The 2021 Formula One title race will be spoken about for years to come.

Max Verstappen took the championship after a quite remarkable Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory on Sunday, sensationally passing Lewis Hamilton on the final lap.

Stats Perform reflects on the key races in a sensational season.

EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX (Apr 18)

A flying Hamilton start hinted at another year of dominance, as he won three of the first four grands prix. He also secured two poles in that run, reaching 100 for his career; at the time of his unprecedented century, the rest of the drivers on the grid had a combined 129 poles.

The first signs of a genuine title tussle came in raceweek two, when Hamilton started from pole but did not win. In the rain at Imola, the Mercedes man crashed just before a red flag for an incident involving current and future team-mates Valtteri Bottas and George Russell.

Although Hamilton recovered to finish second, he reflected on "the first time I've made a mistake in a long time" as Verstappen got off the mark.

AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX (Jun 6)

Verstappen responded to Hamilton's strong form with his own run of four wins in five races, although he also endured frustration in the one grand prix over that stretch that escaped his grasp.

The second real moment of genuine drama in this increasingly exciting battle saw Verstappen's tyre blow out as he was coasting to victory in Baku, even if team-mate Sergio Perez was the man to profit.

Red Bull found further consolation in Hamilton's result: a miserable P15. However, that pointless return was not necessarily a surprise to the defending champion, who had forecast problems after a seventh-placed finish at the previous street race in Monaco.

BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Jul 18)

This back-and-forth came to a head at Silverstone. Verstappen's first career sequence of three victories in a row had opened up a 32-point gap to Hamilton, while Mercedes were on their worst winless run (five races) of the hybrid era, but the first high-profile contact between the two contenders slowed the Dutchman's momentum.

Verstappen won the inaugural sprint race but did not last a lap of the main event, sent into the barriers by Hamilton's attempted overtake at Copse Corner.

While Hamilton went on to triumph and close to within eight points – despite a 10-second penalty – Red Bull team principal Christian Horner fumed at his "dirty driving", which he claimed cost the team £1.8million. Red Bull's appeal for a harsher punishment was rejected.

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Aug 29)

P2 in Hungary after Silverstone had given Hamilton a narrow lead heading into the mid-season break, but the resumption at Spa did not go at all as the Silver Arrows superstar would have planned.

Woeful conditions meant a delayed race started behind the safety car before being red-flagged after two laps and then called off, with enough of the grand prix completed to award half points – a decision described by third-placed Hamilton as "all a money scenario".

Verstappen had pipped Russell to pole and so was granted a precious victory in this season of fine margins.

ITALIAN GRAND PRIX (Sep 12)

Verstappen nudged ahead of Hamilton again prior to the Italian GP and protected that position in the race – albeit in unorthodox fashion.

Neither Verstappen nor Hamilton finished the grand prix after the Dutchman caught the kerb when looking to pass his rival and landed on top of the Mercedes, with the halo protecting its driver.

"I am so grateful I am still here," Hamilton said afterwards, with Verstappen handed a grid penalty for the next race. The Red Bull man still extended his advantage thanks to P2 in Monza's sprint race.

RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX (Sep 26) 

Events in Sochi summed up the unpredictable nature of this season, with momentum swinging to and fro throughout the weekend, kickstarted by Red Bull's call to change Verstappen's engine and have him line up at the back of the grid.

Hamilton started in fourth after a pit-lane crash in qualifying but put himself in position to steal victory when poleman Lando Norris span off three laps from the end in yet more treacherous conditions.

That meant a long-awaited 100th F1 triumph for Hamilton – in his 281st race – but secured only a marginal lead over Verstappen, who brilliantly battled back to P2.

SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX (Nov 14)

The tour of the Americas had put Verstappen firmly back in control prior to the final Brazil leg, having held off Hamilton at the last in the United States before easing to victory in Mexico. He looked on course for more joy in Sao Paulo, too.

Hamilton was already set to serve a five-place grid penalty when his qualifying time – the fastest on the grid – was struck off for a DRS infringement, meaning he had to start from 10th even after recovering from 20th to fifth in the sprint race, in which Verstappen claimed P2.

