Shaheer Ahmed
The Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Finale, which happened in the United Arab of Emirates, was enthralling. The eager young Verstappen won his first title in a riveting 58 lap race. The finale was nothing short of dramatic and controversial, which ended in Hamilton calling for two protests and Verstappen crying as he reached the finish line.
Hamilton led most of the 58-lap race, and Verstappen and his Red Bull team tried their best to overcome the speed and efficiency of the former. The deciding moment of the race was when Verstappen took the time to change his tires, while Hamilton continued to go on with his hard tires, which had not been changed since the 14th lap.
Hamilton filed two protests after the race, both of which were rejected. This left many fans, and Hamilton devastated. The first protest checked if Verstappen had taken over Hamilton before the safety car period. The second was regarding the un-lapping of the cars, which was rejected. After four hours after the race’s conclusion, Verstappen was declared the champion.
Verstappen posted a very emotional tweet, which read, ‘I started racing with my dad years ago. We dreamed of becoming world Champions, and now we are!’ It is also said that he had burst into tears and said, ‘’Unbelievable. I kept fighting the whole race. I had the opportunity in the last lap. It’s incredible. I still have a cramp. It’s insane.”
However, on the other side, Hamilton was heard speaking over the radio, ‘I am speechless. I am speechless.’
Many people, including my boss, are outraged that Hamilton was not given a fair chance to win. A former formula one driver, David Coulthard, told England’s Channel 4: “This is a complex sport. None of us like the decisions taking place in the steward’s room when the champagne has been popped. In hindsight, could the stewards have done a tidier job? Yes. Has there been something played out which is controversial? Yes. This is a tough decision.”
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