© Getty ImagesBulls Charge Ends On A HighMax ended the 2019 season with his ninth podium finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and third place overall in the Drivers’ Standings. Alex reached his eighth top-six finish of the season.
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Alex Ahead Of The Mclarens© Getty Images
- Max scores ninth podium finish of the season with P2.
- Max overtaken at the start by Charles Leclerc.
- Max’s long first stint put him on fresher tyres and he overtakes Leclerc on lap 32.
- Alex caught in closing stage by two-stopping Vettel and finishes in P6.
At the race start, polesittter Hamilton made a good getaway to lead into the first corner. Behind him Max made a solid start but quickly came under pressure from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who had got away better. Max resisted but then at the end of the long second straight, the Monegasque outgunned the Dutchman and Max was demoted to P3.
Behind him Sebastian Vettel settled into fourth ahead of Alex who made a good start and defended first-lap pressure from the McLarens of sixth-placed Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz who had passed Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo off the line to steal P7. The field then settled into the first stint with Max and Alex staying tight to the Ferrari’s ahead.
The Italian squad then opted to pit both drivers at the end of lap 12. And though Leclerc’s stop for hard tyres went smoothly, there was a problem with Vettel’s front left wheel and the German lost precious seconds while the problem was rectified. Leclerc resumed in P4 behind Hamilton, Max and Alex, but Vettel slipped to seventh.
The Team reacted immediately and pitted Alex at the end of the next lap and after taking hard tyres in a regulation 2.8s stop, the Thai driver re-joined just two seconds behind Vettel.
Hamilton and second-place Max continued to circulate their starting mediums and others further back pitted. Hard-charging Valtteri Bottas, who had started from P20 due to engine penalties, was up to fourth place behind Leclerc, with Vettel fifth and Alex sixth.
Alex Speeds Down The Straight© Getty images
Max eventually made his sole stop of the evening on lap 25, taking on hard tyres. He emerged in third place, though just four seconds behind Leclerc and on newer tyres. Mercedes reacted by bringing Hamilton in at the end of the next lap and the Briton re-joined in the lead.
Max then began to report issues with power delivery in his car but the problems didn’t prevent him quickly closing down Leclerc and on lap 32 he slipped past the Ferrari down the inside into turn eight as Leclerc dealt with a backmarking Williams. The Monegasque driver fought back by trying to retake P2 around the outside into turn 11 but Max held a strong line and after banging wheels the Red Bull emerged in P2.
Max Alone On Track© Getty Images
Further back, Bottas was closing hard on the leaders. Following his stop on lap 29 he was 8.8s behind fifth-placed Alex, but by lap 38 he had reduced the deficit to just 1.5s. Alex did his best to resist but the pace of the Mercedes on newer tyres was too much and on the following lap he was forced to give way.
With the Finn on a charge, Ferrari opted to pit both its drivers on lap 38 and when they emerged, Max found himself 29 seconds ahead of third-placed Leclerc, while Alex, in fifth, now 18.6s clear of Vettel.
Max Sprays Champagne© Getty images
Armed with new medium tyres, Vettel began to carve his way through the gap to Alex and as the Red Bull crossed the line to begin the penultimate lap the German pounced. Alex did his best to resist but with greater grip and pace on his side Vettel powered past and Alex was forced to settle for sixth place.
At the front, Hamilton was in cruise control, and after 55 laps he crossed the line to take his 11th victory ahead of Max, for whom P2 ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was enough to seal third place in the Drivers’ Championship.
Abu Dhabi GP: Race
Max's donut after another podium!© Getty Images
Max Flies During The Night Race© Getty Images
A Fully Focused Alex In The Garage© Getty Images
Max Leads Sebastian Vettel In Abu Dhabi© Getty Images
Abu Dhabi 2019 was Max's 31st Podium© Getty Images
That Sweet Champagne Moment© Getty Images
Max Hits The Corner Under The Lights© Getty Images
Fourth place went to Mercedes’ Bottas, with Vettel fifth ahead of Alex.
There was plenty of drama in the lower half of the top 10 on the final lap as Sergio Pérez passed Lando Norris for seventh place, while behind ninth-placed Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz stole P10 from Daniel Ricciardo.
9 – Podiums in 2019 for Max. Today was the second of his career in Abu Dhabi after last year’s third place.
278 – Max finishes the season in P3 in the Drivers’ Championship. His 278 points put him 14 clear of Leclerc.
8 – Alex closes out the season with his eighth top-six finish from his nine races for the Team.
417 – The Team takes P3 in the Constructors’ Championship
- Lewis Hamilton
- MAX VERSTAPPEN
- Charles Leclerc
- Valtteri Bottas
- Sebastian Vettel
- ALEX ALBON
- Sergio Perez
- Lando Norris
- Daniil Kvyat
- Carlos Sainz
