Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won a dramatic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to clinch the world title by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap in a remarkable conclusion to the season.
Hamilton had seemed on course for victory but a late safety car allowed Verstappen to pit for fresh tires as he snatched the lead from the Mercedes man on the last lap.
Verstappen, 24, wins the world title for the first time while Hamilton remains on seven championships alongside German legend Michael Schumacher.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MAX VERSTAPPEN. WORLD CHAMPION!!!<br><br>A stunning season by an extraordinary talent<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HistoryMade?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HistoryMade</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Max33Verstappen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Max33Verstappen</a> <a href="https://t.co/FxT9W69xJe">pic.twitter.com/FxT9W69xJe</a></p>— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1470039368467427328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
After a season of twists and turns, Hamilton and Verstappen had headed into the conclusion at the Yas Marina circuit level on points, meaning it was winner-takes-all on Sunday.
However, after Verstappen’s victory Hamilton fans will be left asking questions over the contentious circumstances at the end of the race.
Mercedes will surely demand answers over a messy end to the race when the safety car was deployed following a crash by Williams driver Nicholas Latifi with five laps to go.
Verstappen pitted and the field bunched up as a result, with the Dutchman capitalizing in dramatic fashion on the last lap.
When the dust had settled, it was Dutchman Verstappen who had broken Hamilton’s streak of four successive F1 titles, also ending Mercedes’ run of seven successive wins.
“It’s unbelievable,” Verstappen said of his win. “I don’t know what to say, My team deserve it, they are unbelievable.”