Nail-Biting Finale: Mercedes Clinches Second Place as Verstappen Dominates Abu Dhabi Twilight

Fingernails screeched down the window panes, but Mercedes clung tenaciously to second place in the constructors' championship, earning nearly £10 million as their reward for holding off Ferrari.

This season for the Silver Arrows is one to consign to the dustbin of history, just as Max Verstappen and an astonished public will never forget. Under a full moon in twilight Abu Dhabi, the Dutchman secured 19 wins from 22 races.

Verstappen's impressive performance stands in deep contrast to Mercedes. George Russell produced a gutsy third place on a weekend when he found the going easier than his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who managed two points finishing in ninth.

This combined effort was just enough to eclipse Ferrari. Charles Leclerc's runners-up spot was balanced out by teammate Carlos Sainz managing only 18th. The gap between the two fabled teams stood at three points (409-406), and in prize-money terms, it amounted to £105 million to £96 million.

The discrepancy will manifest in bonuses paid to staff, potentially boosting the Christmas present market around Brackley, if not the kitchen showrooms that are synonymous with championship-winning achievements.

The final table reveals that for two consecutive years, Mercedes, starting the race four points ahead of Ferrari, has finished as the best of the rest behind Red Bull. However, this time the margin was significantly larger. Last season, the gap was 244 points; this time, it widened to 413. Nobody can label this as progress.

Toto Wolff, a team principal struggling for remedies, was even reduced to delivering pep talks to Hamilton, such as: 'Lewis, second quickest car last lap. You're quick.' And then, later, that he was the fastest car out there.

Times always fluctuate – Lance Stroll of Aston Martin banged in the fastest lap moments later – and Wolff focusing on a flicker of hope raised a laugh in the press room.

Incidentally, Wolff did not congratulate Russell when he set the then-fastest lap (or it wasn't broadcast if he did), reinforcing the appearance that Wolff singles out Hamilton for flattery.

Hamilton started 11th for the second race in succession but worked his way up to eighth by passing Daniel Ricciardo, before slipping down the order with his second tire change.

He then had a duel with his old foe Fernando Alonso, accusing the wily Spaniard of brake-testing him as they vied for position.

The stewards announced they would investigate a pit-stop infringement relating to Hamilton's stop. It related to the pit crew potentially not wearing the required eye protection and was due to be considered once the race was completed. Ditto stops made by Verstappen, Williams' Logan Sargeant, and Alfa Romeo's Zhou.

Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren, despite Red Bull's Sergio Perez being handed a five-second penalty for hitting him.

This was manna from heaven for Mercedes because Perez was on Russell's back, and had he passed the Briton, he might have handed the bounty to Ferrari (though Sainz had to stop again, so it may have been irrelevant, depending on imponderables).

Russell, who had only been on the podium once before this season, inquired a few times about the constructors' situation throughout the evening.

With four laps to go, Russell was passed by the Mexican. Could Perez open up a five-second gap in the final moments of the season? It was a nervous moment for all concerned.

Perez couldn't – the gap was 3.9 sec at the close, finishing fourth once the penalty was applied – and the fingernails clung on to the ledge.