Verstappen confirmed as world champion
Mercedes’ two appeals against the result have both been dismissed – there are other legal avenues that could be pursued, but for tonight at least, Max Verstappen has been confirmed as the new world champion. Here’s the report and all the reaction:
Righto my friends, that is (not remotely) that. At some point, we’ll find out the results of Mercedes’ appeal. But in the meantime, thanks all for your company and comments - sorry I couldn’t use them all – throughout this ridiculous, ludicrous, unparalleled season. Whatever you make of the final shake-up – and let me say again, I’m dubious at best – we can still marvel at the drive, determination and downright brilliance of Max Verstappen, the new driver champion, Christian Horner, Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff.
I’ll leave you with Giles Richards’ race report. Next season should be alright! Ta-ra!
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“I’ve seen a couple of emails in now about how all F1 fans will feel sick at how this played out,” says Sean Duffy. “I’d argue that most people who tuned in for this race as a one-off casual for the drama probably enjoyed this and thought it was a fantastic end to a world championship. The two best drivers racing head to head on the last lap. What more could you ask for? One driver raced better than the other and is now the champion. F1 is dying, maybe a few of the folks tuning in this afternoon will tune in next season. Watching Hamilton win behind a safety car would have switched them right off.”
I do wonder if this was Masi’s rationale, and if it was – a massive if – I understand it. But the integrity of the sport, words that feel as ridiculous to write about F1 as they do football, cricket, boxing, tennis and all the others – needs to come above everything. It does feel a bit like they hollered “Next goal wins!” with Hamilton 352-0 up, which works better in the playground than in elite-level sport. But I’ll be reserving judgment until we know all there is to know.
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“Dear Brits, please stop whining,” emails Perter Jensen. “Just to give a little perspective to all the Brits whining about the result: last week, when both drivers went outside the track, only Verstappen was penalised. Last week, when Verstappen tried to give back the lead and Hamilton drove his car into the back of Verstappen’s, Verstappen was penalised. This week, when only Hamilton went outside the tracks and decided not give back the lead, nobody was penalised.
So please just stop!”
Christian Horner: “That just about sums up this year, I think ... I think I called it on the commentary, that it was going to need something from the racing Gods in the last 10 laps ... you know, thank you, Nicholas Latifi, for that safety car.
“And I have to say, with the stewards, we felt hard done by early in the race, they did great to get the race going again. It’s been an insane competition and for Max to win the world championship it’s not just about here, it’s about a whole year. And I have to say look, all credit to Lewis, he’s been a phenomenal opponent all year, he’s a great world champion, and that’s what makes it even more valid, you know, to win this.
“We were screaming at him [Masi]: “Let them race.” That’s what we’ve been talking about all these years: let them race. This championship came down to the last lap, and a great strategy call, to make that pitstop and take that set of softs. And then it was all down to Max, you know, to make it happen.”
Re: the lapped cars overtaking and Wolff disagreeing: “Yeah of course he [Toto] will obviously do that. It’s unheard of to leave the cars unlapped and you could see they wanted to get the race going again. But they don’t need to catch up the back of the paddock, so they made absolutely the right call. Difficult circumstances for the stewards, we were all putting pressure on them, but they called it right. But I’m just so proud of Max, so proud of the team, for what we’ve been through this year, what we’ve achieved, against some great opponents.
“I’ve lost my voice, because I was screaming from turn five all the way down that back straight. You know, he got the job done into five, and then you know, coming back on the straight with the slipstream, you think ... but you just knew that Max was not going to give it up. He’d come so far this year. And you know, to close it out, see him cross the line, see him become the world champion for us after all these years, an amazing feeling.
Where does it rank with Vettel titles? “It’s right up there with the first one, we won the first one here, and then because of the quality of the opponents that we’ve had this year - because they’ve pushed us so hard, and we’ve fought to hard. You know, the last 10 laps, I was working out: “What am I going to say to Max, what am I going to say to the guys, to pick them up?”
“And then a stroke of good fortune for us with the safety car, and we made it work. And it’s not just about this race, it’s about the whole year.”
More Verstappen: “It’s unbelievable, I mean ... throughout the whole race I kept fighting, and then of course that opportunity in the last lap ... it’s incredible ... it’s insane, it’s insane ... I mean, I don’t know what to say, these guys on my team, and of course Honda as well, they deserve it ... I love them so much and I really, really enjoy working with them already since 2016 and this year has been incredible.
“Yes, finally, a bit of luck for me ... it’s insane ... I also want to say a big thank you to Checo ... he was driving his heart out as well today, it was great teamwork, and he’s an amazing teammate.
“To my team, I think they know I love them ... and I hope we can do this for 10, 15 years together. There’s no reason to change, I want to stay with them for the rest of my life. I hope they love me. But yeah, it’s insane, I’m so happy.
“Also Christian, but also Helmut, trusting me to be in the team in 2016. Our goal was to win this championship and now we have done that.”
And Hamilton: “Firstly big congratulations to Max and his team .. I think we did an amazing job this year ... my team, everyone back at the factory, all the men and women we have here, who worked so hard all year. It’s been the most difficult of seasons and I’m so proud of them so grateful to be part of the journey with them ...
“We gave it everything, this last part of the season, we gave it absolutely everything, we never gave up, and that’s the most important thing.
“Of course, I’ve been feeling good, great in the car this past couple of months, particularly at the end.
