‘Biggest mistake in F1 history’: Sportsmen around the world react as Verstappen wins title after controversial finish
Lewis Hamilton, who started behind Max Verstappen, overtook the Red Bull driver in the opening lap and maintained it until the closing stages of the race.
Max Verstappen won his first Formula One world championship title, after the Dutchman finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which witnessed a dramatic and controversial final lap finish.
Hamilton, who started behind Verstappen, overtook the Red Bull driver in the opening lap and maintained it until the closing stages of the race. However, Hamilton's chances of finishing at top took a dash after the safety car came out with six laps still to go.
The course of action left Verstappen and Hamilton in a neck-and-neck position and the race started in the final 58th lap. Verstappen took advantage of the same and overtook the Brit in the final lap to close the race in extraordinary fashion.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The finish was epic but many it left Twitter divided, leaving the elite fans unhappy with the finish.
India ODI and T20I captain Rohit Sharma was amazed with how things went and made a cricket reference, before describing Verstappen's win as "unbelievable".
English cricketer Tim Bresnan, Usman Khawaja lamented the finish, with the Australia cricketer calling it the "biggest mistake in F1 history."
Former England footballer Gary Linekar also expressed his displeasure with the finish. Here is what they said:
