{"id":16564,"date":"2018-11-26T03:46:08","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T09:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=16564"},"modified":"2018-11-26T03:46:08","modified_gmt":"2018-11-26T09:46:08","slug":"lewis-hamilton-signs-off-f1-title-winning-campaign-making-history-with-dominant-abu-dhabi-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=16564","title":{"rendered":"Lewis Hamilton signs off F1 title-winning campaign, Making History with dominant Abu Dhabi victory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"f1-theme--default\">\n<div class=\"f1-article--hero f1-article--pattern f1-article--pattern-theme f1-bg--theme\">\n<div class=\"container f1-color--theme\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-12\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-8 offset-xl-1 f1-article--content\">\n<div class=\"f1-article--title\">\n<div class=\"detail_1\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<h1 class=\"article-title side-padding\">Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton wins 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"sports_detail_slider\">\n<div class=\"slider-wrapper theme-default\">\n<div id=\"slider\" class=\"nivoSlider\">\n<div class=\"nivo-caption\">\n<p><strong>Top three finishers Lewis Hamilton (second right), Sebastian Vettel (left) and Max Verstappen (right) celebrate on the podium during the Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina Circuit.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nivo-slice\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nivo-slice\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nivo-slice\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.khaleejtimes.com\/storyimage\/KT\/20181125\/ARTICLE\/181129430\/AR\/0\/AR-181129430.jpg&amp;MaxW=780&amp;imageVersion=16by9&amp;NCS_modified=20181125193245\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"nivo-slice\">\n<h2>Vettel has been Hamilton&#8217;s main adversary in the championship battle<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articlepage_content_zz\">\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">Five-time Formula One world champion Mercedes&#8217; Lewis Hamilton said that it has been a real honour and a privilege to race against Ferrari&#8217;s Sebastian Vettel and added that he will have to up his game again to prevent the German next season.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">Hamilton won the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for the fourth time at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday for his 11th win of the season.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">Vettel has been Hamilton&#8217;s main adversary in the championship battle and the Briton felt that the German will come back even stronger next year.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">&#8220;It was been a real honour and privilege racing against Sebastian (Vettel),&#8221; Hamilton said on the start\/finish straight after he, Vettel and double world champion McLaren&#8217;s Fernando Alonso did donuts on the track.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-16566\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Lewis-Hamilton-1049824-300x178.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Lewis-Hamilton-1049824-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Lewis-Hamilton-1049824.jpg 590w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>&#8220;I have known him since the Formula 3 days and he has been an honest hardworking racer driver and has always raced his heart out. He did so much hard work all season and there was so much pressure on us all season. I know he will come back strong, so I need to do the same,&#8221; he added.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">And the respect was mutual between the two great racers and two great world champions with four-time winner Vettel saying Hamilton deserved to be a champion.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s3\">&#8220;He is a champion and he deserves to be the champion. I tried everything till the last. Also today (Sunday) I really enjoyed and I have catching a little bit a little bit but I think he controlled the pace well. I would have liked to be a bit for wheel-to-wheel. We will try and our whole team will try to give him a harder run in next year,&#8221; Vettel said.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">Meanwhile, Alonso, who finished 11th in his last and final race in Formula One said it was pleasure racing with these champions and added that he will forever remain a fan of the sport.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"s2\">&#8220;It has been pleasure racing with these champions and I feel privileged. Thanks to everyone and to Formula 1, I will always be a fan of this sport,&#8221; said the Spaniard.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-8 col-xl-9\">\n<figure class=\"f1-image breakout-left\">\n<div class=\"f1-image--wrapper f1-border-color--theme\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/manual\/Homepage%20Carousel\/1016995364-LAT-20181125-_31I9873.jpg.transform\/9col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/manual\/Homepage%20Carousel\/1016995364-LAT-20181125-_31I9873.jpg.transform\/9col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/manual\/Homepage%20Carousel\/1016995364-LAT-20181125-_31I9873.jpg.transform\/6col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/manual\/Homepage%20Carousel\/1016995364-LAT-20181125-_31I9873.jpg.transform\/6col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/manual\/Homepage%20Carousel\/1016995364-LAT-20181125-_31I9873.jpg.