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Formula 1
Abu Dhabi GP
F1 Abu Dhabi GP Live Commentary and Updates - race day
Minute by minute updates for the Abu Dhabi GP 2021 F1 season finale
Max Verstappen sealed the 2021 Formula 1 world title with Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory, clashing with Lewis Hamilton again and benefiting from a controversial late FIA safety car call.
The two rivals came together on the opening lap, but it was the decision to allow a final lap shootout that gave Verstappen the chance to put a decisive pass on Hamilton – who had led most of the race but was unable to stop during a virtual safety car and the full safety car that followed Nicholas Latifi crashing during the closing laps.
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Summary
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- Verstappen wins the Abu Dhabi GP and his maiden F1 title with a last-lap pass on Hamilton
- Safety car pits with one lap remaining after Latifi hits the barrier
- Verstappen pitted for fresh soft tyres under caution period, Hamilton stayed out on old hards
- Raikkonen retires from final F1 race with brake issue
- At the start Hamilton took the lead but went off-track as Verstappen tried to repass - no investigation deemed necessary
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Leaderboard
- Verstappen, Red Bull
- Hamilton, Mercedes
- Sainz, Ferrari
- Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
- Gasly, AlphaTauri
- Bottas, Mercedes
- Norris, McLaren
- Alonso, Alpine
- Ocon, Alpine
- Leclerc, Ferrari
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Hello everyone - are you ready for a title battle? It's a proper cup final, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton ready to duel in the desert.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will begin in approximately 40 minutes - so stick with us for all of the build-up and throughout the race. Hopefully it's a corker.
Breaking news
Two men can win this F1 title. Only one will. For some, it'll be an early Christmas present - for others, they'll have to wait two weeks for the 'joy' of that fourth Lynx Africa gift set.
Looking away from the title fight, there's still scores to be settled elsewhere. McLaren can, mathematically, wrest third in the constructors' title from Ferrari, but need a win and a podium and for both red cars to score no points.
Alpine is 29 points clear of AlphaTauri in P5, so the Italian team also needs at least a podium and a top-four result to have a chance of snatching it at the death.
Aston Martin has seventh locked down, Alfa Romeo needs 11 points at a minimum to overturn Williams in eighth, and Haas could move up the order if Mick Schumacher snares an unlikely podium.
Breaking news
Of course, any chances of Haas moving up the order is restricted by the fact Nikita Mazepin won't race today, after testing positive for COVID.
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We're flying our best neutral flag for this one, simply just hoping for a good race. Go Sports!
There's a big sea of orange in the stands - good to see so many Richard Verschoor fans out in full force as he made his F2 return this weekend.
"Massive attack", Toto Wolff declares ahead of the race. Glad to see Bristol's biggest trip-hoppers get a shout out.
Sun
Risk of rain is at 0%, so we won't get a Belgium today. Air temperature is 25 degrees C - and falling as day becomes night.
Five minutes to go, folks. I'm tense now.
Breaking news
Tyre news: Alonso and Gasly on hards, Hamilton, Bottas, Tsunoda, Stroll, Giovinazzi, Vettel, Latifi, Russell and Raikkonen on mediums - the rest on softs.
Green flag
The formation lap begins. The calm before the storm...
Lights out
For the final time this year - the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix...is GO!
Hamilton gets an excellent start - and he's into the lead! Norris goes off-track at Turn 1 and goes wide, letting Perez trickle into third!
Verstappen dives down the inside at Turn 6, nudging Hamilton off the track - who keeps the lead but will surely have to give it back!
A poor start for Bottas who has lost to places to Leclerc and Tsunoda on the first lap and is in eighth place.
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"He pushed me off track", Hamilton says. "We're happy with the gap you've established," says Pete Bonnington, who's hoping that Hamilton won't have to give the place back.
Crucially, no investigation necessary, according to race direction. It's as you were for now.
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"Jonathan, he forced him out there. That's why we asked him to give back the advantage," Michael Masi tells Red Bull's Jonathan Wheatley.
Hamilton is now a second and a half up the road from Verstappen. Verstappen is told about the situation, who is less than pleased with the stewards' call.
Also a tough start to this race for Russell who is in last place behind Schumacher, but unlike recent races the midfield was largely well behaved in the opening tussles.
Among the fun, we missed Sainz pass Norris to claim fourth, and Leclerc is now chasing the McLaren driver.
If Bottas is going to help his Mercedes team-mate he really needs to get a wiggle on. The Finn is still in eighth place behind Tsunoda and 15 seconds behind the leaders.
Vettel has moved ahead of team-mate Stroll to take 14th place in the charge down the back straight.
Red Bull has continued to state its position on the radio to FIA race director Michael Masi, but the reply is "the stewards have looked at it and are not investigating it".
We're sure the controversy over that move will continue - but we're also sure this won't be the only controversy in this race. Let's focus forward now.
Hamilton has a 2.3s gap over Verstappen now, but crucially, Red Bull has two cars in the top three - Bottas is still down in eighth.
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"Rears starting to struggle a little bit," Verstappen reports.
10 laps into this race and with no early safety car and the gaps starting to stretch out the race strategists are about to earn their money.
Stopwatch
Hamilton posts a 1m28.216s to set the fastest lap so far, extending the gap at the front to beyond three seconds.
Pit stop
Schumacher is the first driver to pit in this race, swapping his softs for hards at the end of lap 11, to come out in last place.
Stopwatch
"These are great laps, Lewis, keep it up," Bono tells his driver over the radio. Another fast lap from Hamilton, a 1m28.134s - he's 4.5s clear.
"The rear tyres are really struggling," Verstappen reports, as the softs start to wear away.
Pit stop
Verstappen pits now, at the end of lap 13! He picks up the hard tyre now, ditching those softs.
Bottas, still stuck behind Tsunoda, might have this problem the entire race unless he gets by with both of them starting the race on mediums. The rest ahead are on softs apart from Hamilton.
"We keep losing gears - this may keep happening," Norris is told.
By: Autosport Staff
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