<p>Red Bull driver Max Verstappen pulled off a thrilling last-lap win against Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to clinch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and win his maiden Formula One World Championship title on Sunday (December 12). It was a sensational race that went down the wire with Verstappen overtaking Hamilton in the final lap to emerge victorious after a nail-biting finish.</p>

<p>Hamilton dominated the proceedings for the most part of the race and looked close to bagging his record eighth Formula One title&nbsp;but was beaten by Verstappen towards the end. The momentum shifted towards Verstappen after Nicholas Latifi's crash led to the appearance of the safety car. While Hamilton decided to continue and keep his track position, Verstappen pitted for new tyres.</p>

<p>Verstappen zoomed past Hamilton in the final lap with his fresh tyres and pulled off a miraculous win which left the entire sporting fraternity in awe. The 24-year-old became the first Dutch driver to win the Formula One title and brought an end to Mercedes' dominance. Mercedes has won seven back-to-back F1 titles since 2014.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The grand finale to a season that had everything <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbuDhabiGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbuDhabiGP</a> 🇦🇪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/WpjPhhoeQY">pic.twitter.com/WpjPhhoeQY</a></p>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1470315303812820994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-sachin-to-rosberg-how-sporting-fraternity-reacted-to-max-verstappens-thrilling-maiden-f1-win-436510">From Sachin to Rosberg: How sporting fraternity reacted to Max Verstappen's thrilling maiden F1 win</a></p>

<p>As Verstappen won his maiden title under controversial circumstances, social media exploded with memes. While some took a dig at the officials and the Dutch driver, some celebrated the underdog's memorable triumph at the&nbsp;Yas Marina Circuit.</p>

<p><strong>Here are some of the best memes on Max Verstappen's Formula One win:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Explaining in football terms how Max Verstappen won the 2021 F1 World Championship: <a href="https://t.co/eLXLXKtozF">pic.twitter.com/eLXLXKtozF</a></p>
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) <a href="https://twitter.com/FootyHumour/status/1470042769569812487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Verstappen to Hamilton when he overtook him in the last lap <a href="https://t.co/oe7Zdz1lFc">pic.twitter.com/oe7Zdz1lFc</a></p>
— Naughty PT (@fpl_pt) <a href="https://twitter.com/fpl_pt/status/1470059015501668353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Latifi, now crash the car so we can get the safety car out” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/YTUX2O8znY">pic.twitter.com/YTUX2O8znY</a></p>
— Alex SHAQ Shafiq (@InkedUpSHAQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/InkedUpSHAQ/status/1470042963807985672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Red bull and max fans rn after latifi’s crash <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbuDabhiGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbuDabhiGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MaxVerstappen33?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MaxVerstappen33</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTF1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTF1</a> <a href="https://t.co/cYptEAEitS">pic.twitter.com/cYptEAEitS</a></p>
— Tushar (@TusharShandilya) <a href="https://twitter.com/TusharShandilya/status/1470054389092028417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">everybody watching the abu dhabi gp <a href="https://t.co/o9by6VUVLk">pic.twitter.com/o9by6VUVLk</a></p>
— sam (@rbrseb) <a href="https://twitter.com/rbrseb/status/1470032796257189891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton: <a href="https://t.co/gjJqrc4qvS">pic.twitter.com/gjJqrc4qvS</a></p>
— ً (@utdrobbo) <a href="https://twitter.com/utdrobbo/status/1470043079986098181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Latifi walking into the red bull garage after the race <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/latifi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#latifi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Verstappen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Verstappen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hamilton?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hamilton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/f1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#f1</a>: <a href="https://t.co/YMh9qB05Lt">pic.twitter.com/YMh9qB05Lt</a></p>
— Ed blythman (@Ed_Blythman) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Blythman/status/1470042386474713099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/max-verstappens-maiden-formula-one-world-title-red-bulls-biggest-achievement-so-far-christian-horner-436466">&nbsp;</a></strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/max-verstappens-maiden-formula-one-world-title-red-bulls-biggest-achievement-so-far-christian-horner-436466">Verstappen's maiden Formula One World title Red Bull's biggest achievement so far: Christian Horner</a></p>

<p>Regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, Hamilton was gunning for his record eighth world title having won seven straight titles since 2014. A win would have taken the British star past F1 legend Michael&nbsp;Schumacher's tally of seven Formula One World Championships.</p>

<p>However, Verstappen denied the Britisher a record win with an unbelievable effort in the final lap which brought a fitting end to what had been a stunning Formula One season.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Red Bull driver Max Verstappen pulled off a thrilling last-lap win against Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to clinch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and win his maiden Formula One World Championship title on Sunday (December 12).

