It has been one of the most intense Formula 1 seasons in memory, with Dutchman Max Verstappen, who drives for Red Bull, inching closer and closer to British Lewis Hamilton over the last few laps of the competition that determined the winner of the 2021 world championships.
It was a bizarre day on Abu Dhabi’s asphalt. Right from the beginning, the competition’s director, Michael Masi, seemed uncertain about the legality of Hamilton’s return in the competition following an exit from the route and a reentry that some defined as illegal.
But it was the last few laps that generated the most controversy. Driver Latifi got in an accident, and a safety car was required. While Verstappen took the occasion to make a pit stop for new wheels, Hamilton remained on the circuit and, upon reentry, sprinted towards the end. Mercedes states that during those final five laps, Verstappen operated an illegal manoeuvre to surpass Hamilton, which the FIA (the organism that settles F1 competition issues) says did not happen.
And so Dutch driver Max Verstappen was finally assured of his victory. Hamilton was among the first people to congratulate him and the team, saying, “Him and his team have done an amazing work this year”.
And, as they had done before, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima took to social media to express their pride and joy at the first Dutch driver winning an F1 world championship.
The Royal couple wrote, “The all-deciding race in Abu Dhabi was the culmination of this exciting season. Verstappen kept his patience during the race. Tactically strong, his team played round after round. Until the blood-curdling final phase. He took his chance and made the difference: Max Verstappen is Formula 1 world champion! Just like all of the Netherlands, the five of us followed the races with excitement. Our heartfelt congratulations on the World Championship!” – WA and Máxima
As the post suggests, the King and Queen must have been watching the race with their three daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane. Princess Alexia has made her way back to the Netherlands over the weekend following her first few months in Wales, where she is currently enrolled at UWC Atlantic.