“If I’m honest, you know, we’re still in the pandemic and I just wish everyone to stay safe and have a good Christmas with their families ... and yeah, we’ll see about next year.”
Here, and once again courtesy of my colleague Luke McLaughlin, are some quotations in full: Verstappen on the podium:
“The national anthem. You one day hope they play yours. And then when you stand here and they tell you you’re the world champion, it’s something incredible.
“Especially also my dad and the special moment we had here. All the things come back through your mind - travel, all the years you spend together travelling for that goal. And we’re here, together, and everything comes together in the last lap. Insane. These people, my whole team, my friends, my best family friends, the people who I grew up with go-karting, the ones who pushed me to where I am today. They were all here, most of them were here ... it’s just insane ... I lost my voice, but I don’t know it just sounds amazing, honestly.
“It’s incredible to see all this orange there, but all over the world they’ve supported me ... and I hope I can do this for a very long time of course with the support of my great fans.
“I think of course I was nervous for today but on the other hand it’s just another race when you want to do well. The outcome can determine whether you’re first or second. Throughout the whole race I just tried to keep pushing. Tried to keep believing, even if it didn’t look like it, and sometimes miracles happen.
“Lewis is an amazing driver, an amazing competitor, he made it really, really hard for us, of course the two teams went against each other and we had some tough times but I think that’s all part of the sport, and its emotion ... everyone wants to win and it could have gone either way today.
“Of course, next year we’ll come back and try it all over again.”
“First of all - what an amazing athlete 7x champion Hamilton is, and what a gentleman,” emails Joris van Wijk.
“Understand that a very large part of your readership is unhappy with the last call from Masi. But Toto’s complaint (and that of most of your readers) boils down to that it’s unfair Lewis has to defend his title in active racing, rather than finish behind the SC. And a lot of times this season, Mercedes / Hamilton were lucky with how calls went (Even this race itself: Lewis going off limits and gaining advantage and not getting punished the same way Max did in last week’s race). But Mercedes / Hamilton don’t have a God-given right to win the title, they have to take it to the finish line. Asking the FIA to deliver the title to Hamilton on a silver plate is a bridge too far. Red Bull did not cause the SC situation, and went all in by going to softs, so in the end won it on tactics. It’s like Masi response to Wolff when he was screaming his complaints: ‘Toto - it’s called car racing’. Hamilton should do the honorable thing and have Toto pull his protests.”
Again, I see both sides, and cited what Masi said myself. However, the rules have to come before the car racing bit, i think – and whether those were correctly applied is something we don’t yet know (in my opinion).
Ultimately, in any sport, you see officials make errors. You almost never see the result overturned, because those errors are part of it. Of course, it’s rare to see the outcome of a season essentially reversed on a single matter of interpretation, though Hamilton and Red Bull might also reflect – as they should – that brilliant though they’ve been, if they’d done better at the start of the year, what happened today wouldn’t have mattered. Writing about sport – and watching it as a fan – I never ever blame the officials for an outcome, because whoever suffers from a call has time, whether before, after or both, to render it irrelevant. That doesn’t mean I agree with Masi, I don’t think I do, just that his involvement was not the only operative factor in Verstappen winning the driver championship.
BREAKING: Mercedes have protested "against the classification established at the end of the Competition", relating to alleged breaches of Articles 48.8 and 48.12 of the FIA Sporting Regulations#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/bO6BLN8lv5
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
Mercedes won’t be commenting further until all this is resolved, but ultimately their problem might be one of remedy. Let’s say they can prove Masi made an error and didn’t apply the rules: are they really going to take the trophy off Verstappen? That seems extremel unlikely.
“‘Finally, a bit of luck ... for me’, declares man who was allowed to win an F1 race by driving behind the safety car for a couple of laps with no one allowed to overtake him.” says Hugh Molloy.
My response here is also very yes but – sportsmen are different to the rest of us, and their appraisal of events differs to ours. I’m not sure it’s possible to compete at elite level, especially not if you do something dangerous, while seeing things from the perpsective of anyone but yourself.
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In my mind, I keep coming back to what Masi told Wolff: “It’s a motor race, we went car racing.”
My response is very “Yes, but.”
“I defy anyone who truly loves motor racing not to feel sick to their stomach watching that last lap unfold,” emails Tom Keil. “What makes all sports special is that the competitors (whether individuals or teams) compete under the same set of rules – and the best then rise to the top. It’s what makes doping in athletics, cycling and any other out and out physical sport so awful, as it gives some competitors an uneven advantage. Today we saw the worst kind of doping, the rule book torn up to ensure a manufactured finish. By removing the level playing field, rewriting the rules, unlapping some cars and not others, the FIA tried to ensure that F1 had its Hollywood ending to the season. I hope that once the dust settles and the court cases reach their conclusions, today’s result is expunged from the record book.”
I guess, ultimately, Hamilton and Mercedes seem like collateral damage in an attempt to give the season and the sport a big finish. I’m not certain it was the right call in either aspect - a contrived finish isn’t necessarily a big finish, nor is it necessarily good for the season or sport – and it’s not what I wanted to see. But I do see why it happened, and part of me sees it as very F1 to manufacture a spectacular, if artificial ending, given the locations of the season’s last three races: Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!!
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) December 12, 2021
Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but huge respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe what we’ve just seen.
