The 39-year-old, joining Sauber next season, still ended third overall in the championship, two points ahead of Verstappen. "It's been a mentally pretty tough year so I need a break," said the Finn.Ĭompatriot Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, retired seven laps into his final race with Ferrari as his car cruised to a halt on the pit straight, triggering a virtual safety car and Hamilton's early stop. He and Verstappen banged wheels as they fought for position, forcing Bottas to make another pitstop for a suspected slow puncture. Hamilton's teammate and 2017 race winner Valtteri Bottas was fifth, after starting on the front row, and ended the season winless and fifth overall.
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"The sport will miss him and I will miss him from the sport."Īustralian Daniel Ricciardo was another saying goodbye, to his Red Bull team before moving to Renault, and he finished fourth after leading for a long stint when Hamilton pitted early. It's been a privilege to race when he is racing," Hamilton said. Hamilton, Vettel and the Spaniard – three great champions – spun their cars in a cloud of smoke at the end of their slowing down lap, before stepping out for hugs and words of mutual respect.
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With both championships already won, Hamilton taking his in Mexico with two races to spare and Mercedes sealing their fifth successive constructors' and drivers' double in Brazil, Sunday's focus was on the race and those moving on, particularly Alonso. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, in his farewell race with McLaren, had hoped to sign off in the points but finished 11th and with his final tally at 1,899. Hamilton's victory also left him 18 wins away from Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 and he celebrated on the podium by stripping down to his waist and showing off his tattooed torso as the fizz was sprayed.
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#Who won f1 2018 driver#
The 33-year-old Briton, who has won 51 of the 100 races in the V6 turbo hybrid era, became the first driver to score more than 400 points in a single season with a final tally of 408. "I am so happy right now," said Hamilton after Hollywood actor Will Smith brought down the checkered flag at the floodlit Yas Marina circuit on the Mercedes driver's 73rd career win. Ferrari's overall runner-up Sebastian Vettel finished second, and also set the fastest lap, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third in a race that also saw a rare sprinkling of desert rain. ABU DHABI – Five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton signed off on the Formula One season in style and a cloud of tire smoke on Sunday after a pole-to-flag victory in Abu Dhabi, his 11th win of the campaign.