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"2018 Abu Dhabi GP\" \/> <\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"d-none d-lg-block col-lg-4 col-xl-3\" data-module-name=\"Latest article list\">\n<aside>\n<div class=\"f1-article--latest\">\n<div class=\"f1-border--top-right f1-border--double\">\n<h2 class=\"f1-wide--s f1-uppercase no-margin\">Latest<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/3col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/3col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1440px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/4col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/4col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/4col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/4col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/s0MzNxZzE6IpNPE3-rez4pTS0iSdiOc7.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"HIGHLIGHTS: 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix\" \/> <\/picture> <i class=\"icon icon-play\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no1902.jpg.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"Formula One World Championship\" \/> <\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--caption\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no715.jpg.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"Formula One World Championship\" \/> <\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--caption\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/QxMTJxZzE6iRPEXZ-eTWfB8mji3pVmMU.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso sign off 2018 season with display of donuts\" \/> <\/picture> <i class=\"icon icon-play\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--caption\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/k5ajJxZzE6OLIqWVIfFImZKSsGExVDIZ.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"MUST-SEE: Hamilton reveals tattoos in unique podium celebration\" \/> <\/picture> <i class=\"icon icon-play\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--caption\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-article--pattern f1-article--pattern-gray3\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-8 col-xl-7 offset-xl-1 f1-article--content\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p><strong>As it played in their championship battle this year too, Sebastian Vettel was forced to play second fiddle to an imperious Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale as the Mercedes driver took his 11th win of the season, enjoying a serene performance that perfectly reflected his majestic run to his fifth title this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Strong from the very start of the race, having recorded his 11th pole position of the year on Saturday, Hamilton benefitted from an early switch to supersoft tyres under a Virtual Safety Car \u2013 brought out after Kimi Raikkonen was forced to retire on lap seven in his final race for Ferrari \u2013 before biding his time to re-inherit the lead and sweep to his 83rd career victory.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Behind him, Vettel had a lonely run to second place, after dispatching Hamilton\u2019s team mate Valtteri Bottas mid-race, while he was followed home by the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, Ricciardo unable to claim that podium he so dearly wanted in his 100th and final race for Red Bull before he moves to Renault. Bottas ended up fifth.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Carlos Sainz, in his own last race for Renault before switching to McLaren, enjoyed a strong run to sixth place to help Renault to seal fourth place in the constructors\u2019 title, while his team mate Nico Hulkenberg fared less well, clashing with Romain Grosjean on lap one and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/en\/video\/2018\/11\/RACE__Hulkenberg_barrel_rolls_into_barriers_after_contact_with_Grosjean.html\">barrel rolling into the barriers<\/a>, although fortunately not suffering any ill effects from the ugly looking incident.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Charles Leclerc was seventh in his final outing for Sauber before he moves to Ferrari for 2019, ahead of the Force India of Sergio Perez and the Haas of Grosjean in ninth \u2013 who managed to continue after his first-lap brush with Hulkenberg.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Kevin Magnussen\u2019s run to 10th denied Fernando Alonso the chance to up his points tally in his final Grand Prix before retiring, the McLaren driver employing some questionable cornering techniques in the final part of the race \u2013 and getting a five-second penalty for his troubles \u2013 in his bid to get after the Dane, but ultimately ending up 11th in his 311th race.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Meanwhile apart from Raikkonen, Force India\u2019s Esteban Ocon, Toro Rosso\u2019s Pierre Gasly and Sauber\u2019s Marcus Ericcson all retired from their last races with their respective teams due to technical trouble.