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) December 12, 2021
Driver championship final standings
- Verstappen (Red Bull) 395.5
- Hamilton (Mercedes) 387.5
- Bottas (Mercedes) 226
- Perez (Red Bull) 190
- Sainz (Red Bull) 164.5
- Norris (McLaren)
- Leclerc (Ferrari) 159
- Ricciardo (McLaren) 115
- Gasly (AlphaTauri) 110
- Alonso (Alpine) 81
David Croft tells us that as far as he knows, Mercedes have launched two protests. I guess we’ll see what happens, but unless it ends up in court - and even then – I can’t see a way things change.
As I type that, Sky tell us that Mercedes are checking the rules before making a statement. If they can prove that they weren’t applied, then perhaps they can get the result reversed, but I’d be staggered if the error was clear enough for that and even more staggered if the authorities would feel culpable enough to act.
On which point, still nothing from Toto Wolff, who might be seeking counsel and advice, and might also want to abide by a rule we could all deploy: don’t give steam-powered opinion. I’m not sure how long it’ll be before he’s calm enough to speak, but I can see why that time isn’t now.
Just wading through my inbox – thanks for all your messages – and, I must say, there’s not a great deal of support for Michael Masi’s call. I feel you all and I’m leaning that way too, but I see why things worked out differently. Does it sound reasonable to wonder if, in the little time he had to make a decision, Masi put (his conception of) the sport over the race?
Ah man, we see Anthony Hamilton sharing a hug with Jos Verstappen. I’ve gone again.
“This was Lewis’s title,” says Jenny Bach. “He was winning and without such a decision from Masi would have got to the end in first place. He has been robbed. Verstappen was gifted this win and the safety car incident should be investigated. Lewis was by far the better driver in the better car. The Red Bull couldn’t get near him. You are a true gent Lewis and have been a joy to watch all season.”
I’m not trying to fence-sit here, but I do see both sides. I feel like perhaps Masi decided the sport needed the big finish, but until we see a full explanation of what went on and why, it’s hard to completely sure.
Ahahaha! “Don’t call me Toto,” Horner responds when accidentally called by the wrong name. “Don’t call me Toto.” The needle between the two principals has been amazing; it’s nice to see handshakes at the end, but while it happening, it’s a ruck. “Don’t call me Toto.”
I’ve just realised that for the last hour, I’ve been sat on the very final fibre of my chair and that my back is knacking. I absolutely love it. Sport!
Gosh, I’d almost forgotten about the turn seven incident, which Rosberg notes all the champions in the broadcasting team thought went against Verstappen when it shouldn’t have done. Horner is brilliantly unarsed.
We watch Horner, now wearing his Verstappen champion t-shirt, watching the final lap and he’s actually calmer than I envisaged – which isn’t to say he was remotely calm. But we all know exactly what he’s invested in this season – every possible piece of humanity he has to give, he’s dredged out of himself, taking pressure, applying pressure, and here’s Geri Horner saying how proud of him she is. He notes that when things go badly, you take the pressure home, and she says that he says this is the most gruelling season he’s ever experienced.
Horner says he and his team were screaming at Masi. “Let them race!” and he congratulates the decision to make that second stop – presumably his. He thinks the stewards called the restart right, he’s lost his voice because he was screaming, but he knew Verstappen wouldn’t give it up, and seeing him cross the line after all these years was an amazing feeling. He praises the quality of his opponent, and that he was wondering what he was going to say to Verstappen and his team to get them going again. But then something went for them.
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How the race finished
- Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Sainz Jr (Ferrari)
- Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
- Gasly (AlphaTauri)
- Bottas (Mercedes)
- Norris (McLaren)
- Alonso (Alpine)
- Ocon (Alpine)
- Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Vettel (Aston Martin)
- Ricciardo (McLaren)
- Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Schumacher (Haas)
- Perez (Red Bull)
Did not finish: Latifi, Giovinazzi, Russell, Rakkonen, Mazepin.
Balm for your aching, over-stimulated eyes:
And breathe. Here’s Giles Richards’ report on the ridiculousness. Imagine the state of his fingertips!
Oh man, here’s Jos Verstappen. Hold on to your snot-rags. He says he’s very proud, and knows it was the safety car that made it happen but also praises Red Bull’s strategy. “Max was the driver this year,” he declares, noting that it’s in his son’s DNA to keep fighting. During the race he walked away because he didn’t believe it anymore, but came back for the last lap. I sear I can see pride swimming out of my screen and suffusing the box-room in which I’m sat. I’m absolutely gone, and I hope youse all are too. SPORT!
Verstappen tells Jenson Button that “It’s insane”. As a kid, he wanted to be a driver, you hear the anthem “and hope one day they play yours”. He thanks his dad, his team, his family, his friends, his best family friends, all the people who pushed him – almost all of them are here today. He thanks the incredible Dutch support – there’s a helluva lot of orange in the stands – and during the race he just tried to keep pushing even though it looked unlikely, “and sometimes miracles happen”.
He praises Hamilton as a great driver and competitor, saying they had issues but that’s what happens, and he’s looking forward to doing it again.
It’s time to shpritz bubbles, and Hamilton does his best to get involved, even taking a swig. But, well, you know. Sometimes, all you can say is that at the end of the day, it is what it is. This is one such occasion.
Kelly Piquet, Verstappen’s partner, also has tears in her eyes, and Versatappen lifts the trophy, shaking it roughly by the neck. Horner then takes his constructor’s trophy, does likewise, while in commentary and, no doubt, in millions of homes around the world, we’re wondering why some cars were allowed to overtake but not others.
