Hamilton secured his seventh world championship this year to move level with Michael Schumacher as the sport’s most successful driver. “This year it’s been one of the hardest, if not the hardest year,” Hamilton said. I’m grateful that we got to race but these races can take a lot out of you.”. Red Bull had the quicker car in Abu Dhabi and while the Mercedes engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, confirmed they had, as a precaution, turned down the MGU-K units on their engines, it amounted to less than a tenth of a second a lap, far less than the advantage Red Bull enjoyed. The regulations are frozen for next year and Red Bull’s pace at the close was, Hamilton said, evidence Mercedes will have “a fight on our hands” next year. Red Bull have steadily improved their car and it has come on in the second half of the season.

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