Max Verstappen coasts to victory in Abu Dhabi season finale as Mercedes fend off Ferrari to take second in the constructors’ standings after dramatic battle… with Charles Leclerc and George Russell on the podium

• Max Verstappen ended a dominant season by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 
• Mercedes edged out rivals Ferrari to take second in the constructors’ standings
• Charles Leclerc finished second while George Russell took the last podium spot 

Fingernails screeched down the window panes, but Mercedes clung on tenaciously to second place in the constructors’ championship – nearly £10million their reward for holding off Ferrari.

It is a season for the Silver Arrows to consign to the dustbin of history, just as it is one Max Verstappen, and an astonished public, will never forget. Under a full moon in twilight Abu Dhabi, the Dutchman finished with 19 wins from 22 races.

Verstappen’s soliloquy is in deep contrast to Mercedes, for whom George Russell produced a gutsy third place on a weekend when he found the going easier than his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who chimed in with two points in finishing ninth.

This combined effort was just enough to eclipse Ferrari. Charles Leclerc’s runners-up spot was balanced out by team-mate Carlos Sainz managing only 18th. The gap between the two fabled teams stood at three points (409-406), and in prize-money terms £105million to £96million.

The discrepancy will be borne out in bonuses paid to staff, which may at least boost the Christmas present market around Brackley, if not the kitchen showrooms that are championship-winning stuff.

The final table means that for two years running, Mercedes, who started the race four points ahead of Ferrari, have finished best of the rest behind Red Bull.

But, tellingly, this time the margin was binocular-length big. Last season the gap was 244; this time it was 413. Nobody can call this progress.

Toto Wolff, a team principal who has struggled for remedies, was even reduced to delivering pep talks to Hamilton, such as: ‘Lewis, second quickest car last lap. You’re quick.’ And then, later, that he was the fastest car out there.

Times always fluctuate – Lance Stroll of Aston Martin banged in the fastest lap moments later – and Wolff focusing on a flicker of hope raised a laugh in the press room. 

Incidentally, Wolff did not congratulate Russell when he set the then fastest lap (or it wasn’t broadcast if he did), which reinforced the appearance that Wolff gives off of singling out Hamilton for flattery.

Hamilton started 11th for the second race in succession but had worked his way up to eighth by passing Daniel Ricciardo, before slipping down the order with his second tyre change. 

He then had a duel with his old foe Fernando Alonso, accusing the wily Spaniard of brake-testing him as they vied for position. 

The stewards announced they would investigate a pit-stop infringement relating to Hamilton’s stop. 

It related to pit crew potentially not wearing the required eye protection, and was due to be considered once the race was completed. Ditto stops made by Verstappen, Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou.

Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren despite Red Bull’s Sergio Perez being handed a five-second penalty for hitting him.

This was manna from heaven for Mercedes because Perez was on Russell’s back and had he passed the Briton might have handed the bounty to Ferrari (though Sainz had to stop again, so it may have been irrelevant, depending on imponderables). 

Russell, who had only been on the podium once before this season, inquired a few times about the constructors’ situation throughout the evening.

With four laps to go, Russell was passed by the Mexican. Could Perez open up a five-second gap in the final moments of the season? It was a nervous moment for all concerned.

Perez couldn’t – the gap was 3.9sec at the close to fnish fourth once the penalty was applied – and the fingernails clung on to the ledge.

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