'This is unacceptable': How F1 drivers reacted to Verstappen's controversial last-lap call

In one of the most thrilling endings to a Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen managed to win the F1 Drivers' Championship despite being second for most of the final race in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On Sunday, Lewis Hamilton led the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the first turn of the race right till the final lap but after a safety car and some 'controversial' race directives from FIA, Max Verstappen managed to overtake his rival and win both the Abu Dhabi GP and the 2021 F1 Drivers' Championship. The reactions from the F1 world were more or less the same, with everyone congratulating Max but feeling bad for Lewis.

Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez did a brilliant job of holding off Lewis Hamilton around Lap 21 when the lead between Hamilton and Verstappen had gone over eight seconds, but with some brilliant defence from the Mexican driver, the gap was closed down to 1.3 seconds which got Verstappen to say 'Checo is a legend' and the Red Bull engineer replied back saying 'absolute animal!'. After the race, Verstappen went looking for Perez and gave a warm and tight embrace. Perez then took to social media to congratulate his teammate and said: "Happy for Max Verstappen and for the whole Red Bull team. We were able to help and make a difference in the result. A shame not being able to close the year with another podium, but I'm very happy with our season. Thank you all for the great support through this intense season."

The F1 world reacts to controversial Abu Dhabi GP last lap call

Current Williams driver George Russell was not at all pleased with the way things turned out calling the last lap 'unacceptable'.

Former F1 World champion and Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg congratulated Verstappen and also said that his former teammate gave an 'awesome performance'. 

McLaren driver Lando Norris also congratulated Max and Lewis before saying that there will be a lot of 'conspiracy theories' regarding the final lap call. Norris told Formula1.com: "A massive congrats to Max. There’s going to be conspiracy theories from everyone left, right and centre here. Congrats to Lewis as well, I’m sure he drove a great race. It was a cool championship to watch even from my side."

Ferrari's driver and Verstappen former teammate Carlos Sainz said that he always expected the Red Bull driver to win the championship. Sainz told Formula1.com: "I think since the day he arrived into F1, he showed he’s world champion material and to achieve it with such a strong year is incredible for him."

Another one of Verstappen's former teammates, Daniel Ricciardo congratulated Max but was quick to express his sympathy for Hamilton. "Congratulations to Max and Red Bull, but I honestly can’t say that without feeling for Lewis. We’re all competitors but obviously, you have to feel for him. It’s a pretty dramatic end to the year to say the very, very least," said the McLaren driver as quoted by Formula1.com.

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