Rewritten Article:
Max Verstappen Pins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Victory, Halting Mercedes' Winning Streak
In the thrilling season-closer at Yas Marina Circuit, Red Bull's Max Verstappen dominated, snuffing out Mercedes' six-race winning streak in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
At just 23, Verstappen outclassed Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, securing the first position, with the Mercedes duo clinching the second and third spots, respectively.
Verstappen celebrated his second season triumph and the tenth of his career, commending the day's events by saying, "I had a blast today. We pretty much got everything right. When you start from the front, you can control the pace, making things easier."
Behind Verstappen, Alexander Albon finished fourth, while Hamilton faced pressure to relinquish the third position.
A Muted Conclusion in a Challenging Year
The race marked the bittersweet end to a year marred by the pandemic. Formula 1, like many sports, was delayed at the outset and resumed with a truncated schedule of 17 races.
Despite the best efforts of Hamilton, who clinched his seventh career title, the season finale was not the triumphant send-off the 35-year-old driver envisioned.
After the race, Hamilton spoke about the lingering effects of Covid-19, expressing satisfaction in completing 55 laps without error.
"No one can win them all," Hamilton conceded. "Given all I've gone through in the past weeks, I'm content with my performance, although it wasn't as strong as we had hoped. Congratulations to Max."
Throughout the year, Hamilton grappled with physical strain, although his impressive form for the larger part of the season belied his difficulties.
The only real excitement of the race could be traced back to the fastest cars—both McLaren and Racing Point sought to clinch the third spot in the Constructors' Championship. At one point, Racing Point enjoyed a 10-point advantage, but an early retirement from Sergio Pérez transformed the race into a tense duel between McLaren and Racing Point.
Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz of McLaren finished fifth and sixth, respectively, only to improve their positions following a riveting contest with Racing Point, securing McLaren's best result since 2012 and claiming the third spot in the Constructors' Championship.
As the new season looms just 96 days away, the teams eagerly anticipate returning to action.
Insights
Mercedes concluded the 2020 Formula 1 Constructors' Championship with 573 points:
- Lewis Hamilton (347 points) and Valtteri Bottas (226 points)
Red Bull Racing finished second with 319 points:
- Max Verstappen (214 points) and Alexander Albon (105 points)
McLaren snatched the third spot with 202 points:
- Lando Norris (97 points) and Carlos Sainz Jr. (105 points)
Racing Point rounded out the top five with 195 points:
- Sergio Pérez (125 points) and Lance Stroll (70 points)