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-champion-standings\">\n<div class=\"f1-sr-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"f1-sr--header f1-center\">\n<h3 class=\"heading f1-uppercase f1-bold--s\"><strong>FORMULA 1 2018 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"no-margin title\"><strong>Race results<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-sr--table result race\">\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody class=\"table-header misc-tag\">\n<tr>\n<th class=\"position\"><strong>POSITION<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"time\"><strong>TIME<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"points\"><strong>POINTS<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"f1-article--result-item\">\n<td class=\"position\"><strong><span class=\"rank f1-bold--xs\">1<\/span> <span class=\"team-detail f1-capitalize\"> <span class=\"firstname f1--xs d-none d-md-inline\">Lewis<\/span> Hamilton <span class=\"team d-none d-md-inline f1-misc--label misc--label f1-color--gray5\">Mercedes<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"time f1-misc--label misc--label text-semi-bold\"><strong><span class=\"f1-label f1-bg--gray2\">1:39:40.382<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"points f1--xxs\"><strong>25.0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"f1-article--result-item\">\n<td class=\"position\"><strong><span class=\"rank f1-bold--xs\">2<\/span> <span class=\"team-detail f1-capitalize\"> <span class=\"firstname f1--xs d-none d-md-inline\">Sebastian<\/span> Vettel <span class=\"team d-none d-md-inline f1-misc--label misc--label f1-color--gray5\">Ferrari<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"time f1-misc--label misc--label text-semi-bold\"><strong><span class=\"f1-label f1-bg--gray2\">2.581<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"points f1--xxs\"><strong>18.0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"f1-article--result-item\">\n<td class=\"position\"><strong><span class=\"rank f1-bold--xs\">3<\/span> <span class=\"team-detail f1-capitalize\"> <span class=\"firstname f1--xs d-none d-md-inline\">Max<\/span> Verstappen <span class=\"team d-none d-md-inline f1-misc--label misc--label f1-color--gray5\">Red Bull Racing<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"time f1-misc--label misc--label text-semi-bold\"><strong><span class=\"f1-label f1-bg--gray2\">12.706<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"points f1--xxs\"><strong>15.0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"f1-article--result-item\">\n<td class=\"position\"><strong><span class=\"rank f1-bold--xs\">4<\/span> <span class=\"team-detail f1-capitalize\"> <span class=\"firstname f1--xs d-none d-md-inline\">Daniel<\/span> Ricciardo <span class=\"team d-none d-md-inline f1-misc--label misc--label f1-color--gray5\">Red Bull Racing<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"time f1-misc--label misc--label text-semi-bold\"><strong><span class=\"f1-label f1-bg--gray2\">15.379<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"points f1--xxs\"><strong>12.0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"f1-article--result-item\">\n<td class=\"position\"><strong><span class=\"rank f1-bold--xs\">5<\/span> <span class=\"team-detail f1-capitalize\"> <span class=\"firstname f1--xs d-none d-md-inline\">Valtteri<\/span> Bottas <span class=\"team d-none d-md-inline f1-misc--label misc--label f1-color--gray5\">Mercedes<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"time f1-misc--label misc--label text-semi-bold\"><strong><span class=\"f1-label f1-bg--gray2\">47.957<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"points f1--xxs\"><strong>10.0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-sr--footer\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn--default text-semi-bold full-result\" href=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/en\/results.html\/2018\/races\/999\/abu-dhabi\/race-result.html\" data-analytics-event=\"click\" data-tracking=\"{ &quot;event&quot;: &quot;contentInteraction&quot;, &quot;contentType&quot;: &quot;article&quot;, &quot;articleID&quot;: &quot;2G7UhAGiVOMQkmooauiI4Y&quot;, &quot;contentPageTitle&quot;:&quot;Hamilton signs off title-winning campaign with dominant Abu Dhabi victory&quot;, &quot;contentPublishedDate&quot;:&quot;25 November 2018&quot;, &quot;contentAtomType&quot;:&quot;Session Results&quot;, &quot;actionType&quot;:&quot;contentAtom&quot; }\">VIEW FULL RESULTS<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"unruly_ad_slot\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n<h3><strong>The race as it happened<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Both Mercedes drivers made incisive starts off the line, Hamilton gapping Bottas while the power of Charles Leclerc\u2019s Ferrari helped him to pass the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo for fifth place. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, bogged down on his getaway and dropped to 10th \u2013 slotting in neatly behind his Brazilian Grand Prix sparring partner Esteban Ocon.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg were squabbling on lap one, and as the Haas and Renault pair ducked and dived around each other through Turns 8 and 9, Hulkenberg attempted to swipe across the front of the Frenchman. He appeared to misjudge Grosjean\u2019s track position, however, and as he pulled right, he clipped the Haas and was sent spectacularly rolling towards the barriers, ending up upside down and with worrying licks of flame emanating from his R.S.18. As the world anxiously watched, there was <\/strong>relief<strong> when Hulkenberg\u2019s radio message finally played out: \u201cHoly f*** I\u2019m hanging here like a cow!