Max Verstappen chased down Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi and won his first Formula One title in a dramatic winner-take-all race.
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Jackie Stewart, a former Formula One driver, endorsed the FIA’s controversial decision at the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, but it didn’t feel like a Hollywood movie. When Max Verstappen chased down Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, he won his first Formula One title in a dramatic winner-take-all race. With only a few circuits remaining, Hamilton, who was battling for a record-breaking eighth place, led the whole race and was on his approach to become the best F1 driver in history.
The Mercedes table, however, switched over with five laps remaining after a contentious decision by FIA race director Michael Masi, and the safety car shifted the title back to the Dutch. Verstappen won following a last-lap push at Hamilton on much fresher tyres, and was the first to cross the line to clinch a contract at Yas Marina. Mercedes was incensed. Shortly after the race, Toto Wolff withdrew to the Mercedes office, looked up material, protested the FIA twice, and refused to speak to the media.
After a long wait for Red Bull and Verstappen, Mercedes confirmed that the inquiry into the final few laps of the race will not be pursued. Later, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner compared it to a Hollywood film, adding: “And the popularity of Formula 1 that I’ve seen so far has risen all at once,” he said. Stewart, on the other hand, had a different perspective, telling Motorsport.com: “It was done right and there was no movie business in this.”
“This wasn’t Hollywood. It’s pure and the general public enjoys its credibility. There hasn’t been such a rock in the history of sports.”
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Asked if the race should end with a red flag, Stewart replied, “No, there really wasn’t a reason for the red flag.”
Hamilton has been unusually quiet since the race, refusing post-race podium interviews with Jenson Button, missing the FIA press conference, and refusing to speak afterwards. On social media, the seven-time World Champion has been deafeningly quiet, with his most recent tweet celebrating his second-place finish at Yas Marina.
“There has never been a denomination like this year in F1 history. Anyway, it’s been a great year as the two teams pushed each other to the limit. This year was a huge success, and Max Verstappen also performed exceptionally personally. Lewis Hamilton will be very disappointed, but he shouldn’t be disappointed at all. He also finished a great season,” Stewart said.
