George Russell brands manner of Max Verstappen’s F1 Championship victory ‘absolutely unacceptable’

George Russell branded the end of the 2021 Formula One World Championship “absolutely unacceptable” after a dramatic and controversial finale to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton looked to be cruising to a record eighth world title when the safety car had to be deployed when Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers late in the race.

Just before a final-lap restart, only the cars between the rivals were given permission by FIA race director Michael Masi to overtake for their track position, much to the annoyance of Mercedes.

It paved the way for Max Verstappen, who had come in to change to Soft tyres, to overtake for the win and the title in the most thrilling finish to a captivating season.

But Russell, who will team up with Hamilton at Mercedes next season, wrote on social media immediately after the race: “Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have nothing but huge respect for him.

“But what just happened is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot believe what we’ve just seen.”

Hamilton played down any aggravation over the result immediately after the chequered flag.

He said: "Congratulations to Max and his team. I think we did an amazing job this year.

"Everyone back at the factory and here worked so hard in this most difficult of seasons. I'm so proud of them and so grateful to be part of the journey with them. We gave it everything this last part of the season, we never gave up."

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