Max Verstappen secured a commanding victory at the Yas Marina season finale, maintaining control throughout the race, despite a half-hearted challenge from Charles Leclerc at the start. The polesitter concluded the race a staggering 17.993 seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver.

Sergio Perez faced a penalty, dropping from second to fourth due to a collision with Lando Norris, allowing George Russell to claim the podium and narrowly secure the runner-up spot in the constructors’ championship for Mercedes, trailing 20.328 seconds behind Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton, starting from 11th after elimination in Q2, endured a challenging race, finishing in ninth place. His attempt to overtake Yuki Tsunoda on the final lap failed when he lost control of his Mercedes F1 W14. Follow your favourite F1 team with attractive F1 betting odds from Nextbet. 

Expressing disappointment, Hamilton highlighted Red Bull’s unaltered performance since August, raising concerns about their sustained dominance. “Red Bull won by 17 seconds and have not touched the car since August,” he remarked, indicating apprehension about their prospects for the upcoming season.

Acknowledging the trying 2023 campaign, Hamilton admitted, “It’s not been a great year in general.” He reflected on surviving the challenging season as the primary takeaway.

Looking ahead to Mercedes’ prospects against Red Bull in the next season, Hamilton expressed uncertainty about the team’s ability to overcome the ground-effects issues. He emphasized that Red Bull’s lack of recent developments in their car still poses a significant concern for Mercedes’ aspirations.

During the race, Hamilton’s frustrations escalated when a move by former teammate Fernando Alonso, perceived as a brake-check, damaged his Mercedes’ front wing endplate. However, this incident was reviewed by the stewards, who concluded that no further action was necessary.

Hamilton recounted the tense moment, stating, “We were flat out at 400m… the guy all of a sudden slows down drastically ahead of me.”

As the season concluded, Verstappen’s dominance continued, leaving Mercedes and Hamilton pondering the challenges they face in overcoming Red Bull’s sustained performance. Get the latest updates from the world of F1 only on Nextbet Sports.