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen pulled off a thrilling last-lap win against Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to clinch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and win his maiden Formula One World Championship title on Sunday (December 12). It was a sensational race that went down the wire with Verstappen overtaking Hamilton in the final lap to emerge victorious after a nail-biting finish. Hamilton dominated the proceedings for the most part of the race and looked close to bagging his record eighth Formula One title but was beaten by Verstappen towards the end. The momentum shifted towards Verstappen after Nicholas Latifi's crash led to the appearance of the safety car. While Hamilton decided to continue and keep his track position, Verstappen pitted for new tyres. Verstappen zoomed past Hamilton in the final lap with his fresh tyres and pulled off a miraculous win which left the entire sporting fraternity in awe. The 24-year-old became the first Dutch driver to win the Formula One title and brought an end to Mercedes' dominance. Mercedes has won seven back-to-back F1 titles since 2014. The grand finale to a season that had everything #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/WpjPhhoeQY — Formula 1 (@F1) December 13, 2021 × Also Read: From Sachin to Rosberg: How sporting fraternity reacted to Max Verstappen's thrilling maiden F1 win As Verstappen won his maiden title under controversial circumstances, social media exploded with memes. While some took a dig at the officials and the Dutch driver, some celebrated the underdog's memorable triumph at the Yas Marina Circuit. Here are some of the best memes on Max Verstappen's Formula One win: Explaining in football terms how Max Verstappen won the 2021 F1 World Championship: pic.twitter.com/eLXLXKtozF — Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) December 12, 2021 × Verstappen to Hamilton when he overtook him in the last lap pic.twitter.com/oe7Zdz1lFc — Naughty PT (@fpl_pt) December 12, 2021 × “Latifi, now crash the car so we can get the safety car out” #F1 pic.twitter.com/YTUX2O8znY — Alex SHAQ Shafiq (@InkedUpSHAQ) December 12, 2021 × Red bull and max fans rn after latifi’s crash #AbuDabhiGP #MaxVerstappen33 #WTF1 pic.twitter.com/cYptEAEitS — Tushar (@TusharShandilya) December 12, 2021 × everybody watching the abu dhabi gp pic.twitter.com/o9by6VUVLk — sam (@rbrseb) December 12, 2021 × Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton: pic.twitter.com/gjJqrc4qvS — ً (@utdrobbo) December 12, 2021 × Latifi walking into the red bull garage after the race #latifi #Verstappen #Hamilton #f1: pic.twitter.com/YMh9qB05Lt — Ed blythman (@Ed_Blythman) December 12, 2021 × Also Read: Verstappen's maiden Formula One World title Red Bull's biggest achievement so far: Christian Horner Regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, Hamilton was gunning for his record eighth world title having won seven straight titles since 2014. A win would have taken the British star past F1 legend Michael Schumacher's tally of seven Formula One World Championships. However, Verstappen denied the Britisher a record win with an unbelievable effort in the final lap which brought a fitting end to what had been a stunning Formula One season.

Memes galore as Max Verstappen denies Lewis Hamilton record 8th F1 world title in dramatic finish

<p>Red Bull's Max Verstappen rallied past seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finish to the Formula One season on Sunday. Hamilton dominated the proceedings throughout the race in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before Verstappen overtook him in the final lap following late drama to deny the British great his eighth F1 World title.</p>

<p>It was a dramatic end to what was one of the best Formula One seasons in the history of the sport. Hamilton was edging close to lifting his eighth title and had everything in control. However, Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams just four laps before the final one which triggered the appearance of the safety car.</p>

<p>While Verstappen opted for new&nbsp;tyres, Hamilton did not. With fresh wheels, the Dutch managed to get the better of Hamilton in the final lap to lay his hands on his first Formula One title. It was nothing less than an extraordinary finish to the race as millions around the world stayed glued to their TV screens to witness the drama unfold at the&nbsp;Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi.</p>

