Verstappen won his very first World Championship in the closing stages of the season-ending race at the Yas Marina Circuit, benefiting from Nicholas Latifi’s crash.
During the final minute, the Red Bull driver overtook Hamilton to win his inaugural World Championship, naturally causing a mixture of emotions among bettors.
Verstappen fans were celebrating while Hamilton bettors were “in pure shock/rage at the way it (the race) ended.”
Mercedes didn’t take it lightly either; both its protests against the result of the controversial title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were rejected by Formula 1 officials. The legal fight, however, is set to continue.
Hamilton reacted: “Congratulations to Max and his team. I think we did an amazing job this year.
“Everyone back at the factory and here worked so hard in this most difficult of seasons. I’m so proud of them and so grateful to be part of the journey with them. We gave it everything this last part of the season, we never gave up.”
Verstappen commented: “It’s unbelievable. I kept fighting the whole race. I had the opportunity in the last lap. It’s incredible, I’m still having a cramp. It’s insane."
As a response to the event, Paddy Power decided to pay out on both drivers to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In addition to that, the Irish bookmaker is also paying out on both Verstappen and Hamilton to win the World Drivers Championship.
Paddy Power argued that “no matter who you back, we can just put our hands calmly on your shoulders and say ‘it’s ok, you have not lost.’”
