Abu Dhabi GP:Verstappen win maiden F1 world championship

Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Formula One world championship for Red Bull on Sunday after passing the Mercedes of title rival Lewis Hamilton on the last lap. Hamilton was cruising past Michael Schumacher's record of seven titles Sunday in a race he controlled until Nicholas Latifi crashed with five laps remaining. F1 sent out the safety car for a cleanup and resumed the race with one lap remaining. Hamilton and Verstappen started side-by-side for one final trip around Yas Marina Circuit and the British driver surged to the lead. Verstappen stalked him through the first four turns then made his pass in turn five and pulled away in his Red Bull.

It was a fitting end to a season that saw the two contenders go wheel-to-wheel over 22 races spanning four continents and arrive in Abu Dhabi tied in the championship standings. It marked the first time the contenders were equal at the season finale since 1974. But Hamilton had the race well under control until the Latifi crash. Multiple rival drivers headed to the grid to congratulate Verstappen as Hamilton sat motionless inside his Mercedes. The defeat ended his reign of four consecutive titles and denied Hamilton a chance to pass Schumacher as best all-time in F1. “Congratulations to Max and to his team, I think he did an amazing job this year,” Hamilton said to close what had become a bitter rivalry this season between Mercedes and Red Bull.