additional ten or 15 decades!” Verstappen replied.

Red Bull won its initially F1 title considering that 2013 Mercedes had won each and every championship considering that.

The temper was significantly distinct in the Mercedes camp, where Hamilton sat motionless in his auto for quite a few moments as other drivers built their way to congratulate Verstappen. The defeat finished his reign of four consecutive titles and denied Hamilton a probability to move Schumacher as best all-time in F1.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was incredulous on the radio, demanding “the last lap be reinstated.”

“Toto, it’s named a motor race,” Masi tersely replied. “We want auto racing.”

Hamilton been given a lengthy hug from his father, who then went to the Red Bull garage and hugged each Verstappen and Verstappen’s father. Jos Verstappen was himself a former F1 driver and raised his 24-yr-aged son to turn out to be a planet winner.

It took Verstappen seven seasons to make it to the best — he was the youngest driver in collection history when he debuted at age seventeen, and the youngest winner when he won the up coming season at 18 — and he savored it with “Jos The Manager.” His father had not even built it to congratulate his son right before he’d pulled on a championship sweatshirt.

Jos Verstappen, a 1-time teammate of Schumacher, was winless in 107 races above eight season.

“With my father, traveling as a result of all of Europe, for that 1 intention to be in the System One particular, to hope that you can earn a race and listen to your nationwide anthem, and then of study course the ultimate intention is the planet championship, which is quite tough to attain,” mentioned Verstappen.

Mission accomplished and Red Bull celebrated by actively playing “We are the Champions” in its garage.