Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton
An incredible Formula One title fight ended Sunday on the last lap of the final race with a dramatic overtaking move. Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in one of the most memorable moments in F1 history. It gave the sport's next superstar his first world title and denied the veteran Hamilton a record eighth.
"Two exceptional and very different drivers in terms of their mentality, their character, their style of driving," four-time F1 champion Alain Prost told broadcaster Canal Plus. "It was magnificent ... and it might just be the best season ever."
Here's how the season unfolded:
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BUSINESS AS USUAL
Hamilton wins the Spanish Grand Prix in early May for a third win in four races to lead Verstappen by 14 points. The seven-time champion is on a roll. But two weeks later things change.
MONACO MISHAP
It goes wrong for Hamilton and right for Verstappen in Monaco. The Dutchman secures an excellent win to take a championship lead for the first time. Hamilton finishes seventh.
BLOWN TIRE, BLOWN CHANCE
Tensions boil over at the Temple of Speed at Monza, home of the Italian GP. As Hamilton and Verstappen fight for position, their cars collide. In a terrifying scene Verstappen's car lurches up and lands on top of Hamilton's Mercedes. Hamilton's head is protected by the halo system and he's unharmed. Verstappen shows no sportsmanship in striding off with Hamilton still in the car. Wolff even describes it as "a tactical foul" by Verstappen, who moves five points ahead having taken two points in the sprint race.
RUSSIAN DELIGHT, TURKISH FRUSTRATION
The Russian GP ends with late drama as rain lashes down and Lando Norris slides everywhere on the wrong tires. Hamilton passes him for a record-extending 100th win and reclaims the overall lead by two points. But Verstappen drives well from the back of the grid following an engine penalty and profits from the chaos to finish second. He takes the lead back from Hamilton at the Turkish GP, where Hamilton starts 11th because of a 10-place grid penalty, drives to third, but ends up fifth after a late tire change. With six races left Verstappen is six points ahead.
BACK IN CONTROL?
Verstappen wins under pressure from Hamilton in the United States and dominantly in Mexico to move 19 points ahead heading to Brazil. Then everything changes again in Sao Paulo, where Hamilton produces some superb driving. He wins despite starting from 10th position on the grid due to a penalty, his second that weekend. Verstappen finishes second but two extra points from the sprint race soften the blow of Hamilton's remarkable triumph and he leads by 14 points — although it should have been more given Hamilton's setbacks.
HAMILTON SEIZES MOMENTUM
DRAMA AT ABU DHABI
"Lap 58" in Abu Dhabi will become synonymous with one of the most dramatic finishes in sport. The two rivals had 369.5 points each before the last race but Verstappen had the thinnest of advantages. If both failed to finish — or ended up level on points due to race position and fastest lap — the title was Verstappen's courtesy of wins: 9-8. Verstappen started from pole position with Hamilton in second. Verstappen made an uncharacteristically sluggish start and allowed Hamilton to take the lead and keep extending it. Hamilton was cruising to title No. 8 until Nicholas Latifi's crash brought out a safety car with just a few laps left. After confusion the race restarted on the final lap with Verstappen on new tires. The 24-year-old Verstappen took this chance and surged past Hamilton to the first of what could be multiple world titles. Trying to overturn the outcome, Mercedes lost two protests after the race, but then filed for reconsideration to the International Court of Appeal. A messy end to a great season.
Ronnie J. Willis is a staff reporter for The Navigator.