Formula 1 Race Today Winner

Well after a season of hard graft it came down to two races in the dessert. Hamilton's magnificent run of form continued, pulling himself level with victory in Saudi Arabia. But it wouldn't be 2021 without a bit of drama, the pair clashed on several occasions and there was even contact when Verstappen was told to give Hamilton the lead of the race. However, Hamilton's win meant they would go into the season finale in Abu Dhabi level on points.

Verstappen qualified on pole but Hamilton stormed in front off the line, and for all the world looked as if he was just too quick for Red Bull, Mercedes' extra power evident. However, Perez brought Verstappen back into the race by holding the Merc up, before Hamilton pulled away again. Nicholas Latifi crashed with just a handful of laps to go bringing out the safety car. Verstappen pitted, but Hamilton couldn't afford to lose track positon. First Michael Masi said cars wouldn't unlap themselves, then Red Bull had a word, then only five cars unlapped themselves, it was pure confusion. Verstappen eventually had a free shot at Hamilton, giving him his first World Championship, it was heartbreak for Hamilton, but delirium for Red Bull.

The drama wasn't done just yet as Mercedes lodged a series of appeals but they eventually conceeded defeat, and Verstappen was officially World Champion. Today's race marks the end of Honda's F1 project. We came back into the sport in 2015 as a PU supplier, attracted by this very sophisticated hybrid PU technology. From then until today, 7 seasons and 141 races have gone by. Compared to our rivals, our development time was relatively short and partly because of that, we struggled a lot in the beginning and we hit rock bottom in the early days. However, even while having to deal with logistical difficulties partly down to the Covid-19 pandemic, in this our last season we have been fighting with very strong rivals and we came out on top of the Formula 1 world.

This is due to all the hard work from all our engineers and mechanics, not just those at the race track. They never gave up even in the most difficult times and made numerous technological breakthroughs along the way. We were able to prove the validity and effectiveness of our technology and the abilities of our workforce.

We should not forget McLaren, with whom this era started back in 2015 and all the drivers who have worked with us, always putting maximum effort into achieving the best possible results. Without all these elements working together and without the passion of each individual involved, we would not be where we are today. Last but not least, I'd like to thank all our fans who have always supported us through thick and thin, even when there was no light at the end of the tunnel and we had considered giving up. It's not just me who took strength from the support of our fans.

I myself went racing with the belief that Honda's power of dreams would one day come true and that we would enjoy our success with our fans. There is nothing better than sharing the highs of victory and the lows of defeat with you, as we made it to the top together. Hamilton had a record eighth championship ripped away with five laps remaining when a crash by Nicholas Latifi triggered the safety car and gave race director Michael Masi a decision. The season-ending race and championship could be decided under yellow, or, the track could be cleaned for one final lap of racing. With one last lap and a few more metres to decide the world championship, the stewards essentially put Hamilton in the worst possible position. There is also controversy that is still going on with regards to the lapped vs unlapped cars decision since not all lapped cars were allowed to pass through, just the five between Verstappen and Hamilton.

FIA race rules clearly state that in the case of a safety car, all lapped cars have to be let through. But doing so would have meant that the safety car would still be out in the final lap and Hamilton would be the champion. The most bizarre thing about the final laps were the officiating decisions from F1. Officials were adamant that the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen would not be allowed to clear themselves on the restart.

That would have provided a buffer for Hamilton to likely win a record-breaking eighth championship and cement his status as the best Formula 1 driver of all time. Verstappen's victory was not without controversy. Both protests were dismissed by race officials, but Mercedes intends to appeal according to Autosport. Lewis Hamilton looked to have won a record eighth drivers' championship with only a few laps to go, but a late safety car changed the dynamic of the race and Verstappen made his move on fresher tyres to take the title. Hamilton looked set to win a record-breaking eighth drivers' championship as he led Verstappen by 11 seconds with six laps remaining in their winner-takes-all finale, which they started tied on points.

The safety car incident effectively erased a 11 second gap that Hamilton had amassed over the course of the race and was filled with its own share of twists and turns. Hamilton had looked to be cruising to a record eighth world title with five laps to go. However, the deployment of a safety car following an innocuous crash by Williams' Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi allowed Verstappen to dive into the pits and change his tyres and then catch back up to his rival. But rules are rules, and stewards clearly circumvented procedures in the final laps of Sunday's race by deciding that the lapped traffic between Hamilton and Verstappen would be cleared and a late restart would occur. This doesn't discount what Verstappen accomplished, as he certainly earned the title, but Hamilton and Mercedes have every reason to be upset with the sequence of events and feel like the championship was taken from them.

