Drama in Abu Dhabi as Verstappen ends Hamilton’s F1 supremacy

Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen became Formula One world champion for the very first time after a stimulating end to the 2021 season which was held over nine months and 22 different races.

The 24-year-old’s triumph in Abu Dhabi came in a nail-biting last-lap contest with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

However, there were different turns of events ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that led both the drivers to enter the finale with the same number of points.

– April 18: Emilia Romagna GP, Imola –

After Lewis Hamilton had won the opening race in Bahrain, there was a sense of the inevitable about the season ahead: the Briton was surely on course for an eighth world title.

Imola changed that as Verstappen, starting in third, made a superb start. On a wet track, “Mad Max” flew out of the blocks, overtaking both his teammate Sergio Perez and Hamilton, on the pole, to take the lead, and forcing the reigning champion to take to the grass, which damaged his front wing.

Verstappen and Red Bull managed the race to perfection after that and although Hamilton recovered from ninth at one point to finish second, the to-be champion knew he was in a title race.

-3 July 18: British GP, Silverstone –

Victory in France had given Verstappen an imposing 32-point lead in the championship but Hamilton hit back in the next race on home soil in dramatic fashion.

Verstappen was again on pole after winning the qualifying sprint race, the first of three to be trialled during the season with Mercedes beside him.

A first-lap battle for the lead resulted in a collision between the two which saw Verstappen careening into the tyre wall on turn nine at 290 km/h (180 mph).

Hamilton was given a 10-second stop penalty but with his rival out of the race, and having check-ups in hospital, went on to win the race. His celebrations did not go down well with Red Bull and the post-race recriminations set the tone for a war of words off the track that has echoed through the remainder of the campaign.

– September 12: Italian GP, Monza –

There was something about Italian tracks that triggered the ‘crazy’ in the title rivals — and Monza would not disappoint.

The tone was set with a nudge between the two on the opening lap during which Daniel Ricciardo slipped ahead of Verstappen to take the lead.

Things cranked up a notch midway through when Hamilton emerged from the pits just in front of the Dutchman who bounced over a kerb, contacting his opponent’s left rear tyre.

That launched Verstappen’s car into the air in spectacular fashion and on top of Hamilton’s car.

The Briton was saved by his halo but both cars were out of the race, prompting further recriminations between the teams.

– November 14: Brazilian GP, Interlagos –

Verstappen went to Brazil on the back of wins in the US and Mexico and with a 19 point lead over Hamilton. Another victory would all but hand him the title.

But it was Hamilton who showed his championship pedigree. A technical infringement after qualifying first saw the Briton sent to the back of the grid for the sprint qualifier. Hamilton burned through the pack to finish fifth but received a further five-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of internal combustion engines.

But in perhaps the most sensational performance from any driver in 2021, Hamilton, starting 10th on the grid, picked his way through the field, overtaking Verstappen to claim the win.

He was on target for the fastest lap as well until Red Bull pulled in Sergio Perez for a late change of tyres, a move that worked and deprived Hamilton of a vital point. “With the penalties, it’s the hardest race weekend I’ve had,” said Hamilton.

– December 5: Saudi Arabian GP, Jeddah –

In one of the most chaotic races ever, which saw two restarts and numerous safety cars, Hamilton made it three wins in a row to draw level on points with Verstappen.

The inaugural Saudi Arabian GP, on the street circuit of Jeddah, was marked by an intense battle between the two leaders who traded the lead and tangled on the track when Hamilton ran into the back of the Dutchman who slowed after being ordered to allow the Englishman past following an illegal manoeuvre.

Verstappen was later hit with a five-second penalty, complaining of being unfairly penalized while Hamilton accused his rival of being “over the limit”. It was a frantic race but one which perfectly teed up the finale to the season.

How did controversy in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix unfold?

Red Bull’s Verstappen and Mercedes’ Hamilton entered the final-leg of the ongoing season being level in terms of the points.

Both Verstappen and Hamilton entered the finale with the same number of points. Image: AFP

This has only happened once in the sport’s 71-year history — back in 1974 when Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni were leveled on points.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix did not disappoint the F1 fans after all the excitement and buildup.

Here are the details of how one of the most controversial moments in the history of motorsport unfolded.

Lap 1 to 20:

Hamilton made a very strong compared to his rival as he went into the lead at Turn 1. However, the controversy took off at Turn 6.

Red Bull’s Verstappen closed in and attempted to go ahead of Hamilton and his well-timed braking was enough to make the corner and then stay on the track.

Meanwhile, Mercedes’ driver was forced wide to the corner at the chicane (a sharp double-bend created to form an obstacle on a motor-racing track) before he took the lead again.

Verstappen said over the radio, “He has to give that back.” Which the steward did not notice before the third lap.

For every Grand Prix, a panel of stewards is appointed which includes the race director and a permanent starter.