Sensationally, Hamilton roared back to win ahead of Verstappen, who escaped punishment for forcing his rival wide early in the race. These various factors counting against Hamilton "woke up the lion", Toto Wolff later claimed.

SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX (Dec 5)

With no room for error, Hamilton won again in Qatar and then continued his fine form in highly controversial circumstances in Saudi Arabia.

Hamilton started from pole after Verstappen's qualifying crash, but the spectacle was only just beginning; last Sunday saw two red flags and a succession of safety cars that meant Max could not escape Lewis after taking the lead.

Verstappen twice gave the position back to Hamilton's due to infringements, while he was further punished for an additional flashpoint that saw the Dutchman brake, triggering a collision. Hamilton dashed clear to send the title race into its final grand prix all square for only the second time ever.

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Dec 12)

Even with the pair level on points heading into the deciding race, few could have imagined the championship would be settled in such dramatic fashion. Hamilton looked to be coasting to victory in the closing stages.

The Mercedes man had been ahead of pole-sitter Verstappen since passing him on the start, able to preserve that position despite Red Bull's claims of an illegal early move.

It was the Silver Arrows who were furious come the end of the race and the season, however. The race director allowed Verstappen to take on Hamilton at the last, snatching victory on the final lap of the campaign – this tying the latest date in the calendar a title has been settled.

Max Verstappen hailed his battle with Lewis Hamilton throughout the Formula One season for "pushing each other to the limit" after the Red Bull star clinched the title on Sunday.

Verstappen secured a maiden F1 world championship in controversial fashion as he overtook Hamilton on the final lap of a decisive last race of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton was moments away from claiming the championship for a record eighth time after building up a healthy lead over Verstappen heading into the closing stages.

However, the British driver's advantage was wiped out on the final straight as Verstappen raced past Hamilton after a safety car was deployed with four laps remaining following Nicholas Latifi's crash.

Mercedes immediately lodged two complaints about the bizarre end to the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, but the stewards rejected the proposals – a decision the German racing team intends to appeal against.

The finale was ultimately an almost fitting way to end a topsy-turvy battle between Hamilton and Verstappen throughout the season, and the Red Bull driver looked back on his season-long contest with the Briton fondly.

"Of course, in general, I think we have really enjoyed it," Verstappen told reporters when asked about the battle between the pair.

"We had our moments, but I think in a championship battle, that's part of it. And now that the season is over, I think we can relax a little bit more about it – but it's been tense. 

"The competition, almost every race we have been pushing each other to the limit, within our cars as well. And I think that is just really nice to see. 

"There have been quite some tough races, just physically also because you were just pushing like hard all the time, there was no lap to rest and throughout the whole weekend – qualifying, race – it was so important to always try and be perfect.

"[That is] very hard in Formula 1 to be perfect because there is always some[thing happening], a little tiny lock-up can make the difference between P1 and P2 and in the championship that we had, that was massive, so the level of focus required was very high."

Pressed for further comment on Hamilton, Verstappen spoke glowingly of his opponent as he also reflected on a momentous first win despite his team failing to win their respective championship.

"I have a lot of respect for Lewis but you know, I'm just very happy that I won in general because it's been a very tough season fighting against Mercedes and Lewis," he added.

 "I don't want to sound arrogant or whatever to say it's a great satisfaction to win against him and I just have a lot of respect for him, as a driver and I know he's an amazing driver in terms of what he has achieved but I'm just very happy that we won it.

"I think even when you talk to the [Red Bull] team, they really wanted me to win this championship, but over the whole season we were not the quickest. 

"So, then it's natural that you can't win the team championship. But we gave it our all you know, we can't be disappointed about anything because we really maximized a lot of our results. 

"Like I said, we gave it our all, and of course in the team championship we came up short but we won the Drivers."

Verstappen had hinted in the past that one world title would be enough to satisfy him for the rest of his career.

Having now achieved the feat, he concluded that any further success will simply be an additional bonus.

"No, of course, I will continue driving but of course, in terms of achievements, I have achieved everything in Formula 1 now so everything that comes next is just a bonus," he continued.