Anthem time. Verstappen has the Dutch tricolour draped over his shoulders and the camera zooms in on his dad, who’s more or less avoiding crying, doing a better job of it than me if I’m being real. I should be clear, I don’t have a preference , but I have every dog in every fight when it comes to parents and their kids. Amazing, incredible, beautiful.
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“It’s a motor race, we went car racing,” Michael Masi told Toto Wolff, and it not difficult to understand why he made the call that he did. I’m not going to lie, I found it bit artificial – sport, like life, doesn’t come with endings wrapped in a pretty bow. But I can’t argue with the work and moxie of Horner and Verstappen, just as I can’t with that of Wolff and Hamilton.
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We see Hamilton with his dad, and Verstappen with his. Imagine the pride of those two men; well we can’t, but imagine our inability to imagine it. I think my eyeballs are sweating, oh my days.
Hamilton has to compose, starting by congratulating Verstappen and his team. He thanks his own team on a great job, is proud of them and to be part of the journey with them. They never gave up, which is the most important thing, he reckons, he’s been feeling great in the car the past couple of months, reminds us that we’re still in the middle of pandemic and urges everyone to stay and have a good Christmas, ending with “We’ll see about next year.”
Essentially, he says all the things he needs to say, but it doesn’t take much imagination to consider what he really wants to say, or how he’s really feeling.
I didn’t get time to note before Verstappen started talking, that the two of them shared an embrace. What a pair of absolute people.
He also thanked the work of Sergio Perez, who he said was an amazing teammate.
“It’s unbelievable!” says Verstappen. “Finally, a bit of luck ... for me.” He also says that it’s incredible, that his tea know he loves them, and he hopes he can keep doing this for 10-15 years. He’s got no reason ever to change, he loves them, and he’s crying. WHAT A MOMENT!
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The beauty of sport, apart from the actual sport, is the opportunity to watch people experience the moments of their lives, right in front of your eyes. Verstappen is so full of emotion, enjoying the congratulations of the other drivers, and we get our first shot of Hamilton, stood with his back to us. I wonder if there’s a kind of liberation - he did all he could, and in the end was done by circumstance.
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Also, feel free to give a push to any of our features from earlier in the week pre-race.
I wonder if we’ve heard the end of this – the unlapping situation seemed a very strange call – and I’m wondering if the need, both sporting and business, to have a finish to the season, overrode the detail in the rule book.
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You’ve got to hand it to Horner, he tried absolutely everything to make that happen. He needed some help, of course, but he guaranteed that he was in position to benefit from it.
Horner is crying, Mercedes do not know what to do. we have just seen as staggering an end to a sporting event as there’s ever been! People running, dancing, crying, bouncing, kissing, cavorting everywhere. Other people just desolate, dumbstruck, decimated. SPORT!
This is the miracle that Christian Horner prayed for! “Max Verstappen, you are the champion! The world champion!” Horner shrieks! “Aaaaaarrrrggghhhhh!” replied Verstappen! What a moment!
“I love you!” Verstappen says. “I love you!” Verstappen replies and what on earth are we seeing. Horner tells Verstappen he needed the rub, and he got it!
OHMYABSOLUTECOMPLETEANDUTTERDAYS! MAX VERSTAPPEN IS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!
The safety car does it, and what a win, what an end to one of most outrageous sporting season ever! we have not heard the end of this!
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Lap 58/58 THIS IS RABID WILD INSANE BEHAVIOUR! Hamilton has a hack, Verstappen shuts the door! WHO SAW THIS COMING! IT IS GOING TO BE MAX VERSTAPPEN!
VERSTAPPEN LEADS!
Lap 58/58 Hamilton flies around the corner and Verstappen takes him out! ARE YOU KDDING ME!
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ONE LAP OF RACING TO DECIDE THE TITLE!
Lap 57/58 HERE WE EXPLETIVE GO!
Lap 57/58 Goodness me, what an end this is! What an unfathomable season this has been, as the safety cars goes and Hamilton ploughs on! Back markers are now allowed to overtake the safety car! Hamilton and Verstappen are side by side!
Lap 56/58 “It’s classic,” Horner tells Verstappen on the no overtaking point. “I’m not surprised,” Verstappen responds. I can see why they’re unhappy, but I can’t quite see what the alternative it. If lapped cars are allowed to overtake, there’ll be no race left. “We only need one racing lap,” Horner tells the race organiser.
Lap 56/58 It’s still not clear if we’re going to get a racing lap once the safety car disappears, while Perez comes into the pits – that’s the end of his day. Lapped cars won’t be able to overtake, which means plenty of cars between Hamilton and Verstappen. That should be enough for an eighth world title!
Lap 56/58 Hamilton sounds a little flappy now, noting that the safety car isn’t going at full pelt – he needs it to, so he can get heat into his tyres.
Lap 55/58 Latifi spun – perhaps his brakes locked - and clattered into the side wall. The field will bunch, lapped cars will be sent through, and we’re still not clear if there’ll be more racing. “Is he right behind me?” asks Hamilton, who’s told that he soon will be once we get going again, but only if we get going again. He’s also reassured that had he pitted, he’d have lost track position.
Lap 54/58 Verstappen pits to get on softs, in case he has the chance to put Hamilton under! Just when everything looked done, another hail Mary! Hamilton leads, while the safety folk try and clear the debris; I’m not sure we’ll get any racing laps by the time things are good to go.
Latifi crashes! Surely there's going to be a safety car!