The controversy triggered from this point because the stewards confirmed that there was no need to investigate the incident which occurred during the first Lap.

After the stewards’ review, Verstappen gained an advantage by forcing Mercedes off, which was neutralized by Hamilton when he went ahead by cutting the corner.

The Red Bull team were frantic over this and thought that it was simply hard racing. The 24-year-old was forced to early change after he was struggling with rear tyre degradation by Lap 9.

He then goes on to wait until the 13th Lap to change the tyres after which he came out on the sixth position behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Later in the 15th Lap, Hamilton went into the pit to change the medium tyres to the hard ones.  Mercedes decided to bring their star driver in to neutralize the race.

He rejoined behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, but fortunately, he was still 4.8 seconds ahead of Verstappen.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was the only driver in between the title contenders and with the clean racing skills, Hamilton extended his Gap with Verstappen to eight seconds.

Meanwhile, at Turn 6, the 24-year-old went on to overtake Sainz and was just behind Hamilton.

In the 20th lap, Hamilton closed in the gap on Perez and passed him out of Turn 5 and into Turn 6.

Meanwhile, Perez regained the lead out of the 7th Turn. However, in the following lap, the 36-year-old Mercedes’ campaigner passed the Red Bull driver and Verstappen was just 1.2 seconds behind him.

“Checo is a legend,” Verstappen said over the team radio.

Lap 22 to 37:

Dutchman was struggling to keep up with the pace of Hamilton and the 24-year-old’s championship dream appeared to be slipping away after every lap.

Alfa Romeo’s driver Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 career came to a sad end while Hamilton continued to maintain the lead over his rival.

Meanwhile, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed after the 28-year-old driver for Alfa Antonio Giovinazzi’s car stopped on the track at Turn 9.

The VSC requires the drivers to carry on at a slower speed which allows marshals to carry out safety work.

This allowed Verstappen to pit in and get his car another set of hard tyres.

On the other hand, Hamilton stayed put, because if he had pitted, Verstappen would have taken the lead.

Due to the decision, Hamilton was left with tyres that were 22 laps older than Verstappen’s for the remaining 20 laps in the race.

Lap 38 to 58:

It seemed certain that Verstappen’s Championship title is almost lost with Hamilton maintaining the pace and the gap between the two.

Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed out by hitting the wall under the hotel after he ran wide at Turn 15.

This was when the luck favored the Red Bull team as the deployment of the safety car reduced the gap between the title contenders to zero.

Hamilton was unable to pit after the safety car was deployed which left him with no option but to continue with his old tyres in the remaining four laps.

“That’s unbelievable, man,” Hamilton said over his team radio.

On the other hand, Verstappen was brought in to switch to fresh tyres as he close out the Grand Prix.

At this point, the race got controversial again and Mercedes regretted not taking the opportunity to pit earlier in the race.

Hamilton and Verstappen had five cars between them and the 24-year-old had to pass all of those, which were not allowed due to safety concerns, presumably to speed up the restart.

“Why aren’t we getting these cars out of the way? We only need one racing lap,” Red Bull’s boss Horner inquired from the race director Michael Massi.

Meanwhile, feeling pressurized by this, Massi allowed the five cars to go through which brought Verstappen right behind Hamilton.

Therefore it was a straight fight until the end with only a one-lap shootout.

The Dutchman made his move into Turn 5 and crossed the line first to secure the Formula One victory for the first time.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” the 24-year-old screamed in his radio with disbelief as he crossed the line.

Hamilton had a go at repassing the Red Bull around the Turn 9, but due to his older tyres, he could not make it stick. Sainz claimed the final podium spot ahead of Yuki Tsunoda.

Mercedes lodge appeals over Verstappen’s Abu Dhabi GP win

Mercedes announced their intention to appeal after stewards rejected two protests against the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, which saw Red Bull’s Verstappen’s win the world championship.

The appeal relates to how the safety car rules were applied at the end of the race following a crash by Nicholas Latifi.

The involvement of the safety cars set up a final lap in which Verstappen overtook long-time race leader Hamilton of Mercedes to win the race and the title.

Mercedes argued the race director did not apply the rules correctly by resuming the race for the last lap.

Stewards countered by saying “although Article 48.12 may not have been applied fully,” the following article “overrides” it, and “once the message ‘safety car in this lap’ has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap.”

Mercedes also claimed that Verstappen overtook Hamilton during the safety car period at the end of the race.

Verstappen’s Red Bull team argued that both cars were “on and off the throttle” and that there were “a million precedents” under safety car conditions where cars had pulled alongside and then moved back behind the car that was in front.

The stewards concluded that although Verstappen did briefly move in front of Hamilton, he was not in front at the end of the safety car period. Mercedes do not plan to appeal that decision.

Read more: Verstappen crowned world champion despite Mercedes’ protests