\u201d Phew\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Nonetheless, it had been a big shunt and necessitated a Safety Car. When racing resumed, Hamilton\u2019s restart was lightning, as he and Bottas quickly gapped the Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen behind them. Behind, Ocon and Verstappen were lapping deliciously closely. At the Turn 7 <\/strong>hairpin<strong> Verstappen lunged bravely down the inside of the Frenchman. He made the pass <\/strong>stick,<strong> but was outdragged by both Ocon and Sergio Perez down the next straight, before he snuck back past Perez.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The next lap, Verstappen repeated the move on Ocon into Turn 7, this time adding a wheel-on-wheel love tap for good measure, before ultimately make the move stick following a little more needling between the pair. Justice for Brazil, is presumably what Verstappen was thinking as he accelerated off in eighth place.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>That became seventh a lap later when Kimi Raikkonen pulled his Ferrari to the side on the start\/finish straight, the display screen on his Ferrari a darker shade of black, a sad end for the Finn in his final race for the Scuderia before he heads to Sauber for 2019. Raikkonen\u2019s stricken car brought out the Virtual Safety Car, and leader Hamilton took the opportunity to dive into the pits for the hardest supersoft <\/strong>tyres<strong>, emerging in fifth place on lap eight of 55. There was still a long way to go \u2013 had Mercedes blinked too soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ooyala-player in-page\">\n<div class=\"ooyala-video-caption f1-image--caption misc--label f1-border--bottom-right f1-border--double f1-border-color--gray3 f1-color--gray4\"><strong>RACE: Hulkenberg barrel rolls into barriers after contact with Grosjean<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p><strong>Up and down the grid, there were enjoyable fights to be found, meanwhile, Marcus Ericsson enjoying a fun dice with the Toro Rosso of Pierre Gasly before his sickly Sauber flew the white flag in what looks set to be the Swede\u2019s final Grand Prix, while Ocon and Sainz were battling over P7.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>By lap 23, it was the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo leading the race, the Australian opting to try and long-stint his ultrasoft tyres, while team mate Verstappen had dived into the pits for <\/strong>supersofts<strong> on lap 18, emerging in fifth behind his team mate and the other pitted cars of Hamilton, Bottas, and Vettel. It was now that the cameras started to pick out a lesser spotted sight in Abu Dhabi \u2013 real genuine rain, albeit not enough to bring out the green-walled intermediates, or even to significantly alter lap times, plus a lick or two of lightning for good measure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ricciardo threw in the towel with his <\/strong>ultrasofts<strong> on lap 34, not deep enough into the race to allow him to run the super quick <\/strong>hypersofts<strong> and <\/strong>instead<strong> meaning he had to put on the slowest <\/strong>supersofts<strong>. That brought him out in fifth place, eight seconds off his team mate Verstappen in P4. Up ahead on lap 35, Vettel took advantage of a <\/strong>Bottas<strong> lock-up into Turns 5 and 6 \u2013 a place he\u2019d locked up even making his way around to the grid \u2013 the German breezing past the Finn for second and setting off after Hamilton, while a second lock-up for Bottas, brought him into the clutches of Verstappen, while allowing Ricciardo to close up.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>On lap 38, another error for Bottas allowed Verstappen to nip through in Turn 12, the pair briefly touching wheels, while the fast-approaching Ricciardo slipped through on the Finn a lap later, the Red Bulls now third and fourth, Bottas fifth. Mercedes brought the Finn in a few laps later, alarmed by something they\u2019d spotted on his right-rear <\/strong>tyres<strong> and effectively <\/strong>signalling<strong> the end of his 2018 challenge.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"f1-image breakout-left\">\n<div class=\"f1-image--wrapper f1-border-color--theme\"><strong><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no829.jpg.transform\/9col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no829.jpg.transform\/9col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no829.jpg.transform\/6col\/image.jpg, https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no829.jpg.transform\/6col-retina\/image.jpg 2x\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no829.jpg.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"Formula One World Championship\" \/> <\/picture><\/strong><\/div><figcaption class=\"f1-image--caption misc--label f1-border--bottom-right f1-border--double f1-border-color--gray3 f1-color--gray4\"><strong>Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso STR13 and Fernando Alonso, McLaren MCL33 at Formula One World Championship, Rd21, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Race, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday 25 November 2018.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p><strong>With just a handful of laps to go, the strain of the season proved too much for Ocon and Gasly\u2019s cars, Ocon\u2019s giving up the ghost in the pit lane entry, while Gasly pulled off to <\/strong>side<strong> of the track with oil pouring from his STR13.