Motorsport

LEWIS HAMILTON’S father Anthony was not bitter in defeat as he graciously congratulated Max Verstappen for beating his son to the F1 world title. Anthony was seen sharing a handshake with Verstappen and a hug with his father Jos after a dramatic Saudi Arabian GP.

Lewis Hamilton himself congratulated Max Verstappen after he was beaten to the F1 titleCredit: Splash
Hamilton lost out on a record eighth world title in heartbreaking fashionCredit: Getty
Verstappen took the chequered flag after it looked for much of the race that Hamilton was cruising to a record eighth world title.
The Dutchman landed the world title after most unimaginable drama unfolded.
Anthony though made sure to congratulate the Verstappen family in the immediate aftermath of the race, remaining truly gracious in defeat.
That was BEFORE news broke that Mercedes were appealing the race result on two counts.
A late safety car as a result Nicholas Latifi’s smash five laps from the end was the catalyst for an incredible sequence of events.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff fumed at race director Michael Masi who initially said ‘any lapped cars will not be allowed to overtake’ while the safety car was out.
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But on the penultimate lap, Masi CHANGED his mind and allowed five cars between Verstappen and Hamilton to unlap themselves.
That put the Dutchman right behind the Brit, and with one lap left to race he used fresher tyres to his advantage to take the race lead.
Wolff’s appeal was rejected though, as was his protest that Verstappen overtook Hamilton before the safety car had left the track.
It meant Verstappen and Red Bull could finally celebrate a four-hour battle to have the result changed – although the drama is still far from over.
Mercedes are set to appeal against F1 bosses’ decision to reject their protests, with the saga set to rumble on. More

LEWIS HAMILTON’S brother Nicolas has labelled his brother as the ‘true champion’ and SLAMMED the FIA as a ‘disgrace to the sport’ in an Instagram post. Hamilton was pipped to the F1 title with one lap to go in hugely controversial circumstances by Max Verstappen.
Nicolas Hamilton blasted the FIA after Lewis Hamilton missed out on the F1 world titleCredit: Instagram @nicolashamilton
Hamilton lost out in heartbreaking fashion to Red Bull rival Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
Taking to Instagram after the Saudi Arabia GP, Nicholas posted a picture of his brother with the words ‘An unforgettable season’ underneath.
He also praised the actions of his father for congratulating Verstappen, despite the heartbreak for the Hamilton family.
Nicolas captioned the post: “THE TRUE CHAMPION!
“The FIA broke their own rules, which is a disgrace to our whole sport. Nevertheless, regardless of being mistreated today, the Hamilton’s were humble in defeat.
“My farther, the guy who raised us, congratulating Max & his father Jos.
“People can say what they like, but my Father’s gesture proves all of the doubters & haters wrong & shows who we are as ‘The Hamilton’s’.
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“Proving people wrong is in our DNA, which Lewis does on a daily basis. With utter professionalism & decency in defeat, even though we all know, that he was let down by the sport that he has given so much to.
“Congratulations to Max for such a fantastic season from him.”
With a late safety car called onto the track race stewards reversed their decision not to let lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen pass the Brit.
Initially, race director Michael Masi said that ‘any lapped cars will not be allowed to overtake’ – which meant Verstappen would be trapped behind five backmarkers before he could get a run on Hamilton.
However, on the penultimate lap, Masi CHANGED his mind allowing just the five cars to unlap themselves to put Verstappen right behind Hamilton.
And Verstappen grabbed his opportunity by the scruff of the neck, swooping past Hamilton to claim a maiden title.
Mercedes appealed against the decision, but lost their claim after four-and-a-half hour battle to have the decision overturned.
Team principal Toto Wolff also appealed after Verstappen seemed to overtaken Hamilton BEFORE the safety car had left the track.
Those cries were also rejected by the FIA.
It meant Verstappen and Red Bull could finally celebrate – although the drama is still far from over.
Mercedes are set to appeal against F1 bosses’ decision to reject their protests, with the saga set to rumble on. More

