Christian Horner, CEO and Team Principal: "I said it was going to need something from the racing Gods in the last ten laps and thank goodness for that safety car. It has been a great competition this season and for Max to win the World Championship, it is not just about the race here, it is about the whole year and how incredible and consistent he has been as a driver. All credit to Lewis too, he has been a phenomenal opponent all year and a great World Champion, he has been formidable and that is what makes it even more of a monumental achievement to win this. This Championship came down to the last lap and it was a great strategy call by the Team to make that pit stop onto the set of softs and then it was down to Max to make it happen, which he did in typical Max style. I was screaming from turn five all the way down that back straight. He got the job done. I am just so proud of Max and the team for what we've been through this year and what we have achieved against some fierce and great opponents. Checo was the perfect teammate today, what he did keeping Lewis behind, on totally worn tyres, was just super driving. Without him today Max probably wouldn't be World Champion, the whole Team executed their strategy, flawlessly. On balance after 22 races we have won this World Championship on the facts. I would also like to thank Honda for their teamwork and support over the last few years. We will continue our partnership in a different way, but we look forward to continuing the success."
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: "We end a positive season with a tricky and dramatic race. Lando did well to bring the car home in the points after plenty of disruption towards the end of the race. Unfortunately, for Daniel, the timing of the Safety Car limited his opportunity to fight with the Alpines. We thank Lando and Daniel for their hard work this year. They've helped us score the most points since 2012, secured five podiums, and achieved our first win in nine years.
"I'd also like to thank several groups of people for their commitment and dedication after this long season. Our race team, who spend their weekends away and sacrifice special moments with loved ones in service to the team, chasing performance at every opportunity, and our team back in Woking for their dedication and support around the clock to put us in the best possible position to perform on track. We're also lucky to have two fantastic simulator and development drivers in Oliver Turvey and Will Stevens. With so many new circuits this year, their work has been even more important.
"To our fans, whose support we feel all around the world, and are the reason we do what we do: we thank you for your continued passion and friendship and we hope you've enjoyed following our journey this year. To our sponsors, without whom we simply wouldn't be able to go racing: we value our partnerships and look forward to enjoying more success with you in the near future.
"To F1 and the FIA, who have worked exceptionally hard to deliver this season under tricky circumstances: that work has been rewarded with one of the most exciting seasons in memory. At the same time, we thank the outgoing FIA President Jean Todt for his service to our sport and wish his successor well.
"Coming into the 2021 season, one of the biggest changes for our team was the change of engine supplier. With the help of Mercedes HPP, we've been able to successfully implement this new power unit into our car, helping us deliver our first win since 2012. We also thank Pirelli for their hard work and collaboration, all while developing brand new 18-inch tyres for the new regulations next year.
"Finally, it's been an incredibly exciting year of Formula 1, and as a team we're proud of the progress we're making and the journey we're on. We're ready to take on the new regulations in 2022 as we embark on this new era of Formula 1."
Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal: "Sebastian and Lance both drove fault-free races to 11th and 13th respectively. That was not what we were hoping for - a double points finish was our aim - but we simply did not have the race pace necessary to make the progress required and there was not enough attrition ahead of us. I want to thank them both though. They have worked hard and uncomplainingly throughout a very long and extremely tough season. They both deserve a good rest, after which they will return next year; by that time we intend to offer them a more competitive car relative to those of our principal competitors. I also want to thank our staff back at the factory, and at the races, who never gave up all season. They too will come back refreshed next year, ready to push for better results than we have had this year."
Alpine F1 Team concluded its 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season with a double-points finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after Fernando Alonso finished eighth and Esteban Ocon took ninth during a titanic final battle. The result means the team finish fifth in the Constructors' Standings on 155 World Championship points.
Esteban and Fernando started well and held position during the opening laps of the 58-lap Grand Prix. As things got tense up front for the title protagonists, Esteban and Fernando held firm in ninth and eleventh after the formation of a DRS train.
