2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lore & Background

Hamilton led most of the race and appeared on course to win his eighth title. Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap after a controversial safety car restart. The dispute stemmed from race director Michael Masi's handling of the safety car, which was seen by some as inconsistent with usual procedures. Mercedes protested the result, which the stewards dismissed. The FIA conducted an inquiry, confirming the race and championship results, concluding the rules were ambiguous and the safety car regulations required clarification. Masi was replaced by two new people.

In Their Own Story

The pit wall at Milton Keynes was silent, save for the hum of monitors and the breathing of engineers holding their breath. Inside the garage, the RB16B sat under floodlights, its dark blue livery reflecting the tension of the final laps. A single radio message would determine whether years of development paid off or faded into obscurity.

Reader's Guide

The race started at 17:00 local time on 12 December. Hamilton took the lead from Verstappen at the start. Nicholas Latifi crashed at turn 14, bringing out the safety car. The safety car came in at the end of lap 57, allowing one green-flag lap (lap 58). Verstappen overtook Hamilton into turn 5 on the final lap to win the race and the championship.

Did You Know?

• This was the final race for 2007 world champion Kimi Räikkönen, who retired after a two-decade career spanning a then-record 349 Grand Prix starts.
• This was also the final race for Honda as a works power unit supplier until the 2026 Australian Grand Prix in partnership with Aston Martin.
• The Yas Marina Circuit underwent a layout change that shortened the track to increase top speeds and overtaking opportunities.
• Nikita Mazepin tested positive for COVID-19 after qualifying, forcing his withdrawal from the race; he was not replaced.