"People always doubt 'ah, you know with impact or whatever'. There was also criticism.

"But I think what, again, these moments teach you is that you have to keep believing in yourself and in your own beliefs, you know, and be a strong person about it, that's always worked very well for me."

Mercedes have lodged an intention to appeal against the stewards' decision to reject their protests over Max Verstappen's dramatic title-clinching Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory.

Verstappen claimed his maiden Formula One world title in the most dramatic fashion at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday after overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of a decisive last race of the season.

Hamilton was on the brink of being crowned champion for a record eighth time when he built a healthy lead until the safety car was deployed with four laps to go after Nicholas Latifi crashed.

Verstappen pitted to have fresh tyres fitted and had his last chance to win the race – and the championship – when race director Michael Masi ruled lapped cars in between the top two could overtake the safety car, which headed in and allowed one final lap of racing.

The Dutchman passed a stunned Hamilton, with Masi explaining to furious Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff: "We went car racing."

Mercedes launched a formal protest "against the classification established at the end of the competition" as Red Bull basked in the glory of their sensational triumph.

The Silver Arrows complained that Verstappen may have briefly edged in front of Hamilton, who had position as the lead car, behind the safety car and also protested over how rules were applied concerning when lapped cars can overtake under safety-car conditions.

While race stewards accepted Verstappen had "for a very short period of time" moved slightly ahead of Hamilton, they were satisfied that he dropped back behind the leader before the safety car period ended.

The second part of the appeal was also rejected by the stewards, but Mercedes will take the matter further.

A team statement said: "We have lodged notice of intention to appeal the decision of the stewards under Article 15 of the Sporting Code and Article 10 of the Judicial and Disciplinary Rule."

The stewards had declared that "once the message 'safety car in this lap' has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap" and "notwithstanding Mercedes' request that the stewards remediate the matter by amending the classification to reflect the positions at the end of the penultimate lap, this is a step that the stewards believe is effectively shortening the race retrospectively, and hence not appropriate".

"Accordingly, the protest is dismissed," the stewards added.

Kevin Durant has been fined $25,000 for aiming obscene language at a fan during the Brooklyn Nets' 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Durant powered in 31 points against the Hawks on Friday but has been punished for an apparent verbal spray towards a member of the crowd during the second quarter.

The NBA's president of league operations Byron Spruell announced the fine on Sunday in a statement that said: "Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has been fined $25,000 for directing obscene language toward a fan.

"The incident took place with 28 seconds remaining in the second quarter of the Nets' 113-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on December 10 at State Farm Arena."

It is not the first time that Durant has been in trouble with the NBA this season either, given the 33-year-old was fined the same amount at the end of October.

The forward's previous misdemeanour occurred against the Indiana Pacers, when he was reprimanded for "forcefully throwing the game ball into the spectator stands" during the third quarter of the Nets' win.

Fortunately for Brooklyn, Durant will not be suspended for any matches and the Nets will be delighted to keep their star in action, given he is averaging 28.5 points per game across 24 outings in the 2021-22 campaign.

Brooklyn, who hold a slender lead over the Milwaukee Bucks for the best record in the Eastern Conference, were due in action later on Sunday in a game against the Detroit Pistons.

Mercedes have had their first protest against the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix dismissed by race stewards.

Max Verstappen won the race and the championship in dramatic circumstances on Sunday, passing Lewis Hamilton on the final lap after the safety car had been deployed.

Having entered the race all square with Verstappen at the top of the standings, it seemed as though Hamilton would clinch a record eighth driver's title when he built up a healthy lead in the closing stages.

However, Hamilton's advantage was wiped out by the deployment of a safety car that was sent onto the track after Nicholas Latifi crashed with four laps remaining.

Verstappen pitted to get fresh tyres for a potential shot at passing the Mercedes man, and he got that chance when race director Michael Masi belatedly ruled lapped cars could overtake the safety car, which headed in and allowed one lap of racing between the contenders.

Verstappen beat Hamilton as Mercedes fumed, with Masi explaining to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff: "We went car racing."