Lap 54/58 Will Verstappen have time and scope to put Hamilton under pressure?!
Lap 53/58 It’s easy to talk about Mercedes’ car, and Horner is right to point it out. But just as crucial here is Hamilton’s sheer genius and, equally, his ability to deploy it when he really needs it.
Lap 52/58 I guess the question now is whether Verstappen will ever get a better chance to bring it home. Ultimately, every time Hamilton’s been put under pressure so intense he had to act, he’s turned into Laurence Olivier.
Lap 51/58 Verstappen has led more laps than any other driver in any season, ever, but it’s not going to matter.
Lap 50/58 Does Hamilton have a tyre situation? He might’ve run over some spiky kerbs and his lead is down to 11s or so, but he’ll need them to go Mansell 86 on him to avoid kriching home.
Lap 49/58 “The pace the Mercedes is too strong today,” admits Horner. He says Verstappen is driving his heart out, but they now need a miracle. Again, the excellent David Croft pushes him on turn seven – did if affect the outcome? – but he bravely acknowledges that his opponents just have the faster car.
Lap 48/58 Hamilton eases through the back markers, and as we come up to 10 to go, it looks over.
“Escaped to the TV department with 14 laps to go,” returns Adam Pope. “Don’t know if I can stay here till the end of the race, wife wants to look at glasses: it’s looking tight...”
I’m sure she’ll understand. Does she enjoy history, because rest assured, this is it.
Lap 47/58 Norris is up into fifth now, which would give him fifth place overall; as Ryan Giggs would say, he’d’ve took that. Hamilton leads by 13.267s, and the speed he’s extracting from tyres more knackered than a new parent, is low-key rabid.
Lap 46/58 Red Bull are, I think, out of ideas.
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Lap 45/58 It’s getting to a point for Verstappen. He just isn’t taking the chunks out of Hamilton that he needs to to win, and unless something untoward happens, he’ll have to go again next term. Barring catastrophe, Hamilton will soon be the most successful and perhaps the greatest driver of all-time! I know! Imagine!
Lap 44/58 Hamilton has the back markers in front of him, which won’t help – Leclerc, Ricciardo, Ocon, Alonso and Gasly are fighting for points too. Verstappen will also have to get by them, but his extra pace should make it easier for him.
Lap 43/58 Fifteen laps to go, and Pirelli reckon their hards are good for 50 laps, but we’ve seen greater degradation in the race than in qualifying. Hamilton leads by 13.840s, and over the last five laps, Verstappen has been 0.6s faster; are his tyres now falling off at the same rate as Hamilton’s?
Lap 42/58 The gap is 14.052s, and it’s not closing quickly enough for Verstappen. But the work Hamilton’s putting into them won’t be good for their health, so it might be that they cost him the time he’s putting in now later on...
Lap 41/58 Hamilton is coming back. He’ll be worried he didn’t pit when the virtual safety car came out, but he didn’t want to sacrifice track position and that’s understandable. Whoever loses will have regrets, and even if that’s Hamilton, it won’t be clear whether doing whatever he didn’t do would’ve changed things. Aaaaarrrggghhhh!
“For the first time in well over a long time I am watching the Grand Prix here with the windows open in balmy Okinawa,” says Rich Tunaley. “Last time I watched may well have been when Auntie used the Chain in its first run of that as its opening track. Hamilton is obviously unworldly. Here’s to him winning this. Truly incredible.”
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Lap 40/58 Hamilton leads by 15.605s, telling his team he won’t be able to keep this pace up for the duration. In comms, they think he’s got enough to gold it down ... but only if his tyres don’t degrade in a serious way.
Lap 39/58 OH MY DAYS! Verstappen took 0.8 out of Hamilton on that most recent lap, so I guess the question is whether the ability to do that will fade as the tyres age, or if the concurrent fading of Hamilton’s will balance that. Hold on people, because this is going to the last fibre of the wire and I can barely feel my fingers, so who knows how these two kings are feeling!
Lap 38/58 Hamilton now leads by 17.614s, and has to hang in there for 20 laps; can he take 0.8 a lap out of the leader? Out of nowhere, that virtual safety car has made things close!
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Lap 37/58 Verstappen, though, has no option but to come in – he hasn’t got the pace to catch Hamilton as is, he needs some racing chicanery, and the virtual safety car-situation means he gets a cheap pit. He’s on hards, and we hear Wolff ask the race organiser not to put out a safety car – a classic Alex Ferguson trying to sway the officials kind of move.
Lap 36/58 “I am grateful I am not in Horner’s shoes,” emails Edwin Innih Imoesi. “Des he pit Max or does he stay put?”
If he does nothing, Verstappen loses, but what’s this? Govinazzi has spun and is blocking the track, so out comes the virtual safety car. That takes time out of the race for Hamilton, who naturally opts to keep going...
Lap 35/58 Lando Norris’ parents will probably have to content themselves with yesterday’s P3 effort; he’s now seventh, trying to struggle back following a horrible start to the race.
Lap 34/58 No movement on Verstappen’s second stop, but surely it’s coming because what else can Red Bull do? The lead is 5.441s now, every lap increasing the work that’ll be necessary to filch the title.
Lap 33/58 Bottas is now down in ninth, and trying to pass Leclerc, sees the door slammed in his Chevy Chase. Hamilton leads by 5.016s.
Lap 32/58 Hamilton’s lead creeps towards five seconds as the natural light drops and the scene looks ever-more colourful and intense – though let’s be real with ourselves about what makes it possible and why it’s so.
