Abu Dhabi GP: Williams Racing finishes 8th in WCC

Qualifying for the fifty eight lap 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would see the Williams Racing team finish with Nicholas Latifi in 16th and George Russell 17th. Both drivers would use the medium tyre for the start of the race while at the front of the grid with Verstappen on pole and Hamilton second of the top ten both Mercedes and Tsunoda would start the race on the medium with the rest including Verstappen on the soft. Outside the top ten Alonso and Gasly were on the hard tyre with the rest of the bottom ten on the medium except Schumacher who was on the soft. Mazepin would not start the race due to a positive Covid Test. It would be Raikkonen's last race in F1.

The grid would move off on their formation lap and would return and the grid would form and with the start it would be Hamilton leading from Verstappen and Perez. But there would be a moment between Hamilton and Verstappen with Verstappen saying that he should give the place back. Mercedes told Hamilton that the gap was the same as they were before contact. For Williams George would make a poor start now running in 19th and last. Nicholas was running in 17th with eight laps completed.

At the front it was Hamilton now leading by 2.3s over Verstappen and Perez. Sainz was fourth from Norris and Leclerc. Verstappen would pit on lap fifteen changing to the hard tyre. He would return in fifth behind Norris. But he would quickly pass Norris to be fourth while Hamilton would pit the following lap and return in second also on the hard tyre. Leclerc would pit joined by Ocon dropping down to 15th and 17th. They would take the hard tyre as well with it seeming like the soft tyre runners were really suffering. The Williams cars were now running in 15th and 17th as Verstappen passed Sainz for third. Giovinazzi had pitted changing to the hard joined by Schumacher. Sainz would pit on lap twenty one dropping to eighth seeing the Williams cars now 14th and 16th with Nicholas leading George.

Hamilton was now stuck behind Perez returning to the lead but this had allowed Verstappen to close the gap to the Mercedes. But even so Verstappen would drop to be 2.2s behind Hamilton. Bottas was now up to third but yet to pit seeing Perez fourth followed by Alonso, Gasly, Sainz, Norris, Leclerc and Tsunoda. Alonso and Gasly had also yet to pit but did start on the hard tyre. The Williams cars were going long on their medium tyres now 13th and 14th. Raikkonen would pit after a brush with the barrier pitting having spun. He would end his F1 career in his pit. At the same time George would report that he had lost drive and would limp back to his pit where he would retire.

Nicholas was now in 15th but he would drop to 17th having pitted changing to the hard tyre. Perez was now in third followed by Alonso who had yet to pit. Bottas would pass Leclerc for eighth to now be behind a seventh placed Norris. But would would see Giovinazzi retire at the side of the track seeing the Virtual Safety Car applied. Verstappen would pit taking the opportunity to use the Safety Car Period. Verstappen would return in second as we saw Perez also pit taking on new hard tyres. Lap thirty eight and the order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Norris, Bottas, Alonso, Tsunoda, Gasly and Ocon in tenth. Nicholas was now 16th as Alonso had pitted along with Gasly the pair switching from the hard to the medium.

As the race progressed Hamilton would see his lead shrink but was it coming down fast enough with forty eight laps completed. Perez was still third from Sainz, Norris, Bottas, Tsunoda, Gasly, Alonso and Ocon in tenth. Nicholas continued to run in 16th behind Schumacher. But Norris would be forced to pit through a slow puncture dropping to ninth but would recover to eighth. With fifty three laps completed Hamilton continued to lead over Verstappen and Perez. But the race would change as Nicholas would crash his Williams seeing the full Safety Car deployed. Verstappen would pit taking on a set of soft tyres but Hamilton would stay out still on his used hard tyres. Perez would pit again seeing the team retire his car. This would see Sainz in third but Verstappen was not allowed to move ahead of lapped cars. This would place quite a few cars between Hamilton and Verstappen.

But at the last moment they would let the lapped cars past seeing Verstappen right behind Hamilton and on the last lap of racing Verstappen would pass Hamilton and was able to keep his lead and take victory in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. And with this he would take victory in the 2021 World Championship with Hamilton second. Sainz was third in the race with Tsunoda fourth followed by Gasly, Bottas., Norris, Alonso, Ocon and Leclerc tenth. For Williams it was not a race that they will remember for the reason of their double retirement but at the same time it was the race where the finish eighth in the Constructors Championship.