Lewis Hamilton wins the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Football Full Time   November 25, 2018   Formula 1   Comment  

Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a superb run from pole position for his 11th victory of the season. He produced a self-confident drive at the season finale to close out 2018 on a high for Mercedes. Sebastian Vettel was in second for Ferrari and Max Verstappen third for Red Bull.



Lewis Hamilton has ended his fifth title-winning Formula One season in style with victory to become the first driver to collect more than 400 points in a season.
Hamilton claimed a personal record-tying 11th season success and 73rd overall.

After a 2018 season in which he has often dominated, Hamilton finished with another performance at Yas Marina in which he was barely threatened by his rivals. Mercedes called his strategy, with an early pit stop, perfectly and Hamilton exploited it to ensure he has completed his fifth championship-winning season with another display of control and patience in the day-to-night race, once again proving he is at the very peak of his powers. He rightly celebrated with some on-track doughnuts.

Having already secured the title with two races to spare, Hamilton finished the 2018 season with 408 points from 21 races. Vettel had 320 and Kimi Raikkonen remained third on 251 although his last race for Ferrari ended early.



The last race of a Formula One legend.

The Formula 1 world champion in 2005 and 2006 Fernando Alonso, competing in his 312th Formula One race, finished outside the top 10. Urged by his team to chase the one point up for grabs for 10th, Alonso replied: "I have 1,800 points."

"Well for me, make it 1,801 points," his race engineer, Will Joseph, replied. He was unable to do so, ending his world-championship winning career in 11th.
"It has been a real honour and privilege racing against Sebastian," Hamilton, 33, said after performing a series of doughnuts on the main straight.

The Spaniard took his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 at a time when the sport’s tyre war was at its hottest.The Renaults disposed of all-comers both years, including Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari. Fernando Alonso, took his first F1 win at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Alonso ends his career having raced the equivalent of 20% of the way to the moon.


Full race results for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, round 21 of the 2018 Formula 1 season

2018 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Race Results

1. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport 55 laps
2. Sebastian Vettel GER Scuderia Ferrari + 2.581s
3. Max Verstappen NED Aston Martin Red Bull Racing + 12.706s
4. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Aston Martin Red Bull Racing + 15.379s
5. Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport + 47.957s
6. Carlos Sainz Jr.  ESP Renault Sport Formula One Team + 90.789s
7. Charles Leclerc MON Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team + 91.275s
8. Sergio Perez MEX Racing Point Force India F1 Team
9. Romain Grosjean FRA Haas F1 Team + 1 lap
10. Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team + 1 lap
11. Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren F1 Team + 1 lap
12. Brendon Hartley NZL Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda + 1 lap​​​​​​​
13. Lance Stroll CAN Williams Martini Racing + 1 lap​​​​​​​
14. Stoffel Vandoorne BEL McLaren F1 Team + 1 lap​​​​​​​
15. Sergey Sirotkin RUS Williams Martini Racing + 1 lap​​​​​​​
Ret. Pierre Gasly FRA Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda 46 laps
Ret. Esteban Ocon FRA Racing Point Force India F1 Team 44 laps
Ret. Marcus Ericsson SWE Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team 24 laps
Ret. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Scuderia Ferrari 6 laps
Ret. Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault Sport Formula One Team 0 laps.

The season finishes with just 20 drivers having raced, the lowest number in Formula 1 history.