<p>Elated after Verstappen's world championship triumph, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner labelled it the team's biggest achievement so far. Horner, who oversaw Red Bull's dominance during the 2010-2013 seasons when&nbsp;Sebastian Vettel helped the team win four&nbsp;drivers' and constructors' titles, said&nbsp;Verstappen's tops them all for the sheer quality of competition.</p>

<p>"All credit to Lewis, he’s been a phenomenal opponent all year and he’s a great world champion and that’s what makes it even more valid to win this," said Horner after Verstappen's win.</p>

<p>"It’s right up there with the first one," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/max-verstappen-wins-formula-one-world-title-after-beating-lewis-hamilton-to-clinch-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-436341">Max Verstappen wins Formula One world title after beating Lewis Hamilton to clinch Abu Dhabi Grand Prix</a></p>

<p>Vettel won Red Bull's first title in 2010 at the same Yas Marana circuit in Abu Dhabi before winning three more titles in the next three years. Hamilton has since taken over and has led Marcedes to back-to-back seven world championships from 2014 to 2020. His streak was finally broken by Verstappen on Sunday with a last-lap overtake in controversial circumstances.</p>

<p>"Mercedes are such a quality team and they’ve got stronger and stronger over the years. And that’s what’s made this so intense. Because of the quality of the opposition we’ve had, that’s what makes this one so special,"&nbsp;said Horner, who had all but lost his hope ahead of the final lap before Verstappen made a miraculous recovery and went on to clinch the title.</p>

<p>"This is probably the biggest championship that we’ve ever won," he added.</p>


Red Bull's Max Verstappen rallied past seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finish to the Formula One season on Sunday. Hamilton dominated the proceedings throughout the race in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before Verstappen overtook him in the final lap following late drama to deny the British great his eighth F1 World title.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen rallied past seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finish to the Formula One season on Sunday. Hamilton dominated the proceedings throughout the race in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before Verstappen overtook him in the final lap following late drama to deny the British great his eighth F1 World title. It was a dramatic end to what was one of the best Formula One seasons in the history of the sport. Hamilton was edging close to lifting his eighth title and had everything in control. However, Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams just four laps before the final one which triggered the appearance of the safety car. While Verstappen opted for new tyres, Hamilton did not. With fresh wheels, the Dutch managed to get the better of Hamilton in the final lap to lay his hands on his first Formula One title. It was nothing less than an extraordinary finish to the race as millions around the world stayed glued to their TV screens to witness the drama unfold at the Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi. Elated after Verstappen's world championship triumph, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner labelled it the team's biggest achievement so far. Horner, who oversaw Red Bull's dominance during the 2010-2013 seasons when Sebastian Vettel helped the team win four drivers' and constructors' titles, said Verstappen's tops them all for the sheer quality of competition. "All credit to Lewis, he’s been a phenomenal opponent all year and he’s a great world champion and that’s what makes it even more valid to win this," said Horner after Verstappen's win. "It’s right up there with the first one," he added. Also Read: Max Verstappen wins Formula One world title after beating Lewis Hamilton to clinch Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Vettel won Red Bull's first title in 2010 at the same Yas Marana circuit in Abu Dhabi before winning three more titles in the next three years. Hamilton has since taken over and has led Marcedes to back-to-back seven world championships from 2014 to 2020. His streak was finally broken by Verstappen on Sunday with a last-lap overtake in controversial circumstances. "Mercedes are such a quality team and they’ve got stronger and stronger over the years. And that’s what’s made this so intense. Because of the quality of the opposition we’ve had, that’s what makes this one so special," said Horner, who had all but lost his hope ahead of the final lap before Verstappen made a miraculous recovery and went on to clinch the title. "This is probably the biggest championship that we’ve ever won," he added.