Having started on Softs, Esteban was the first to pit and he switched to the Hard compounds on lap 16. Fernando, who started on the Hards, kept on touring the Yas Marina Circuit until lap 36 when a Virtual Safety Car was called and he took this window to box for Mediums.
The Spaniard exited the pits in eighth with Esteban tenth having stopped much earlier. After some attacking and defensive battles with the Alpha Tauris and McLarens, Fernando found himself in ninth and Esteban was just behind in tenth. The pair then moved up once place each after Sergio Perez retired his car.
A late Safety Car threw everything into disarray, with a one-lap sprint to the finish set to decide the final standings in the World Championship. Under the Abu Dhabi fireworks, Fernando and Esteban crossed the line in eighth and ninth at the chequered flag, to eventually seal fifth position in the constructors' standings.
Laurent Rossi, Alpine CEO: "Firstly, congratulations to Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes for a fantastic finale to the season. It was a brilliant end to a captivating year in Formula 1 and the perfect advert for what an entertaining sport we have the privilege to compete in. The drama they created today only makes us hungrier to be up at the top of the grid fighting for wins and championships in the near future. That is our ultimate goal and we will not stop the hard work to achieve that. Our race today was a fitting end to what has been a very memorable campaign. Both Fernando and Esteban battled hard and dug deep to score double points. Credit to them, to the strategists, to the pit-stop crew and to everyone at Enstone and Viry who has contributed to this success and consolidating fifth in the championship. I hope everyone in the team enjoys a good break over Christmas while we keep an eye on seizing future opportunities, especially from next year with the rule changes. Thanks to everyone on both sides of the Channel for a great season, capped with memorable races including Fernando's podium and Esteban's victory. We want to create more memories and moments like this and we'll remain motivated yet humble in achieving our targets."
Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow's 2021 season ended with a driver on the podium thanks to Carlos Sainz's great third place and another third place for the team in the Constructors' Championship standings. Charles Leclerc also finished in the points, in tenth place. The Scuderia is therefore the team that has got both its drivers in the top ten the most often, doing it in 17 of the 22 races.
Thanks to today's third place, his fourth podium of the season and the fifth for the team, Carlos managed to get ahead of both his former team-mate Lando Norris and his current one to finish fifth in the Drivers' classification, his best ever career finish. Charles however dropped down to seventh, which is still one place higher than last year.
For the two Ferrari drivers, the key to the race, as expected, was tyre management. Having moved up to fourth on the opening lap, Carlos had a clear track ahead of him for most of the race. He started on Softs, making his only pit stop on lap 19, switching to a set of new Hards and then ran all the way to the chequered flag. Charles got ahead of Bottas on the opening lap and tucked in behind Norris but then began to struggle on the Softs on lap 14, pitting one lap later to switch to Hards. On lap 35, under the Virtual Safety Car, the team and Charles decided to make an additional stop given that the performance of the Hards might have been marginal in the closing stages. Unfortunately, this did not work out as Charles found himself in traffic, last in a train of cars that were all following each other very closely with DRS. Not even the final Safety Car helped the Monegasque to move up the order.
This evening brings the curtain down on the Grand Prix season, but there are still a couple of days of action at Yas Marina. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, Charles Leclerc, Antonio Fuoco, Robert Shwartzman and Carlos Sainz will be on track for the final test of the year.
Mattia Binotto, Team Principal: We wanted to finish this season with a smile and we did it. Having Carlos on the podium was the best way to end a championship in which we made significant progress compared to last year. We are aware that the gap to those fighting for the titles is still very big, but it cannot be denied that we took a considerable step forward over the course of the season. Third place in the Constructors' Championship was down to the efforts of everyone in the team, at the track and back in Maranello, who worked really hard with determination, humility and in a united fashion. This team spirit and this will to improve together also extends to our drivers, Carlos and Charles, who have shown with their performance and their behaviour that they are up to the task they have been given as Scuderia Ferrari drivers. They are the best pairing on the grid.