Max Verstappen looked down and out, but late safety car drama saw him snatch the world title away from Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 season. Mercedes fumed at the race officials for allowing the race to restart on the final lap, with backmarkers allowed beyond the safety car to leave Verstappen on Hamilton's wheel. Formula One is the highest class of open-wheeled motor racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and cars must conform. The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. Each winner is presented with a trophy and the results of each race are combined to determine two annual Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors.

The World Championship for Drivers is held since 1950, after the Formula One standard was agreed upon in 1946. The Constructors' Championship was added for the 1958 season and has been awarded ever since. A late safety car intervention, after Canadian Nicholas Latifi crashed with five laps to go, provided hope and it was game on when Masi decided not to let all lapped cars pass the safety car before resuming racing. Then the FIA race director Michael Masi was contacted by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

"Why aren't we getting these lapped cars out the way? "You only need one racing lap." Shortly after which the FIA then approved the five cars in question could unlap themselves, removing them from between Hamilton and Verstappen. However, had they allowed all the lapped cars to unlap themselves there would not have been time to complete a final racing lap. Within which arcane and apparently arbitrary calculation lay the ire of Mercedes. But after saying one thing, officials changed their minds and said that the handful of cars between Verstappen and Hamilton could pass Hamilton and get their laps back right before the race restarted. However, not every lapped car was allowed to pass.

Only those that were between Hamilton and Verstappen got to get their laps back. And the decision to only let some lapped cars pass but not all appears to be a direct breach of F1 rules. By Lap 56, with two laps to go, the scene was close to being cleared. In this situation, lapped cars are usually allowed to unlap themselves and the Safety Car then pits at the end of the following lap, giving those cars the chance to join the back of the pack before the race becomes live. This would have seen the Safety Car peeling off into the pit lane one corner from the chequered flag.

Nicholas Latifi has crashed big time in the final sector and the safety car has to be called. Verstappen pits for soft tyres but Hamilton stays out again! If we get a restart then Verstappen could be in an ideal position to attack and take the title.

Hamilton isn't pleased with his team's decision to leave him out. When racing resumed, Max had a gap of 20 seconds to close down and was quickly reducing Hamilton's lead, but time appeared to be running out until Nicholas Latifi crashed with six laps remaining. F1 race director Michael Masi took his time figuring out how to conclude the race before controversially settling on one final lap of racing to decide the title. Verstappen started the final lap just behind Hamilton, chasing him through the first four turns. Ercedes argued that Masi should have allowed all the lapped cars to unlap themselves rather than just the five in between the two title contenders. Additionally they argued that the safety car should have stayed out for one more lap, meaning the race would have finished under a safety car and Hamilton would have been crowned champion.

Verstappen still had five lapped cars between himself and his prey. Formula 1 officials initially said that the lapped cars between Verstappen and Hamilton would not be allowed to pass Hamilton and get their laps back before the restart. They reversed that decision with less than two laps to go, allowing Verstappen to restart on Hamilton's bumper and get the win. Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton on a final lap restart to win the 2021 world title at Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Verstappen had fresh tires for the final restart after he was 11 seconds back of Hamilton when Nicholas Latifi crashed with five laps to go.

That crash allowed Verstappen to pit for fresh tires and overtake Hamilton after the restart. So specifically the five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen were allowed to unlap themselves, and the Safety Car would be coming in at the end of that lap, giving one lap of racing. Hamilton's worst fears had been realised and Verstappen duly outbraked him on his much gripper tyres to win both race and title. The engines are roaring almost as much as the crowd as the pit lane opens and the cars make their way to the grid for the final time in 2021.

The big talk is on tyres, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton starting the race on different compunds . Despite that, though, Pirelli expect the one-stop to be the fastest, no matter the starting tyre with hard tyres the choice at the stop. The altered Yas Marina layout hasn't affected tyre wear enough for a two-stop to become profitable unless a safety car intervenes. With 10 laps to go of the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Verstappen needed "a miracle". He went on to say that the Dutch driver needed some help from "the racing gods", and that's exactly what he got with the late safety car and the way the pit stops favoured Verstappen.

The Hungarian Grand Prix saw Esteban Ocon win his first race in Formula 1 as he took advantage of some first corner crashes, a mistake from Mercedes and some superb defence from his teammate Alonso. Sebastian Vettel was disqualified from the race after failing to provide a legal fuel sample and after over a year of waiting, Williams were finally back in the points. The Japanese Grand prix was cancelled for a second year in a row but the month ended with a damp squid, as the Begian Grand Prix was rained off after a couple of laps behind the safety car. However, one bonus from the race was George Russell's mega lap to put his Williams in P2! He'd eventually be awarded with a first ever F1 podium. The fans stood outside for hours and it wasn't a great look for race control when they awarded half points.

