The Formula One season ends in farce rather than fanfare

It wasn’t the ending the season deserved, but in Max Verstappen the sport still has a deserving champion, writes Ben Burrows

Max Verstappen won his first Formula One title on Sunday in controversial circumstances (PA Wire)

Max Verstappen is the Formula One world champion after winning a scarcely believable Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finish to an unforgettable season.

It has been one of the great campaigns with the two rivals going wheel to wheel – and often even closer – as they battled for the driver’s crown.

They headed to the season-ending race on Sunday completely level on points and were almost as close heading down to the first corner after Hamilton edged past the pole-sitting Dutchman at the start. They touched later in the first lap before Hamilton seized control of the race on his way to what he thought would be a record-breaking eighth world title.

But after Red Bull boss Christian Horner admitted his team would need the “racing gods” to get a result, they intervened, with Nicholas Latifi’s shunt with the wall bringing out a late safety car. Race director Michael Masi then opted to allow the back-marking cars between Verstappen and Hamilton to unlap themselves in a move that will now go down in motor sport infamy.

Verstappen, on prime tyres, needed no second invitation to take full advantage, surging up behind the Brit and overtaking him on the final lap to seal an unlikely race win and with it the title. Verstappen cried tears of joy in his cockpit as Hamilton was left to wonder just how things had slipped from his grasp.

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An angry Mercedes team took to the stewards to protest Masi’s decision but to no avail, while critics all over lamented a season finale that ended in farce rather than fanfare.

Lost in the chaos of the final lap fallout is the certainty of just how good Verstappen was, however. Ten race victories, eight second-place finishes, 10 pole positions and 395.5 points bely a driver of supreme talent and relentless consistency, one now rewarded – rightly or wrongly – with the ultimate accolade.

It wasn’t the ending the season deserved, but in Verstappen the sport still has a deserving champion.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sport editor