Now we can concentrate 100% on the development of next year's car, when we want to give our fans all around the world something to cheer about. In fact, we thank them for their unwavering support, even at the most difficult moments. Finally, I want to thank our Partners who continue to support us, first and foremost Philip Morris International, who have been with us for over forty years. Their support is always important and will continue to be so in the future.
Jody Egginton (Technical Director): "What a fantastic end to the season! Congratulations to Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen for bringing home the Drivers' World Championship tonight! With regards to our race in the midfield, Yuki has put together his best weekend of the season, delivering a very strong performance to secure a fourth place finish. Pierre has shown his skill and composure with a good recovery from a difficult Qualifying to bring his car home fifth, adding further points to what is the highest points tally ever scored by the team. The trackside team, drivers and also the staff back in Faenza and Bicester should be very proud with what they have achieved this year. The car and team performed very well in what is a very competitive midfield, demonstrating another clear step forward in the team's development. We will now close the season with the test, then a well-deserved break before we head off into the 2022 season."
Franz Tost (Team Principal): "What an unbelievable race for the final round here in Abu Dhabi. Congratulations to Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing and Honda for winning the World Championship title, they did an incredible job during the year and Max really deserved this. This year he was the fastest driver and the team did a fantastic job.
"We are also happy from our side, because today we brought home a very good race result, the best of the year, and collected 22 points with Yuki in 4th and Pierre in 5th position, having started the race in 8th and 12th. We mixed up the strategy, with Yuki starting the race on the Mediums whilst Pierre was on a new set of hard tyres. Both of them did a very clever first stint and managed their tyres very well. Pierre got caught up behind Alonso, I think he could've been much faster but nevertheless, thanks to the safety car and very good strategy decisions, the team managed to cross the chequered flag with both drivers in the top 5. We finish the season on 142 points, this is the highest we've ever scored in the history of the team and only 13 points behind Alpine. The team made a big step forward in all areas and I'm now really looking forward to next year with hopefully a competitive new car to fight for strong positions."
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN suffered heartbreak in Yas Marina as both Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen were forced to retire from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On the last race for both drivers, technical failures caused their races to meet an early end when running just outside the points.
This disappointing evening brings our season to an end, with a total tally of 13 points to our name. As we pack up in Abu Dhabi, with the tail of a test on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, it is time to regroup and enjoy a break, before returning stronger for the 2022 season.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "Ending any race with two retirements is always disappointing, even more so when it's the final one of the season. We really wanted to give our drivers a better send-off and finish the season with a good result. As we head into the off-season, we'll need to take the positives from the year past and use them to build on them for 2022. We need to acknowledge that the step forward we made in performance this year was good, but unfortunately the results didn't back it up. We have let some big chances get by, we have made some mistakes and we didn't really get everything we deserved. There is a lot of work to do in the winter but we are prepared for it and we can't wait to see the results of all our efforts when we line up on the grid next year."
Uralkali Haas F1 Team driver Mick Schumacher classified 14th at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Round 22 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Schumacher started from 19th on Pirelli P Zero Red soft tires and gained two places to move into the 17th spot. The German came into the pits on lap 10, exchanging his softs for a set of White hard tires, and settled into a rhythm. Schumacher took on soft tires during a late Safety Car period and came home 14th to complete his rookie season.
Nikita Mazepin was unable to participate in the season-ending race after returning a positive test for Covid-19. Mazepin is physically well but is isolating and adhering to the guidelines of the health authorities. Stewards accepted Uralkali Haas F1 Team's request to withdraw the car from competition on force majeure grounds.
Uralkali Haas F1 Team concludes the 2021 Formula 1 season in 10th position in the Constructors' Championship.