As Red Bull celebrated their sensational victory, Mercedes protested "against the classification established at the end of the competition".

Mercedes' protest alleged Verstappen had overtaken Hamilton before the safety car pitted and opposed the decision to allow the selection of lapped cars to pass.

While race stewards accepted Verstappen had "for a very short period of time" moved slightly ahead of Hamilton, they were satisfied that he dropped back behind the leader before the safety car period ended.

Red Bull had argued that Hamilton had never been overtaken, rather that both cars were "on and off the throttle" and that there were "a million precedents" where cars had moved alongside an opponent while under a safety car before dropping back.

No decision had yet been announced by the FIA – the sport's governing body – with regards to Mercedes' second protest.

The finale to the 2021 Formula One world championship was fitting entertainment at the end of an extraordinary season.

On the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton and crossed the line in first place to become world champion for the first time.

Hamilton had looked on course for a record eighth driver's title until the safety car came onto the track after Nicholas Latifi crashed with four laps remaining.

It led to a thrilling but controversial finish – but should it have been done differently?

What happened?

Latifi hit the barriers on lap 54 and the safety car was deployed while the track was cleared.

Given Hamilton had been approximately 12 seconds clear in the lead at the time, Red Bull opted to pit Verstappen for fresh tyres in case a late dash for the chequered flag became a possibility. Hamilton stayed out, his team having warned that bringing him in for a tyre change would have given up track position to his title rival.

Discussions were then held between the respective team principals and race director Michael Masi over how the race would be concluded.

Red Bull's Christian Horner asked why cars that had already been lapped were not being allowed to pass the safety car once it was safe, which would have cleared the track between Verstappen and Hamilton and allowed for a last-lap race for the line.

Race Control, having initially declared that lapped cars would not be released, then gave the order for the five drivers keeping Verstappen from the back of Hamilton to pass the safety car.

This meant that, once the safety car left the track, racing could resume for one final lap – giving Verstappen, on far fresher tyres, the opportunity he needed to pass Hamilton and win the race, thereby clinching the title by just eight points.

Shortly after the race, Mercedes lodged an appeal against the result, citing alleged breaches of Article 48.8 and Article 48.12 of the rulebook: the first relates to overtaking under the safety car, while the second concerns the process of releasing lapped cars.

Why was it controversial?

The Formula One regulations for 2021 state: "If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message 'LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE' has been sent to all competitors via the official messaging system, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.

"This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first safety car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed. Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. 

"Whilst they are overtaking, and in order to ensure this may be carried out safely, the cars on the lead lap must always stay on the racing line unless deviating from it is unavoidable. Unless the clerk of the course considers the presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap."

The rules do not specify whether the race director may allow only some of the lapped cars to pass, and not all. This is why Michael Masi's decision to release only the cars between Verstappen and Hamilton, allowing for a final lap of racing between the title contenders, has caused such a debate.

What has been said?

Horner told Sky Sports: "We felt hard done by with the stewards at the beginning of the race, but they did great to get the race going again.

"We were screaming at him [Michael Masi]: 'Let them race'. That's what we've been talking about all year and this championship came down to the last lap. A great strategy call to make that pit stop, to take that set of softs, and then it was down to Max to make it happen.

"It's unheard of to leave the cars unlapped. You could see they wanted to get the race going again, and they don't need to catch up the back of the paddock. They made absolutely the right call - difficult circumstances, and they called it right."

George Russell, who will join Mercedes for the 2022 season, said on Twitter: "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! 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."

Lando Norris, the McLaren driver who was one of those allowed to pass the safety car, said: "I'm not too sure what was said from the FIA. At first, we weren't allowed to overtake, as the backmarkers, so if that influenced decisions to Mercedes and to Lewis and that's the reason they didn't do their pit-stop...

"But then the FIA suddenly changed their minds and they were allowed to let us past. That's where I'm not so sure. For it to end like that, I'm not so sure."

Damon Hill, the world champion in 1996, said on Sky Sports: "This is like running a motor race in a way we've not been used to in the past. They've kept us guessing all the time as to which way a decision is going to go. One team who is not going to be complaining about what happened is Red Bull."