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Lap 31/58 Hamilton adds a further 0.3s to his lead, but Red Bull know that if they pit well, Verstappen will come out ahead of Bottas ... who pits now. That’s a decent gap in which to try something, but whether the new tyres are enough to close a gap of around 24s, or a gap of four seconds and whatever Hamilton’s putative pit takes, remains to be seen - at best.
Lap 30/58 Hamilton sets a fastest lap to take his lead above four seconds, so I imagine he’s been told about the impending second stop and to put his foot down.
Lap 29/58 After as ludicrous a start as we can have anticipated, things have settled, and Red Bull need to try something, anything. And right as I type that, we learn that they’re considering a second pit; I wonder if Hamilton will have to do likewise? The lead is 3.824s.
Kimi Raikkonen is out of his last race!
Lap 28/58 Ach, as Barry Davies would say - that’s a shame. But what a career!
Lap 27/58 Raikkonen’s brakes let him down, the rear axel locked, and he clattered into the side. Meantime, Hamilton increases his lead to 3.737s, but Bottas is 20s behind Verstappen, so not sure he’ll be able to help his teammate.
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Lap 26/58 Raikkonen’s front wing is damaged; can he make it to the pit so he can complete his final race?
Lap 25/58 “Maybe an interesting thought,” returns Steve Ditchburn. “Red Bull have shown that you can use your second driver to slow down the opposition so why don’t Mercedes get Bottas to wedge himself between Hamilton and Verstappen and do the same, if only for half a lap. It could make a difference of a few seconds.”
Yup, if Bottas can get in front of Verstappen it’s over.
Lap 24/58 Hamilton leads, followed by Verstappen, Bottas, Perez, Alonso, Gasly, Sainz, Norris, Leclerc, Tsnoda, Ocon, Ricciardo, Latifi, Russell, Giovinazzi, Vettel, Stroll, Raikkonen, Schumacher.
Lap 23/58 Hamilton is stretching away again, 2.446s ahead, and it’s hard to see a way for Verstappen now the lad he’s chasing sets a fastest lap.
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Lap 22/58 “Absolute animal,” says the Red Bull radio of Perez, who did a phenomenal job there.
“I’m a Hamilton fan so I may be biased,” admits Joe Balfour, “but where could Lewis go? Max went in too hard, Lewis couldn’t turn left without hitting him. If he stops, he gets hit from behind. Max knew what he was doing, just didn’t expect Lewis to take the route he did. Should Lewis have slowed right up to allow Max back in? Maybe, but the distance between the two after Lewis got back onto the track and Max came out of the corner was massive and then reduced. So maybe that’s why Lewis was regarded as giving the spaces back? Was hoping for a full on race, but I don’t think Hamilton did anything wrong. Good luck keeping up.”
I’m not sure Hamilton had to go off, and I don’t think he gave back what he took off. But as I keep saying, I see both sides, so maybe status quo is the best solution
Lap 21/58 This is terrific stuff from Perez, holding Hamilton up, and the gap from Hamilton to Verstappen is now 1.241s! He’s hauled his mate back into the race, and though Hamilton finally barrels by, the gap that was over six seconds is now 1.3s! HAVE A LOOK!
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Lap 20/58 Hamilton has taken roughly four seconds off Perez, so it probably won’t be long before he’s passed. And the gap is disappearing in chunks now, down to 0.403, while Sainz pits so Verstappen is now in third. And there it is, Hamilton goes by Perez, but Perez saves up energy from his battery to boust right back past with DRS! what a job he’s doing for his mate!
Lap 19/58 “Stuck on sofa outside ladies changing rooms, (my wife is here , I’m not a weirdo), pleads Adam Pope, “with marginal WiFi signal. Your feed is the only thing stopping me from dying slowly from the inside at the moment.”
That’s why we’re here!
Lap 18/58 Sainz has helped Hamilton out here, sticking in front of Verstappen, while Perez is doing likewise for Verstappen, now 5.579s in front of Hamilton.
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Lap 17/58 On the turn seven shenaniga, Mercedes reckon Verstappen forced Hamilton off. Though they didn’t touch, that’s because Hamilton took evasive action, is how they see it. Again, I’m not sure: I see both sides, but Verstappen has been unfortunate.
Lap 16/58 Verstappen will be wanting Perez to try and slow Hamilton down; presumably he’ll just stay out there as long as possible, trying to do a job for his teammate. Verstappen is closing on Sainz, and before long he’ll be back directly behind Hamilton.
Lap 15/58 Now Hamilton pits, so Perez leads the race and here comes Hamilton! He comes out second, trailing by 11.513s, with Verstappen five or so seconds and two places behind him.
Lap 14/58 Verstappen pits! That should be his sole stop of the race and where’s he going to come out? He’s fifth, perhaps as a consequence, Leclerc drives off and loses a place to Tsunoda! Meantime, Verstappen passes Norris, and now trails by 27.525s.
Lap 13/58 Verstappen will have to pit soon – that’ll be the next major event, and his tyres are already giving him aggravation, the consequence of a locked-tyre error yesterday, when he didn’t even need to be out there. That’s the thing with sport, it’s often won in the details, and the details often amount to thinking clearly at all times.
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Lap 12/58 Hamilton is lapping a second faster now, leading by 4.686s, and it’s really hard to see a way for Verstappen now. Unless Hamilton makes a serious error, or his car fails him, or something strange happens behind them that means a safety car is necessary, this feels like it’s did.
