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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 12: Race winner and 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing is congratulated by runner up in the race and championship Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mario Renzi – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 12: Race winner and 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing is congratulated by runner up in the race and championship Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mario Renzi – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will always be a race to remember whether one’s a Max Verstappen and Red Bull fan or Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes fan, or even for F1 or motorsport fans in general. There’s hardly any F1 event that has been as exciting and controversial as this.
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As Verstappen and his team Red Bull Racing have come to Japan ahead of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, he shared his views on defeating Lewis Hamilton to pick up the grand honour in a press conference.
Talking about this, Verstappen shared, “Monday afternoon was tough one, Sunday morning was just nervous to go to the race. Waking up before the race, it was gonna be a tough one. Luckily, everything worked out really well.”
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“Then also after the race, all the stress comes out. You’ve to celebrate, but then you know that the season is over and you’ve won it. So 24 hours, the emotions were going through my body were very different, ” the Dutchman further asserted.
Max Verstappen unfolds Championship winning celebrations
As Nicholas Latifi crashed, events unfolded like never before. The garages of Red Bull and Mercedes were on high alert, and fans were on the edge of their seats. As the safety car ended and Verstappen was right behind Hamilton, F1 world witnessed the rise of a new champion.
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 12: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 compete for position on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Joe Portlock – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
on top of that the commentators finished the race like, “Mercedes not happy, Red Bull will be delighted. They’ve shared a brilliant championship battle but the championship can be won by one and it’s going Dutch in 2021″, where an elated Max Verstappen didn’t fall behind to share his ecstasy on the radio.
Talking about this, Verstappen further stated, “It was an incredible race at the end and to win a championship was insane. The celebrations also afterward were pretty good, pretty long. It took a while, of course, to get a confirmation, but everyone was going crazy.”
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Keeping aside all the controversies and dramas, it is Max Verstappen who was crowned champion last year. He is on his way to retaining his title soon. It’ll be interesting to see if the 25-year-old can pull that off in the United States or Mexico.
