Hamilton wins last Grand Prix of 2018
|Published
WINNER: Lewis Hamilton. Photo: Laszlo Balogh/AP WINNER: Lewis Hamilton. Photo: Laszlo Balogh/AP
Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - his 11th victory of a superlative year on Sunday.
But the season-ending race was overshadowed by Nico Hulkenberg’s remarkable escape from his overturned Renault.
Flames licked the back of the German’s car in a nerve-wracking start to the race under lights at Yas Marina.
Hulkenberg was sent hurtling through the air on the first lap after colliding with Haas’s Romain Grosjean.
His car somersaulted one-and-a-half times before nestling in the hoardings.
Nico Hulkenberg survived a "horror" crash on Sunday. Picture: Formula One via YouTube.
He came over the radio to say in a panic: “I’m hanging here like a cow. Get me out of this car. There’s fire.”
Smoke burst out of the rear of his car, but his team assured him: “They’re coming, they’re coming,” as marshalls scurried to the scene.
The flames blew themselves out before the fire took hold.
Hulkenberg was able to walk himself to the medical centre for a check-up, after which he was declared fit.
The 31-year-old was later waving to the crowd as the race continued.
Hamilton’s win was aided by the retirement of Kimi Raikkonen, in his final race for Ferrari.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was second.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third and Fernando Alonso, in his last Formula One race, finished 11th.