Uralkali Haas F1 Team will be back in action at the Yas Marina Circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday for the 18-inch Pirelli tire test, in which a mule car will be used. Schumacher will drive on Tuesday while reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi be in action on Wednesday. Ferrari Driver Academy member Robert Shwartzman will drive the VF-21 as part of the young driver test that will run in parallel on Wednesday.
Guenther Steiner: "It was a very exciting final race of the championship, it was very good for Formula 1, and for us it was the best race we did. Unfortunately, Nikita couldn't take part after returning a positive COVID-19 test, but Mick did a fantastic job today. He fought all race long, we know our car is what it is, but cars that beat us all year ended up behind us, so very good to go into the winter season knowing that we are ready for a better season next year. We will work hard over the winter and come back stronger. Thanks to the whole team for holding up all season and putting their best into it and today it paid off – you just have to wait for your day."
Nicholas Latifi and George Russell both retired from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Both drivers lined up on the medium Pirelli tyres at the start of the race, Nicholas starting 16th and George 17th.
George was forced to retire from the race on lap 26 due to a gearbox issue. Nicholas meanwhile pitted on lap 28 for the hard compound tyre, before retiring due to an accident on lap 50.
Williams Racing secured eighth in the 2021 FIA Formula One World Constructors' Championship.
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: A very frustrating way to end the season with both cars failing to finish the race. George was unfortunate to collect some litter or a visor tear-off in the cooling duct, which we wouldn't have been able to remove at a pitstop. We managed the high temperatures for a long time on track but in the end, we couldn't prevent the gearbox from overheating and forcing us to retire the car.
Nicholas was embroiled in a tight battle with Schumacher but despite several attempts to overtake and some robust defending from Schumacher, he couldn't make the pass stick and eventually made a mistake in the dirty air and hit the wall.
It wasn't the way that we wanted to secure our Championship position; however, we can still be proud of the work we did earlier in the year which got us into a strong position. Our attention now turns to the test next week followed by a well-earned rest over Christmas before we regroup to tackle the new season. Congratulations to Red Bull, Mercedes, Max and Lewis who have fought hard throughout the year and given us one of the most thrilling Championships for some time.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won his first world title in dramatic fashion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with three pit stops: taking the lead on the final lap after stopping for P Zero Red soft tyres during a safety car.
Verstappen started from pole on the soft compound but was passed by his title rival Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) who began the race on the P Zero Yellow medium. Verstappen was the first of the two to make his stop from soft to P Zero White hard on lap 13, followed one lap later by Hamilton, who switched from medium to hard. Verstappen then made a second stop for hard tyres under a virtual safety car on lap 36 before his third and final stop for softs under a full safety car with five laps to go.
There was a wide variety of strategies seen throughout the race, with five different run plans in the top five at the finish, influenced also by the safety car periods.
Eight drivers – including the polesitter – began the race on the soft compound, with nine on the medium and just two (AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly and Alpine driver Fernando Alonso) on the hard tyre: both of whom finished in the points.
The race got underway in warm and dry conditions with 28 degrees centigrade asphalt and 25 degrees ambient: similar to qualifying and staying consistent to the finish.
Mario Isola: "We had a tense and strategic battle for the championship, when a virtual safety car and then a full safety car provided two pivotal moments. Max Verstappen pitted for new tyres on each occasion and tried to hunt down Lewis Hamilton, who stayed out and managed his tyres well to the finish, but could do nothing about the effect of Verstappen's fresh soft tyres on the final lap. From the beginning, the two title protagonists had diverging strategies, starting on different compounds and adopting different strategies, which we saw all the way down the field; thanks also to the unpredictable nature of this race. All three compounds played an important role, standing up extremely well to the challenge of this new track layout and contributing to a thrilling finale. Congratulations to Max Verstappen for his first title and to Mercedes for clinching the constructors' championship. It's been an absolutely incredible season with some of the most intense competition we can remember: a fitting way to close the chapter on 13-inch tyres before starting a new one with 18 inches."