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Up <\/strong>front<strong> there were no such problems for Lewis Hamilton. It was a smooth evening drive for the five-time champion as he breezed to his 11th victory of the year \u2013 the chequered flag <\/strong>flown<strong> by Will Smith \u2013 while he was followed home by the Ferrari of Vettel, the German having had an anonymous run to second after ultimately not quite <\/strong>having<strong> the pace to challenge for the lead. Max Verstappen overcame some engine braking worries in the final laps \u2013 which brought about a terse exchange with his engineer \u2013 to finish on the podium for his fifth race in a row, the Dutchman clearly not feeling generous enough to take his foot off the gas and let Ricciardo make his final rostrum appearance for the team.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bottas finishing fifth resulted in Kimi Raikkonen taking third in the drivers\u2019 standings, meaning that he\u2019ll need to head to St Petersberg in Russia for the FIA Prize Giving Gala on December 7, while Bottas takes the unwanted mantle of being the first Mercedes driver to finish a season without a win since Michael Schumacher in 2012. Carlos Sainz put in a fine performance to take \u2018best of the rest\u2019 and push Renault over the line to fourth in the constructors\u2019 standings, their best placing since returning to Formula 1 in 2016.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ooyala-player in-page\">\n<div class=\"ooyala-video-caption f1-image--caption misc--label f1-border--bottom-right f1-border--double f1-border-color--gray3 f1-color--gray4\"><strong>RACE: Verstappen and Ocon renew hostilities in Abu Dhabi<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p><strong>Having run ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in a straight fight in the first few laps of the race, the ever-impressive Charles Leclerc had to settle for seventh in his final race before he moves to Ferrari, while for Fernando Alonso, points were a step too far in what could well be his last ever Grand Prix. He tried hard to get after the 10th placed Haas of Kevin Magnussen, but the stewards judged him to have tried too hard, the Spaniard gaining an advantage as he repeatedly locked-up and ran over the <\/strong>chichane<strong> in his pursuit of the Dane in the final few laps. That meant he was handed a five-second penalty that resigned him to an 11th placed finish.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>As Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel lined up on the start\/finish straight and launched into a series of smoking donuts that delighted the crowd, the 2018 season reached its close. Hamilton had been the best man on the day in Abu Dhabi, and you\u2019d be hard-pushed to argue that he hadn\u2019t been the best driver across the year too, with early championship-leader Vettel falling a step behind as the season wore on.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For Alonso, meanwhile, there were fitting tributes and meaningful embraces as he was interviewed alongside the top three finishers, the drivers in no doubt that a very special driver was walking away from the sport after 17 drama-filled seasons. There were goodbyes up and down the grid, too, as many of the drivers prepared for new chapters in their racing lives. For now, though, it was time for the weary drivers and teams to take a well-earned break at the end of what has been a fantastic 2018 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n<h3><strong>The key quote<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s been a real <\/strong>honour<strong> and a privilege racing against Sebastian [Vettel]. I\u2019ve known him since the F3 days and he\u2019s always been an honest, hard working racing driver and he\u2019s always raced his heart out. He did a fantastic job this whole season. There\u2019s so much pressure on us all so don\u2019t look at our shortcomings as anything less than us giving our best. I know next year he\u2019s going to come back strong and I\u2019ve got to do my best to come back with it, but I\u2019m really grateful for the good times.\u201d \u2013 Lewis Hamilton<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The key stats<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lewis Hamilton\u2019s 11th win of the season marks his joint best win tally in one season from 2014, although he took those 11 wins with two fewer races back then.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Hamilton also becomes the first man to score 400 points in a single season, and the first man to pass 3,000 career points too.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Max Verstappen\u2019s five straight podium finishes in the final races of the season marks his best ever career run, while he also moved ahead of Valtteri Bottas for fourth in the drivers\u2019 standings.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>It was Daniel Ricciardo\u2019s seventh fourth-placed finish of the year, as the Australian becomes the first man since Jochen Rindt in 1970 to take multiple victories with no other podium finishes.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>With seven P2s this year, Valtteri Bottas sets a new record for the most second place finishes without taking a win in a season.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Charles Leclerc took Sauber\u2019s first points in Abu Dhabi since 2012 in his final race for the team.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Carlos Sainz\u2019s <\/strong>sixth place<strong> marked the first time he\u2019s ever scored points at Yas Marina.