Mercedes runs riot at the last race of the Formula 1 2017 season [+Highlights Video]

Even though both championships have already been determined, it didn’t take much to see Mercedes continue to push for more wins as Valtteri Bottas finished first ahead of Lewis Hamilton here at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mercedes finished in style with a 1-2 win with Sebastian Vettel finishing a far third place, 15 seconds behind Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari took both 3rd and 4th while Max Verstappen finished 5th after teammate Daniel Ricciardo had to retire on the 21st lap due to hydraulic issues. Nico Hulkenberg was in 6th place which led to Renault leapfrogging Toro Rosso in the constructor’s championship. Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon in the Force Indias finished 7th and 8th and Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa completed the top 10.

Bottas held on to his pole position all the way through and through to clinch first place even with Lewis Hamilton breathing down his neck through the 55 laps. He held his nerve throughout the race even though at times when there was a whif of a chance Hamilton could overtake but him sealing the win also shows that his career is definitely not over but just starting.

Daniel Ricciardo had to be really disappointed as thanks to the issue he had with his car, he lost 4th place in the driver’s standings by just 5 points as Kimi Raikkonen’s 4th place finish in the race put him at 205 points against Ricciardo’s 200.

“There was a lot of pressure from Lewis from behind throughout the entire race. I knew that one proper mistake could have ruined it. I had to keep my head down and go lap by lap. I couldn’t be happier to end the season like this. Of course, it would have been nice to get the second place in the championship, but Sebastian had a good weekend as well. Looking at the overall season, I need to perform better; but I’m very pleased with how the end of the season has been going for me. I’m really happy to be part of the team that won the constructors’ championship. Mercedes has given me the opportunity to win a few races and claim a few pole positions, so I’ m a really proud team member. However, I was hoping for an overall better result in the drivers’ point. I’ve learned a lot this season, so now I’m really looking forward to next year. This weekend shows that I can perform, I can be on pole and win races. So now I need to try and do it more often next year,” said Valtteri Bottas.

Renault was extremely pleased with Hulkenberg’s performance as his results proved to be a financial boon for the race team according to the managing director, Cyril Abiteboul.

“Nico has been amazing – amazing all year long. He’s shown that on so many occasions. Today every lap he’s driven absolutely perfectly – and also so smart so clever. It’s a great result for the team.”