ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A year after one of the most controversial finishes to a race and a season in the history of Formula One, Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was anything but.
Max Verstappen, as usual this season, was far ahead of the rest of the field on his way to a record-extending 15th win of the season.
“Incredible to win again here, 15th win of the season is unbelievable,” the 25-year-old Dutchman said. “It’s been really enjoyable to work with the whole team and to be able to achieve something like this this year.”
At the track where he beat seven-time Lewis Hamilton last year — after a restart call that is still hotly disputed to this day — Verstappen held off Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez at the start, and the two-time reigning F1 champ didn’t face a serious challenge after that in the season finale.
Instead, much of the attention was on retiring four-time champion Sebastian Vettel battling in the midfield pack in his final race, while a hydraulic problem ended Hamilton’s race as the British legend finished an F1 season without a win for the first time in his career.