Of course Verstappen’s victory did come in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi, as FIA director Michael Masi ordered a number of lapped cars between the Dutchman and Hamilton to overlap a deployed safety car on the track.
This therefore allowed Verstappen to wipe out the Englishman’s once comfortable lead at the front, as the pair were left side-by-side and decided the title with a final lap shootout.
As a result the fresher tyres on the Dutchman’s car ultimately helped him brush off Hamilton, but this finish left a sour taste in the mouth of many in the racing world, no more so than Mercedes who lodged two unsuccessful appeals.
Whilst Verstappen admitted his win was a lucky one, he feels he and his team were more than deserving of collecting the sport’s biggest prize.