Champ Lewis ends season with a win

Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton signed off on the Formula Oneseason in style and a cloud of tyre smoke yesterday after a pole-to-flagvictory in Abu Dhabi, his 11th win of the campaign.Ferrari’s overall runner-up Sebastian Vettel finished second, and alsoset the fastest lap, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third in a race thatalso saw a rare sprinkling of desert rain.“I am so happy right now,” said Hamilton after Hollywood actor WillSmith brought down the chequered flag at the floodlit Yas Marina circuiton the Mercedes driver’s 73rd career win.The 33-year-old Briton, who has won 51 of the 100 races in the V6 turbohybrid era, became the first driver to score more than 400 points in asingle season with a final tally of 408.Hamilton’s victory also left him 18 wins away from Michael Schumacher’sall-time record of 91 and he celebrated on the podium by stripping downto his waist and showing off his tattooed torso as the fizz was sprayed.Two times world champion Fernando Alonso, in his farewell race withMcLaren, had hoped to sign off in the points but finished 11th and withhis final tally at 1,899.With both championships already won, Hamilton taking his in Mexico withtwo races to spare and Mercedes sealing their fifth successiveconstructors’ and drivers’ double in Brazil, Sunday’s focus was on therace and those moving on – particularly Alonso. Hamilton, Vettel and theSpaniard – three great champions – spun their cars in a cloud of smokeat the end of their slowing down lap, before stepping out for hugs andwords of mutual respect.“Fernando is a true legend. It’s been a privilege to race when he isracing,” Hamilton said. “The sport will miss him and I will miss himfrom the sport.”Australian Daniel Ricciardo was another saying goodbye, to his Red Bullteam before moving to Renault, and he finished fourth after leading for along stint when Hamilton pitted early.Hamilton’s teammate and 2017 race winner Valtteri Bottas was fifth,after starting on the front row, and ended the season winless and fifthoverall. He and Verstappen banged wheels as they fought for position,forcing Bottas to make another pitstop for a suspected slow puncture.“It’s been a mentally pretty tough year so I need a break,” said theFinn. Compatriot Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, retired sevenlaps into his final race with Ferrari as his car cruised to a halt onthe pit straight, triggering a virtual safety car and Hamilton’s earlystop.The 39-year-old, joining Sauber next season, still ended third overall in the championship, two points ahead of Verstappen.McLaren-bound Carlos Sainz finished sixth in his last race for Renaultahead of Sauber’s Charles Leclerc, who now heads to Ferrari, and ForceIndia’s Sergio Perez. The Haas pairing of Romain Grosjean and KevinMagnussen took ninth and 10th.The safety car was deployed at the end of the opening lap when NicoHulkenberg’s Renault was sent barrel-rolling several times before comingto rest upside down on the tyre wall after a collision with RomainGrosjean’s Haas.“Get me out of this car. There’s fire,” the shaken German shouted over the radio.Hulkenberg remained inside as marshals doused flames at the rear,finally clambering out through the halo head protection device after theRenault was turned over.