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Lewis Hamilton shines brightest at season finale

05.12.2019

If ever a Formula 1 World Champion signed off a season in style, Lewis Hamilton did on Sunday night, 1 December 2019, when his victory at the season finale ignited a million dollars worth of fireworks to celebrate the occasion.

Many believe that the 2019 F1 World Championship title was wrapped up before the summer break when Mercedes and their superstar driver were on the rampage. They combined to notch up eight wins in a dozen races.

After that, Hamilton scored three more wins, notably when he did not always have the best car on the grid. However, on the final day of the 21-round season, Hamilton and Mercedes had all the answers and once again the best-of-the-best yet again..

His dominance of the weekend began in qualifying where he bagged his 88th pole, then winning the race comfortably after leading from lights to flag and popping the fastest lap for good measure. Proper champion stuff on a memorable night.

Hamilton said after celebrating victory under the floodlights of the seven-star Yas Marina Circuit, "I’m proud definitely but I’m just super grateful for this incredible team. To all at Mercedes, who have continued to push this year...

"Who would have thought that at the end of the year we would have this strength in the race and even though we had the championships won we just really wanted to keep our heads down and try to see if we could learn. If we could extend and if we could extract more from this beautiful car that they’ve worked. It’s a piece of art.

"I’m also so grateful to team LH. I travel around the world to 21 different countries, probably even more, and I get to see people who continuously inspire me and send me messages and lift me up. So I want to send a big thank you to everyone that’s here, everyone that’s back home."

This year's title was sealed mathematically in early November, after the United States Grand Prix in Austin, whereafter he was beyond reach with three races to go, whereupon he would have been excused for taking his foot off the gas with the business done and dusted.

But once again the six-time F1 World Champion took it to another level, he continued, "What an incredible stretch it’s been with this team. Yeah, after winning the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championship I think it was really important for us as a team to continue to push.

"You know, we hadn’t got absolutely everything from the overall perfect package. So we were just trying to push the limits and push the boundaries and yeah, I think this is the perfect way to end the season, on the right foot.

"I think it was a great weekend in the sense that there was a Ferrari and a Red Bull and a Mercedes in the top three, obviously in the finishing order but also on the grid, and then a lot of young drivers behind me, making me feel young, which is great.

"I’m really just grateful to my team who have continued to push all year long and just have never lost sight of the objective. We’ve all had a common goal and inspired each other to continue to push and strive for perfection. So, incredibly grateful to everyone and I hope that everyone at Mercedes and our partners. I’m sure they are pretty happy," added the 24-year-old.

Fittingly the race in the UAE was Hamilton's 250th Grand Prix start and victory his 84th in the top flight while his massive haul of 413 points is another record for the statisticians.

Next season he stands at the threshold of realistically usurping the great Michael Schumacher's incredible record of seven F1 world titles and his 91 Grand Prix victories. Next year could see Hamilton match the German in titles and he needs only eight wins to neat Schumie's grand total of 91 triumphs at the highest level.

During his momentous journey in F1, Hamilton has always insisted that he was not in it for the records. Saying as much when he beat Ayrton Senna's record of pole position starts in Canada back in 2017..

Asked about breaking Schumacher's records during a Petronas function, in Kuala Lumpur this week, Hamilton reiterated, “Honestly, I'm not looking that far ahead, so I can't really tell. Of course, we will be looking for another Championship but we don't know when that will come. Maybe next year, maybe not. That is why it is very important for me to be grateful for what I have."

Finally, the Hamilton-to-Ferrari reports that have raged through the F1 paddock since Abu Dhabi, after it was learnt by Italian media that he has met with Ferrari president John Elkann on a couple of occasions.

Regarding his future, the Briton was somewhat cryptic when he explained to media in Abu Dhabi, "I know Toto is also looking at his options in terms of his future and only he will know what is the best thing for him and his family.

"So I’m waiting to see what he’s doing with that. I love where I am so it’s definitely not a quick decision to do something else but, of course, I think it’s only smart and wise for me to sit and think of what I want…

"If it is the last period or stage in my career. Actually I want to keep winning so I think that’s… I want to keep being able to fight with these guys as well. I can’t really tell you what else is going to happen moving forward," added Hamilton. (Report by Roy Franco)

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