Max Verstappen's maiden Formula One World title Red Bull's biggest achievement so far: Christian Horner

Lewis Hamilton was booed on the podium after a last-lap collision with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg handed the triple Formula One world champion a dramatic first Austrian Grand Prix victory today.<br />
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Championship leader Rosberg, who had been in front with Hamilton in his slipstream, nursed his damaged car over the line for fourth place with his advantage cut to 11 points after nine of 21 rounds.<br />
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&quot;I am gutted, it&rsquo;s unbelievable,&quot; said the German, accusing Hamilton of turning in and causing the accident that broke his front wing.<br />
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Hamilton disagreed.<br />
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&quot;I was on the outside, it wasn&#39;t me that had the crash,&quot; said the Briton, who now has three wins to Rosberg&#39;s five this season, over the team radio.<br />
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The stewards appeared to back that up by opening an investigation into Rosberg&#39;s actions.<br />
<br />
The German was summoned to answer charges of causing a collision and failing to stop with a seriously damaged car.<br />
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described the collision as &quot;brainless&quot;, without singling out either of his drivers for blame.<br />
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The team revealed Rosberg had suffered a problem with his brake-by-wire system which went into &quot;passive mode&quot; at the end of the penultimate lap as Hamilton closed in.<br />
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The crowd, small in comparison to the previous two years with rows of empty seats in the grandstands, made their disapproval evident with whistles and boos as Hamilton was interviewed on the podium.<br />
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&quot;That&#39;s not my problem, it&#39;s their problem,&quot; the surprised Briton, who started on pole, shrugged when asked about the noise.<br />
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&quot;I left a lot of room on the inside and I guess he locked up and crashed into me. I think he had a problem with his brakes potentially. I&#39;m here to win. That&#39;s all.&quot;<br />
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Dutch teenager Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull at their home track with Ferrari&#39;s Kimi Raikkonen third after teammate Sebastian Vettel crashed out on his 29th birthday when a rear tyre exploded.<br />
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Hamilton&#39;s victory was the 250th in Formula One by a British driver since the championship started in 1950 and the 46th of his career.<br />
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Australian Daniel Ricciardo was fifth for Red Bull with Britain&#39;s Jenson Button sixth for McLaren.<br />
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Frenchman Romain Grosjean was seventh in a Haas ahead of Spaniard Carlos Sainz in a Toro Rosso and Finland&#39;s Valtteri Bottas for Williams.<br />
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German rookie Pascal Wehrlein scored his first point in Formula One, and his Manor team&#39;s first of the season, with a remarkable 10th.<br />
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(Reuters)

Nico Rosberg was summoned to answer charges of causing a collision and failing to stop with a seriously damaged car

Lewis Hamilton was booed on the podium after a last-lap collision with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg handed the triple Formula One world champion a dramatic first Austrian Grand Prix victory today. Championship leader Rosberg, who had been in front with Hamilton in his slipstream, nursed his damaged car over the line for fourth place with his advantage cut to 11 points after nine of 21 rounds. "I am gutted, it’s unbelievable," said the German, accusing Hamilton of turning in and causing the accident that broke his front wing. Hamilton disagreed. "I was on the outside, it wasn't me that had the crash," said the Briton, who now has three wins to Rosberg's five this season, over the team radio. The stewards appeared to back that up by opening an investigation into Rosberg's actions. The German was summoned to answer charges of causing a collision and failing to stop with a seriously damaged car. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described the collision as "brainless", without singling out either of his drivers for blame. The team revealed Rosberg had suffered a problem with his brake-by-wire system which went into "passive mode" at the end of the penultimate lap as Hamilton closed in. The crowd, small in comparison to the previous two years with rows of empty seats in the grandstands, made their disapproval evident with whistles and boos as Hamilton was interviewed on the podium. "That's not my problem, it's their problem," the surprised Briton, who started on pole, shrugged when asked about the noise. "I left a lot of room on the inside and I guess he locked up and crashed into me. I think he had a problem with his brakes potentially. I'm here to win. That's all." Dutch teenager Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull at their home track with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen third after teammate Sebastian Vettel crashed out on his 29th birthday when a rear tyre exploded. Hamilton's victory was the 250th in Formula One by a British driver since the championship started in 1950 and the 46th of his career. Australian Daniel Ricciardo was fifth for Red Bull with Britain's Jenson Button sixth for McLaren. Frenchman Romain Grosjean was seventh in a Haas ahead of Spaniard Carlos Sainz in a Toro Rosso and Finland's Valtteri Bottas for Williams. German rookie Pascal Wehrlein scored his first point in Formula One, and his Manor team's first of the season, with a remarkable 10th. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton booed after dramatic Austrian victory