Abu Dhabi: Valtteri Bottas won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix here Sunday as Mercedes wrapped up another triumphant Formula One (F1) season with a one-two finish and four-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton having to settle for second.
The win was a career third for the Finn, who had started on pole position and stayed in front to deny Hamilton a 10th success of the 20-race campaign. “It’s a really important win for me after having a pretty difficult start to the second half of the year,” said Bottas, who joined Mercedes after 2016 champion Nico Rosberg retired abruptly a year ago. “This weekend, pole and win, I couldn’t be happier to end the season like this.”
In a processional race, with plenty of glamour but little excitement under the Yas Marina floodlights, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel took third place to finish runner-up in a championship that Hamilton won in Mexico last month. The final points tally was Hamilton 363, Vettel 317 and Bottas 305.
Mercedes had already won the constructors’ world championship for the fourth year in a row and ended with 668 points to Ferrari’s 522. The one-two finish was their fourth of the season.
Hamilton kept Bottas in his sights always but was unable to do anything but follow. He said that was not because of any lack of intent. “Big congratulations to Valtteri, he did an amazing job today (Sunday) to hold me off. It was a great race, I gave it everything, every single lap. It is hard to overtake here,” said the Briton after his 25th successive race in the points.
Force India end fourth
Abu Dhabi: Force India (FI) drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon grabbed seventh and eighth positions respectively in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the team finished fourth in the constructors’ standings. With 10 points from Sunday’s – six for Perez and four for Ocon – FI collected 187 points from the 20 races to finish behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
Agencies