We didn't have to wait as long this season but it wasn't all plain sailing with the coronavirus pandemic still having its say. Bahrain hosted pre-season testing and the opening race, with Australia postponing their race until later in the year due to strict COVID measures in Victoria. Red Bull were the standard setters in pre-season testing with Mercedes seemingly off the pace. McLaren and Ferrari looking set to battle it out for best of the rest.

However, it looked like it would be a long season for Haas who brought up the rear. Lewis Hamilton against the odds qualified on pole and secured a dramatic victory in Sakhir. He held off a charging Max Verstappen for the win.

The race gave fans a sense of what was to come and the rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen started to bubble. Hamilton was third after a safety car restart but passed Verstappen and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas to win. The safety car had been deployed after Canadian Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams with five laps to go and Masi then decided not to demand all lapped cars pass it before resuming racing. After a season of intense, turbulent, and controversial yet gripping racing, Formula One almost unfeasibly found aspects of every element for its denouement in the desert. With Max Verstappen's victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix decided in taking the lead from Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the final race, he believed he had sealed his first F1 world championship.

Hamilton sprinted away from Verstappen again, however. He was able to stretch the lead out again and force the Red Bull driver to pit for new hard compound tires under a virtual safety car for Antonio Giovinazzi's stalled car. That pit seemed to be Verstappen's last chance to get the win, but he wasn't able to make up the time he needed on Hamilton to make it a race.

Hamilton, winner of three straight races coming into the finale to even the fight, had this one in hand and knew it until the Latifi crash. Whatever Hamilton said over his radio when Latifi brought out the safety car was replayed only as one long bleep to cover his expletives. Hamilton pitted a lap later to cover Verstappen and also took hard tyres. He rejoined ahead of Sainz – 5s ahead of Verstappen who was still behind the Ferrari. Verstappen had a big moment behind Sainz at Turn 15, sliding off the track. Meantime, Hamilton set fastest lap and opened the gap even more.

But then right as the safety car was about to be pulled off, the stewards changed their minds and allowed some lapped cars to unlap themselves. Suddenly, Hamilton and Verstappen were tyre to tyre and would have a lap and a half to race. Hamilton's fifth successive Spanish GP win and sixth in total. He started on pole for the 100th time, lost out to Verstappen at the first corner and made a second stop late in the race to regain the lead.

Max Verstappen ripped a record eighth title away from Lewis Hamilton with an overtake on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi GP to finish one of the most thrilling Formula One seasons in years as the first Dutch world champion. But then the safety car ended with some lapped cars allowed to pass it, putting Verstappen directly behind Hamilton. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stormed out of the paddock on Sunday without saying anything. But his team were incensed after Verstappen claimed victory thanks to one of the most controversial final laps to a season the sport has ever witnessed. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports with less than 10 laps to go that Verstappen needed some luck from the racing gods to get a win.

Hamilton had the fastest car all day and got the lead from the start after Verstappen had a poor launch. A huge break for Hamilton and Mercedes means the lapped cars won't get to unlap themselves under safety car. This could mean we do get the racing lap but Verstappen won't be close enough to overtake. A red flag could've given us a stunning shootout and Christian Horner and Red Bull are incensed at the decision. He 2021 Formula 1 championship will be decided this Sunday and our Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live blog will bring you all the action from the Yas Marina Circuit. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are level on points going into this race, but the Dutchman has the tiebreaker of most Grand Prix wins and he also has pole position.

It should be fascinating and we'll have the latest updates right here. We are into the business end of the season, and Red Bull and Max Verstappen had one hand on the title as the Dutchman romped to victory in Mexico City, a race they were expected to win, but the performance was emphatic. However, Hamilton fought back in Brazil, overcoming an engine change, a penalty for an illegal rear wing and a scuffle with Max on track to win at Interlagos, arguably the performance of the season.

The first ever Qatar Grand Prix closed the month and it was another convincing display from Hamilton who closed the gap in the title race and kept his hopes alive. Well Antonio Giovinazzi's time was up as he was replaced by Guanyu Zhou of China. Zhou arrived having spent the last few seasons with Uni Virtuosi in Formula 2. Unfortunately, we missed out on the Constructors' title, but we are still happy that with Max we won the Drivers'.

All the ups and downs and struggles of the past seven years finally paid off. On behalf of Honda, I would like to thank everyone at Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri, as well as all the drivers we have worked with since 2015 and the fans who have always supported us through thick and thin. After discussions over the way it would be handled, the race restarted with one lap remaining and Max had just 16 corners to try and take the title.