FIRST of all, a few words of ­consolation and perspective for British motorsport fans. If and when Lewis Hamilton does win a record eighth world title, it will feel all the sweeter for this epic defeat.
Lewis Hamilton was gracious in defeat in the immediate aftermath of the raceCredit: Getty
Max Verstappen was officially confirmed as world champion after Mercedes’ protests were dismissedCredit: Getty
His rivalry with Max Verstappen — which had already ­resurrected interest in Formula One with huge swathes of non-believers — will only intensify after the drama and controversy in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Those new devotees, or the many lapsed F1 fans lost to the sport during years of grinding predictability, will be glued to the action when Hamilton, 36, bids to regain his crown next season.
Oh, and at least Ginger Spice got what she wanted — what she really, really wanted.
Geri Halliwell, wife of Red Bull’s British team principal Christian Horner, may not have been wearing her Union Jack mini-dress, as she was rooting for the young Dutch tearaway Verstappen.
But F1 needed Horner and his team to strike a blow against the dominance of Mercedes and Hamilton.
They did that from the second race of the season, when Verstappen, 24, won in Italy, until the ridiculous mayhem of the very last lap of the winner-takes-all contest.
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Hamilton won’t see it that way. At least not unless and until he wins that record title No 8.
But his reputation, as a driver and a man, has probably been enhanced more this season than in any of his seven title-winning years.
Great sport thrives on great rivalry and Hamilton-Verstappen is threatening to become a truly outstanding one – all it needs now is longevity.
When Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher with his seventh title last year, I argued that, if we were to decide the argument logically, then he simply has to be regarded as the greatest British sportsman of all time.
No other competitor from these islands could genuinely claim to be the greatest of all time in a major sport.
The counter-argument, generally from those with little interest in F1, was that the superiority of Hamilton’s car made his dominance almost inevitable and reduced worldwide interest.
That’s why Verstappen’s victory, in the long run, may only add to the might of Hamilton’s legacy.
He was already the first black driver to compete in his elitist sport, which in itself made him hugely significant.
Verstappen celebrating victory in Abu Dhabi with his Red Bull teamCredit: Getty
In his early days, though, it was easy to regard him as cold, robotic and part of a corporate machine.
But over the past couple of years, in particular, Hamilton has found an authentic and powerful voice on wider social issues — on racial equality, human rights and environmentalism.
This has seen him speak out, time and again, against old-school attitudes and vested interests within his sport.
Those who prefer to ignore such issues will sneeringly refer to him as ‘woke’.
Those who do care, regard him as bold and significant.
Already knighted by the establishment, Hamilton is now respected by the anti-establishment too. Next, then, to that eighth crown.
Hamilton turns 37 next month and still has two years left on his Mercedes contract.
Losing and then regaining a title so often earns many more plaudits than winning remorselessly.
Next season, with new rules, the level of competition is likely to intensify.
As thrilling as this two-horse race has been, competition promises to be wider.
And Hamilton can also use a genuine sense of injustice to fuel him due to the manner of Verstappen’s victory.
Of course, Red Bull needed a miracle in Abu Dhabi, as Horner himself admitted ten laps out from the chequered flag.
They got just that when back-marker Nicholas Latifi crashed out just in time for the safety car to come and go and for a final-lap tear-up.
Verstappen popped the champagne bottles after an anxious wait as stewards investigated Mercedes’ protestsCredit: Getty
Yet fortune did favour the brave. Red Bull gambled on a second and third pit stop. Verstappen overtook Hamilton early on that last lap.
And as race director Michael Masi put it when challenged by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on his apparent ripping up of the rulebook: “Toto, it’s called a motor race, OK . . . we went to car racing.”
It was a nice line from Masi — one which played to the sporting instincts of a worldwide audience.
Nobody wants a major sporting event settled by rules-is-rules jobsworths.
But was it fair? A final lap between one on fresh tyres and another needing an urgent appointment with a KwikFit fitter was hardly an even contest.
Yet had the season finished with Hamilton winning behind a safety car, many might not have felt so compelled to tune in next season.
There had been controversy on the opening lap too — Verstappen feeling hard done-by on that occasion, Horner vowing not to get mad but get even.
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez held up the Brit with some excellent defensive racing when the Mexican briefly held the lead before pitting.
Then, as Hamilton led for the majority of the race, he sounded increasingly jittery and nervous on the team radio.
It was the ultra-professionalism of an experienced driver, whose mind was racing as rapidly as his car, going through every potential eventuality — until Latifi crashed and Masi made his call and all of his fears felt justified.
Now the Brit must use all of that professionalism and experience to seize back his crown.
And the size of the audience, as well as the depth of the adulation, will be far greater if he wins an eighth title. More

WILLIAMS driver Nicholas Latifi has been promised an endless supply of Red Bull by Christian Horner – after his crash led to Max Verstappen winning the Formula One World Championship.The Dutch star passed rival Lewis Hamilton on the final lap in Abu Dhabi to deny the Mercedes ace a record eighth world title.
Christian Horner reacts with Max Verstappen after the Red Bull star won the Formula One World ChampionshipCredit: Getty
Williams driver Nicholas Latifi crashed on lap 54 which saw a safety car deployed – and meant the race ended in controversial circumstancesCredit: Sky Sports
British legend Hamilton, 36, looked to be on course for victory only for a safety car to be deployed on lap 54 after Latifi crashed into the barriers.
Hamilton was leading the race by over ten seconds prior to the safety car, which ultimately allowed Verstappen to hone in on the ex-McLaren man.
Verstappen then used his fresher tyres after he pitted to edge in front of the seven-time world champ right at the death.
He was able to close the gap after stewards decided to allow lapped cars to pass Hamilton, leaving the Dutchman with clear track in front of him.
It came after stewards had initially indicated lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen would stay in their formation.
Speaking on Sky Sports before the crash, Red Bull boss team boss Horner stated that Verstappen needed a ‘miracle’ to win the title.
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And after that miracle duly arrived, Horner was quick to state that Latifi would be getting a lifetime present from him.
In an interview with Channel 4, he remarked: “He’ll be getting a lifetime supply of Red Bull for sure.”
Horner, who was reduced to tears after Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the title, also declared how the crash was a gift from the ‘racing gods’.
The 48-year-old told Sky Sports: “We needed something from the racing gods in the last ten laps.
“Thank you Nicholas Latifi for that safety car. I have to say with the stewards… they did great to get the race going again.
Horner has declared Latifi will receive a lifetime supply of Red Bull after his crash led to Verstappen winning the F1 world titleCredit: Sky Sports
“We were screaming at him [F1 race director Michael Masi] ‘let them race’.
“It has been an insane competition and for Max to win the world championship – it is not just about here.
“I have to say all credit to Lewis, he has been a phenomenal opponent all year, he is a great champion and that is what makes it even more valid to win this.” More