Lewis Hamilton wins 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton finishes the 2018 F1 season on a high, having already won the driver’s title he adds a win at the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to his 2018 list of wins.
Lewis Hamilton had a relatively easy race in Abu Dhabi to take a win in the last race of the year, holding off Vettel, Verstappen and Ricciardo in an eventful race, although an eventful race behind Hamilton.
A strong start by Mercedes saw Hamilton and Bottas away in first and second, but behind them Verstappen had computer glitches and soon dropped back behind Hulkenberg and Grosjean, but that changed when Hulkenberg and Grosjean had a coming together on the first chicane, with Hulkenburg rolling in to the barriers. Fortunately he escaped unscathed.
A safety car ensued, followed by a virtual safety car on lap seven when Raikkonen’s Ferrari died on the start finish line, which Hamilton used to grab an early pit stop, followed by Bottas, Vettel and Verstappen.
That left Ricciardo in the lead until his pit stop on lap 38, when he came out behind Verstappen in fifth, by which time Bottas had lost second place to Vettel, subsequently followed by Vertsppen and Ricciardo, to leave him in fifth.
The front five were followed home by Sainz, Leclerc, Perez, Grosjean and Magunessen, leaving Alonso – in his last F1 race – just outside the points in 11th.
There was a bit of an ‘end of term’ feel about the day too, with Hamilton throwing doughnuts after he crossed the line, to be joined by Vettel and Alonso for more tyre burning.
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