For two breathtaking laps, Perez and Hamilton engaged in a wheel-to-wheel duel. Perez drove every inch of the Yas Marina Circuit to delay his former teammate. He defended with ferocity, using every trick in the book to keep the faster Mercedes behind him. The Mexican driver’s resistance prevented Hamilton from building a gap to Verstappen, who was closing in from behind.
Hamilton had passed the pit entry. Pitting him on the next lap would mean conceding track position to Verstappen if Red Bull stayed out. Mercedes chose safety and left Hamilton out on 40-lap-old Hard tyres.
Sin embargo, en la vuelta 57, en una decisión sin precedentes y bajo la inmensa presión de los jefes de equipo por radio (Christian Horner de Red Bull y Toto Wolff de Mercedes), Masi cambió de opinión. Ordenó que los cinco coches situados entre los dos contendientes pasaran al Safety Car. Inmediatamente después, se anunció el final del coche de seguridad para esa misma vuelta, preparando un sprint final de una sola vuelta. La Última Vuelta: Un Final de Película
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qualified second but held a theoretical strategy advantage by starting on the more durable medium tires. Race Start: Hamilton Takes the Lead
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A falta de pocas vueltas, la victoria de Hamilton parecía segura. Sin embargo, en la vuelta 53, (Williams) tuvo un accidente, provocando la salida del Safety Car .
Aquí empieza la leyenda y la polémica del .
A partir de ahí, Hamilton comenzó a construir una ventaja de 1.5 a 2 segundos por vuelta. Parecía que el inglés tenía el ritmo y el control. Verstappen sufría con el desgaste de sus blandos y entró a boxes antes (vuelta 13), cambiando a duros. Mercedes respondió tarde, y cuando Hamilton entró en la vuelta 14, una lenta parada (4.3 segundos) le hizo perder tiempo.
GP Abu Dhabi 2021 F1 Carrera Completa: La Definición Histórica del Campeonato
Verstappen pitted for fresh soft tires, while Hamilton remained on track with worn hard tires to maintain his position.
. He then controversially allowed only the five cars between Verstappen to un-lap themselves
By lap 45, Hamilton’s lead was sitting at approximately over his rival. Barring a miracle or an incident, the title appeared destined to return to Brackley. Verstappen, now trailing by a seemingly insurmountable margin, looked deflated, and his radio messages were terse. Mercedes’ strategy had worked perfectly: they had covered Red Bull’s moves, maintained track position, and were coasting towards an unprecedented eighth world drivers’ championship.
Initially, Race Control sent a message stating that lapped cars would not be allowed to overtake the Safety Car. This meant Verstappen would have to fight past five backmarkers before he could even challenge Hamilton.
El Gran Premio de Abu Dhabi 2021 dejó una fractura profunda en el deporte. Mientras que Red Bull y sus aficionados celebraban la culminación de un año espectacular para Verstappen, Mercedes presentó protestas formales inmediatamente después de la bandera a cuadros alegando violaciones al procedimiento del Safety Car (Artículos 48.12 y 48.8 del Reglamento Deportivo de la FIA).
Max Verstappen's historic first title broke the Mercedes dynasty and signaled a new era in F1. While the controversy surrounding the finish will never be forgotten, it cannot overshadow the sheer, breathtaking drama of those 58 laps on a December afternoon in Abu Dhabi. It was a race that had everything: high stakes, brilliant strategy, incredible on-track battles, and a finish so dramatic it felt like a movie script. For better or worse, it solidified the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as one of the most memorable moments in the history of Formula 1.