Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Monday 2 deceMber 2019
Hamilton seals easy 11th victory of F1 championship season

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer
ABU DHABI, United Arab
Emirates (AP) — World
champion Lewis Hamilton's
11th victory of another
dominant season proved
so easy that the driver who
finished way back in sec-
ond place at the Abu Dha-
bi Grand Prix joked that he
should have eased up a bit.
Hamilton's 84th career win
saw him finishing around 17
seconds clear of Max Ver-
stappen. The Red Bull driver
had started from second
place behind Hamilton.
"I wasn't expecting to have
the pace advantage to
that extent," Hamilton said.
After Hamilton pulled clear
from pole, he was five sec-
onds ahead within 10 laps Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, center, celebrates on the podium with second placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen
and Verstappen never got of the Netherland's, left, and third placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco after the Emirates Formula One Grand Prix at the
remotely close to catching Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec.1, 2019.
his Mercedes in a season- Associated Press
finale resembling more of a
coronation procession for in 2016, when former Mer- of 21 races. Hamilton fin- ual I can do better." an anxious Verstappen
the six-time Formula One cedes driver Nico Rosberg ished with 413 points with Although dull, Sunday's complained about engine,
champion. beat Hamilton to the title in Bottas on 326, followed by race underlined the superi- braking and throttle issues.
"I do wish we had some dramatic fashion. Verstappen (278), Leclerc ority shown by Hamilton for Still, the audacious Dutch-
battles," Hamilton said to The fans watching as the (264) and Vettel (240). much of the year. man found some extra
Verstappen, sitting along- sky darkened and the After Hamilton's clean get- When he pitted about half- speed to overtake Leclerc
side him in the post-race floodlights flickered on saw away, Verstappen was way through the race, such and assuredly held the
news conference. no overtaking, except for overtaken by Leclerc and was his comfort zone that Monegasque driver off as
"You could have slowed Verstappen's clean move just held off Vettel on the he still came out six sec- he tried to overtake him
down," Verstappen joked, on Charles Leclerc's Fer- first lap, which saw Pierre onds clear of Leclerc, while back down the right.q
after his ninth podium of rari on Lap 33. It was typi- Gasly's Toro Rosso sand-
the season saw him con- cal Verstappen, already a wiched between both Rac- Frenchman Alaphilippe
solidate third place in the young master at overtak- ing Point cars and forced
standings behind the Mer- ing and arguably the best to pit for a new front wing. wins Velo d'Or award
cedes pair of Valtteri Bottas in F1. Ferrari pitted both drivers
and Hamilton. Leclerc finished third for a for new tires on the 13th
Although Verstappen had 10th podium in a strong first lap, but while Leclerc's tire PARIS (AP) — Julian Ala- with many beautiful mo-
reliability issues approach- season with Ferrari, which switch was relatively good, philippe capped a suc- ments."
ing the midway point of the included an F1-leading Vettel's took several sec- cessful season during Alaphilippe played a key
55-lap race, the 22-year- seven poles — two more onds too long because the which he wore the Tour de role in one of the most excit-
old Dutchman conceded than Hamilton and Bottas mechanics struggled to fit France's yellow jersey for 14 ing Tour de France editions
it had little impact on who — and two wins. his front left tire on. days by winning the Velo in decades this summer,
won. However, Ferrari was sum- It was the latest basic mis- d'Or award as the best rid- challenging race favorites
"We drove around the moned for a post-race in- take from Ferrari in yet an- er of 2019 on Sunday. with flair and panache.
problem," he said. "But it vestigation because there other season marred by Alaphilippe, who rides for He won two stages before
wouldn't have made any was a difference between errors following similar blun- the Belgian Deceuninck- eventually cracking during
difference today (in terms) the amount of fuel in the car ders in the past two sea- Quick-Step team, became the final week of racing but
of winning the race." declared by the team and sons. the first Frenchman to re- his showmanship and un-
Hamilton is now just seven the amount inside the car. Ferrari replaced Maurizio ceive the award since Lau- predictable style gained
wins behind seven-time F1 Ferrari was found to have Arrivabene with Mattia Bi- rent Jalabert back in 1995. him many admirers.
champion Michael Schum- inaccurately declared the notto as team principal, The 27-year-old Alaphilippe "I want to perform well at
acher's all-time record of amount and fined 50,000 but Binotto has not man- amassed 12 victories in the start of the next season,
91, and could realistically euros ($55,000), but no aged to stem the flow of 2019, including prestigious then June and July will be
overtake the F1 great next action was taken against mistakes. trophies at the Milan-San big," Alaphilippe said about
season. Leclerc. Leclerc finished fourth in Remo classic, the Strade Bi- his goals in 2020. Next year's
After clinching a record-ex- Leclerc only just held off the standings and Vettel anche and the Fleche Wal- Tour starts on June 27 from
tending 88th career pole, Bottas, who climbed 16 was a lowly fifth. lonne. the city of Nice.
Hamilton won on the Yas places to fourth after start- "We didn't have the year "I am very happy with the The Velo d'Or awards are
Marina circuit for the fifth ing last. we were hoping for, full incredible season I've had decided by an internation-
time in his career— four Sebastian Vettel started stop. The reasons are clear, and to receive the Velo al panel of cycling journal-
with Mercedes and once fourth and finished fifth in the lessons are clear and d'Or is a beautiful way to ists. Alaphilippe was voted
when driving for McLaren a disappointing end to a it's up to us to take them conclude this amazing ahead of Tour de France
in 2011. season where the four-time on board," said Vettel. "As year," Alaphilippe said. "It's winner Egan Bernal and Pri-
This was the opposite of F1 champion won only a team we must perform a great honor. It was an moz Roglic, who won the
the season-ending thriller once — in Singapore — out stronger, and as an individ- unforgettable campaign, Spanish Vuelta this year.q