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>On Fernando Alonso\u2019s final lap in F1, he drove the fastest Sector 2 of anyone in the race.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Alonso ends his career having raced the equivalent of 20% of the way to the moon.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The season finishes with just 20 drivers having raced, the lowest number in Formula 1 history.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>DRIVER OF THE DAY \u2013 Fernando Alonso<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ooyala-player in-page\">\n<div class=\"f1--video-container\">\n<div id=\"video-x0eTFxZzE6Ryi60MzivIH8yEjtGvobS3\" class=\"f1-cc--video-inline oo-player-container\" data-videoid=\"x0eTFxZzE6Ryi60MzivIH8yEjtGvobS3\">\n<div id=\"ooyala-inner-wrapper-434szp\" class=\"innerWrapper oo-player oo-video-player\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Video Player\">\n<div id=\"ooyala-plugins-element-0swqo\" class=\"plugins\">\n<div id=\"k5uoxr\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"oo-player-skin-plugins oo-full\"><strong>DHL Fastest Lap<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-article\">\n<div class=\"f1-article--pattern f1-article--pattern-gray3\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-8 col-xl-7 offset-xl-1 f1-article--content\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p><strong>Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) \u2013 1m 40.867s<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Barcelona testing 2019! Yep, it\u2019s all over by the shouting after another fantastic Formula 1 season \u2013 although many of the drivers will be back on track next week for Pirelli\u2019s <\/strong>tyre<strong> test at Yas Marina, so they can\u2019t relax just yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-lg-4 col-xl-3 offset-xl-1\">\n<div class=\"f1-DFP--banner dfp-mpu f1-article--addunit pattern-carbonBlack\" data-adunit-path=\"\/21703060983\/www_formula1.com\/www_formula1.com_article-view\" data-default-size=\"[300,250]\" data-is-responsive=\"no\" data-size-mapping=\"\" data-adunit-id=\"div-gpt-ad-1526810873155-0\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1526810873155-0\" data-google-query-id=\"CMuf_fzX8d4CFYq5yAod8sYHlw\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-article--related\" data-module-name=\"Related news\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-3\">\n<div class=\"f1-cc--wrapper\">\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><strong><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/sutton\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi\/Sunday\/dcd1825no715.jpg.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"Formula One World Championship\" \/> <\/picture><\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--caption\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-3\">\n<div class=\"f1-cc--wrapper\">\n<div class=\"f1-cc--image\"><strong><picture class=\"f1-cc--photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/Galleries\/2018\/Abu%20Dhabi%20Grand%20Prix%202018\/Sunday%20Race\/sunpic40.jpg.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"ABD RACE 40\" \/> <\/picture><\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-cc--caption\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f1-up-next f1-bg--carbonBlack f1-color--white\" data-module-name=\"Next article load\">\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/en\/latest\/article.must-see-charlie-whiting-ducks-for-cover-after-massive-f2-start-shunt.3nsiqgU4tqquMa2wgIGYCo.html\"><picture class=\"f1-up-next--image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.formula1.com\/content\/dam\/fom-website\/ooyala-videos\/2018\/11\/c4MXdwZzE6r7CkjKifX188KNXZk4yOLi.transform\/4col\/image.jpg\" alt=\"MUST-SEE: Charlie Whiting ducks for cover after massive F2 start shunt\" \/> <\/picture><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"f1-up-next--content\">\n<div class=\"container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"advert teaser parbase advertisingarea-footer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton wins 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Top three finishers Lewis Hamilton (second right), Sebastian Vettel (left) and Max Verstappen (right) celebrate on the podium during the Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina Circuit. Vettel has been Hamilton&#8217;s main adversary in the championship battle Five-time Formula One world champion Mercedes&#8217; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,8,144,1314,1456,1156,13,14,1,12,7,9,10],"tags":[1226,1341,1608,1609,2972,2971,1631,2969,1010,2970],"class_list":["post-16564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-entertainment","category-f1-racing","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-health","category-most-commented","category-news","category-scitech","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-lewishamilton","tag-1341","tag-1608","tag-1609","tag-2018-wins-73-podiums-134-career-points-3","tag-england-formula-one-world-championship-career-nationality-united-kingdom-british-2018-team-mercedes4-2019-team-mercedes5-car-number-443-entries-229-229-starts-championships-5-2008","tag-f1","tag-f1-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-2018-champion","tag-f1-racing","tag-lewis-hamilton-mbelewis-hamilton-2016-malaysia-2-jpg-hamilton-at-the-2016-malaysian-grand-prix-born-lewis-carl-davidson-hamilton1-7-january-1985-age-332-stevenage","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}