Abu Dhabi GP: Max wins final 2020 race

Dominant Verstappen comfortably holds off Mercedes to seal victory in Abu Dhabi season finale

Max Verstappen breezed to his second victory of 2020 at the Abu Dhabi season finale. The Mercedes duo had no answer to the Red Bull’s pace around the Yas Marina Circuit.

Dominant Max at Abu Dhabi

Win number Ⅹ for MAⅩ!

The Dutchman takes his tenth victory in F1 🏆#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Cwc2qBcyqO

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 13, 2020

With Mercedes having taken every pole and race win in Abu Dhabi since 2014, Verstappen reversed that trend with pole on Saturday, before converting it with a dominant performance under the floodlights, as he led home Bottas by 15 seconds, with Hamilton coming home just behind his team mate on his first race back since contracting Covid-19.

VALTTERI: "Red Bull were too quick today. We thought our race pace would be identical. I was trying everything I could but I couldn’t keep up with [Max]. I feel like it was a solid race for me today" #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/oUr1mFP0M4

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 13, 2020

VALTTERI: "Red Bull were too quick today. We thought our race pace would be identical. I was trying everything I could but I couldn’t keep up with [Max]. I feel like it was a solid race for me today" #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/oUr1mFP0M4

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 13, 2020

Verstappen’s team mate Alex Albon supported Red Bull’s cause by coming home P4. Although he lacked the pace to really challenge the Mercedes in front of him.

McLaren make it to P3 in Constructors

Meanwhile, in a fantastic evening for McLaren, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz finished P5 and P6. Sainz, however, was set to be investigated after the race for driving unnecessarily slowly in the pit lane. Despite, McLaren seem likely to have claimed P3 in the constructors’, leap-frogging Racing Point who scored just one point.

That was partly due to Sergio Perez retiring with a suspected transmission issue on Lap 10 of the race, an unfortunate end to the Racing Point career of last week’s race winner..

Daniel Ricciardo came home seventh on his final outing for Renault, ahead of the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly, while behind Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll took the final points-paying position in P10 having been passed on the final lap, Ocon cementing Renault’s fifth in the constructors’.

Meanwhile, on his final race for Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel finished P14, behind team mate Charles Leclerc, while in what looks to be his last race in F1, Kevin Magnussen finished P18 for Haas.

But as a dominant season for Mercedes draws to a close, it’s Verstappen with the advantage heading into the winter, after a fantastic race for the Dutchman – and a fast and furious 2020.

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Abu Dhabi final race classification