Although Max Verstappen clinched his third straight Formula One title almost two months ago on the Qatar GP there was never any probability of him easing up.
He’s won every race since and capped off an excellent yr with a record-extending nineteenth victory of the season on the Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday.
“I feel that’s just something how I grew up, I just can’t come right into a race weekend not giving my all,” Verstappen said. “I’d just get annoyed with myself after which I do know people around me get annoyed with me. My mindset didn’t change after winning the championship. I come to the race weekends and all the time attempt to do the most effective I can, and winning is great. Why would I not need to win?”
To round off a remarkable season, he also passed the landmark of 1,000 laps led in a season.
“I knew it was on the cards going into the race,” said Verstappen, who moved onto 54 wins overall and into third on the all-time list.
Verstappen finished ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver George Russell in Abu Dhabi and in addition collected a bonus point for the fastest lap. The win moved him one ahead of former Red Bull great Sebastian Vettel, with only Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103) ahead of him.
“What an incredible yr,” Verstappen said after crossing the road. “It was a bit emotional on the in-lap.”
Red Bull won 21 of twenty-two races this season, with Sergio Perez claiming two wins.
“It is going to be very hard to have one other season like this, we all know that,” Verstappen said. “We are going to see, we’re working hard for next yr to have a really competitive automobile.”
After winning two of the primary 4 races, Perez fell quickly behind his star teammate.
“You’ve smashed it out of the park this yr,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Verstappen on the radio. “We’re all incredibly pleased with you.”
Perez crossed the road in second place but dropped to fourth due to a five-second time penalty following an incident with McLaren’s Lando Norris late on.
Leclerc let Perez go past him on the ultimate lap within the hope that Perez would finish greater than five seconds ahead of Russell, with Mercedes and Ferrari each fighting for second place within the constructors’ championship.
With Russell’s teammate Hamilton ending ninth for 2 points and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. out of the points, Mercedes clinched second behind Red Bull within the constructors’ table.
“Unfortunately it wasn’t enough,” said Leclerc, after his third podium previously 4 races. “It’s only a shame we finished third in constructors, that’s all that mattered to me, we didn’t achieve that but I need to thank the team for doing such incredible work.”
Mercedes beat Ferrari by just three points, and while Sainz is the one other driver to win a race this season — in Singapore — his failure to attain in Abu Dhabi proved costly for Ferrari.
At the top, it was Russell who delivered.
“It means an enormous amount, there’s so many individuals back on the factory who’ve worked so hard to attain this, it’s been a extremely difficult season,” Russell said after only his second podium this season. “I’ve let the side down a few times this yr so I’m pleased to have brought it across the road today.”
Norris finished the race in fifth place ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in seventh. AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Hamilton and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) accomplished the highest 10.
Hamilton placed third within the standings however the seven-time F1 champion finished with out a victory for a second straight yr.
Verstappen began from pole position for the twelfth time this season — greater than twice as many as some other driver — with Leclerc alongside him and Piastri third.
The Yas Marina track is considered one of hardest to overtake on and Verstappen made a great start, holding off a few attacks by Leclerc.
Verstappen switched to hard tires on lap 17 of 58, followed by Leclerc on the following lap, leaving Tsunoda within the rare position of leading a race on team principal Franz Tost’s last grand prix before retiring.
Verstappen regained the lead just a few laps later and was never troubled.
Perez was given a penalty for bumping tires with Norris, even though it appeared that Norris had enough space and become Perez’s front right tire.
“Why are we given this penalty? I used to be ahead,” a bemused Perez said on team radio. He was later summoned and given a proper warning by stewards for the usage of foul language.
“Stewards explained to the driving force that they’d no issue with someone disagreeing with their decisions, nonetheless comments that quantity to private insults are a breach of the International Sporting Code,” governing body FIA said. “The driving force made a real and sincere apology to every of the stewards.”
Perez was second overall this season to provide Red Bull a 1-2, however the veteran Mexican driver finished a mammoth 290 points adrift of Verstappen.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