Lap 11/58 “Seems to me that Max only stayed on the track because he actually hit Lewis and used his car to stop leaving the track.,” emails Steve Ditchburn. “However, I really don’t think that Lewis gave back what he gained. One might say that Max set the standard for this sort of behaviour so just maybe he deserved the outcome.”
I know what you mean, but you’ve got to treat each case on its merits and Verstappen definitely had the arse-end of that. But the reality is that it was marginal, so it’s hard to bitch too much about the call, whatever it was. Though of course we’ll enjoy the efforts made.
Lap 10/58 Pirelli reckon Verstappen’s tyres, supplied by them, work for about 15 laps. But Red Bull will be able to use Perez, in third, to try and hold up Hamilton when he comes out of the pits
Lap 9/58 If Verstappen has to pit first, he’ll have a problem because the field is pretty close together, so he’ll get stuck in traffic if that’s soon. Hamilton’s mediums seem to have more pace than his softs too, which is to say that Red Bull are in shtuck.
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Lap 8/58 Jenson Button doesn’t understand the regulations, noting that in Brazil both men went off the track while here, Veratappen stayed on. Who thought this was going to be simple? Meantime, Hamilton leads by 2.309s, and pPerez by 5.593s.
Lap 7/58 More from the stewards, who think Hamilton handed back what he took and Verstappen forced the position. I’m still not sure – I’m leaning towards Horner’s view, but Rosberg thinks Verstappen lunged, though he does also think the distance was’t returned.
Lap 6/58 Horner is as delighted as you’d expect. He’s “a little bit shocked” and “not best pleased”, saying it’s not like Brazil, when Verstappen escaped, and a “total lack of consistency”. David Croft presses him, saying the drivers were told to stay within the white lines, Verstappen did that, and now he “has to do it the hard way”.
Lap 5/58 Hamilton leads by 1.904s, followed by Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Norris, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Bottas, Ocon, Ricciardo. That’s our top 10, for all that it matters.
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Lap 4/58 I doubt we’ve heard the last of this, and the stewards must’ve thought that Verstappen forced Hamilton off the track. I don’t know, it looked to me like he outpaced him on the straight, took the apex, and held it. In the meantime, Hamilton leads by about 1.6s.
The stewards are happy that they've no need to intervene
Lap 3/58 Red Bull aren’t happy, but in the eyes of the stewards, Hamilton slowed down enough to return the extra metres he gave when taking the escape road. That seems a reach to me, I must say.
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Lap 2/58 Hamilton leads by a second and a bit, but that moment at turn seven will surely be the subject of an investigation: did Hamilton cut the corner? What happened was Verstappen tried to take him on the straight, he went off onto the escape road, thereby coming back in front!
A coming together between our two heroes! Hamilton comes out in front!
Lap 1/58 Hamilton is still in front, and might the definitive blow have already been landed?! But excuse me while I interrupt myself! There’s a coming-together, of course there is, I think Verstappen lunges, goes in front, and Hamilton goes off the track, but is now back in front! OH MY DAYS!
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Lap 1/58 Hamilton gets a flyer and he leads into turn one!
Ah, Mazepin has corona, so he’s not with us today...
The cars get back to their parking bays. Here - we - go!
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In comms, they reckon Red Bull would choose Hamilton’s mediums now if they could, and that the softs should get Verstappen into turn one first, but he might be in trouble thereafter. A safety car, though, would probably work to his advantage.
Right, here comes the formation lap!
How are we feeling people? Goodness me! This is something!
One additional line from that Wolff interview that I alluded to and that my colleague Luke McLaughlin sends me in full (thanks!): “Lewis is the best to know how to position the car so he doesn’t end up with mayhem in turn one.”
We shall see...
“Was Toto Wolff implying that Verstappen will be looking back at Hamilton, to see Hamilton looking back at him, to see him looking back at Hamilton?” wonders Matt Dony, invoking one of my all-time favourite lyrics from a rare album that demands to be listened to mitchila ad sof, from beginning to end, every single time (feel free to suggest others). “Hope they stay safe from harm.”
One thing of which we can be sure: if you hurt what’s theirs, they’ll sure as hell retaliate.
Nico reckons the medium tyre will give Hamilton the boost he needs to get in front early, and he’s backing him to stay in front. But let’s be real: as almost ever, William Goldman has right: “Nobody knows anything.”
“Massive attack!” says Toto Wolff when asked how his team plan to go after it. He says Hamilton knows what to do and because it’s not a street circuit, hopes for less mayhem. “Whoever win merits the win,” he says, and if it’s not his lot, “it’s not the end of the day but it’s very upsetting”.
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Hamilton checks his phone one last time, tells the group chat they’re idiots, then Bottas comes over and tells him he can do it. Norris tells Sky he’s in a weird position, stuck behind the two leads, and he’ll be sensible; he thinks Verstappen will win, and if he can’t get a podium finish hopes they’ll be happy with his P3 from yesterday.
Anthem time. We’re nearly there!
Kimi’s there with his wife and kids sharing the moment. He’ll always have 2007, but he’s been so much more than that, adding charisma, calm and class to the sport for a generation.
“I will miss Kimi Raikkonen so much,” says Kurt Perleberg. “F1 will be never the same after today. Bwoah forever.”
Yup, what a career!
