Hamilton sinks to dire 15-year Formula 1 low

1 year ago 65

A twelvemonth aft 1 of the astir arguable finishes successful the past of Formula 1, this year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was thing but.

Max Verstappen, arsenic accustomed this season, was acold up of the remainder connected his mode to a record-extending 15th triumph of the season.

“Incredible to triumph again here, 15th triumph of the play is unbelievable,” Verstappen said. “It’s been truly enjoyable to enactment with the full squad and to beryllium capable to execute thing similar this this year.”

At the way wherever he bushed Lewis Hamilton past twelvemonth — aft a restart telephone that is inactive hotly disputed to this day —Verstappen held disconnected his teammate Sergio Perez astatine the commencement and didn't look a superior situation aft that successful the season-ending race.

Instead, overmuch of the attraction was connected retiring four-time champion Sebastian Vettel battling successful the midfield battalion successful his last race, portion a hydraulic occupation ended Lewis Hamilton’s contention for Mercedes arsenic the seven-time champion finished an F1 play without a triumph for the archetypal clip successful his career.

“I americium precise pleased it is implicit and done with,” Hamilton said. “I gave it everything, but yet the past contention was similar my full season. It summed up my year.”

There was imaginable for a combat for 2nd spot connected way and successful the title standings, but small existent drama.

Perez and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came into the contention adjacent connected points, conscionable similar Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton did past year.

Leclerc got past Perez by opting for 1 little pit halt and managed his aged tires truthful that Perez couldn't get adjacent capable to effort an overtake.

That thwarted Red Bull's bid to person its drivers spot archetypal and second, arsenic Leclerc finished 3 points up of Perez successful the standings. It meant Verstappen’s refusal to output sixth spot to his teammate astatine the past contention successful Brazil — which near Red Bull facing questions implicit an evident rift successful the squad and was followed by a question of abusive comments connected societal media aimed astatine Verstappen and his household — turned retired not to beryllium decisive astatine the extremity of the season.

“I knew the lone anticipation to bushed Checo (Perez) contiguous was with a antithetic strategy and playing with the tyre management, which we did truly good today,” Leclerc said.

“I truly anticipation adjacent twelvemonth we tin bash a measurement guardant to combat for the championship.”

Leclerc and Ferrari seemed capable to situation Verstappen for the rubric astatine the commencement of the season, but Red Bull improved its car show vantage done the season. Errors connected way from Leclerc and successful Ferrari's contention strategy held them backmost too.

Carlos Sainz was 4th successful the different Ferrari, portion George Russell was 5th contempt a five-second punishment erstwhile the Mercedes squad released him from a pit halt into the way of different car.

Lando Norris was sixth for McLaren, up of Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Norris' teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who is without a contention declaration for 2023 and is apt to beryllium Red Bull's reserve operator adjacent year.

Vettel placed 10th for Aston Martin arsenic helium retires from F1 aft 16 years.

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