Nico Rosberg, who won the 2016 title, said: "First they said you're not allowed to unlap themselves, then they changed that message once they saw it was safe to do so.

"The thing is that in the document it says 'all cars will be required to unlap themselves' and yet they only let those five cars that were between Lewis and Verstappen unlap themselves. That's where Mercedes are asking if it's okay or not. But I guess in the end Michael Masi can decide what he wants, he's the race director."

Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, said: "It definitely went Max's way only letting those five cars past but earlier in the race it sort of went Lewis' way. Michael Masi wants to get them racing, he doesn't want to decide the world championship."

Max Verstappen admitted it was an "unbelievable" and "incredible" feeling after snatching his first Formula One world championship in the most dramatic fashion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen entered the final race of a gripping season level on points with Lewis Hamilton, who was seeking a record-breaking eighth drivers' title.

The Red Bull star found it a struggle to match Hamilton, who was in charge of much of the title decider.

However, his team's decision to pit and opt for fresh tyres late in the race while Hamilton did not – as well as the necessary intervention of a safety car with four laps remaining – proved decisive.

Verstappen subsequently passed the defending champion at Turn 5 on the final lap – much to the dismay of an incensed Mercedes team – and became Red Bull's second world champion, after Sebastian Vettel.

"It's unbelievable," Verstappen said. "Throughout the whole race, I kept fighting, then there was the opportunity in the last lap. It's incredible.

"I don't know what to say. My team and Honda deserve it. Finally, a bit of luck for me!

"My team know I love them; I hope we can do this for 10, 15 years together. I don't want to change ever. I want to stay with them for the rest of my life, if they will have me.

"I'm so happy. Our goal was to win this championship when we came together and now we have done that."

Verstappen added: "My goal when I was little was to become an F1 driver. You hope for wins, you hope to be on the podium, when they play the national anthem, you one day hope they'll play yours.

"Now, standing here and they tell you you're the world champion is something incredible."

Verstappen also paid tribute to rival Hamilton, whose wait for that eighth world title goes on.

"Lewis is an amazing driver, an amazing competitor," Verstappen said.

"They made it really, really hard for us. The two teams went against each other and we had some tough times, but that's part of sport and the emotion, everyone wants to win.

"It could have gone either way today and next year, we'll come back and try it all over again."

Max Verstappen won a controversial rollercoaster Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton to sensationally claim his first Formula One world championship.

Emerson Fittipaldi is one of only two men who knows exactly the emotions Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will experience as they do battle in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Verstappen and Hamilton head into the final grand prix of the Formula One season tied at the top of the standings on 369.5 points.

Red Bull's Verstappen has a slight advantage, having won more races – a potentially pivotal tie-breaker – and taken pole on Saturday, but he will start alongside Hamilton on the front row.

At the 1974 United States Grand Prix, Fittipaldi lined up next to title rival Clay Regazzoni – albeit in eighth and ninth – in the only previous example of the top two being all square heading into the last race of the year.

"[There was] incredible pressure on myself, on the team, on my family, on my friends, on the sponsors," Fittipaldi told Stats Perform.

"When you think [about] going to the last race on equal points, I don't even call it a race, I call it like a duel.

"And knowing that only one is going to be world champion, there's no other chance. After two hours, someone is going to be world champion – one or the other.

"There was tremendous pressure, with all my race experience. I raced in Indianapolis, everywhere, the Brazilian Grand Prix, Monza – where I decided my first world championship.

"I had never experienced so much pressure in my career. I only slept like three hours the night before."

Now as an outsider, though, Fittipaldi is relishing seeing F1's two modern superstars go toe-to-toe in the most highly anticipated grand prix in years.

"I know that's going to happen on Sunday with Max and Lewis," the Brazilian said. "They will have so much pressure. The teams are under tremendous pressure and remember the families, the sponsors, the public.

"It will be a fantastic grand prix to watch. And this is why I say it's one of the best situations ever for a Formula One grand finale – it will be a grand finale, for sure."