MAX VERSTAPPEN has revealed what was going through his mind during the final laps of last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Dutchman’s title chances were ebbing away, with rival Lewis Hamilton having expertly built a seemingly unassailable lead.
Lewis Hamilton looks on in the immediate aftermath of his controversial defeat Credit: Reuters Verstappen would be handed the latest of lifelines in the form of the safety car, however.
Former race director Michael Masi, since sacked for his blunder, then ordered Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel to unlap themselves behind the safety car – leaving Hamilton at his Red Bull rival’s mercy.
In a new documentary for streaming service Viaplay, Verstappen has revealed what he was thinking during the race’s closing stages.
He said: “At that moment I tried to close the gap.
“I knew I wouldn’t close an eleven-second gap in five laps, but I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to give up now and drive slowly to the finish line. I’m going to give it my all to make it not look easy’.
“I wasn’t really happy at that moment.”
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Having seen Nicholas Latifi’s crashed car first hand, Verstappen realised he may have a slim chance after all.
He added: “I was hoping for a restart. That car was at a tricky angle to get out of there.”
Having nipped in for fresh tyres, Verstappen felt the nerves of his team, revealing: “They were very quiet (over the radio).
“They were I think also very nervous for the last lap.”
On old tyres Hamilton was a sitting duck, with Verstappen blitzing past him to seal his first world championship triumph.
The pair will do battle once again later this month, when the new F1 season gets underway in Bahrain.
And fans have been getting pumped, after the first trailer for the new season of the hit series Drive to Survive dropped yesterday.
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Max Verstappen is gearing up for a return to action Credit: Splash Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
