P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Hamilton concerned Red Bull ‘hasn’t touched’ F1 car since August
Max Verstappen dominated the season finale at Yas Marina, maintaining control throughout the race and winning by a margin of 17.993 seconds over Charles Leclerc in second place. Sergio Perez received a penalty, dropping him from second to fourth, after colliding with Lando Norris. George Russell finished in third place, just 20.328 seconds behind Verstappen, securing the runner-up position for Mercedes in the constructors’ championship. Lewis Hamilton, starting in 11th place after being eliminated in Q2, finished in ninth place after losing control of his car on the final lap. Hamilton expressed concerns about Red Bull’s dominance, as they have not made any performance upgrades since August, and believes they will continue to be strong next year. Despite a challenging season, Hamilton noted that surviving it was an achievement. He also mentioned that Mercedes has learned from their difficulties and it is now up to the team to make the necessary changes for next season. Hamilton accused Fernando Alonso of brake-checking him during the race, but no further action was taken by the stewards.