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Stormzy is on the grid, and when grabbed by Martin Brundle, he instinctively takes the mic. He’s asked whose head is going to wear the crown – pick that segue out, to borrow Rob Smyth’s lovely phrase – and he tries to imagine the feeling of a hundred thousand people in the studio watching him record. Of course, Patrice Evra then snatches the mic to remind us that he loves this game, then Stormzy walks off with it because why wouldn’t he. Great stuff.
Christian Horner tries to affect calm, saying he’s pumped, the team have done a great job and Max has been “mighty” all year. They’re going to do what they always do, try and enjoy it, and they’re not giving up either championship, hoping Perez can also get involved.
“Didn’t the contest nearly go horribly wrong in the summer,” emails Andrew Benton, “when Verstappen’s wheel went over the top of Lewis’ cockpit, his life being saved by the new protrusion thingy? We should be grateful that the two of them are still here for this final bout of the series!”
Yes, that did happen, and indeed it’s great that we’re all present and correct.
Usain Bolt and Chris Gayle are enjoying themselves on the grid. Bolt has Hamilton to win and is going to try and find him now to give him some wisdom – he says he’ll be looking forward to showing how he can perform, a feeling that very few people in the world can comprehend.
“I have almost no interest in F1,” says Matt Dony, “but you would have to be a special kind of joyless to not be intrigued by this race. I can’t wait to see what happens and how it happens, and I don’t even know why. I will admit, though, that back in the day when he was a young upstart, I often wrote Hamilton off as an arrogant muppet. I regret that, now. He has proven himself a Good Egg, and I respect him enormously. I enjoy Verstappen’s pantomime villain energy, but I do hope Lewis pulls something special out of the bag.”
Yup, I feel you. I’m not going to lie, I was diverted by Hamilton’s tax situation, but he’s shown himself to be an absolute hero who both defines his sport and transcends it.
“Here we are then,” tweets Guy Hornsby, “finally a season for the ages after so many dominant Merc years. I love Lewis, but even he’d have wanted more of a challenge. I really hope we don’t get a clip, puncture, limp to the pits and all over. Head says Max, heart says Lewis. Yikes.”
It’s a funny thing about sport that some of the best ever are best remembered for the ones they lost – Muhammad Ali 1971, Australia 2005, Roger Federer 2008. But otherwise, it’s tricky – you’d probably prefer to be Verstappen, given he’s in pole, but Hamilton’s car is quicker. And, of course, the big unknown is whether the changes to the circuit will make overtaking easier.
And here’s how the Guardian saw it...
Those of us old enough will be remembering the 1986 Australian Grand Prix, when Nigel Mansell began the final race as favourite to take the title. It didn’t quite work out that way.
Nico Rosberg reckons Hamilton will be listening to Tupac, and both men will be trying to be fully present in the moment. And thinking about it, the ability to do that is an underrated aspect of elite-level sport: how do you clear your mind of everything but the task at hand, to perform to your maximum?
Tyres: Verstappen will start on softs, Hamilton on mediums.
On that point, Verstappen’s confrontational style of racing has forced Hamilton to adapt his own. It’s not enough to be fastest now – and worth noting that yesterday, Verstappen said if he had the Mercedes car he’d be champions already – you also have to be *bravest/most reckless/most desperate/most enterprising.
*delete according to bent.
Sky show us VT of our protagonists giving interviews, the difference between them Verstappen’s naked aggression. He tells the people of the Netherlands to get the telly on because he’s going to win, while Hamilton cedes that the two aren’t mates but surmises that his rival “seems like a nice chap”. I wonder if he rehearsed that.
The grid
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclrec (Ferrari)
- Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
- Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
- Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
- Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)
- Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
- Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
- George Russell (Williams)
- Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)
- Mick Schumacher (Haas)
- Nikita Mazepin (Hass)
The state of play
In such circumstance, it feels almost trite to tell you where we’re at but let’s do it: Max Verstappen, bidding to become the Netherlands’ first champion, leads the driver standings because he’s won more races than Lewis Hamilton, bidding to go in front opf Michael Schumacher as the, er, most-winningest champion of all-time. Which is to say both have 369.5 points but Verstappen has nine victories to Hamilton’s eight, meaning if neither finish, Verstappen takes the title. Otherwise, it’s a straight race between the two, and whoever wins wins.
Preamble
OH MY DAYS! AAARGGHGHLNKLLKNOINOINS! I know it’s my job to come up with something better than that so I’m going to try in a sec, but really, we watch sport party for those moments that defeat language; that defeat not only language, but the involuntary outbursts of indecipherable shock and glee that make sport sport.
Except those involuntary outbursts seem to have lasted nine months, throughout what is probably the most thrilling, compelling F1 season of all-time. Charles Dickens filed his novels on a weekly basis for publishing in a literary magazine, somehow managing to sustain action, intrigue, drama and suspense for the duration; I say somehow, because that he pulled it off is astonishing, not because we don’t know what made it work: a cast of uniquely fascinating yet believable characters, whose chemistry defies science – and art – and of whom we still cannot get enough.
Decades from now, we’ll still be marvelling at the brio of Max Verstappen, the aggression of Christian Horner, the poise of Toto Wolff and the everything of Lewis Hamilton. Without them, and without the precise and specific way in which they agitate one another, it’s just a race. With them, it’s something a whole lot more, and however this shakes out, just like David Copperfield, Bill Sykes, Esther Summerson and Philip Pirrip, the four of them are enshrined in the annals of humanity for the rest of time.
Lights out: 5pm local, 1pm GMT
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