Grand Prix: Hamilton wins in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton has won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his 11th this season

The British driver who has already won the 2018 championship, his fifth also broke record, becoming the first driver to break the 400-point barrier.

Sebastien Vettel of Ferrari came second, followed by Verstappen of Red Bull.

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg emerged unhurt from a frightening-looking accident in which he was pitched into a roll and landed upside down in a first-lap clash with Romain Grosjean’s Haas.

Hulkenberg sounded scared as he said to the team: “I’m hanging here like a cow. Get me out. There’s fire.”

But once the fire was extinguished and the car righted, he was able to climb out unaided.

Hamilton’s evening under the lights of the attractive but characterless Yas Marina circuit was complicated when Mercedes pitted him earlier than expected during a caution period caused when Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari stopped on the pit straight.

That was on lap seven of 55 – nine laps earlier than Bottas’ first stop – but Mercedes were covering one of their rivals potentially doing the same thing.

It meant a race of careful driving and tyre management, but Hamilton handled it well, to re-claim the positions he had lost one by one as his rivals pitted.

Overall, Hamilton ended the year with 408 points, followed by Vettel 320 and Raikonnen 251. Verstappen for Red Bull got 249 points and Bottas who is Hamilton’s Mercedes mate got 247 points to come home fifth in the drivers race.

 

Leave a Reply